Ristel & Tanchik
Ristel
Hey Tanchik, ever thought about swapping out a tank's engine for something that could actually make it break the sound barrier? I've got a few zany ideas that might just do the trick.
Tanchik
Sounds interesting, but in practice a tank engine is built for torque, not top speed. Breaking the sound barrier would require a whole new chassis, weight distribution, and aerodynamic shape. If you want a faster tank, focus on power‑to‑weight ratio and efficiency, not a jet engine. Still, I'd love to hear the specifics of your ideas.
Ristel
You’re right, the old gear‑box won’t cut it, but hear me out: strip the whole hull down to a lightweight titanium skeleton, replace the cannon with a low‑profile, low‑drag “suction‑tube” shape, then bolt a swarm of micro‑rocket boosters to the back. Each booster is fed by a small turbine that runs on the tank’s own exhaust, so you get a pulse‑jet burst every few seconds. Add a gyroscope that keeps the chassis stable even when you’re tearing up the battlefield, and boom— you’ve got a 300 km/h sprint for a tank. Of course, the whole thing’s going to scream and sputter before it turns the corner, but that’s the fun part!
Tanchik
That’s an ambitious overhaul, but you’re underestimating the heat load and structural stresses on a tank at 300 km/h. A titanium frame might save weight, but the hull’s armor is designed to absorb kinetic impact, not aerodynamic drag. The micro‑rocket swarm would need a massive fuel supply, and feeding turbines off the exhaust could starve the boosters of oxygen. The gyroscope could help with stability, yet you’d still have a huge problem with the engine’s thermal profile. In the heat of battle, reliability beats speed. If you want a quick strike, a lighter, more agile vehicle with a conventional engine and good power‑to‑weight ratio is a safer bet.
Ristel
Yeah, heat and stress are a pain, but that’s why I’ll add a rotating heat‑shield that flips over like a pizza pan, plus a scavenger‑type exhaust that pulls in fresh air from a side duct. Then the micro‑rockets get oxygen and you keep the chassis from frying. If that still feels too wild, we can drop the rocket swarm and just use a turbo‑charged diesel that’s tuned for instant torque. Either way, the point is to make it faster than the enemy can hit it.
Tanchik
Fast is fine, but only if you’re sure you can keep the crew alive. Heat shields that flip and scavenger exhausts add weight and complexity you’ll have to manage in the heat of fire. A turbo‑charged diesel gives instant torque without the fire‑storm, but you still need a power‑to‑weight advantage. Speed matters, but protection and reliability win in a real fight. So plan the upgrade with that balance in mind.
Ristel
Alright, here’s the plan: keep the core diesel but re‑tool it for a 1.2‑to‑1.5 horsepower‑per‑ton boost, then slap a lightweight carbon‑fiber chassis on top so the weight stays low. Add a quick‑release armor shell that snaps off if the hull’s hit, then you can drop a “ram‑jet” kit on the back that fires only on a full sprint—so you only get the crazy speed when you really need it. The heat shield is just a simple, single‑panel cover that flips out from a hinge and bounces off the heat like a frisbee; it doesn’t add much weight. And the scavenger exhaust? That’s just a duct that pulls in air from a side port, so the rockets get oxygen without choking the engine. With that combo you get a fast, survivable tank that still feels like a rogue machine.