Fun Fact Thread! (previously fun fact for the day, not limited to 1 per day anymore.)

[SunlitZelkova]

Fun fact 1: The Myasishchev VM-T was originally supposed to be designated 3M-T (as a conversion of 3M bomber/aerial refueling aircraft) but was changed to VM-T when the aircraft’s chief designer, Vladimir Myasishchev, passed away in 1978.

Fun fact 2: The An-225 never actually supported an Energia launch. All components for the launch of Polyus and Buran were ferried by the VM-T.

Fun Fact 3: When the Energia and Buran began development, two other options for transport of Energia components and Buran itself to Baikonur were examined besides the VM-T/An-225.

1. Mounting the components or orbiter on a platform and having four Mi-26s carry it. This would have required building numerous helipads along the route because of fuel limitations, but in any case, testing the concept with a portion of an IL-18 showed the flight dynamics didn’t work.

2. Using airships. I haven’t found any other info on this, but it sounds like it would have been cool.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

12 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

Using airships

Airships are kewl.

Several years ago I saw a piece on some group trying to bring back airships... But with a modern flair.  Was so hopeful they'd succeed! 

[kerbiloid]

It's amusing.

Spoiler

 

Look the slide show at 04:00.

You can see the evaporated iron ball loosing the shape of the barge it originally was, while raising up and being the white-hot top of the growing firewaterball.

Edited June 6, 2022 by kerbiloid

[StrandedonEarth]

For lack of a recent Shuttle thread or xkcd thread, I’ll just leave this here…

 

[kerbiloid]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/06/11/google-ai-lamda-blake-lemoine/

Idk if it's a "fun" fact, but the pathetic attempts of human futile resistance are ludicrous.

(The google engineer who declared that google's software looks sapient and having personality of 7..8 year old child, is sent to vacation.)

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

12 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

google engineer who declared that google's software looks sapient

We see what we want to see. 

[DDE]

Quote

The shortest telegram is attributed to both Oscar Wilde and Victor Hugo. The author cabled his publisher, asking about sales of a new novel.

?

The publisher exuberantly replied.

!

https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/12/weekinreview/dotdotdot-dashdashdash-no-more.html

[DDE]

2008's vision of 2020

Spoiler

2022

Spoiler

 

 

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

8 minutes ago, DDE said:

2008's vision of 2020

  Hide contents

2022

  Hide contents

 

 

I like the promo video. 

Interesting to see elements from other prototypes I've seen in the past decade, like Poland's PL-01 prototype 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Czołg_lekki_PL-01_(02).jpg

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/PL-01

And the Swedish STRV 122 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stridsvagn_122

(which of course is a variant of the Leo2, anyway) 

[kerbiloid]

7 hours ago, DDE said:

2022

Quote

Panther

Out of cats?

6 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

PL-01 prototype 

A 30 t wannabe-Armata.

An anti-tank cavalry. Needs wings.

***

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panther_KF51

Quote

and a fully automatic ammunition handling system with 20 ready rounds

Already less than in the Soviet carousels.

Soon AMX-13 will become a mainstream, with 2 drums x 6 rounds, like colts akimbo.

With a double barrel for greater rate.

Edited June 17, 2022 by kerbiloid

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

1 hour ago, kerbiloid said:

a fully automatic ammunition handling system with 20 ready rounds

Odd choice.

Not sure Amerikos (Америкос) would choose to go that route: our loaders are faster than autoloaders, plus it helps to have a 4th Crewman around to complain and toss rocks.

[kerbiloid]

35 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Not sure Amerikos (Америкос) would choose to go that route: our loaders are faster than autoloaders, plus it helps to have a 4th Crewman around to complain and toss rocks.

Currently your loaders are reposing with lightweight 120 mm shells .

But Armata cannon has elongated 125 mm (and 152 mm in perspective),
the der mentioned new Deutschewundergrossdieselmachinepanzerkampfwagen KF51 has 130 mm,
140 mm had been studied since 1980s as a future replacement,
so you will need dwarvish loaders to both handle these calibers by hands and fit the cabin.

Thus, you will have to drop your temporary barn design and return to the origins, to MBT-70, with its autoloader and crew of 3 in a single cabin, like others do.
Just, unlike MBT-70, with in-hull cabin and crewless turret.

And as big caliber ammo means fewer rounds (see the 20 in KH51),  it's probable that, to reduce the turret size and mass, you will use a Soviet-style carousel, lol.
(Just outside of the armored crew cabin, like in Armata)

Edited June 17, 2022 by kerbiloid

[Maria Sirona]

Denmark and Canada have shared a land border for about a week now. They finally settled the dispute over Hans Island, a tiny islet smack in the middle between Canada's arctic islands and Greenland, by divvying it up between them. During the 50-year long dispute both sides had tried to establish dominance by leaving their country's flag, a plaque reading something like "welcome to the danish/canadian island", and most importantly, a bottle of some kind of alcohol beverage on the islet.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

8 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

outside of the armored crew cabin, like in Armata

Grin - you have seen the pics of the commander of recently deployed Terminator riding atop its automated turret to get SA (situational awareness), haven't you?

Auto/Unmanned turrets are great in the drawing room, loved by engineers and politicians who have never seen the pointy end of the stick up close...but cameras are no replacement for the Mark 1 Eyeball. 

Ever talk to anyone who has spent time in Soviet-design tanks?  They're miserable.  My big fat Caddy was comfy! 

9 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

Deutschewundergrossdieselmachinepanzerkampfwagen KF51

Wundershoern! 

[kerbiloid]

Well, then just back to MBT-70.

Spoiler

A bonus: it has internal ambient music, like in KSP.

But sometimes looks flipped horizontally. It's a camouflage to fool opponent's guidance.

Upd.
P.S.
Bigger calibers close social lifts.
Trailer park - tank park - loader - gunner...

Edited June 17, 2022 by kerbiloid

[magnemoe]

1 hour ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Grin - you have seen the pics of the commander of recently deployed Terminator riding atop its automated turret to get SA (situational awareness), haven't you?

Auto/Unmanned turrets are great in the drawing room, loved by engineers and politicians who have never seen the pointy end of the stick up close...but cameras are no replacement for the Mark 1 Eyeball. 

Ever talk to anyone who has spent time in Soviet-design tanks?  They're miserable.  My big fat Caddy was comfy! 

One obvious issue with unmanned turrets outside the situation awareness is how to fix stuff as in giving the auto loader an kick then it jams. 
Situation awareness I think you could fix with modern sensors, that is until they break who comes back to fixing stuff. 

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

15 minutes ago, magnemoe said:

who comes back to fixing stuff

That is one of the secret weapons on American tanks - the spare pair of hands for maintenance. 

Tanks break down constantly and need a lot of attention. Beyond the crew - the logistics & maintenance tail of a tank unit is huge and enormously expensive.  The fuel train alone is redonkulous... And because the darn things are heavy and treated rough... Something is almost always broken. 

But 

They are effective. 

(meaning I'd be cautious about drawing too many conclusions from recent events) 

[steve9728]

1 hour ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

That is one of the secret weapons on American tanks - the spare pair of hands for maintenance. 

Tanks break down constantly and need a lot of attention. Beyond the crew - the logistics & maintenance tail of a tank unit is huge and enormously expensive.  The fuel train alone is redonkulous... And because the darn things are heavy and treated rough... Something is almost always broken. 

But 

They are effective. 

(meaning I'd be cautious about drawing too many conclusions from recent events) 

Reminds me of the Dodge van my dad used to have.
"American cars are always like this, no major problems, constant minor ones", my dad said to me for the I don't know how many times he took the car to the auto repair shop.

[kerbiloid]

2 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

That is one of the secret weapons on American tanks - the spare pair of hands for maintenance. 

Soviet tank: 45..49 t, crew of 3.
Non-Soviet tank: 56..65 t, crew of 4.

45..49 / 3 = 15..16 t / tanker
56..65 / 4 = 14..16 t / tanker

So, every tanker is servicing a 16 t portion of tank.

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

Just now, kerbiloid said:

Soviet tank: 45..49 t, crew of 3.
Non-Soviet tank: 56..65 t, crew of 4.

45..49 / 3 = 15..16 t / tanker
56..65 / 4 = 14..16 t / tanker

So, every tanker is servicing a 16 t portion of tank.

Sometimes math is not the answer! 

[kerbiloid]

Just now, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Sometimes math is not the answer! 

But what if every tanker brings another 16 t to the tank .

48 + 16 = 64

3 + 1 = 4

[SunlitZelkova]

19 hours ago, kerbiloid said:

Out of cats?

There is a theory that Rheinmetall is trying to one-up the French-German Euro-MBT project (which they themselves are part of).

18 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

plus it helps to have a 4th Crewman around to complain and toss rocks.

LOL

[kerbiloid]

3 hours ago, SunlitZelkova said:

There is a theory that Rheinmetall is trying to one-up the French-German Euro-MBT project (which they themselves are part of).

"Somua Panther"

[DDE]

That post post really was just bait for @JoeSchmuckatelli, yes.

On 6/17/2022 at 9:18 AM, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

Odd choice.

Not sure Amerikos (Америкос) would choose to go that route: our loaders are faster than autoloaders, plus it helps to have a 4th Crewman around to complain and toss rocks.

Funnily enough, something common across all three of the Western MBTs being touted is that they have an optional sensor/systems operator/remote weapon gunner in the hull.

The gunner-radioman is back!

On 6/17/2022 at 9:50 AM, kerbiloid said:

Thus, you will have to drop your temporary barn design and return to the origins, to MBT-70, with its autoloader and crew of 3 in a single cabin, like others do.
Just, unlike MBT-70, with in-hull cabin and crewless turret.

And as big caliber ammo means fewer rounds (see the 20 in KH51),  it's probable that, to reduce the turret size and mass, you will use a Soviet-style carousel, lol.
(Just outside of the armored crew cabin, like in Armata)

 

On 6/17/2022 at 7:56 AM, kerbiloid said:

Already less than in the Soviet carousels.

Soon AMX-13 will become a mainstream, with 2 drums x 6 rounds, like colts akimbo.

There's an interview of a T-80BVM jockey. The guy says they only load 10 rounds (barely a quarter of maximum) because anything more is just asking to participate in the Ukranian Turret-Tossing Championship, with rather tragic consequences for the entire crew.

https://telegra.ph/Nemnogo-o-T-80BVM-06-03

I am aware, though, that the T-64/T-80 autoloader layout is inherently less safe than the lower-profile T-72/T-90/Sprut/T-14 layout.

So you're not the only one thinking about the AMX-13, especially with the next hike in gun size on the horizon.

[kerbiloid]

11 minutes ago, DDE said:

gunner-radioman

Gangsta rap from  Tridognight

16 minutes ago, DDE said:

So you're not the only one thinking about the AMX-13, especially with the next hike in gun size on the horizon.

It will be the winner of the reload rate championship.

Also can play roulette.