I want to be emperor

Chapter 1201 Half-track Vehicle

The Great Chu Empire had already begun developing tracked tank projects under the leadership of the Army several years ago.

The reason why tracked vehicles were developed in the first place was mainly for better off-road performance and carrying capacity.

Although wheeled vehicles have advantages in speed, flexibility and cost, their off-road performance is far inferior to that of tracked vehicles.

For example, in some crucial off-road performance aspects, such as crossing trenches and traversing muddy roads, tracked vehicles have a natural and huge advantage.

Tracked vehicles can easily cross trenches that are several tens of centimeters or even one meter wide, but it is difficult for wheeled vehicles to do so.

Then there is also a huge difference in the load-bearing weight. Even if a wheeled vehicle uses more wheels to distribute the weight, the pressure on the ground is still relatively high, and it will slip when encountering some bumpy and muddy roads.

However, tracked vehicles do not have such concerns. They can distribute weight evenly on the two tracks, increasing the contact area with the ground, thereby reducing ground pressure and increasing friction.

This means that all-track vehicles can still travel easily on special terrains such as mud and desert, instead of slipping easily like wheeled vehicles and getting stuck in pits.

And these performances can also be attributed to mobility.

When the Chu Empire Army discovered that wheeled armored vehicles were not well adapted to the desert and muddy roads, it began to launch a tracked vehicle research and development program.

The purpose at the beginning was very pure. It was not to launch battlefield assaults, or engage in street fighting, or attack enemy fortifications.

Simply for better maneuverability and passability.

Therefore, the Chu Army's tracked vehicle plan actually includes not only tanks equipped with artillery and machine guns, but also transport vehicles.

Among them are tracked artillery tractors, tracked reconnaissance vehicles, tracked troop carriers and other projects.

The research and development of tracked vehicles is actually an overall systematic solution, and is not limited to the single category of tanks.

It’s just that the research and development of tanks is more important and the military pays more attention to it, so the progress is faster.

A typical project among them is the 78 series project, which is the first tracked vehicle used for combat in the Chu army. The three 78 series vehicles developed from the 78 prototype vehicle currently include the 781 tank, the 782 self-propelled artillery, and the 783/4 fully protected tank.

This thing is a light tracked armored vehicle weighing less than ten tons. Currently, the 781 and 782 projects are not mature yet, and only the 783/4 project is mature. However, previous tests found that the 783 prototype had insufficient firepower and lacked the ability to strike fortifications, so it is preparing to upgrade to the 30 equipped with a 784mm machine gun.

In addition to the 78 series tracked vehicles.

The 150 project of Huguang Weapon Company is the most mature and fastest-progressing one at the moment. The entire project plan is not actually about a -ton tank... to be precise, it is a -ton chassis.

When Huguang Weapons Company started the tracked project, it actually did not pay much attention to details such as protection or firepower at the beginning. It focused more on the research and development of the chassis, and then expanded based on the chassis.

Therefore, in the past few years, they spent a lot of time and energy on the research and development and testing of the chassis. This is also the reason why the research and development progress of their 150 project lags behind the 78 series of Shaanxi-Gansu Weapons Company.

The Shaanxi-Gansu Weapons Company on the other side did not think so much at the beginning. It directly made a tank, which got off to a good start. It then made improvements based on the military's requirements and then split it into three sub-projects.

The research and development model of Huguang Weapons Company is different. They aimed at the development of general tracked chassis from the beginning and considered multiple application platforms.

For example, by adding a rotating turret, installing a medium-caliber artillery, and adding corresponding armor, it can be transformed into a tank with the ability to powerfully strike civil engineering works.

Another example is to make a large crawler tractor to tow heavy artillery.

For example, it can be made into a large bulldozer to be used for digging fortifications, opening roads, etc.

It can also be made into a large armored personnel carrier, which can force its way through threatened sections of road under enemy firepower, deliver infantry to the front line to fight, and so on.

Huguang Weapons Company has great ambitions. They want to use a universal chassis to cover as many projects as possible, and then increase maintainability, reduce maintenance costs, production costs, etc. by sharing the chassis among multiple models.

The military also attaches great importance to their universal chassis project... because once it is achieved, it can be used on a large scale at the level of more than ten tons and reduce costs.

You know, nowadays the military is very sensitive to the cost of motor vehicles, both wheeled and tracked... they are scared.

If the price is too high, then only a small amount can be equipped, and a small amount of equipment will further increase the cost, which will be difficult for the army to accept.

Especially in the army, the number of regular troops is huge. No matter how good a weapon is, it will not be of much value if it can only be equipped in small quantities. What the army needs is technical weapons that can be equipped on a large scale and have a good cost-effectiveness.

This is similar to the army abandoning the more advanced but expensive Type 53 light machine gun, and instead choosing the Type 55 Dapanji light machine gun, which has inferior performance but is much cheaper.

Although this machine gun has an ugly appearance and mediocre performance, it is cheap... The unit price of the first batch purchased by the army is only 130 Chu Yuan, and as production capacity continues to increase, the subsequent price will drop further.

Unlike the Type 53 light machine gun, which looks advanced, the purchase price of the Guards reached more than two hundred Chu Yuan per gun, and its structure is relatively complex, making maintenance more troublesome.

In terms of motor vehicles, the Army also prefers cheaper and more reliable motor vehicles, of course, provided that the basic performance is up to standard.

For example, light comprehensive protection tanks, armored vehicle plans... Don't worry about other things, but the basic protection capabilities must meet the standards, and then on this basis, maintain firepower and mobility as much as possible.

  When it comes to tracked vehicles of larger tonnage, the Army maintains the same attitude and pursues cost-effectiveness!

Based on a series of requirements from the Army, Huguang Weapons Company developed their company's first tank using their 15-ton universal chassis.

This is a tank with a three-person turret. The main turret is equipped with a 55mm short-barreled howitzer. When equipped with semi-armor-piercing shells, it has a relatively strong destructive capability against civil fortifications and concrete buildings.

It also has an 8mm coaxial machine gun and an 8mm machine gun on the front of the vehicle.

Because the army has very strict requirements on protection capabilities, this type of medium and large tank must be able to withstand attacks from any light weapons and resist direct hits from 60mm infantry guns, 80mm and mm mortars that the indigenous rebels may obtain.

Therefore, the tank's protection performance is very good, with 30mm frontal armor and turret, and 25mm side armor... It still follows the comprehensive protection concept pursued by the army, and even the top of the body has 8mm armor. In terms of power, it is equipped with a large eight-cylinder V-type gasoline engine developed by Tangshan Automobile Company, which is used for large-scale engineering machinery and equipment, with a horsepower of an astonishing 150 horsepower.

The combat weight is 14.5 tons and the highway speed can reach 25 kilometers per hour.

The vehicle consists of five members: driver, front machine gunner, commander, gunner, and loader.

This thing is completely based on what the army proposed, and adopts a comprehensive protection concept. It is mainly used in complex areas, such as urban areas, and is a support tank with enemy infantry, civil engineering works, bunkers, and buildings as the main attack targets.

  This type of tank is also the tank that the army is currently focusing on developing!

The Army is very satisfied with the on-paper performance of the 1501 tank developed by Huguang Weapons Company...except for the price!

However, even though they still have objections to the price, the Army also plans to conduct some tests first. Currently, Huguang Weapons Company is manufacturing several prototype vehicles for various testing projects.

If it can successfully pass the army's test, it may be possible to obtain a small batch order, and then produce a batch and send it overseas for actual combat testing. Once the actual combat test is passed, it will be time to place large-scale orders for mass production.

Before this, everything was unknown.

In addition to the 1501 tank project, according to feedback from the front line, wheeled vehicles, whether trucks or tricycles, have poor passability in complex terrain such as snow, desert, and muddy areas.

The Army also issued bids for testing of new tracked transport vehicles, tractors, reconnaissance vehicles and other projects.

One of the bidding projects is quite special, which is to obtain a miniature tracked vehicle that can be used by reconnaissance troops, allowing the soldiers of the reconnaissance battalion to drive the vehicle quickly through various complex terrains, such as muddy roads and even wading sections.

At the same time, this micro tracked vehicle is also required to have a certain traction capacity, and be able to routinely tow 75mm infantry guns, and even tow mm howitzers when necessary.

At the same time, requirements such as low price and good maintainability are also required.

Since this project is not a weapons project but a transport vehicle project, the five major automobile companies can also participate in the bidding.

Among them, Li's Automobile Company submitted a very interesting design, which is a half-track motorcycle...

  Well, this thing is actually not a new design of theirs, but they have already had this thing!

Speaking of which, the Li Automobile Company's decision to develop half-track vehicles was a helpless one!

Among the five major automobile companies, Li’s Automobile Company is currently having the hardest time. Although it seems to be one of the five major automobile companies, it does not have any unique moat advantages.

Among the five major automobile companies in China today, the leading one is Tangshan Automobile Company, which has the world's leading engine technology. Not only does it dominate the civilian automobile market, but its series of high-horsepower engines are also widely used in engineering machinery and equipment, military vehicles and even tanks.

Almost all of the contemporary Chu army's armored vehicles and tanks use engines from Tangshan Automobile Company.

In addition, Tangshan Automobile Company's mid-to-high-end sedan series is also very good, with a very high market share.

In addition, the market share in large agricultural tractors is also very good.

Relying on these advantages, Tangshan Automobile Company has long maintained its position as the leader in the automobile market.

As for Liaodong Automobile Company, their performance in passenger cars is average, but their coach series is very good, occupying at least half of the domestic market for various types of buses. In addition, their various tricycles are also very good...Don't be fooled by the low unit price of tricycles, but they sell a lot, with sales of hundreds of thousands of units per year.

Then there is Songhe Automobile Company. They have done well in the mid- and low-end car business and have a good market share. In addition, their small tractor business almost monopolizes 80% of the domestic market. These small tractors are not only used for agricultural purposes, but also widely used in civilian transportation. Their sales volume is terrifying.

  Finally, their gearbox technology is currently the best... Among third-party companies, such as Anlong Motors' luxury cars, Anton excavators and other construction machinery vehicles, as well as a large number of armored vehicles and tanks of the military, the engines use those of Tangshan Motors and the gearboxes use those of Songhe Motors. This has almost become an industry practice!

Although North American automobile companies are latecomers, their pickup trucks and off-road vehicles are unrivaled in the world. Their pickup trucks and off-road vehicles are sold all over the world. Relying on the advantages they have established in overseas places such as the Americas, North American automobile companies have launched a massive counterattack in the domestic market with these two major types of vehicles, pickup trucks and off-road vehicles, and have forced the four major automobile companies to retreat step by step and finally lose a large market share.

At the same time, North American automobile companies have also done very well in the low-end car market. Their sub-brand 'Ocean' cars are famous for their low prices and super high cost performance. After entering the local East Asian market, the low-end car business of the other four major automobile companies has also been losing ground... We really can't beat them!

Then, in terms of agricultural machinery, relying on the natural super farm in America and the trust of North American automobile companies among a large number of farmers, its agricultural machinery and equipment have developed very rapidly...

  Their company was able to attract a large number of farmers or companies serving farmers to buy an agricultural aircraft that had no precedent, and then they opened up an extremely niche vertical market for aircraft spraying pesticides!

Other people's planes were used for combat and carrying passengers, but their planes were used to spray pesticides from the beginning... and then they were able to succeed.

Today, North American Automotive Company has surpassed Lee Power Company in terms of both turnover and market value, becoming the fourth largest automobile company in the country, and the gap with the third largest Liaodong Automobile Company is very small.

Then what about Li’s Automobile Company’s turn?

They also have low-, mid- and high-end sedan businesses... and have a certain market share, but nothing outstanding.

We also got involved in the truck and bus businesses, but there has been no improvement.

There are also three-wheeled vehicle businesses and even motorcycle businesses... but again, there is nothing special about them.

It seems to have done everything, but nothing stands out, and most of its businesses are at the bottom or second to last among the top five automobile companies.

In order to get out of this predicament, the management of Li's Power Company has thought of countless ways over the years. The investment in technological research and development has never stopped, and the support from local governments has also been strong, but it has always been in a state of failure in everything it does.

  However, because of all the tinkering, I was able to come up with some very unique things, such as half-track vehicles!

Their company felt that they were not able to make progress on tracked projects, such as agricultural tractors and large tractors; at the same time, they were not very successful on trucks, tricycles, and motorcycles...so they decided to combine some of them and make a half-track vehicle.

It’s true that this thing does have some unique markets, and has become a more eye-catching business category for their company in recent years... However, this thing is too embarrassing in the civilian field. Except for some extreme scenarios, it is generally not used.

You said your half-track transport vehicle has good off-road capability, but civilian transport vehicles don’t need off-road capability… You said your half-track vehicle has better steering and cost than full-track vehicles, but you can’t handle the extreme scenarios where people use full-track vehicles… For example, farm work…

The inability to move up or down has become an embarrassing problem for half-track vehicles!

Of course, even if it is embarrassing, it is an exclusive product after all, and it still has uses in some niche scenarios, so it can be sold to some extent.

Then, when the people from Lee Power Company received the bidding project for micro tracked vehicles proposed by the Army, they looked at their own half-track motorcycles and simply submitted their own half-track motorcycles to participate in the bidding.

Then when the army guys saw it, they couldn’t take their eyes off it… This thing looks interesting.

Except for some people who like to play with it or in some special scenarios, most people in the public basically look down on this thing, but in the eyes of the army, this thing is very promising!