I would seriously consider the swimming aspect and try to keep the searchlight above water
OR
design a water proof searchlight that can be submerged.
Waves could splash up and soak the searchlight even if it was on top of the turret.
1 Like
The light may have been rain-proof, but I doubt it was tough enough to take wave impacts. If “swimming” I assume it would be stowed internally…
1 Like
Since the whole tank design was exploring the boundaries
I think a waterproof search light would fit right in.
Maybe with a streamlined external housing …
Just the general idea:
1 Like
Guys, thank you for your interest, but you seem to be getting a bit wrapped around the axle here. Whilst this remarkable AFV was designed to swim, it doesn’t mean that it would be bobbing around in the ocean as part of its working life. It might, due to whatever tactical situation that arose on exercise or even for real, have to wade across a river or two in what was then West Germany, but I’m sure the Crouse-Hinds searchlight was capable of dealing with that, whatever the freeboard.
The scenario for my Warrior for the Working Day, is that the vehicle has endured a couple of years of fault-finding and modifications, before being sent to Germany for further acceptance trials with the US forces there; most problems would have been solved, amended or gotten around in some way (hence my plan to install a Commander’s cupola and a few other fittings that hopefully, will be plausible); I therefore see a bog-standard issue searchlight being, by now, part of the normal fittings available for such a vehicle.
Now, a What-If USMC version is a different matter(!)
Thanks for the interest.
1 Like
“Hollywood Tanker”
1 Like
I’ll be happy to have that job!
Ken
1 Like
The cupola for the tank came to day courtesy of Super Hobby; a bit of fettling needed and probably a fillet of card inserted and we should be good to go. That said, I won’t fix in place just yet until I’ve finished a Commander figure, just in case it doesn’t work out:
Work also continues on the other crew figures:
7 Likes
That was an option among three choices.
1 Like
Right, that’s the searchlight purloined from the Dragon M46; getting the positioning right let alone devising some method of installation is going to be tricky:
However, it will help it look a little bit busy I hope.
10 Likes
There’s a danger in over-thinking some of this I feel; I was fretting over how the Driver would manage with hardly any points of reference with such a deeply sloping turret (looking forward that is) so started thinking about installing those vehicle positioning devices the Germans used. Then I got to considering one incorporated into the searchlight mount, then I thought about a brush-guard for the searchlight, and it all got a bit too much.
Here was where I was at at one stage:
However, I don’t think I’ll be pursuing it!
The trouble with this darned hobby…
11 Likes
Would I dare to remind us all about the old K.I.S.S. design rule?
2 Likes
Those markers look like cat’s whiskers! I’d do without…
2 Likes
Yup - I was getting far too wrapped around the axle; back to basics.
2 Likes
If this represents a prototype being field-tested, then IMHO you can leave off additions like those, and say something along the lines of, “They added width markers for the driver due to the results of these trials.”
1 Like
It was all getting unwieldy, along with my thought processes too; I do envisage it as a prototype - say, after a couple of years gestation, trials in the USA then finally, fielded in USAREUR. As I admitted, I was certainly overthinking things (!), and cluttering up the whole turret and negating the sort of purity of the design, just meant I was going in the wrong direction. As I think I said earlier, I want to try and make the abnormal look normal, but not to the point where it’s too cluttered.
The downside of the hobby (in addition to totally unwieldy stashes of course).
2 Likes
And a bit more work on the crew:
Fusewire boom mike added; a job lot of goggles courtesy of FC Model Trend at the side - a bit indistinct
5 Likes
Id remove the right MG and mount the searchlight in front of it.
I wouldn’t be as concerned about the driver knowing the limits as that task could be off loaded to the TC/loader. My concern would be how does the TC know the orientation of the hull to give commands.
1 Like
I imagine that’s where the TV monitor comes in; there’s a camera mounted on the chassis.
2 Likes
Interesting. There would be some type of backup system, like maybe a weather vane to give some guidance if the camera is knocked out I am thinking.
1 Like