Armortek

The charge bin lids. I think you did a first class job of those Vince.

Phil

This is a sketch of the other containers. Dark blue gives you an idea.
Is it ok.

Hi Phil,
Your photo shows 3 of the triangular shaped 3-round charge bins. Are you manufacturing some for other people as you only require one per tank ?.
For info, the colour of the BVs was also a lot lighter blue.

Kindest regards
Mark

Built up the bodies of the containers then all of a sudden I had that sinking feeling.
Is Phil's printer build bed large enough?? I hope it is.

All that remains is that cut-out you want at the back.

Vince

Cut-out finished. Followed your pencil drawing except for one of the radii.
Is it ok? Fingers crossed.

Vince

Superb that man!you should do it for a living The print envelope is basically 300x300x300 so we should be ok
Vince do you think it's worth cading the right hand bin just in case I ever need that one.....while it's fresh and all?

Great. It should be ok with that size of build bed. Sending you the stl file.

Vince

I will fire it up Vince ! That's a long ol print to, be about 3hrs +

Vince do you think it's worth cading the right hand bin just in case I ever need that one.....while it's fresh and all?

I'll see if I can extract some info to make the right bin. With the cut also I assume.

Vince

We are in luck. Managed to make the right hand container by mirroring the left hand container. Will send you the stl for this one also (contains all three containers).
Vince

Wonderful, it's now printing the two containers, I forget to add supports so had to abort and start again, it would not have managed the over hangs otherwise! Oh it's a five hour print, so around midnight.
On another note, did anyone get to see the Elon Musk's satellite string last night, nothing visible here in Cornwall?

I guess you're in luck then as now you can use the new stl file with three containers instead.

Vince

I think I'm running out of superlatives - You and Vince are an amazing team.

I'm no expert on 3D printing, quite the opposite, but if you print those latest containers inverted presumably there would be no need to add the support web for the overhangs?

Keep the good stuff coming.
Kevin

Thanks vince, I'll keep the three container file on file if ever I have to do another Chieftain interior build.
Hi kevin , yes you have a point but I need the tops to be perfect so fingers crossed! No sleep for me for 5 hrs while I baby sit the printer.

The right hand rear charge bin was indeed almost a mirror image of the left-hand rear one. The only details missing are the filling plug and the charging vent nozzle. The area around the individual bag charge containers was hollow and filled with coolant that was then pressurised. The idea being that if the tank was penetrated, and a hot fragment breached the bag charge containers, the coolant would initially cool the fragment, but more importantly drench the bag charge to prevent it catching fire and causinng a catastrophic explosion within the turret.

Early Challenger 1s had the same "wet" stowage as Chieftain, but later went to "dry" stowage in armoured charge bins allowing more bag charges to be carried. Bag charge for a HESH round took up half a space. Bag charge for APDS or Fin, APFSDS, took a complete space. On Chieftain and Chally 1 with "wet" stowage, you could have more projectiles stowed than the amount of available bag charges could have launched.

Mark