Author Topic: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks  (Read 125159 times)

Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #175 on: August 07, 2018, 09:02:34 PM »
EMBT Demonstrator
Now I works:












Didi, germany, the land of Leoparden ;)

Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #176 on: August 07, 2018, 11:48:17 PM »
 :smiley: :smiley:
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Offline apophenia

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #177 on: August 08, 2018, 04:46:11 AM »
Great start, Didi! Are you using the Tamiya Leclerc 2 turret?
Froglord: "... amphibious doom descends ... approach the alter and swear your allegiance to the swamp."

Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #178 on: August 11, 2018, 03:27:38 PM »
Yes, I use Tamiya´s Leclerc. The Heller Kit was too inaccurate.

Offline ysi_maniac

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #179 on: August 11, 2018, 08:41:57 PM »
Love this project. :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #180 on: October 20, 2018, 04:48:05 PM »
Sabiex HIFV

Experimental heavy infantry fighting vehicle/armored personnel carrier.   Developed between 2005 and 2010, as a joint venture between the UAE and Belgian firm of Sabiex. The project involved the reversing of the vehicle with the engine at the front and the former driver’s space and area under the turret repurposed for troops. Vehicle fitted with BMP-3 turret. One vehicle made.

Built using an OF40 MBT hull, which in turn was actually a Leopard I, license produced in Italy, designed for use in the tropics, the Sabiex was an interesting experiment that was not taken up.








Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #181 on: October 20, 2018, 04:54:00 PM »
Leone MBT

The Carro da Combattimento Lion was developed at a time when the serial production of the Leopard main battle tank was still underway in Italy and West Germany. The need for such a vehicle was born from the strong desire from both Italian and West Germany industry to be able to offer a tank for foreign export, specifically for the Middle-East and third-world markets.

OTO Melara had already been heavily involved in the serial production of the American designed M60A1 main battle tank (MBT) and had also worked on various upgrades to the M47 Patton. Those M47 were to remain in service in Italy until production of Leopard was completed and fully in service with the Italian army. The first information about this new project came out in 1976. The project started in 1975 as a consortium was formed from Krauss-Maffei, Blohm and Voss, Diehl, Jung-Porsche, MaK, Luther-Werke, OTO Melara, Fiat, and Lancia with the single purpose to construct a cost-effective tank for export. Namely, a cost-effective version of the Leopard.


Artwork advertising the Lion Main Battle Tank (It is a retouched image of a Leopard 1). Photo: Caiti
A Consortium is Formed

In Italy, this project was initially known as the ‘Leopardino’ (“little leopard”) and then as the ‘Leone’ (Lion). The split for manufacturing would be 50-50, with the hull, engine, transmission, and running gear made in Germany and the turret, armament, and electrical equipment by the Italians. Assembly of all of these components was to take place at the OTO-Melara plant at La Spezia with the goal of having a functional prototype by March 1977 and the goal of serial production pending orders for 1978 and beyond. It is unusual that the turret, bearing a striking similarity to the new Leopard 1A3 turret from Germany would be made in Italy just a few years after the development of it had started, in around 1973.

Protection

The hull was essentially that of the Leopard 1 but it was tropicalized, optimised for use in hot, dry, dusty conditions with improved ventilation and filtration systems. With improved cooling, the tank could operate in temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius. Like the Leopard 1, the hull was made from welded rolled homogenous steel armor plate. The distinctive angular rippled side skirts from the Leopard 1 were retained for the Lion.

The turret, like that of the Leopard 1A3, was also made from welded rolled homogenous steel armor and featured spaced armor across the front arc for additional protection. The only major difference in the turret was the traverse system. The Leopard was using the Cadillac-Gage electro-hydraulic system but the Lion was instead to use a new, cheaper, and less complicated Swiss system


Fiat Lion still in the factory, circa 1975-77. Photo: Pignato

Armament

The Lion was fitted with a 105mm rifled main gun made by OTO-Melara which would have been capable of firing NATO standardized 105mm ammunition. Based on the fact the sights of the OF 40 MK.1 were only graduated for Armor Piercing Discarding Sabot (APDS), High Explosive Anti-Tank (HEAT), and High Explosive Squash Head (HESH) and that the OF 40 was heavily based on the Lion it is likely that only APDS, HEAT, and HESH were to be the primary ammunition types. The number of main gun rounds carried is not known but if compared to the OF 40 Mk.1 which followed this design closely it is likely to be 19 rounds in the turret and 42 rounds in the front left of the hull next to the driver. A coaxial machine gun was fitted, likely 7.62mm caliber and a mounting point on the roof for an additional machine gun for anti-aircraft defense.

Crew

A crew of four consisting of a commander on the right-hand side of the turret and in front of him the gunner. The loader was the third member of the turret crew and was positioned on the left of the gun. The fourth crew member was the driver and sat in the front right-hand side of the hull.
Automotive

The engine and transmission were to be German although Fiat had a contract for the license construction of the German engine for the Leopard. This would be a version of the Motoren und Turbinen Union MB 838 CA M500 multifuel engine which was supercharged to produce 830hp at 2200 rpm producing 19.3 horsepower per tonne.


Fiat Lion during trials. Photo: Pignato

Conclusion

The Lion was a perfectly good MBT at the time and was effectively a license-built Leopard 1A3 made in Italy for the sole purpose of obtaining export orders for both German and Italian industries. Why the sales did not materialize is hard to gauge as the Lion does not appear to have been offered widely for sale. The only interest from an export point of view had come from a delegation from Pakistan who was looking at modernizing their own tank fleet at the time. Machinations over export controls and the price of the tank are most likely either together or combined to have killed it off. No serial production ever took place and only the single prototype was ever completed. The whereabouts of the vehicle are unknown.

The project though reappeared by 1980 as the OF 40 project, a collaboration between OTO-Melara and Fiat. The lack of major German involvement in the OF 40 (the engine for the OF 40 was still a German engine but built under license in Italy) suggests that the reason the Lion project failed was that the Germans pulled their support. With no German support, the Italians would not be able to export the Lion on their own as their Leopard manufacturing license specifically prevented them from doing so. The outcome was a delay of a couple of years for the project to be reworked with a newly designed hull with very similar features but different enough to work around the license restrictions. The OF 40 would still look very similar to both the Lion and the Leopard but this time was an Italian project.


OF 40 Mk.1 Photo: OTO Melara

Leone Main Battle Tank
Total weight    43 tons
Crew    4 (driver, gunner, commander, loaders)
Propulsion    Motoren und Turbinen Union MB 838 CA M500, 830hp, multifuel
Speed (road)    37 mph (60 km/h)
Armament    105mm rifled main gun
coaxial 7.62mm machine gun
turret roof mounted 7.62mm machine gun
« Last Edit: October 21, 2018, 11:06:10 AM by Rickshaw »

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #182 on: October 21, 2018, 04:11:46 AM »
The Sabiex HIFV is interesting.  Be interesting to see a version with a Western turret.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #183 on: November 07, 2018, 05:47:40 PM »
Would be interested knowing whether the Leone MBT had an air conditioner unit incorporated into it's design, seeing that it's principal AO was meant to target Middle Eastern/African armies???

M.A.D

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #184 on: January 14, 2019, 12:39:29 PM »
Leo3 shown above:




Any chance of a Leo1 profile with a Bofors L74 105mm L/62 gun Greg???

M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #185 on: January 15, 2019, 04:03:42 AM »
Errr...wouldn't that just be a standard Leo 1 with a longer (~1m) barrel?
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #186 on: January 15, 2019, 07:43:10 AM »
Errr...wouldn't that just be a standard Leo 1 with a longer (~1m) barrel?

I'd say, basically yes it would be.  The barrel might be a little thicker, particularly towards the breech end and the fume extractor might be moved slightly further towards the muzzle but it wouldn't be any difference in real shape apart from length.

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #187 on: January 15, 2019, 03:36:29 PM »
Errr...wouldn't that just be a standard Leo 1 with a longer (~1m) barrel?

Yes, you are undoubtedly correct Greg - 'same but different yeah', but affording a higher velocity and longer engagement range!

I have Australian Army MBT retrofitted with the Bofors L74 105mm L/62 gun, in place of Royal Ordinance L7 105mm L52, in my Alternative ADF ORBAT


M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #188 on: January 16, 2019, 01:37:52 AM »
I will aim to do something this coming weekend.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline M.A.D

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #189 on: January 16, 2019, 08:32:23 AM »
I will aim to do something this coming weekend.

Thank's Greg 👍

M.A.D

Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #190 on: January 24, 2019, 08:40:33 PM »
EMBT is ready for colour.
IMG_7107 - Kopie by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7103 - Kopie by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7106 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7104 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

My Way to make the baskets:
IMG_6892 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7096 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

DSC_8230 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7097 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7101 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

IMG_7108 by Diethelm Berlage, auf Flickr

Greetings,
Didi

Offline tankmodeler

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #191 on: January 25, 2019, 01:31:39 AM »
EMBT is ready for colour.
You've done a great job with the brass, so this is not a criticism of you at all, but, to me this really illustrates why PE just isn't very good for a lot of the things we buy it for. Those flats section PE basket frames simply do not have the look of the tube baskets of the real thing. That an excellent assembly job doesn't overcome it, is illustrative, at least to me.

Paul


Offline Marderman

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #192 on: January 25, 2019, 04:52:08 PM »
I had also tried to get tubes, but found nothing suitable. And with a soldering iron I can´t work. This was the best possible solution for me.

Didi

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #193 on: February 24, 2019, 07:51:21 AM »
This updates the previous posting on the Sabiex HIFV.

Quote
Sabiex HIFV, The ‘Golden Unit’

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) was the only nation that bought the OF-40 (OTO-Melara/Fiat 40 tonne) tank in the 1980’s. They first bought the Mk.1 and were not pleased with the vehicle leading to a further delivery of Mk.2 vehicles and upgrading of the Mk.1 to Mk.2 standard very soon afterwards. Even so, these tanks were not considered mobile enough nor sufficiently well armed by the UAE for their envisaged role in the Middle Eastern battlespace. Ultimately, the UAE was left with an undesired stock of tanks and OF 40 based armored recovery vehicles (ARV’s). The UAE, already operating the much more advanced, better protected, and better armed Leclerc MBT, did not need these older vehicles. Despite rumors of these vehicles being sold to Bosnia-Herzegovina as surplus in the late 1990’s they instead appear to have simply been put into long-term storage in the Gulf nation.

The UAE did, however, operate a number of BMP-3’s which, despite being well armed, were not well armored which led to the search for a suitable replacement for them.



OF 40 Mk.2

https://i.imgur.com/SEkVmEt.png
OF 40 based Sabiex HIFV showing the substantially altered profile of the vehicle.


Hull development at Sabiex’s Belgian plant. The hull has been totally stripped off and a new improved mine resistant floor is being added. Old features like the driver’s floor hatch from the OF 40 are eliminated.


New internal side armor being fitted at the Sabiex plant.


Sabiex OF 40 based HIFV leaving the Sabiex plant in Belgium


Sabiex HIFV undergoing trials in Belgium in 2007.


Sabiex HIFV during trials in Belgium in 2007. The position of the driver gives a good idea of the problems of driving a vehicle with such a large frontal blind spot.


Sabiex HIFV during testing in Belgium in 2007.

Development

By 2005, a possible new role for the OF 40 tanks was found. The Belgian firm of Sabiex International, based in Tournai, received a €12 million (euro) (US$15.8 million) contract from the UAE to reuse components of the OF 40 during the development and evaluation phase of their own IFV/APC program. Also involved in this joint-venture were the South Technology Company (STC) along with the Al Badie Group (ABG). STC specialise in engineering, upgrading, addition armoring (including landmine protection) and optronics.

The purpose of this new vehicle was to replace the existing UAE BMP-3’s fleet. The result of the STC/Sabiex/ABG venture was something rather unusual. The goal was the construction of a prototype Heavy Infantry Fighting Vehicle (HIFV) which saw one OF 40 shipped to Sabiex in Belgium, dismantled and refurbished. The new prototype vehicle was partially completed in 2007, sufficiently for trails in Belgium to take place. The development work was done by 2010 and the completed vehicle shipped back to the UAE for desert trials. In the UAE, this vehicle is officially known as ‘the Golden Unit’ as a test prototype and, having passed its desert trials, was to then to proceed to 2nd stage development by STC. This further conversion work based on the Sabiex development was planned to take place at the production facilities of ABG in UAE, but had not started by mid-2010.


Sabiex HIFV prototype hull on display.


OF 40 MTU power pack reconditioned for use in the Sabiex HIFV.

Design

The OF 40 was a conventionally laid out tank with the Fiat-built (licensed) Motoren und Turbinen Union MB 838 CA M500 supercharged, liquid cooled, ten-cylinder multi-fuel diesel engine producing 830hp. The engine, transmission and drive were at the rear. The basic dimensions of the original OF 40 hull were retained as was 7 roadwheel layout with each pair of double wheels mounted onto a swing arm and torsion bar with hydraulic shock absorbers at the front and rear wheel stations.

The Sabiex design saw the reversal of the vehicle layout. The original OF 40 MTU type power pack was retained but now sat at the front of the vehicle allowing the rear to be converted for infantry use. Additionally, the placement of the engine in the front of the vehicle allows for additional protection over the frontal arc. This concept has been tried elsewhere with other tanks such as the Centurion in Jordan being reversed and turned into the Temsah. The only modification done in UAE other than adding the BMP-3 turrets appears to be some work on the exhaust louvers which are reduced from 5 to 3.


Sabiex HIFV fitted with BMP-3 turret in the UAE. The modified exhaust louvres can be seen.


Illustration of the Sabiex HIFV, or ‘The Golden Unit’.


Close up of the drive sprocket from the Sabiex HIFV also shows the thickness of the front lower plate of the vehicle’s armor.

Protection

The vehicle is still made from all-welded steel armor for the hull and Sabiex claim protection is provided to STANAG 4569 level 5 with additional protection against the Russian TM-57 anti-tank mine. Significant additional protection has been added internally with a new inner armored bulkhead providing the whole of the sides with spaced armor. Significant additional protection on the floor of the vehicle is also provided with the elimination of the old driver’s escape hatch in the floor and a new floor put in place. The front lower part of the vehicle appears to be made from an outer layer of ~40 mm thick armor plate, and the nose is assumed to consist of a large section of spaced armor.


Detail of new nose armor which has had the OF 40 headlamps (M60 style) fitted to it. The driver’s digital video camera driving aid can be seen behind it (the small whitish rectangle).


Front view of the Sabiex HIFV hull in its two-tone desert camouflage pattern. This was later changed to an all- sand-yellow scheme in the UAE

Armament

The only information relating to armament is that the prototype was shown fitted with a surplus turret from one of the large number of BMP-3’s operated by the UAE. That BMP-3 turret is fitted with a 100mm 2A70 main gun, a 30mm 2A72 coaxial autocannon, and 7.62mm PKTM coaxial machine gun.

Had the program gone ahead, the Golden Unit would have been one of the most heavily armed and armored HIFV’s in the world.


Drivers station seen from inside, looking towards what used to be the bulkhead between the fighting compartment and the engine bay. A turret is not fitted and the new flooring over the improved mine protected floor can be seen.


View of the right-hand side of the driver’s position during construction. The front of the vehicle is to the right and not the direction the fitter is facing or seated.

Crew

The Sabiex design calls for a crew of just two, one driver sat in the front left of the fighting compartment and a commander/gunner. Without the turret fitted, there is a large central space between the back of the driver and the four infantry seats, which could be used for a variety of purposes but, even with the turret fitted, the four rear seats remain. This would allow for up to 5 additional crew members with one assisting in the crewing of the BMP-3 turret. This would bring the maximum complement up to 2+5 with a turret. Access to the vehicle for the driver is via his own hatch but the infantry accesses the vehicle via the large power-operated rear ramp or the rightwards opening single door within the ramp. A rectangular hatch in the side of the right-hand side of the vehicle and other features include small video cameras at the front and back to assist the driver.


View inside the Sabiex HIFV through the rear boor shows the thickness of the substantially improved floor to be mine resistant.

Weight

Operating without a turret the Sabiex HIFV has a mass of 35,000 kg, and 45,000 kg (45 tonnes) with the BMP-3 turret making it heavier than the OF 40 MBT on which it was based.


Sabiex IFV with BMP-3 turret fitted


Elevated rear view of the Sabiex HIFV showing the considerable bulk of it. Two of the four infantry seats can be seen folded on the left.

Conclusion

The program began in 2005 and trials were conducted in Belgium in 2007. Further trials were conducted in 2010 in the UAE with work on converting the remaining OF 40 vehicle scheduled to commence at the ABG production facilities but never did. Following delivery of 436 Leclerc MBT and variants to the UAE from the French firm of Nexter Systems, all remaining OF 40 vehicles are officially withdrawn from service. Only one OF 40 is known to have been modified and the status of the program appears to be canceled. The status of the test vehicle is not known but is assumed to be in storage in the UAE. The Golden Unit as a prototype was successful and if the remaining stock had been converted, the UAE would have had a very well armed HIFV.


Turretless Sabiex IFV during desert testing circa 2010

Source

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #194 on: March 02, 2019, 02:28:23 AM »
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline Rickshaw

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #195 on: March 02, 2019, 11:00:13 AM »
Interesting.  The Glacis reminds me of the WWII Panther and Tiger II series of tanks.

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #196 on: March 03, 2019, 01:36:29 AM »
And the turret is vaguely reminiscent of the Tiger II.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline Frank3k

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #197 on: March 03, 2019, 03:53:13 AM »
I was surprised at the overspray on the NATO camo.

Offline ChernayaAkula

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #198 on: May 26, 2019, 09:13:06 AM »
OPFOR Leopard II - posing as a T-72/80/90.



Built by Didi/Marderman: LINK.
Cheers,
Moritz

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Re: Leopard 1 and Leopard 2 Tanks
« Reply #199 on: June 23, 2019, 03:12:48 AM »
I thought I had already posted this:

All hail the God of Frustration!!!

You can't outrun Death forever.
But you can make the Bastard work for it.