Author Topic: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender  (Read 21370 times)

Offline Claymore

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Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« on: June 01, 2017, 10:22:59 PM »
Am currently on my jolly hols but might give this a go when I get back home...  ;)
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Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #1 on: June 02, 2017, 03:01:26 AM »
Looking forward to seeing what you have in mind.
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #2 on: June 02, 2017, 07:49:40 AM »
A de-mil'ed S-tank, perhaps?

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2017, 03:02:33 AM »
Something like Ripsaw perhaps:

https://youtu.be/Z8uUqdsz78g
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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Offline jcf

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2017, 03:25:00 AM »
Abrams engine, drive and suspension on a new, narrowed lightweight carbon-fibre hull.
Some sort of rubberized track system, just enough 'tooth' for traction but smooth enough
for high-speeds.
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more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
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Offline kitnut617

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #5 on: June 03, 2017, 08:51:42 AM »
Mrs Kitnut's Dad was in the REME. During that time he was on the 'Recovery Team' and on one call he had to attend a crash. Apparently (and this was straight from the horse's mouth), he had to go recover a Scorpion tank which had shed a track. Only this was on an 'M' road in the UK. It had been doing over 95 mph when the track decided it had enough and the end result was it ran over a few civilian vehicles.  After that a governor was added to the drive train to restrict the top speed considerably.

Offline Crbad

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2017, 12:06:59 AM »
 :) I was thinking of doing a ground version of the post war air racers.
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Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #7 on: June 05, 2017, 07:38:26 PM »
Mrs Kitnut's Dad was in the REME. During that time he was on the 'Recovery Team' and on one call he had to attend a crash. Apparently (and this was straight from the horse's mouth), he had to go recover a Scorpion tank which had shed a track. Only this was on an 'M' road in the UK. It had been doing over 95 mph when the track decided it had enough and the end result was it ran over a few civilian vehicles.  After that a governor was added to the drive train to restrict the top speed considerably.

I'm note sure about 95mph but a few years ago we (the RAF Regt) held the tracked land speed record in a Scorpion (or perhaps a Spartan) and I think it was something like 75mph. This was achieved by closing off a section of the A1 dual carriageway close to RAF Catterick and pulling out all the stops. Interesting thing is that the following week the same vehicle had a catastrophic failure of one of its front drive sprockets causing a track to shed. Fortunately it wasn't going that fast but still ended up in some unsuspecting persons front garden. Just as well it didn't happen when doing its speed run.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2017, 10:10:59 AM by Claymore »
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Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #8 on: June 05, 2017, 07:39:19 PM »
Nice ideas guys and food for thought.  :)
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Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #9 on: June 05, 2017, 10:20:40 PM »
Do you have Crismon's book on US Military Tracked Vehicles? In the APC section with the M113, it shows the vehicle that set the record on a gravel track at Aberdeen back in the '60s or '70s, I think.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #10 on: June 06, 2017, 10:11:59 AM »
Do you have Crismon's book on US Military Tracked Vehicles? In the APC section with the M113, it shows the vehicle that set the record on a gravel track at Aberdeen back in the '60s or '70s, I think.

Cheers,

Logan

No, but I'll see if I can find a pic. Thanks.  :)
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Offline Logan Hartke

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #11 on: June 06, 2017, 12:09:27 PM »
Sorry, I don't have the time to do a proper scan, but these should give you the idea.



What's particularly impressive is that it achieved those speeds over a gravel track. Makes you wonder what it could do on pavement.

Cheers,

Logan

Offline Dr. YoKai

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #12 on: June 06, 2017, 08:17:03 PM »
Also makes me wonder what it could do to pavement... ;D 

I like the idea - looking forward to seeing what comes next.

Offline jcf

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #13 on: June 07, 2017, 12:36:32 PM »
Speaking of 'hot rodding' and military vehicles (yeah I know no tracks),
Wally Parks with his Philippines ride, a 'Jeep' (which may be a Bantam),
that he hot-rodded with a massaged 136 cu in (2.2 L) Ford V8-60 flathead.



For those not familiar with Wally Parks he was a co-founder of Hot Rod magazine and founder of the
NHRA.
“Conspiracy theory’s got to be simple.
Sense doesn’t come into it. People are
more scared of how complicated shit
actually is than they ever are about
whatever’s supposed to be behind the
conspiracy.”
-The Peripheral, William Gibson 2014

Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #14 on: June 30, 2017, 07:04:24 AM »
I really had no idea where I was going with this and whether or not anything would materialise...

It really is surprising what you can do with a razor saw!  Pics to follow in due course.  ;)
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Offline Jeffry Fontaine

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #15 on: June 30, 2017, 07:33:23 AM »
You are such a TEASE! :P
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Offline elmayerle

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #16 on: June 30, 2017, 10:35:45 AM »
Speaking of 'hot rodding' and military vehicles (yeah I know no tracks),
Wally Parks with his Philippines ride, a 'Jeep' (which may be a Bantam),
that he hot-rodded with a massaged 136 cu in (2.2 L) Ford V8-60 flathead.



For those not familiar with Wally Parks he was a co-founder of Hot Rod magazine and founder of the
NHRA.

That reminds me of Bill Mauldin's short story, "The Affair of the Wayward Jeep" (q.v.) where a hot-rodder gets assigned as a general's driver and massages the general's jeep in true hotrodding manner.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2017, 11:02:02 AM by elmayerle »

Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #17 on: July 02, 2017, 05:53:08 AM »
Well this is where I am going with this idea... F1 tank racing!  Full back-story in due course, of course...  ;)





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Offline Old Wombat

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #18 on: July 02, 2017, 03:22:02 PM »
A cut-down racing Challenger! :D

Already looking good! 8)

You appear to have parts from at least 3 different kits, from the look of it. ;)
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Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #19 on: July 02, 2017, 04:43:22 PM »
Indeed.  The lower hull comes from the CR1 I used for LRB's Cambodian King Tiger, the upper hull was from a long forgotten CRARRV conversion and some Chieftain spares make up the third kit.
« Last Edit: July 02, 2017, 04:48:29 PM by Claymore »
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Offline Claymore

  • It's all done with smoke and mirrors!
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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #20 on: July 02, 2017, 05:06:24 PM »
I'm thinking that there could be a whole range of possibilities from, the down and very dirty, cross country to high-speed sprints. All would probably need to be time trials to prevent massed carnage - a bit like modern day rally-cross and drag-racing. The types of tracks used (padded or bare steel) would also be a limiting factor for the type of race and the surface used - probably would not want plain steel tracks on a sprint run on a hard/road surface. The possibilities are almost endless with different classifications for weight, type of race, etc and various  limitations such as engine type, power output, crew carried, etc. Just look at the world of car racing to see the variety...

Blimey, this could be a whole new world of tanking!  ;)
« Last Edit: July 02, 2017, 07:50:42 PM by Claymore »
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Offline Brian da Basher

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #21 on: July 03, 2017, 03:22:31 AM »
Motor Armo(u)r Cross...

A Racing Tank! Brilliant!

Brian da Basher

Offline GTX_Admin

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #22 on: July 03, 2017, 03:42:14 AM »
Looking forward to what paint scheme you put on this.
All hail the God of Frustration!!!

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But you can make the Bastard work for it.

Offline kitnut617

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #23 on: July 03, 2017, 04:43:11 AM »
Claymore, do you remember the BBC series back in the 60's-70's that had all types of all-terrain vehicles racing down a hillside in pairs, across a bog in the bottom then up the other side. I remember a Scorpion doing it one time ---  you project reminds me of that.

Offline Claymore

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Re: Tracked Land Speed Record Contender
« Reply #24 on: July 03, 2017, 06:28:49 AM »
Thanks chaps. 

I have a paint scheme in mind that should help sell the concept.

I vaguely remember some sort of programme like that with Stalwarts and the alike... although perhaps I dreamt it...    ;)
Pass the razor saw, there is work to be done!