A Leman Russ tank in real life

For most of you the title will be a bit strange since you probably don`t know what a Leman Russ tank is, but to the people who know I`d like to make something clear; I`m not looking for a tank that can run on wood and kills hordes of green-skinned monstrosities with las-weapons and bolters.

Now, with that out of the way, how can we get a tank that looks like the Leman Russ tank to be developed, constructed and deployed at some time during the last century?

The basic idea behind its design is a WWI-style tank with a turret fitted on the top and a weapon mounted in the front of the tank, in many ways similar to the tank seen in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, which was a replica of a Mark VIII Liberty Tank with a top mounted turret.
 

Thande

Donor
There were several multi-turreted tank monstrosities in the 1930s and the early part of WW2. The idea was rapidly dropped when they turned out to be horrible in combat.

One more successful than usual example was the M3 Grant:

acy13212.jpg
 

sharlin

Banned
The Lemon Moose is suppose to be a very reliable machine, I don't have the Imperial armour to hand with its details (length etc) but if the concept of a multi-turreted tank was persued a different way with weapons being mounted in the hull instead.
You could probably refine the Romboid shape, making the tanks shorter but they'd need to be broad to fit the crew and weapons.

Lets say the UK goes for it.

In the turret you could have a 3 inch howitzer for firing HE shells whilst in the bow you could have a 2lb gun for anti-tank duty, the side sponsons could be a pair of dual vickers K guns. Armour would be thin though and it would be a huge target but it could be a start.
 
There were several multi-turreted tank monstrosities in the 1930s and the early part of WW2. The idea was rapidly dropped when they turned out to be horrible in combat.

One more successful than usual example was the M3 Grant:

The Leman Russ isn`t really multi-turreted...

EDIT: The Char B1 might fit the bill if it had a bigger turret and some side sponsons.
 

sharlin

Banned
Multi-gunned with the number of crew that would class it as one :p

Commander, Gunner, loader, radio-operator/bow gun operator, driver and two sponson gunners.

Good point re the char B1, wouldn't be supprised if they didn't base the Russ on that.
 
I always thought the British TOG2 looks a lot like a warhammer model. Just put some side cupolas on it and you are really close:
176085_af792f29.jpg
 
Char B1, absolutely, first thing that sprung to mind, Probably because I'd completely forgotten about the M3.

Also, my favourite - I give you the "too awesome to actually work IRL" T-35:

p68l.jpg
 
the Leman Russ always struck me as impractical, too short to give a comfortable ride across rough terrain, and presenting a very tall silhouette.
 

sharlin

Banned
Got these from the Forge world books, basically the Janes Fighting ships of the 40K books.

Basic Lerman Russ Basic stats (without sponson's fitted).

Weight 62 tonnes.
Length 7.08 Meters.
Width 4.86 meters.
Height 4.42 meters
Ground clearance: 0.45 meters.
Max speed on road: 28kph
Max speed off road: 17kph

Compaired to a M1 Abrams:

Weight 67.6 tones
Length: 7.93 meters
Width 3.66 meters
Height 2.44 meters
Ground Clearance: 0.48 m
Max Road speed 56 kph
Max Off-road: 40 kph

Then we go into the realm of the bananananananans with the 40K universe's equivalent of the T-35 The Baneblade Superheavy tank.

Weight: 319 Tonnes
Length: 23.5 Meters
Width: 8.40 meters
Height: 6.30 Meters
Ground Clearance 1.2 meters
Max speed on road: 25 kph
Max speed off road: 18 kph

The Imperial Guards Bradley equivalent the Chimera is as follows:

Weight: 38 Tonnes.
Length: 6.90 meters
Width: 5.70 Meters
Height: 3.72 meters
Ground Clearance: 0.45 meters
Max Speed on road: 70 kph
Max speed off road: 55 kph
The vehicle is amphibious with no preperation.
 
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Got these from the Forge world books, basically the Janes Fighting ships of the 40K books.
So, just less than a metre shorter, more than a metre wider and about 2 metres higher than an M1, but with the same ground-clearance and a lower speed, and a lower weight, is it me or is that thing going to make a really poor tank?
 
So, just less than a metre shorter, more than a metre wider and about 2 metres higher than an M1, but with the same ground-clearance and a lower speed, and a lower weight, is it me or is that thing going to make a really poor tank?

The Leman Russ also has armor the equivelent of 300mm steel. All 40k equipment sucks.
 

sharlin

Banned
I doubt its equivalent to 300mm steel due to the weird space composits they use, its probably much thicker whilst being light weight due to the nature of the 'plasteel' hull that the armour is part of.
 
its armor is 150 mm thick (front) "much less" at sides (your armor is your undying faith in the emperor, better remember that).

also, the tank is a modification of a tractor pattern pulled from an ancient colonization STC (aka replicator). :D

the "plasteel" is as strong as the writer needs it to be, either indestructable or workable by hand.
 
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