View Single Post
  #1 (permalink)  
Old May 31st, 2007, 09:50 AM
Kai-Petri's Avatar
Kai-PetriOKF Moderator Kai-Petri is offline
Kenraali
 
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Kotka, Finland
Posts: 14,478
Salute!: 47
Saluted 17 Times in 16 Posts
Kai-Petri is just really niceKai-Petri is just really niceKai-Petri is just really niceKai-Petri is just really niceKai-Petri is just really niceKai-Petri is just really nice
Default Rutscher-small tank detroyer

So not all plans were supporting massive tanks...

------------

In late 1943, before Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer entered production, BMW and Wesserhuette were awarded a contract to design a small tank destroyer - klein Panzerjaeger Rutscher (Sander) but the project was cancelled in February of 1944 after Hetzer was selected. The project was reactivated in January of 1945, and it was decided to continued development of Panzerkleinzerstoerer. The vehicle was to be a light and fast tank destroyer to compete with an American M 18 Hellcat tank destroyer. It was to be armed with PWK 8 H 63 smooth-bore gun firing fin-stabilized projectiles with effective range of 700 meters or regular 75mm KwK L/48 gun. Prototypes were never completed and the end of the war ended any further development.

http://www.achtungpanzer.com/hetzer.htm

--------

found later on this:

http://strangevehicles.greyfalcon.us/rutscher.htm

The most interesting feature of the “Rutscher” would be its cleverly chosen main armament- two 80mm Rheinmetall Panzerabwehr-Wurfkanone PAW-600 8H63 high/low pressure guns. These were recoilless cannons according to the high/low pressure principle in which the ignition occurs in a high pressure cylinder. By means of a sophisticated nozzle disk, the ignited gas then streams into a low pressure cylinder. Once a certain pressure is reached, the fin-stabilized shell frees itself from the cartridge and exits the smooth-bore barrel. During firing tests, ranges of 2,000 meters were achieved with a muzzle velocity of 550 mps.

Manufacturer: Weserhütte Bad Oeynhausen (mock-up only)

Crew: 2

Fighting Weight: 38.5 tons

Length: 3.55 m (w/o gun) and 4.85 m (with gun)

Width: 1.85 m

Height: 1.36m (over all)

Engine: BMW Type 335 3.5L 6 cylinder @ 90 hp (3,500 rpm),

Transmission: Voith hydraulic-variable

Gearbox: Allklauen ZF 5-25

Speed: 60-70 km/h (est)

Armor: 8-14.5mm (The hull sides were inclined inwards)

Armament: 2 x 80mm Panzerwurfkanone PAW-600 8H63

-------------

Interesting as one book source claimed the weight would be in the region of 5,000 kilograms but it seems it was alot heavier....
__________________

Last edited by Kai-Petri; August 6th, 2007 at 11:01 AM.
Reply With Quote