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Armor/AFV: What If?
For those who like to build hypothetical or alternate history versions of armor/AFVs.
Hosted by Darren Baker
Mars King Tiger Project
tankmodeler
#417
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: March 01, 2004
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Armorama: 2,539 posts
Posted: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 - 07:23 AM UTC

Quoted Text


From what i've seen the ISS crew and NASA crew doesnt have their their full rigged suits on inside the space craft. Even though there's a constant threat of small space rocks penetrating the hull.


While strictly true, the current station modules carry micrometeroid protection that would keep pretty much everything smaller than a certain size (can't remember the number, but in the order of a mm or two in diameter) from penetrating the cabin. These are the high probability particles. NASA tracks almost everything in the station's path and moves the station if there is a risk of collision with anythig that might hole it. However, if a single meteroid of, say 20mm was to impact the station, then, yes, everyone in that module would likely die. The difference is that NASA has done many, many studies on the chances of such a thing happening and has established an acceptable risk level that they are willing to accept. And it is pretty darn low.

On the other hand, if you are in combat and people are deliberately throwing high velocity nastiness at you, then your expectation is rather higher that your vehicle will be holed and the crew will die. Vehicles are cheaper than trained crews and throwing them away on the high likelihood that their vehicle gets punctured seems unwise.

AT shells have always had the effect of rattling around inside the tank after a penetration, yet, time after time, you see vehicles hit and most of the crew get out.

Lastly, the sort of pressure suit you could wear inside a Tiger would be of the "skin suit" variety. These sorts of suit rely upon the elastomeric properties of the suit material to maintain body pressure and not an envelope of air. It is the balloon effect of the air type suit that makes it stiff, bulky and hard to work in. If you had a skin suit it would be worn next to the skin, fit like a layer of rubber & squeeze the body all over like a G-suit, only more even in the application of pressure. One benefit of such a suit is that if holed you lose integrity only in the effected area. Yes, you start to bleed faster than normal, but you have time to apply a bandage/patch to you and the suit and can carry on or be evacuated. the only really vulnerable spot is the faceplate & the air supply. It's a pretty elegant solution, actually.

Paul
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