The Machai future MBT is at a point where I’m calling it finished. It’s going on a base which is yet to be done so it will need weathering into whatever the base ends up looking like.
This whole project started when I was looking at a Challenger 2 kit I’d had for some time and hadn’t felt enthusiastic about building. So I decided to build a future replacement to the Challenger 2, something that might become operational in the 2040’s.
I was inspired by current tanks like the Russian T14 Armata and Singapore’s Leopard 2 SG and then added my own spin on it.
So first of all the name, The Machai were spirits of fighting and combat in Greek mythology which I thought was a good fit.
The three man crew sit in the forward hull in an armoured capsule, with the commander on the left the gunner in the centre and the driver on the right. The turret is unmanned with 130mm main gun and coaxial .50cal machine gun. There is also a remote weapons station with 7.62 and .50cal machine guns. The turret also has hard kill countermeasures plus antenna and sensor array.
Power comes via a hybrid electrical system combining a (ICE) internal combustion engine and electric propulsion system. Using a Power Split Hybrid system meaning that the tank can be driven by the ICE, electric motor or both. The ICE can act as a generator for the electric motor or to charge the batteries. Regenerative breaking is also employed. Finally there is the solar panel. Critical systems would not be reliant on this but under suitable conditions this would supplement the electrical systems. Although fragile it is covered with a toughened protective cover and is easily replaceable.
