Why a smoke/fog generator? The finder says it could be a water cannon for “burning oil wells”, but it may as well be a flamethrower. Whatever it is, it looks very menacing. Any idea of what this thing really is? If you have any clue, tell us in the comments. [DRB]
stevjosco
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:23 PMI know why you’re so perplexed, you’re looking at the rear view. That’s not a cannon muzzle, it’s the jet exhaust of the world’s fastest tank :D
Dylan
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:39 PMIt is essentially a tank with a turret mounted jet engine used for burning people/things very quickly.
Here is another example: http://inlinethumb56.webshots.com/38839/2342339440103673033S600x600Q85.jpg
Mikee
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:41 PMAmy Winehouse’s unused hair dryer?? …Boom!…
Mr. Sanchez
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 5:20 PMPeople there is no mystery here, it is a tank fitted with a jet engine used to dry runways or clear them of debris so it doesn’t get sucked into a supersonic spy planes engine….
Griever
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:43 PMFound a site that’s hosting the same image.
Looks like a Russian site.
http://www.dirty.ru/comments/246045
The image above has cut off the watermark in the bottom-right, which is krasmana.org. I suggest that the image and information about the tank originates from there?
Craig
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:56 PMUsing TinEye on FireFox I found a matching picture on this site http://everyravlik.blogspot.com/2009_01_01_archive.html that lists it as the Gasdynamic trawler “Progvev-T”. Knowing that name allowed me to find this site http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/postwar/26602-big-scary-tank.html where someone explains it is for clearing mines.
chazs123
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 3:58 PMI believe it is from the planet Arrakis.
A Siege Tank if I am not mistaken.
BagleyJones
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:39 PMThe Russians control the spice, the spice creates colonies.
chazs123
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 5:20 PMNice!
ozdavo
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:07 PMCould be a an earlier design of the Tanks that had twin mig jet engines attached (replacing the turret) that were used to extinguish oil well fires in Kuwait http://misterian.com/2009/08/jet-engine-used-to-extinguish-kuwait-oil-fires/
RB
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:19 PMhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T-54/T-55_Operators_and_variants#Firefighting
The second one? No pics unfortunately :(
RB
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:25 PMLooks like some variant of this: http://api.ning.com/files/ewyH02On9X3c4RguwomyJD2cwbtGwPTw7illRyfPdD95sJzdi8CPa7NijFnpCvt6xEdfiN*NPtyrvR7QxFB-aUP–ebUBslj/RM09319.JPG
RB
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:33 PMhttp://gizmodo.com/215604/jet+powered-fire-extinguisher-douses-fires-in-seconds/
Looks like there’s a community of T-55 ‘modders’ out there :P
Jake Katrakis-Larkin
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:28 PMWow, that thing looks awesome… Maybe Apple’s new Magical Product?
Seriously though when was this picture taken? It looks very Sci-Fi.
dude
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:38 PMIf it was to generate a sonic boom out of that turret, it would be widespread but on a flat level.. plus the sound bouncing off the opposite wall at the end of the turret but travelling out slightly in the other direction could be redirected forwards to create a narrower beam by the stick on hydraulics above it when extended.
I would agree with it being a smoke/fog generator since those two control methods of dispersion would also work for that, though not as effectively.. but a smoke generator does not require a large cylindrical object which needs to be perfectly in line with the barrel, does it?
On the documentary “Secret Weapons of WWII”, the Nazis developed a Sonic Boom Cannon to use against the Soviets, but though incredibly damaging, it was in-effective in battle due to it’s short range of about 40 feet and inability to aim.
Conspiracies aside, that dangley bit could also be an ignition mechanism, though the specification of it’s specific stylised shape would be rather pointless and doesn’t fit the style of a machine which is clearly designed purely for functionality than cosmetics.
And while I’m here, I know what people are like with strange pictures so if anyone thinks the picture is fake, I can personally vouch for it, as an expert in such things, that due to probability, it is not.
It could be faked, don’t get me wrong, but the stylisation of it and the way it’s created, if made in 3D (the way it would easiest be done), would be by someone qualified to work for Pixar or Dr. D, and for a prank, would be too much time off the hands of such an individual who barely has time to spend with his/her family.
Creating the top half of the model on it’s own would likely serve no purpose, and the bottom half shows even more diversity which would take a great amount of time and skill to recreate.
Basically, if you don’t see this tank driving around in a movie in the next 3 years, that picture is real. I certainly look forward to hearing other’s opinions on the matter.. and I get the first post. Does anyone else have these links on their Google Homepage? Lol =P
Greg Randolph
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:47 PMLooks like the rear end of an aircraft engine. Could it be mounted on the tank chassis to blast out huge quantities of hot air? Don’t they have enough politicians?
Gareth Redshaw
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 4:52 PMKane’s solution to the mammoth tank.
rhys
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:24 PMis it a failed attempt at sonic boom cannon, from the size and the way it is designed it was probably a failed attempt at a leaf blower!
MrTaco
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 6:44 PMLooks to me like some kind of gigantic can-opener. It’s got the big hooky thingie for levering the metal open, and that big syringe-like part for piercing and draining.
Spotty
Wednesday, July 28, 2010 at 9:31 PMWell,,,, it gets really really cold in Siberia….lots of snow and ice Perhaps this is a secret prototype of the Soviet armoured snow plough! No point having lots of tanks stuck in the snow. ;-)
Cheers
BJM
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 12:13 AMIt’s an experimental minefield clearing vehicle, a Progvev-T. The heat from jet exhaust was used to heat up and explode mines.
Ollie
Thursday, July 29, 2010 at 10:35 AMClearing runways I’m afraid, there’s a couple of threads on EnglishRussia about these beasties.
Osiris
Friday, July 30, 2010 at 12:53 PMThis is the right answer, I’ve seen an article about this tank (and other tanks) before, and it is for clearing ice and snow from runways in a hurry (it is a “jet” engine if you could call it that). Yes, it is Russian too.