HOME | DD
LizzyGibbs3D — SFMC Hover Tank
Published: 2010-01-06 11:59:35 +0000 UTC; Views: 9076; Favourites: 99; Downloads: 194
Redirect to original
Description
A friend of mine asked me to design a modular tank for his Star Fleet Marine Corps unit. He sent me a PDF that had a VERY basic design with some labels indicating where stuff was supposed to be.When I say basic, I mean REALLY basic! The original tank design was simply a rhombus with very little detail! As you can imagine, it gave me a lot of room to improvise.
So when asked, Dan (the friend in question) said that he wanted a tank with a rail gun and a six-tube missile launcher. It took me a few tries, but I finally came up with a suitable double-barrel turret design. Instead of missiles, I took the minitorpedo launcher from my Shuttle [link] and turned it into a multilauncher.
While he originally wanted a wheeled vehicle, I felt that a four wheeled tank didn't seem Trek-ish enough. So we changed it to a hover tank. Designing the hover engine attachment (remember, this thing is supposed to be modular) also took a number of tries. I finally came up with a quad engine pod design. The reason I have 4 engines was because two, longer pods made the tank look too much like a shuttle craft.
When I put everything together, this two person vehicle seems to have channeled a GDI Mammoth Tank design. Although this thing is a LOT lighter and smaller. To finish off the design, I added a quartet of phaser strips and completed the model with a basic texture.
Model and image © Liz Gibbs
All things Star Trek © Paramount
Related content
Comments: 22
👍: 1 ⏩: 0
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
While it is an excellent model, I have to wonder what practical use tanks would be in Star Trek combat. Wouldn't they have been rendered ineffective for largely the same reasons armored knights were rendered ineffective in real life, specifically, average infantrymen all carrying sufficient firepower to punch right through their armor? A hand phaser or equivalent can be carried and operated by a single infantryman, has effectively unlimited "ammunition" and could destroy any real world tank in a single shot. The historic equivalent would be peasants with longbows capable of punching through plate armor being able to kill trained and equipped knights while costing considerably less to support than training and equipping knights.
👍: 1 ⏩: 1
In nearly 100 years of modern warfare, a single infantryman with a specific weapon has been able to take out a tank. Shoulder fired Rocket launchers were effective against tanks in WWI. That evolved into the Panzerfaust and Bazooka in WWII. The Bazooka had minimal changes through Korea and Vietnam wars. Jump ahead to the 90s and you see RPGs take out modern main battle tanks like the M1 Abrams and the T-72. RPGs evolved into the Stinger missile system which is effective against tanks and aircraft.
In each iteration, the balance between weapons and armor has continued development through out the course of war. Padded, banded, and chain armor gave way to full-plate with the invention of the crossbow. Plate gave way to cuirass and more minimal armor with the invention of the gun. Because of the gun, ballistic plate was invented for crewed vehicles. As the gun evolved, ballistic plate changed to Kevlar, then to ceramic plate, and the balance between arms and armor continues.
The same goes with tanks. From solid steel plates that became thicker, to utilizing geometry to increase effective thickness while maintaining weight. To modern vehicles complex ceramics, reactive armor, and simple grated side skirts designed to defeat hand-held RPG fire.
In the 24th century I imagine that a light tank such as this (with a crew of two) would serve a similar role as a light tank would today. It would be a multi-role vehicle, where this particular design is built with a modular system. As a basic defense, it has shield emitters on each of the four hover-pads plus the kind of advanced armor plating that's used on starships. And like a modern tank, the focus is more on firepower and mobility. To get the heavy guns where they're needed to be. Big guns to take out opposing emplacments that may have their own shield generators that can simply absorb the output of a Phaser Rifle, or the encasement of solid material that would take far too long for a crew served phaser weapons to cut through.
And as a befitted role, to counter any enemy vehicles of equal technology.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Really cool. I was surprised that only two guys are in there. First impression for me was a much larger vehicle. Yeah, you really had to go for four engines...if one gets blown, you could still function to some degree. Great job!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
A much larger vehicle might give off the impression of GDI Mammoth tank! LOL Making a powerful yet viable minitank for Star Trek universe was a bit of a challenge. There's a specific look to the Federation that I tried to stick to when doing the design, and there wasn't much of a reference to work from. In the end I'm glad with how things turned out - as did my friend who requested the design!
I hadn't thought about hte practical applications of having four engine pylons, but you make a good point. Nice eye there!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Personally, I'd mount the missile launcher on the turret roof, giving both weapons 360 degrees traverse; an move the turret to the middle of the hull.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I don't have any figures to show proper scale. But the tank itself isn't all that big. It has a crew of two.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Do you have SF Marine Corps stuff because this is jut great! I have some tanks I think you could totally rock! [link]
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No, this is pretty much the only thing I've done.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Overall I like the design, I feel its very well put together and done from the artistic point of view. On the more technical side, I'll also agree with your decision to use four pods instead two since you went with the hover design (although wheeled vehicles are not unheard of in starfleet).
My only criticism to this piece is that it seems the turret is a bit disproportionate to the frame and the launcher just seems out of place. It seems that the torpedoes might be best mounted as some sort of under-carriage system (with perhaps some sort of flush launch system with the roof...thinking along the lines of missle-launchers on subs). This would allow for the turret to be pushed back some on the roof and maybe even made larger.
However, as I stated before I like the design, very well put together.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I couldn't really make the weapons systems smaller than they are. Without a sense of scale, it's difficult to see that this tank has a crew of two, and that the seating is arranged like the Apache Longbow. IIRC it's smaller than a Type 18 Shuttlepod.
The gun system I placed on this is based on the 120mm autoloader gun on the M1128 Stryker. With no need for ammo stowage (replicator technology) and you end up with this compact design. The design style itself I borrowed from a Federation phaser rifle. if I were to rework it, I'd figure out a way to make it with a single barrel.
The torpedo launcher was a challenge. There aren't many designs for projectiles in Trek and at the time I couldn't think of a way to design a multimissile launcher system. So I looked to existing weapons and took cues from that. If I were to redesign that part today, it'd look a lot different than it does now.
Anyway, thank you for posting! I always enjoy reading a good crit of my work and it's nice to see that the design overall is appreciated. And yes, I agree with your statements. There are a lot of improvements that can be made overall. Consider this a MkI!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
As for the modular componet5s, this is the way of the future. And yes two hover extensions make it look like a shuttle. ? Have you tried to put wheels , but make them in a triangular fasion.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
I know for a fact, that there is a site for Starfleet Marines that has tons of designs. From aerospace fighters and cargo planes to mechs and tanks. I do not know the adress but they will love to have this bad boy.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
Tankers Delight. Direct hitting power with indirect killing strenght. The torpedoes also makes great anti-aircraft plataform. You do the Starfleet Marines proud.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
looks awesome, I might need to join starfleed now so I can steel one.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
LOL! I don't know how well that'd work in Star Trek universe.
Glad you liked the tank though.
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
