Plastic armor For MBT's

stonewind

New Member
The usual components of MBT armor are Steel, ceramic, tungsten, Titanium and other common hard, flexible and heat resistant substances. With todays technology do you think investing on more polymer synthetics for tank protection should be done.

PLastic armor could be lighter, making it possible for a MBT the size of an M1 run at 60 to 70 miles per hour on a 1200 horse power engine. Provide better heat protection rather than ceramics and provide the tank crews with more reliable cheap armor.

I'm not saying we should make a pure plastic tank (thats just too far fetched today) But a combination of natural and man made resources. Ceramics and steel only have there limits. We should strive for a stronger more reliable cost effective war machine.

By the way since tungsten is man made, the only tank which I know employs this tech is brittain(challenger 2).
 

TerraN_EmpirE

Tyrant King
M1 also uses Tungsten Plates in its armor. Chobum Armor is a combination of materials including Plastics ( i think ) Plastic armor still needs work.
 
From my understanding, ceramics can withstand very high temperatures. On the other hand, I beleive that plastic melt at relatively low temperatures. Also, plastic also has low degrees of hardness, and is brittle and easy to break. CHOMBBAM armor is a type of layered composite armor utilizing a variety of metals and ceramics.
 

vincelee

Junior Member
the better term would be composite, and that's far, far from cheap.

It's difficult, to say the least, to create exceptionally long strands of polymers. Also, Chobham has demonstrated some flaws, or tactical inflexibilities (for these die hard pro US people), during actual combat.
 

chinawhite

Banned Idiot
the flaws are the ceramic tile tend to break up in the inside of the turrent armour and need to be replaced often, which is very expensive
 

M1Tanker

New Member
Registered Member
chinawhite said:
the flaws are the ceramic tile tend to break up in the inside of the turrent armour and need to be replaced often, which is very expensive

Let's all get on the same page regarding Chobham. None of us have actually seen it or know exatly how it's made. We can guess, and using publicly available information, come pretty close to what it is made of.

I know for sure that Chobham armor is not made of "ceramic tile." Chobham isn't a bunch of dinner plates stuck in a pocket inside the turret wall. The Chobham in Challys and M1s never needs to be changed. The ceramic "stuff" is very, very durable and is mated to a variety of metals like hardened steel the DU.

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Tanky
 

M1Tanker

New Member
Registered Member
stonewind said:
The usual components of MBT armor are Steel, ceramic,
....
PLastic armor could be lighter, making it possible for a MBT the size of an M1 run at 60 to 70 miles per hour on a 1200 horse power engine. Provide better heat protection rather than ceramics and provide the tank crews with more reliable cheap armor.
...

Weight isn't so much as factor in top speed as track life is. Nearly all tanks are governed for top speed (the M1 tops out at 42 mph) but will move much faster de-governed. The M1 will top 60 mph the governor removed.

Going 60mph is pretty darn fast. Too fast to shoot and it would beat the crew to a pulp.

Going 40mph for an hour or two melts the track bushings (it looks like bubblegum squishing out)... 60 would fry it fast.

Tanky
 

MIGleader

Banned Idiot
plastics melt too easily. any warhead could go through. you need armor to be flexible, not hard.

i heard sadam put plastics skirts on his t-72's to bluff the kuwaities.
 
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