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Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

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Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#101

Post by tsomctl »

johan_larson wrote: post #85
killjoywashere wrote: post #82

As a military officer, I pray these never make it past Test and Evaluation. They took essentially one part and turned it into 1000 parts. Anyone who has seen what 20 year old Marines do with these machines, let alone what happens in war, will appreciate that this is a fantastically horrible idea in a war zone. I need high reliability, not high zoot. Let NASA have high zoot.

Bring back the original Jeeps?

Some militaries use 70 series Land Cruisers, which are basically a direct descendant of the original jeep.

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#102

Post by killjoywashere »

cwyers wrote: post #92
killjoywashere wrote: post #82

As a military officer, I pray these never make it past Test and Evaluation. They took essentially one part and turned it into 1000 parts. Anyone who has seen what 20 year old Marines do with these machines, let alone what happens in war, will appreciate that this is a fantastically horrible idea in a war zone. I need high reliability, not high zoot. Let NASA have high zoot.

I've seen 20-year-old Marines maintain EA-6B Prowlers, I'm sure they can figure out DARPA's fancy new wheels.

Nothing against 20-year-old Marines. I was 20 once too and recall some choice decisions I made, friends made, others made. It's not their ability I'm worried about. It's their judgement.

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#103

Post by mulmen »

tsomctl wrote: post #101
johan_larson wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bring back the original Jeeps?

Some militaries use 70 series Land Cruisers, which are basically a direct descendant of the original jeep.

I’ve never heard this. What is the connection between the Willys Jeep and the Land Cruiser? Superficially they look similar but do they have any actual mechanical or design connections?

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#104

Post by RangerScience »

killjoywashere wrote: post #82

As a military officer, I pray these never make it past Test and Evaluation. They took essentially one part and turned it into 1000 parts. Anyone who has seen what 20 year old Marines do with these machines, let alone what happens in war, will appreciate that this is a fantastically horrible idea in a war zone. I need high reliability, not high zoot. Let NASA have high zoot.

I have never heard this use of the word "zoot" and would like know more.

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#106

Post by ygra »

godelmachine wrote: post #99
haloux wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20 year olds vary. As a 20 year old in the military, I was elbows deep in the B-61 Mod 10 replacing radioisotopic thermoelectric generators. Concession: id be damned if I told you that we didn’t goose the new guy bending over the explosives from time to time.

I Googled for "B-61 Mod 10 replacing radioisotopic thermoelectric generators" and I got this → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B61_nuclear_bomb and upon further searching, this → https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoelectric_generator I need to ask if thermoelectric generator was a part of the B61 nuclear bomb? Please explain.

If so, I guess it'd be a valid way of ensuring the warhead still has power after a decade or two.

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#107

Post by ygra »

mulmen wrote: post #103
tsomctl wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some militaries use 70 series Land Cruisers, which are basically a direct descendant of the original jeep.

I’ve never heard this. What is the connection between the Willys Jeep and the Land Cruiser? Superficially they look similar but do they have any actual mechanical or design connections?

James May had a part about this in his six-episode Top Gear spin-off James May's Cars of the People. Episodes can be found online.

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#109

Post by dotancohen »

mulmen wrote: post #103
tsomctl wrote: post #101

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some militaries use 70 series Land Cruisers, which are basically a direct descendant of the original jeep.

I’ve never heard this. What is the connection between the Willys Jeep and the Land Cruiser? Superficially they look similar but do they have any actual mechanical or design connections?

There is not direct lineage.

In WW2 the Japanese sent a captured American Jeep to Toyota for them to copy. This was the Toyota J. The J was redesigned into the 40. The 40 was redesigned into the 70.

Other than the overall 4WD front engine body-on-frame design, I do not believe that there are any carryover components nor unique design features of the Willeys in the 70.

Re: Darpa Literally Reinvented the Wheel for Army Combat Vehicles

#110

Post by donquichotte »

killjoywashere wrote: post #82

As a military officer, I pray these never make it past Test and Evaluation. They took essentially one part and turned it into 1000 parts. Anyone who has seen what 20 year old Marines do with these machines, let alone what happens in war, will appreciate that this is a fantastically horrible idea in a war zone. I need high reliability, not high zoot. Let NASA have high zoot.

As a guy who rode a motorcycle from Central Europe through Central Asia to Mongolia, the last part largely off-road, I wholeheartedly agree.

Simplicity is key. As a traveler, if your "wheel 4.0" has a software bug or breaks down in the middle of the desert, it is inconvenient enough.

I can only imagine the consequences this would have in a war scenario.

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