Winged tank

The development of the "Winged Tank" by J. Walter Christie represents an innovative yet ultimately unsuccessful attempt to create a tank design with enhanced mobility. J. Walter Christie was an American engineer and inventor known for his unconventional ideas in the field of tank design during the early 20th century. His "Winged Tank" concept, while not widely adopted, contributed to the evolution of tank design principles.[1][2]

J. Walter Christie was a pioneer in designing tanks with a focus on mobility. He developed a unique suspension system using large road wheels and a coil spring mechanism, which allowed for better off-road performance compared to traditional tank designs of the time.

Christie's suspension system was notable for its influence on future tank designs, particularly the Soviet BT series of tanks, such as the BT-5 and BT-7. The BT tanks incorporated his suspension system, which significantly improved their speed and maneuverability.

One of Christie's more unusual designs was the "Winged Tank." This concept featured extendable tracks or "wings" that could be deployed to provide additional flotation and mobility when crossing water bodies, essentially turning the tank into a temporary amphibious vehicle. This idea aimed to overcome one of the challenges faced by early tanks – their limited ability to navigate water obstacles.

While the "Winged Tank" concept showcased Christie's innovative thinking, it didn't gain widespread acceptance in military circles. The concept faced practical challenges, including the complexity of the design, potential vulnerability of the extended tracks in combat situations, and the need for additional engineering and maintenance.

Despite the limited success of the "Winged Tank," J. Walter Christie's contributions to tank suspension design were significant. His work influenced subsequent tank developments, particularly in the Soviet Union. The Christie suspension, which allowed for a combination of speed, maneuverability, and off-road performance, became a key feature in several successful tank designs.

J. Walter Christie continued to work on various engineering projects, but his tank designs did not achieve widespread commercial or military success during his lifetime. Nevertheless, his ideas laid the groundwork for future innovations in tank technology.

In summary, the "Winged Tank" concept by J. Walter Christie represents a unique chapter in the history of tank development. While the specific concept did not become a standard feature in tank design, his innovations in suspension systems and mobility left a lasting impact on the evolution of armored vehicles, influencing the design of tanks produced by other nations.

TB-3 bomber carrying a T-27 tankette, 1935

Soviets flying tank

In 1930, the Grokhovskiy Special Design Bureau experimented with dropping "air buses" full of troops: the bicycle-wheeled G-45 onto land, and the amphibious "hydro bus" into water. When the hydro bus disintegrated on landing, the chief designer and his assistant were strapped into the G-45 for a test drop; they survived, but the project was cancelled.[3]

Later, the Soviets used heavy bombers to land on the battlefield carrying T-27 tankettes and T-37 tank light tanks, and experimented with air-dropping light tanks (both with and without parachutes). In 1941, airborne units were issued T-40 amphibious tanks.[4]

None of these were completely satisfactory, so in 1942 the Soviet Air Force ordered Oleg Antonov to design a glider for landing tanks. Antonov was more ambitious, and instead added a detachable cradle to a lightened T-60 light tank, bearing large wood and fabric biplane wings and twin tail. Although one semi-successful test flight was completed, due to the lack of sufficiently powerful aircraft to tow it at the required 160 km/h, the project was abandoned.

The Imperial Japanese Army's experimental Special No. 3 Flying Tank So-Ra or Ku-Ro, was developed in 1943. Like the Soviet models, it had detachable wings, but it could also be transported by heavy gliders, namely the Kokusai Ku-7 "Buzzard" and Kokusai Ku-8 I "Gander". These could be towed by aircraft such as the Mitsubishi Ki-21 "Sally" heavy bomber. However, the Japanese Flying Tank project was abandoned before it went into production. The tank transport gliders were deployed to the Philippines during 1944. Another prototype was Maeda Ku-6 Flying Tank, but it also did not advance to experimental phases.[5]

In 1941, L.E. Baynes produced a design for a 100 ft (30 m) wingspan "Carrier Wing Glider", a large tailless wing to carry a tank. A reduced scale experimental glider – the Baynes Bat – was tested.[6] It was satisfactory but the project was dropped and work on gliders that could carry vehicles internally was taken up. This led to the Airspeed Horsa and General Aircraft Hamilcar that could carry a Jeep and a light tank respectively.

The Soviet Union continued to develop methods to efficiently deploy airborne vehicles, but focusing on parachute deployment from large fixed-wing aircraft instead, in an effort to render their "winged infantry" fully mechanized as well. By the mid-1970s, they were able to drop BMD-1s with crew members aboard, using a combination of a parachute and retrorocket.