My random asking for advice thread

[pocoloco]

You could always play on a basket ball field or maybe a football field?

If you are playing skirmish level games, maybe make that technical with rocket launcher a some sort of mission target, that way you can field a nice model on the table?

[Arlequín]

I see. The weapon I am thinking of in particular is a helicopter launch tube like on the picture.

If the rocket is AP (I suppose those are available air to surface ordinance), could it be used in a direct fire role you think?

Barring air-launched AT missiles like the Hellfire, most AP types tend to be of the 'bomblet' variety. The SNEB types (and I presume the Soviet ARS 57mm ones), did have HEAT warheads as an option too, but there's only so much explosive force you can put in a 57mm/68mm warhead. Comparatively speaking you are looking at a rough equivalency with 57mm and 75mm recoilless projectiles with regards to effectiveness, but without the 'rifle' to fire them from to get the same accuracy.

HEAT warheads have a small blast area compared to their HE/Frag brethren and while individual accuracy might be off (man-portable tube launchers have seen use here and there though, which might be somewhat more effective), firing 'a ripple' from a vehicle mounted pod as in the picture is likely to give you one or more hits on a vehicle sized target in spite of that.

I imagine it to be somewhat like a large shotgun in principle; put enough rockets out towards your target and you are guaranteed a hit, maybe even two or three.

 

[CptJake]

You could always play on a basket ball field or maybe a football field?

If you are playing skirmish level games, maybe make that technical with rocket launcher a some sort of mission target, that way you can field a nice model on the table?

To piggy back on this idea, but offer a twist, have the scenario involve a variation on an 'MLRS Raid', where the side with the rocket pod armed technical has to advance to a specific firing/launching point (to hit a high value off table target), take a turn or two to set up and launch, then exfiltrate their system back across their starting table edge.   The opposing side obviously wants to prevent the salvo launch or at least destroy the system before it can be exfiltrated.  

This allows you to not only have the cool looking vehicle on the table, but also get to use it in a somewhat realistic way.

 

[Bushbaby]

Very good ideas! Im definitely going to consider making the MRL technical a mission objective. Maybe also as a rocket-shotgun, depending on the nature of the scenario

[S_P]

@CptJake- very nice idea for a game that

[Bushbaby]

And here it is!

(I know the type 63 is a bit too big, but the size of straws these days... phew)



The real deal:

[CptJake]

That is awesome!

[Bushbaby]

Ok, so here is my next question. I just bought this humvee and am thinking of cutting the hatch open to place a gunner there. The chassi is made out of plastic.

What I wonder is if you know a good way of cutting trough plastic?

[juergen c. olk]

I used a Dremel before ,in shortbursts,but that was on hot wheels .although I cut metal w/ it also.Wear goggles.

[CptJake]

If it is plastic, you could use a scribing tool like this one:



It would allow you to cut out the hatch and (assuming you're careful) keep it pretty much intact.   

[Major_Gilbear]

It depends on how thick the plastic on the roof is, and on the hatch is "extruded" from the roof or moulded onto the surface.

If the hatch has few details, I'd probably just make a new one using plasticard, and remove the existing one with a few drilled holes and careful use of a knife and file to tidy up. You can also just sand the hatch down to smooth the roof of the vehicle, cut a hole exactly as you please, and then make a new hatch to suit.

If the roof is thin, and the hatch moulding is worth saving, you can try either scribing or repeated careful scoring with a sharp blade (please be careful - scoring around round detail is the easiest way to have the knife slip!).

I think the first option(s) is probably best though, as my experience of these things is that the plastic in these toys is usually quite hard (and therefore hard to cut neatly with a knife).

[Bushbaby]

Thanks for the great advice guys! I'll probably just remove the hatch completely and leave an open hole for the gunner.

This is my next question: I wonder about the effect of firing a RPG-7 into a wall of corrugated iron. Is there a chance the rocket goes straight through? If it explodes on impact, how would the blast develop on the other side, like a triangle expanding outwards?

[Elbows]

Depends entirely on the rocket placed in the RPG.  A standard anti-tank round would punch through the corrugated iron and probably detonate it's shaped charge head (shooting a bolt of molten metal through the remaining structure).  The ubiquitous RPG-7 has dozens of different warheads which can be fired from them. Including some rather silly special purpose ones.



Just a few...but you can see how odd some are.  All serve different purposes.

[Bushbaby]

Ok, next question. I know this is -39 stuff but I don't want to start another thread so I post here instead. What is the second tank hunter from the left carrying?

http://bakercompany.co.uk/shop/finnish-tank-hunters/

[Major_Gilbear]

I think it's a timber log... I guess to stick into a passing tank's tracks from an ambush position to foul them, thereby immobilising the tank and allowing the use of greandes and small arms through vision slits and such to kill the crew inside?