Nope, Yes, and not really.
Just curious.
Alright, so here are the current proposals:
Designs:D1.1: Mk1 interchangeable load carrier "Iron Ox"
A Large Support Truck
It has a conventional cab with the engine out front and 8X8 all-wheel drive.
It should have locking differentials and a low range transmission for off road use.
The load bed is mounted on heavy duty leaf springs and linked to the three soild beam axles.
The rear three axles mount dual wheels.
Engine: SDE M1933 x 4 linked
Length: 7.2 m
Width: 2.3 M
Height: 2.5 M
Weight:
(12,000 kg) empty
(18,500 kg) loaded
Load bed: 5m
Payload: 6000KG
7000KG Towed (off road)
Modules:
A detachable tank of 3000L
20mm AA mount
Mortar mount
Motor support/ tank recovery
Artillery support
Soft Covered storage/transport
D1.2: In order of priority, the following POAC variants are to be introduced:
POAC-C:
Cargo-Carrier POAC. Remove all of the armour, and only armour the driver's cabin against small-arms and splinters (about 6mm). The loading plane should be flat, with mounts for securing loaded equipment, canvas cover etc. Should also include a tow hitch.
M-POAC-F:
Mountable fuel tank for the POAC-C.
POAC-M:
Mortar carrier poac. Variant of the POAC-C, mounting an EAM mortar, ammunition and a battery for firing the first.
POAC-A:
If the artillery gun is finished, see if you can mount it on a POAC-C. Include splinter protection for the artillery crew.
D2: Fire storm interceptor
All metal mono plane, with an enclosed armoured cockpit, an engine mounted to the rear of pilot and a pusher prop.
Armour: 8mm of nickel-molybdenum steel plate around the cockpit.
13 mm plate of nickel-molybdenum steel on the back of the seat.
2mm fire wall between the pilot and the fuel tanks.
Weapons: 2x M-1 Machineguns in wing roots with 500 belts rounds per gun.
4 X 20mm cannons in the nose with 60 round drums
Engine: 2 x "Hurricane" aero engine 1500HP
Crew: 1 pilot
Wingspan: 12 m
Length: 13 m
Empty weight: 3225 kg
edit
The Pilot's seat should have an oxygen feed line for his mask.
D3: A modified AATSM1933 'HiLo' cannon, this is mounted on a carriage. It trades the autoloader for a more field-maintainable (and cheaper) horizontal-sliding block breech and manual load system (= humans). Instead of the one-piece shell of the HiLo cannon, the ammo used int he new Artillery Cannon consists of one shell, which is propelled by up to three (identical) cased charges.
Include a tow hitch to be towed both by the POAC and whatever truck we design.
(Inspiration: British BL 4.5-inch field gun, German 10cm sK 18, Russian M1932/37.
D4: Continuing with their work on the D-R-M1936, the D-RN is an improved model with a smaller antenna, usable for mounting on ships.
D5: Individual pouches in different sizes that can be buckled together or worn with a main vest rig. This'll allow for a high amount of customization to suit the wants and needs of the person wearing the vest. The pouches can also be buckled together without the use of the vest in order to form rigs of varying sizes and straps that allow the loosening/tightening of the buckled rig. These buckles would allows pouches to be buckled together without the main vest in order to make cargo belts, bandoliers, etc.
The vest will look similar to that of a modern-day kevlar vest, but it is made of strong cloth with default pockets in key areas (Chest, Lower torso, back, etc.). These default pockets (which are woven into the vest) allow for the insertion of things like steel plates to help protect the unit wearing the vest.
The two parts are not dependent on each other, (you could make a series of pouches and straps into a vest/bandolier/belt, etc. if you'd like) but it is recommended that the vest be worn with it for more buckling sites.
ConstructionC1: Continue the naval factory (with the drydock)
C2: Build a four-line ammo factory
C3: Build a four-line large arms factory
C4: Build a four-line infantry equipment factory
C5: Four reinforced concrete bunkers for mounting heavy AA guns.
Crew: 300
Size: 50m X 50m x 40m
Walls to be made of reinforced concrete 2.5 meters thick
Roof to be made of reinforced concrete 1.5 meters thick
Armament
----------
4 'HiLo' 105mm Cannons.
20 CA-AAA-M1935 20mm AA guns.
2 EAM M1932 Automatic Mortars.
16 M-1 Machineguns.
1 SDE M1933 Diesel engine to run a generator.
1 D-R-M1936 radio.
8 SMM1934 Double submachine guns or 16 Winchester M1897 trench shotguns for internal defence.
AcquisitionFreeMy only complaint with Funk's Iron Ox truck is that it'd be a bigger target, nonetheless, and that it may be too expensive to build many at once.
I feel that if we don't go for the Iron Ox but still want more supply throughput capabilities, we'll have to design an intermediate truck. I've been thinking along the lines of something like the Soviet ZIS-5:
As shown in the picture, it could also be used to tow artillery and such.