"A jump... Perhaps this is the most difficult of all tank aerobatics exercises. Only the most skilled and fearless driver can perform it. Just imagine: hurling a metal colossus weighing over ten tons down a steep bank into the water, and at a speed of fifty kilometers per hour, at that.
But the point is not to hurl it, but to jump—that is, to swiftly fly tens of meters through the air, and then smoothly glide across the water's surface, keeping both yourself and the tank intact." To do this, a rather complex program must be precisely and quickly executed in a matter of seconds. Begin accelerating at maximum speed, shifting gears quickly and at maximum engine speed in each gear. Cover the last 20-30 meters at top speed, raising the tank's nose slightly just before the jump. As the tank lifted off the bank, the engine's load was relieved, the RPMs increased, and the tracks began spinning at breakneck speed. To avoid losing them in the air, the RPMs had to be reduced to minimum. An impact is inevitable—a tank is not a bird, after all!—but this will make it glide.
A tanker executing this maneuver has a special approach. Drink almost nothing for 24 hours beforehand. Otherwise, the kidneys won't withstand the hydraulic shock, and blood vessels will burst. At the moment of the jump, drop the levers, bend the body sharply, and be prepared to protect your head with your arms in the event of a strong impact. Then they had to regain control of the controls and maneuver the vehicle onto the shore.
Because the banks of Blue Lake were gently sloping, the sappers had to construct an 8-meter embankment with a ramp, simulating a high bank from which the BT-7 tank would jump to overcome the water obstacle. To soften the impact, a 30-meter "mat" of pine needles, approximately 1.5 meters thick, was laid in the area where the tank would likely enter the water. According to calculations, the tank's acceleration path had to be at least 250 meters, which would ensure that the tank reached a speed of 72 km/h upon takeoff, with the calculated jump length being 37 meters. After the BT-7 tank, driven by E.A. Kulchitsky successfully crossed the Blue Lake. It was determined that the actual jump length was 5 meters longer than predicted, reaching 42 meters—a record unbroken to this day by any tank crew."
Apparently only the driver is in there, at least for the jump. The ramp was built by a corps of engineers (see the video). It's a test for ways to cross rivers - all the crew would get out and I guess cross on a rowboat or dinghy, and the driver would jump the tank across and then they'd join up on the other side
Back then they could only fly in one piece.
Today, Russia's tanks have a more advanced modular design, so the turret can take off on its own.
still not over WW2 are you germ?
The bang when it landed must have been legendary
yup. super cramped interior, metal shit to bash your skull everywhere, and if you're lucky, a leather helmet lol
Nah you just don't land. Rotate the turret and keep cranking rounds off to give it thrust. Fly forever, like in GTA
Potentially neck breaking. I don't think tanks are known for good suspension and comfort.
christie would probably not the like the potential damage to his suspension design
Anything is a plane if you can land it!
That probably didn't end well.
https://youtu.be/EC64uo6tmAI
They did tests jumping rivers and lakes as a way of crossing them.
Memoir of the driver: https://t34inform.ru/publication/p-pers-4.html
"A jump... Perhaps this is the most difficult of all tank aerobatics exercises. Only the most skilled and fearless driver can perform it. Just imagine: hurling a metal colossus weighing over ten tons down a steep bank into the water, and at a speed of fifty kilometers per hour, at that. But the point is not to hurl it, but to jump—that is, to swiftly fly tens of meters through the air, and then smoothly glide across the water's surface, keeping both yourself and the tank intact." To do this, a rather complex program must be precisely and quickly executed in a matter of seconds. Begin accelerating at maximum speed, shifting gears quickly and at maximum engine speed in each gear. Cover the last 20-30 meters at top speed, raising the tank's nose slightly just before the jump. As the tank lifted off the bank, the engine's load was relieved, the RPMs increased, and the tracks began spinning at breakneck speed. To avoid losing them in the air, the RPMs had to be reduced to minimum. An impact is inevitable—a tank is not a bird, after all!—but this will make it glide. A tanker executing this maneuver has a special approach. Drink almost nothing for 24 hours beforehand. Otherwise, the kidneys won't withstand the hydraulic shock, and blood vessels will burst. At the moment of the jump, drop the levers, bend the body sharply, and be prepared to protect your head with your arms in the event of a strong impact. Then they had to regain control of the controls and maneuver the vehicle onto the shore. Because the banks of Blue Lake were gently sloping, the sappers had to construct an 8-meter embankment with a ramp, simulating a high bank from which the BT-7 tank would jump to overcome the water obstacle. To soften the impact, a 30-meter "mat" of pine needles, approximately 1.5 meters thick, was laid in the area where the tank would likely enter the water. According to calculations, the tank's acceleration path had to be at least 250 meters, which would ensure that the tank reached a speed of 72 km/h upon takeoff, with the calculated jump length being 37 meters. After the BT-7 tank, driven by E.A. Kulchitsky successfully crossed the Blue Lake. It was determined that the actual jump length was 5 meters longer than predicted, reaching 42 meters—a record unbroken to this day by any tank crew."
This is a one man operation?
Apparently only the driver is in there, at least for the jump. The ramp was built by a corps of engineers (see the video). It's a test for ways to cross rivers - all the crew would get out and I guess cross on a rowboat or dinghy, and the driver would jump the tank across and then they'd join up on the other side
Fascinating. Thank you
That tank was extremely fast for, you know, a tank, and had a decent suspension, so it was probably fine. Can't say the same for the crew tho lol
Lol I was thinking of the crew lol.
Weird right? Lol
Idk who said tanks are slow, 50mph seems pretty fast to me. That coming at you would be terrifying
Roads? Where we're going, we don't need roads!
This is a still from the unreleased film set after the train escapades.
"Doc, where are you going?" .. " not where, when! 1945!"
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeee
"They're trying to fly that tank"
Funny you should mention that
A part of the cold war that has been hidden from the public!
Doo doo doo dee doo SAIL