[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Hello Gentlemen and
Warriors,
My name is Nick and I live
near Seattle, in Washington state.
I've been working on a
one-of-a-kind 6x6 SWAMPCAT,
which stands
Six
Wheel Amphibious Paintball Cannon Armored Tank.
It's a is a scratch-built radio control 1:6 scale model of a large
armoured fighting
vehicle/C&C troop carrier. It is not modeled
after
an actual AFV. Design, production, and assembly of
my model
utilized a variety of customized TLAR methods,
facilitated mostly
with a new cordless drill and an old rusty ski saw.
Progress is
in
fits and bursts but can generally be classified as
painfully slow
since
the SWAMPCAT merits no priority or ranking on my Things
That
Must
Be Finished
Around the House First
list.
When completed, the
SWAMPCAT's main armament will be a
fully
functional paintball
gun with 21" barrel and laser sighting in
the
servo-operated turret.
It will be armored with riveted metal
cladding
and the entire
exterior will be finished and sealed with a thick and
very tough textured
polyurethane coating of hunter green Durabak.
Steering will be
tank-style with each side running on its own
motor
and roller
chain/sprocket system to the watertight axles and the
six
10" wheels. Six axles
mounted in 12 pillow block bearings will be
linked to two electric
motors.
The finished 1/2"
plywood hull weighs in at approximately
80 pounds.
The cast iron
bearings, wheels, and axles are about another 35
pounds,
and the twin electric
treadmill motors are 8 pounds each. After
adding
armor, batteries,
electronics and paintball cannon equipment the
grand
total will be at
least 150 pounds.
The model will be capable of true amphibious
operation with no
special preparation; the hull is going to be completely
watertight with
only part of the gasket-sealed top deck removable for
interior service
access. The craft’s float testing phase (in the front
yard’s fish pond) will
also involve a direct horizontal and vertical application
of water to the
top via a garden hose to confirm the waterproof design. The
finished
SWAMPCAT will sport twin counter-rotating propellers in the
stern with
independent electric motors to compensate for a
rudder-free design.
A real SWAMPCAT would most likely need eight wheels,
not six.
I considered putting eight on my model but then it would be
called an
“EWAMPCAT” which just doesn’t sound as cool, now does it?
So I sacrificed performance to fit around the name. Sure
it’s illogical
to design a vehicle around the name but I’m sure it would
meet
Dept. of Defense
milspecs.
If it were real, the APC SWAMPCAT family of vehicles
would
include Command and Control, Reconnaissance, Mortar AFV,
Medical Evac, Combat Resupply, and Fire Support variants.
Configured as a Cargo Vehicle it would have a cargo
capacity of
12,000 pounds of fuel, ammo, or equipment, and be
able to
auto load, transfer, and discharge a variety of
standard military
pallets and containers.
I have all kinds of
questions about how to proceed with various
aspects of this project, I
hope some of you can help me out.
SWAMPCAT
SPECIFICATIONS
actual size ..if it were real:
Height (turret top)
26 inches
13 feet
Width
26 inches
13 feet
Hull Length
52 inches
21 feet
Tire Height
10 inches 5
feet
Ground Clearance
3 inches
18 inches
Combat Weight 150 pounds
63 tons (?)
Max Road Speed tbd 68
mph
Max Water Speed
tbd 5
mph
Forward Slope
tbd 57%
Side Slope
tbd
25%
Vertical Obstacle
tbd 3
feet
Horizontal trenching
16 inches, est. 10
feet
The SWAMPCAT’s primary mission would
be fulfilled as a fast attack direct-fire infantry support and amphibious troop
transport, capable of carrying 26 combat equipped soldiers - a full platoon of
two squads – from offshore to the battlefield. A bit too large to be air
transported, the SWAMPCAT would primarily be brought into theatre via USN
amphibious assault ships. The SWAMPCAT’s standard crew of three would consist of
a Commander, Gunner, and Driver.
The hull assembly phase of ½" plywood is nearing completion and then it
will be prepared for a complete exterior armor appliqué of thick sheet metal.
Camouflage paint scheme, land maneuvers, sea trials, and firing range testing
are tentatively set for summer '04 with continual upgrades to exterior detail
and interior electrical and mechanical components as necessary.
This thing is really heavy and hard
to move around right now!
I look forward to hearing from you
all and sharing ideas and experiences..
Nick
Kingston,
WA