No one can ascertain the current Earth year (or if there is still Earth at all), so we start the count from Vostorg-7 year 0. This year marked the arrival of a joint Russian-Chinese colonization probe on Vostorg-7, a probe dispatched a very long time ago - in the early 21st century of Earth. After a long interstellar odyssey, it finally reached the unforgiving yet potentially habitable planet. The initial dreams of forging a unified spaceborne human nation were soon abandoned, as differing visions for utopian societies took root. Instead, seven independent human colonies emerged from the cosmic dust. While most of these colonies succumbed to rapid deterioration, with their inhabitants mutating into otherworldly beings or descending into feral lifestyles amidst Vostorg-7's unforgiving terrain, two colonies stood out as bastions of Man’s determination - the Derzhava and the Planet Cult.
Once Railgun systems became light enough, and power sources strong enough, to fit into an armored chassis, the idea to build a mobile Railgun artillery system became increasinly feasible.
The end result is the Panzerhaubitze 3000, a co-production of Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
Composite armor and a multi-layer active protection system provide it with exellent survivability, while its dual 160mm Railguns give it an almost unmatched range. The Cannons are compatible with standard 155mm Artillery Shells, as well as their own specialized cluster shells.
The A2 variant shown here features magnetic muzzle brakes, to reduce the plasma flash and recoil of the railguns, making them harder to detect and reducing the material stress on the chassis.
Model by Helge
You might want to lengthen and widen the chassis, and move the turret further back. A gun that long seems like it would unbalance the tank.
Agreed. It would seem like the tank would just bend forward and aim at the ground most of the time.
*cough* It's not like it's loaded with heavy-*** capacitors in the back + fusion reactors or anything. Think cranes.
Reactor would probably have to be up front. Rear's where the fighting compartment looks to be. And it probably outweighs most other equipment, if you don't want your crew coming out glowing blue.
No, it wouldn't. It's far more sensitive than an engine is, you want it to be somewhere it doesn't ever get disturbed. Since the Railgun has an autoloader, and there are no propellant charges, there's plenty of room.
Furthermore: I.imgur.com
I thought so. The perspective makes it look a lot different.
Anyway, I really like this model! :D
It still uses 155 and 160mm ammo, more room doesn't necessarily mean that much, especially when you still have to provide all the energy via capacitor, and The Brass is bound to want more ammo on account of the removed brass.
As far as placement is concerned, I think crew would still have priority over equipment, though. A reactor is expensive, but a crew is expensive and has a PR weight when dead.
Also, a fusion reactor on a battlefield? It's gonna be disturbed. A lot. Even before you start firing at it. So, I have to ask: Is it going to have anything like battletech, where a reactor breach provides a...well, it's just a high-energy pyrotechnic display, really.
And yeah, I'd have stuck an extra roadwheel in there.
Also, I like the Latin. :P
This thing uses a "real" fusion reactor, so no exploding. While it is mounted on shock absorbers, it doesn't particularly appreciate being hit by KEPs. The capacitors are in the back of the turret, and the ammo is stored in the chassis, this thing only has a crew of two anyway, and both are in the front, side-by-side, behind thick armor with thick armor on top of it.
Well, it's not like the reactor itself would explode, but more of a 'atmosphere coming into contact with superheated plasma' kind of thing.
Though, unless there's some extra armour in between the reactor and the crew compartments, it's probably over.
Then again, if you're artillery, and someone's firing at you, it's probably over no matter how well armoured you are.
The plasma stops being plasma almost immediately if the containment fails.
Aaand where does all of its energy go when that happens?
Reactor walls. In such a case, the reactor walls are a complete loss, since the plasma vaporizes them almost completely.
And said metallic vapour would rapidly expand, making everything in the near vicinity partially vapourised, and mostly unhappy.
Though, I suspect a hit would probably mean a busted vacuum chamber rather than containment failure. But the difference is milliseconds anyhow.
Reactors are pressure vessels however. The cooling system is going to carry the heat away before the reactor itself is breached. If it *is* of course, you get a small heat explosion.
An armoured howitzer? Haven't seen something like that fielded since 1945!
Which begs the question: Will there be any incentive to capitalise on that protection, and use it as an assault gun, or is it just there for the fluff?
Though, yes, I do agree with hagamablabla up there, about making the thing a bit longer. An extra roadwheel in front of the turret, maybe? Two, perhaps?
Railgun Artillery? AWESOME
I knew right away that Helge made that model just by seeing that cyan glow :P
Ничего себе дуло...))
Awesome