StarDestroyer.Net BBS

LAV-50 in profile with Abrams

8m long
3.5 m wide
2.7m height

3 man crew (Driver, Commander, Gunner)

50mm L50 autocannon (93 ready rounds, 220 Stowed rounds)
1 x 7.62mm Coaxial MG
1 x 7.62mm Commanders MG

570 hp engine
21.8 metric ton baseline combat weight
26.11 hp/tonne ratio.
83.4 MPH top speed on roads
560 mile range on 250 gallons of fuel.
17.4 PSI ground pressure (Fully Inflated Tires at 120 PSI)
11.8 PSI ground pressure (Partially Inflated Tires at 75 PSI)

Armor consists of:
12.7mm SHS Steel+20mm Stextelolite (Fiberglass)+12.7mm SHS Steel at it's thickest.

Resistant to US 25mm on Front hull
Resistant to 20mm Hispano on Side hull
Resistant to 7.62mm on Rear hull

Resistant to 40mm L70 AP on Front Turret
Resistant to 20mm Hispano on Side Turret
Resistant to 7.62 on Rear Turret

You might ask, why is the vehicle so big and overengineered, if it only comes in at 21.83 tons?

Well, I decided to put in a lot of growth in the drivetrain; so that it can absorb a weight increase of up to 40 tons, and not have the suspension and tires scream for mercy. Although at it's maxed out weight; it has a ground pressure of 31.97 PSI fully inflated, and 21.74 PSI partially inflated; so it would perform like crap off road....

The full up armor package consists of:

12.7mm of SHS Steel applied to the front and side hull/turret

followed by

75mm thick ERA blocks backed by 6mm of SHS Steel; giving the fully uparmored vehicle a weight of 33 metric tons; and a top speed of only 55 MPH.

It however has the following resistant specs:

Resistant to 40mm L70 APFSDS on Front Hull
Resistant to US 25mm on side hull
Resistant to 7.62mm on Rear hull

Resistant to 40mm L70 APFSDS on Front Hull
Resistant to US 25mm on side hull
Resistant to 7.62 on Rear Turret

And before you ask; she comes in at juuust a bit too wide to fit in the C-130; and several tons too heavy (12.17 metric tons max weight on C-130J) :rolleyes

I've been playing around with trying to make a C-130 transportable version now, which includes deleting the 5th axle, and accepting a overall reduction in maximum gross vehicle weight to 30 metric tons, shrinking the width so it can squeeze in the C-130, and I'm still coming in at 15 metric tons.

I think really the only way you can make something like this C-130 transportable is to completely forget about any further growth capability in the suspension or tires; and accept that it will be a tinclad only capable of adding on the lightest additional armor, and severely limited in future upgrades weight wise.

F this C-130 requirements. Keep this designed for something with real hauling power, the mighty C-17. Obviously, witht he extra capacity for lifting and space, you could send a combat ready vehicle right off the plane.

On an aside, I think you should give this more ground clearance, and maybe some armored panels that cover the non-drive wheels.

You could just pretend sanity prevailed and the US replaced the C-130 with the YC-14 or YC-15 in the early 80s. Payload appears to be a little over 30 tonnes, enough for a decent APC/IFV.

USMC LAV-50 on an alien planet whose plant life's chlorophyll is based around the yellow spectrum, causing this uhhh, unusual scheme (Hat tip to Lee Brimmcomb Wood's US Colonial Marines Aliens Tech Manual for the idea)

Quick question;

Shouldn't the belly have more of an up slope to it? As it is now it looks like it would completely rape the vehicles cross country performance.