+GKABS 8,788 Posted March 5, 2022 (edited) The content of the side armour ERA attached to the side skirts of Russian T-72B3 and T-80BVMs, it truly look like egg cartons. But to my surprise I didn't see any sand inside of them in the Ukrainian Russian war. I maybe mistaken, but I wondered if these side ERA are helping without the sand? If I model any one of these tanks I will add the side ERA. Edited March 5, 2022 by GKABS 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Gepard 11,303 Posted March 5, 2022 It helps without the sand, but not very much. It is not an ERA. An ERA has explosives inside. It is a simple spaced armour, which is intended to ignite the fuse of a shaped charge warhead befor he can reach the basic armour. If it is filled with sand the build up of the Hohlladungsstachel (sorry i miss the english term, perhaps shaped charge beam or stinger or so) is hampered. If it is made correct you will get not one big Hohlladungsstachel, but a lot of smaler ones, which are less powerfull. To say some numbers: In the T-72 turret you will find a inlet of melted sand (Sandstäbe) wich is 13 cm thick. This inlet is as good as 40 cm steel. Today is this outdated, but in the 1970th it was good. 2 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+GKABS 8,788 Posted March 5, 2022 Hi Gepard, thank you for correcting me. it's in front of the side armour of the tank. no ERA. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+guuruu 5,909 Posted March 5, 2022 Well, my friend .. you can always buy one from Ukrainian forces and examine it ;-} It's cheap ... Forgive me my irony, but I really can't stay calm when I see my Ukrainian brothers crying ... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+GKABS 8,788 Posted March 5, 2022 18 minutes ago, guuruu said: Well, my friend .. you can always buy one from Ukrainian forces and examine it ;-} It's cheap Yes indeed ;) 7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
macelena 1,070 Posted March 5, 2022 1 hour ago, GKABS said: Yes indeed ;) I reckon you guys have a thing or two to say about invasions by dictators getting too full of themselves 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KJakker 901 Posted March 6, 2022 Here is a chart I have of armor arrays for Soviet/Russian tanks. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wrench 9,848 Posted March 6, 2022 Quote Hohlladungsstachel Maybe "plasma jet"??? since the shaped charge warhead refelects from conical disc, and creates that jet of molten/plasma material. 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+guuruu 5,909 Posted March 6, 2022 5 hours ago, macelena said: I reckon you guys have a thing or two to say about invasions by dictators getting too full of themselves Believe me or not, but I'm really trying to don't show how angry I am ... 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
macelena 1,070 Posted March 6, 2022 4 hours ago, guuruu said: Believe me or not, but I'm really trying to don't show how angry I am ... I do believe you man. I've been frustrated and pissed off at the whole thing since the invasion started. Just like with the Syrian Civil War or when Daesh steamrolled Iraq, or Libya when they started the air strikes on cities. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+GKABS 8,788 Posted March 6, 2022 4 hours ago, guuruu said: Believe me or not, but I'm really trying to don't show how angry I am .. I hear you, same with me. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+Gepard 11,303 Posted March 6, 2022 Yes its terrible what happen in the Ukraine. But to be honest, i had expected that the Russians will act in this way from day one of invasion. So it was a big surprise for me, that in the first days ukrainian civilists were able to stop russian columns by simply standing in groups on the road. This was completly contrary to the soviet and the russian doctrine. I have learned in the bad old days, which seems now become to the good old days, that commanders were not allowed to push armoured troops into hostile villages of towns. They had to stop and wait till the artillery would had done the job. So the soviets had done it in Afghanistan. So they have done it in Checheniya. So they have done it in Syria. So they had planed to fight in Europe. I remember a day in mid 1989 when i was a member of a deligation who visited a soviet helicopter base. The soviet pilots proudly showed us the ODAB-500 bombs. Fuel aerosol weapons. They said: "Before the ground troops attacked a Kishlak (afghan village) we dropped one of these. One was enough to flatten a Kishlak and it is also enough for a west german village! The nuke of the small man!" What i want to say is: We have not yet seen the top escalation of russian military strikes. I fear it will become worse. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+CrazyhorseB34 937 Posted March 6, 2022 (edited) Each of those bags contains an array of 4S24 ERA panels. That plastic egg crate is what holds the plates at the proper angle. They are not filled with sand. https://thesovietarmourblog.blogspot.com/2017/12/t-72-part-2.html#4s24 Edited March 6, 2022 by CrazyhorseB34 wrong panel name 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+GKABS 8,788 Posted March 6, 2022 (edited) Quote ERA I have I have bread the same website and that's where I got the information that they are ERA. so @CrazyhorseB34 are they or are they not ERA? I know @Gepard say It is not an ERA. An ERA has explosives inside. Edited March 6, 2022 by GKABS Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
+CrazyhorseB34 937 Posted March 6, 2022 The bags have 4S24 ERA panels in them. So, yes those bags are soft ERA. Gepard is incorrect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites