[Necro99]

I call it the T-57. It is my favorite tank.
See why.

OBJECT 279 TROYANOV SUPERHEAVY TANK

Img courtesty of RussianBattlefield.ru

In 1957, a group headed by engineer L.S.Troyanov, developed a prototype of a new heavy tank, named "Object 279".
Notable is the four-band design (two pairs) to lower the ground pressure of this heavy vehicle, probably the only one of its kind in the history of combat tanks. It had great tractability in snowy and swampy terrain. The hull was covered by a thin elliptical shield protecting it against HEAT ammunition and preventing it from overturning by the shock wave of a nuclear explosion.

The thickness of the glacis plate was 269 mm, and the thickness of the turret was 305 mm. The tank was armed with a 130 mm M-65 gun and a coaxial 14.5 mm KPVT machine-gun. The ammunition carried for the main gun was 24 shells. The Engine was a 16-cylinder diesel DG-1000 (950 hp) or 2DG-8M (1000 hp). The tank's crew consisted of four men.

Notable is the four-band design (two pairs) to lower the ground pressure of this heavy vehicle, probably the only one of its kind in the history of combat tanks. It had great tractability in snowy and swampy terrain.
The project was abandoned in the late 1957.

The only sample of this unlikely vehicle is today (2002) exhibited at the Kubinka Armour Museum 50 km outside Moscow.At the end of 1957, a single tank had been built, but after that the project was abandoned. The "Object 279" is now displayed at Kubinka.

Weight: 60? tons <--!!!
Length: c. 7/11 m
Width: c. 4 m
Armour: 266-305 mm <-!!!
Gun: 130 mm <--!!!
Shells stored: 24
Machine-gun: 14,5 mm <--!!
Engine: 16/960 hps
alt.: 2DG-8M (1000 hps)
Speed: ? Km/h
Crew: 4

Pics from http://members.aol.com/kubinka/kubinmus.htm

[Siberian Fox]

If ever a vehicle screamed Soviet, that one does.

[Krasniy Yastreb]

Hee hee hee!

I gotta get me one of those!!!

[Adrien]

It would be useful in traffic jams but difficult to park.

[Necro99]

When you have that, anything is a parking lot.

[Adrien]

Hehe, you're right comrade!

[The Sword and Shield]

Thats what I call an SUV!

[Comrade Serb]

Well, what for me , superheavytank as well as battleship or bomber is USELESS!!! In WW2 nazi build tank MAUS , which was:
5,5 m width and 6 m height calibre 155 mm , armor up to 230 mm , wegth 180 tonns ! But anyway it is expensive to produce it and it is slow, clumsy and can't drive over the bridge. Medium tank is optional!

[Necro99]

It had a 128mm cannon and 200mm armor.
This has a 130mm cannon and 380mm armor.

[Comrade Serb]

No, the calibre was 155 mm ! I'll check my information.
Source is "Wonder-weapons of the III Reich"

[Necro99]

Wrong.
http://www.achtungpanzer.com/pz7.htm
http://www.panzerworld.net/Maus.htm
http://users.swing.be/tanks.tanks/complet/532.html

They ALL state it has a 12.8cm cannon. I looked further and they all stated it had a 12.8cm. 12.8cm was the caliber of many "Wonder Tanks" such as the tank destroyer based on the Konitztiger and a improved version of the Jadgpanther.
From Atchungpanzer: 128mm KwK 44 L/55 & 75mm KwK 44 L/36.5


None can beat my militry 5k1llz!!!

[Seto]

Go with what ever has the most armor, largest weapon, and resonably weighted. The Object 279 ONLY weighs 60 tons ard has a 1000hps engine, so it must be fast (for something of that size) .

[Adrien]

I hadn't noticed that it had two double-caterpillars. That must help!

Anyway, beware of the urban consumption...

[Kov]

The Russians and SOviets have always developed stong scientific type vehicles for as long as I can remember.

Funding is usualy cut after a prototype or actual working model is releced. Personally, I think the Russians and Soviets just developed massively ahead of their time technology and then "store it", waiting for their economy to catch up and tank production to begin.

[ahab]

60 tons?! I thought it weighed more than that...

the IS-3/T-10 really appeal to me, expecially when they've been described as "able to blow holes through any of it's contemporaries"

I'm just waiting for someone to develop another heavy tank, things have not deviated from the medium tank for a while

[Siberian Fox]

Heavy tanks are very much European fighting vehicles (by which I mean vehicles intended to fight in Europe). Distances are small, population centres are dense, supplies are abundent, capital is everywhere. Just from an economic point of view it makes sense to purchase such specific high cost vehicles in such a high value environment - there is plenty worth defending. Heavy tanks are just breakthough and defensive vehicles, but with and end to war in Europe (Balklands aside) the end of of a requirement for a heavy tank has come with it.

The only other place I can think of where heavy tanks would be useful right now is the Korean Peninsular. But in itself it is probably too small a region to warrant new development.