Stridswagn 103 S-Tank without main gun

[Kerick]

Here’s a crazy idea that I have no idea if it would be practical or not. What if the hull were cut just above the tracks and raised six inches or so. Would this create a usable increase in the crew compartment volume? Extra space could be used for missile gear black boxes or communications stuff and super spy gear for the recon role. Definitely not an armor guy so I’ve no idea if this would be in the world of reality or total whiffery. I’m sure this would really flip the lids on the rivet counters.

[raafif]

Here’s a crazy idea that I have no idea if it would be practical or not. What if the hull were cut just above the tracks and raised six inches or so. Would this create a usable increase in the crew compartment volume? Extra space could be used for missile gear black boxes or communications stuff and super spy gear for the recon role. Definitely not an armor guy so I’ve no idea if this would be in the world of reality or total whiffery. I’m sure this would really flip the lids on the rivet counters.

Why not do that but go for an APC with full height interior -- why should the troops have to stoop all the time.  Oh, yes ... add hand-hangers from the ceiling - like in the M-113.

[Kerick]

Here’s a crazy idea that I have no idea if it would be practical or not. What if the hull were cut just above the tracks and raised six inches or so. Would this create a usable increase in the crew compartment volume? Extra space could be used for missile gear black boxes or communications stuff and super spy gear for the recon role. Definitely not an armor guy so I’ve no idea if this would be in the world of reality or total whiffery. I’m sure this would really flip the lids on the rivet counters.

Why not do that but go for an APC with full height interior -- why should the troops have to stoop all the time.  Oh, yes ... add hand-hangers from the ceiling - like in the M-113.

That would be an interesting idea.
I was going for just a little extra room for black boxes but you could definitely pack in some scouts your way.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Here’s a crazy idea that I have no idea if it would be practical or not. What if the hull were cut just above the tracks and raised six inches or so. Would this create a usable increase in the crew compartment volume? Extra space could be used for missile gear black boxes or communications stuff and super spy gear for the recon role. Definitely not an armor guy so I’ve no idea if this would be in the world of reality or total whiffery. I’m sure this would really flip the lids on the rivet counters.

Why not do that but go for an APC with full height interior -- why should the troops have to stoop all the time.  Oh, yes ... add hand-hangers from the ceiling - like in the M-113.

That would be an interesting idea.
I was going for just a little extra room for black boxes but you could definitely pack in some scouts your way.

Just say NO to mission creep! 

With the main gun removed along with the ammunition storage apparatus there would be plenty of room for the reconnaissance/surveillance related bits of kit and equipment. 

Modifying the hull to gain additional roof height in something such as the S-wagn would require some major structural work.  The extreme angle of the front glacis and the engine compartment would require a lot of reconfiguration which is fine if you are starting from scratch but to attempt something that grand on an already constructed vehicle would be a serious waste of resources and a test of one's patience from my perspective.  As the one holding this model at the moment, that kind of work is way outside of my intentions as I wanted to create an agile vehicle that would be difficult to spot at normal distances before the shooting starts.  A mission similar to the Diamler Dingo as an example but with a tracked vehicle and only slightly larger. 

[Kerick]

At least it got this thread going again! I would love to see this build finished.   

[Old Wombat]

The Strv 103 is a very small tank.

The third crewman is, really, squeezed in as an after-thought (he actually sits at almost 90^o to the direction of travel to drive the thing & has to reach over his shoulder to access the radios) to provide an extra body to assist with maintenance tasks. His nominal roles of radio operator/reverse driver are not really required; the TC can operate the radios from his position using an existing switching system & the (front) driver can reverse the tank using cameras.

Removal of the third crewman, the gun barrel & breech, the auto-loader & the stored ammunition don't, actually, increase the available volume, or even floor space, by all that much.

You'd be hard-pressed to get a four-man squad in there without Jeff's recce equipment, even with a raised box-section roof aft of the TC & driver.

To me, Jeff's dedicated recce vehicle makes the most sense, given what can be done without a complete re-design of the hull.

[GTX_Admin]

The Strv 103 is a very small tank.

Indeed - see below to give some idea: