3D Modeling screen captures from Google SketchUp

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I finished creating 3D models of all four types of ammunition for the M551 (and M60A2) today.  All of these are drawn to the same scale so you can get an appreciation of the differences in size between the Shillelagh missile and the conventional ammunition.  All of these 3D models were all drawn in SketchUp 6 and can be exported as an AutoCAD if someone wanted to try and create a solid model on a CNC machine. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I had posted some screen shots of this subject previously with the intention of improving on the model when I had more information and my skills with SketchUp improved.  I am quite pleased with how the 3D model turned out after I took some time to analyze the reference image to determine what the rotating bands look like.  I also reworked the rotating band cover since the area under that section of the projectile had also changed it too had to be modified.  Until I can get better quality drawings and reference images of the M124 HE Projectile for the M65 280mm Gun these will have to do for now.  The shipping plug-lifting ring was also reworked.  Getting it to look a bit better this time by adding more details.  The X-ray feature shows the fuze well and the shipping plug and fuze both next quite nicely inside of the projectile. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

One of the reference items I found during my research on the M124 HE Projectile for the 280mm gun was a 16.0" (406mm) Sabot round that was to have been fired from the main guns on the Iowa class battleships for long range naval gunfire support for Marine Corps and Army units.  The projectile had a reduced explosive charge and a rocket motor attached to the base of the projectile.  The rather crude drawing in the first attached image on the right was what I had to work with.  Knowing the diameter of the projectile helped to scale the length out to around 60.0" which was rather nice since I had already worked up the WHIF HE-RA projectile on the far left before actually going back to look at the measurements.  I was quite pleased to discover that my WHIF creation was only slightly longer than the proposed 16.0" sabot round.  With the range estimated at approximately 100 nm it would have been an ideal artillery interdiction weapon for general support and reinforcing artillery fires if the 280mm gun had remained in service long enough to benefit from the development of such a weapon.  Anyway as a WHIF it was most enjoyable to let my creative juices flow and get another project done.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

After Chris707 sent me an image of the 120mm M830 HEAT-MP-T for the 120mm gun this morning I figured I could whip out another 3D model real quick and tackle another project immediately after that by creating an improved 152mm M657 HE-T Projectile for 152mm Gun using the combustible cartridge case from the aforementioned M830 HEAT-MP-T.  All I had to do was delete everything above the metal base of the cartridge case and then add in the missing section which previously had a slight taper on the 120mm round that was not necessary on the 152mm round.  It worked out well as you can see from the attached images.  It also supports my WHIF idea for a 152mm gun/missile launcher armed M1 Abrams that would be a dedicated infantry fire support tank.  Having all of the armor and weight of a full-size tank would certainly do wonders for some of the problems that were experienced by the M551 Sheridan crews when firing the conventional ammunition.  The larger vehicle would also provide a larger capacity for ammunition, something that was lacking on the M551 Sheridan which held only 19 x rounds of conventional ammunition and 10 x Shillelagh missiles.  The M60A2 was able to carry 13 x Shillelagh guided missiles and 33 x conventional rounds.  I would imagine the M1 version would be able to carry about the same quantity as the M60A2 (plus or minus 10%).  I had tried earlier to cobble together a prototype of a 152mm projectile mated to a 120mm combustible cartridge case in 1/35th scale using a 155mm round that was cut down in length and a spare 120mm round, also cut down in length.  Not having any measurements available for the actual ammunition I guessed at the length and came out close to what it was supposed to be.  It looked plausible but the projectile was still not the right shape.  I did some more research on available 155mm or 152mm ammunition and discovered that the ammunition for the WWII German SIG.33 was quite close to what I needed.  That project is on hold until I get an income so I can afford to purchase some resin ammunition and make the modifications.  If anyone else is interested in doing this in 1/35th or 1/72nd scale I would be happy to help out with a drawing that had all of the pertinent dimensional data for the desired scale. 

The first two images are of the 152mm WHIF projectile, the second shows the WHIF round and the real round for comparison.  As you can see there is a difference between the two rounds, not much but it does look better with the 120mm combustible cartridge and that would also allow the gun and missile launcher to be changed from that awkward screw breech mechanism to a sliding breech block which would improve loading and rate of fire. 

Third and fourth images are the screen shots for the M830 HEAT-MP-T (High Explosive-Anti-Tank - Multi-Purpose - Tracer) round.  Not much to it which made modeling it that much easier.  The details for the rotating band are a bit sketchy since no one ever really bothers to focus on that stuff when they are making drawings or taking pictures.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I originally did this 3D model of the B54 SADM (Special Atomic Demolition Munition) a couple of months ago.  I was not happy with it due to the low resolution spheroid I had used which was a low-poly count object.  This in turn led to a low poly count cylinder for the remainder of the bomb body.  I took the time to rework it today and increased the number of sides on the spheroid and the cylinder which certainly makes it look much better.  I also worked on the combination lock dial and built it up a bit more and reworked the bottom of the bomb casing based on some comments I elicited from a friend of mine that worked with these things in the Army.  I was involved with these things too but on the command and control side with the permissive action link so I never had an opportunity to see one in real life.  The drawing itself is based originally on the Davey Crockett which used the same physics package and some very vague details from my friend which led down the path to this 3D model.  In 1/35th scale this thing would be about the size of an M1 .30" carbine bullet, there is not much detail to it but it is still impressive.  The combination lock on the bottom of the device is what makes it more interesting since it is the same style Sargent & Greenleaf combination lock that was used on most security containers.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Got bored so I made a box and then used the scaling feature to make several different sizes based on the basic container shape which started out as the largest in the group.  There is a figure inserted to provide an appreciation of the various sizes.  I added hand holds on several of the smaller containers since they would be light enough to be carried by two or three people but the larger containers will need to be details with skids, lifting shackles, and fork lift slots one of these days.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something green, something mean... 

What happens when you mate the turret from the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle with the hull of an LVT-A4?  Well you get something that looks like this in the attached screen shots.  Thanks to the contributors on the 3D Warehouse at SketchUp for providing the raw materials for this very quick and interesting WHIF subject.

[Taiidantomcat]

That is great looking! and very unexpected 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

That is great looking! and very unexpected 

Thanks,

I had actually been thinking about what would be needed to do to one of the LVT models to turn it into a mortar track.  Arming it with the 81mm or 4.2'' (107mm) mortar to see if I could come up with a viable alternative to the LVT-A armed with the 37mm or 75mm howitzer turrets.  The Bradley turret looks like it would fit with not much effort save for the actual positioning of the turret.  I placed it well to the rear due to the two access doors on the hull superstructure that I thought would be handy for allowing the crew to reload the TOW missile launcher from either side of the vehicle.  If I put any more emphasis on this in the future I will certainly look at raising the rear of the hull over the engine compartment to the same level as the rest of the vehicle. 

Now what about a 75mm howitzer armed Bradley?  It could become a dedicated fire support vehicle for the infantry.  Doubt I would be using the LVT-A4 turret except for the gun tube, would adapt the howtizer barrel to the Bradley turret in place of the existing Bushmaster barrel since that adapter is large enough to enshroud the 75mm howitzer tube. 

[Weaver]

How about an 81mm breech loading mortar like the French Thompson Brandt ones? Then you get direct and indirect HE fire and an APFSDS light anti-armour round to save TOWs for the big stuff.

[Cybermax]

How about a Royal Ordnance 120mm gun mortar on a Brad?  New turret though.

[ChernayaAkula]

<...> What happens when you mate the turret from the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle with the hull of an LVT-A4?  <...>

Looks surprisingly... right. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

How about an 81mm breech loading mortar like the French Thompson Brandt ones? Then you get direct and indirect HE fire and an APFSDS light anti-armour round to save TOWs for the big stuff.

How about a Royal Ordnance 120mm gun mortar on a Brad?  New turret though.

Thanks for the suggestion but I prefer something with a cartridge case.  My only beef with mortars is that you have to fiddle around with the propellant increments and that can get messy.  I think the 75mm howitzer or 76mm that was used on the Saladin and Scorpion would be an ideal weapon especially for providing infantry support where direct fire is sometimes required.  There is no need to add or remove propellant increments from this fixed ammunition.  It would be the ultimate in irony if the conflict in Afganistan suddenly saw a need for a direct fire/indirect fire weapon like the old 75mm pack howitzer.   That would be a real hoot.  Taking that one step further to see a 75mm howitzer mounted in place of the 25mm Bushmaster on a few Bradley IFV in the combat support element of the mechanized infantry battalions and cavalry troops would be even more irony since that little pack howitzer was so reliable in past conflicts in where it was very effective in the mountains and jungles.  So a nice WHIF to come will be a stubby barrel howitzer on the Bradley or if you give me grief I will adapt it to fit the Warrior . . . :^)

 

<...> What happens when you mate the turret from the M2/M3 Bradley fighting vehicle with the hull of an LVT-A4?  <...>

Looks surprisingly... right. 

Glad you liked that one Moritz. 


Another WHIF that I had been wanting to check out was the fusion of the Marder IFV with the Bradley IFV.  Personally I do not like the Bradley as it is a very confined space vehicle and sits far too high for my preferences.  It also has an amphibious capability that is useless unless you are crossing a mud puddle and as far as I am concerned it is an unnecessary feature that should have been deleted from the vehicle.  The only redeeming quality I can find with the Bradly IFV/CFV is the turret with the very reliable and hard hitting TOW ATGM and the 25mm Bushmaster cannon, both very effective and formidable weapons. 

The Marder IFV on the other hand is a very well built vehicle (some very fine German engineering) and it has a very low profile when compared to the Bradley save for the turret which really sticks up in the air.  While neither vehicle is ideal I figured it would be nice to see what a combination of the two would look like with a Marder hull and a Bradley turret.  I think it came out looking pretty good.  Thanks again to the contributors on the 3D Warehouse at SketchUp for providing the raw materials for this WHIF subject.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

I figured it was time to finish the conversion process that started with the Half-Track No-Track fitted with wheels from a 2.5t truck and see what the truck would look like with the half-track tracks.  So now we have a half-track cargo truck courtesy of the contributors on the 3D Warehouse at SketchUp for providing the two 3D models for this WHIF. 

[Jeffry Fontaine]

For anyone that has downloaded SketchUp and has had problems I am sure you will appreciate these links to SketchUp related tutorials and instructional videos from YouTube and CAD Addict.  I would like to thank frank2056 for the CAD Addict link which was just the tip of the iceberg and from there I did a quick search on YouTube and the search results were rather comprehensive. 

Search Results on YouTube for SketchUp

There is also a web page, actually a blog called CAD Addict that has a section devoted to SketchUp tutorials and plug-ins that you may want to check out as well. 

Here is the link to CAD Addict's Blog and this is the link to the search results for SketchUp.