On 06/06/07, Reynolds, Jason M. <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>>
As opposed to, y'know, a *tank.* With a *turret.*
>>>>>>>>>>
The Guntank didn't have a flexible torso so the top cannons weren't useable
as a turret. As far as the arms, they have more range of motion then a
standard turret so I think they would be more useful.
He does have a point, though; in practice, a tank is a much more
efficient design. The Guntank may have two cannons, but since
according to MAHQ they're fire-linked, that still amounts to thirty
shots.
The M1 Abrams in contrast can fire forty shots. It can also fire these
shots in any direction needed without having to turn. While its single
cannon may be smaller (120mm as opposed to 180mm), it's all that's
needed at this point in time, and it should be more than possible to
design an ordinary tank with such a large gun if the need arises.
As for the Guntank's arms, they fire missiles. The M1 Abrams has one
.50 cal M2 BMG machine gun and two 7.62mm M240s. Now I don't know
about the M1 specifically, but turret-mounted machine guns
theoretically could have a full 360 degrees of motion, and wouldn't
require as much torque to move as a huge arm would. Moreover, for the
role they fill, which is close-range defense, machine guns are more
practical than rockets.
The Guntank could have been a lot better though. For instance, lose
the core block and replace it with a rotating torso. Instead of having
one pilot in the core-fighter and the other in the head of the unit,
they should sit in a standard tandem cockpit. The pilot and co-pilot
shouldn't have to use the comm system to talk to each other. In case
of a systems failure they need to be able to talk directly.
Also, the arms should be replaced by more effective designs for their
intended purpose. If they're just turrets for close-range guns, they
don't need to have the same range of motion as a humanoid arm. An
autocannon such as the GAU-8 Avenger and a grenade launcher on each
arm should also make for a more effective armament. The Guntanks seen
in 08MST seemed to correct several of these problems.
As a side note, it's also curious how the Guntank is so much larger
than the M1 but only twenty tonnes heavier.
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