Armored snowmobile.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Oh, and last night they blew one up, one track landed a hundred meters away. The shock indicators on the "driver" indicated no more than 50 Gs shock, not enough to cause any serious injury.

http://www.ejectionsite.com/ejectfaq.htm#5 Old style ejector seats managed 22G's and now as low as 14G. I recall that 35G separates the retinas from the back of the eye.

"serious" injury.

50G
Head weighs 10lb
500lb stress on neck
Do the maths.

In an ejection seat all the forces are carefully directed as the direction the G is exerted is known. The main force is vertically down the spine with no twisting or tangential forces. In addition in an ejection the action is initiated by the ejector and they are braced for the shock. This would not be the case in a random attack on this vehicle.

The difference here is that the driver is strapped in and not being blasted into thin air.

Last thing I saw pilots are strapped into their seats as well and subjected to lower levels of G and in a planned manner. The pilot is also blasted into thin air, not around the inside of an armoured metal coffin.

The pilot was blasted into the air, the blast was to his butt. The driver is strapped into a five-point restraint. There is a major difference, as car-crash studies show.

[Deep Sea Isopod]

Why?

It'll protect you from Polar bear attacts.
You can snowmobile till your hearts content in your back garden, safe in the knowledge a the worlds largest land carnivore can't get you.

[CJ]

Last thing I saw pilots are strapped into their seats as well and subjected to lower levels of G and in a planned manner. The pilot is also blasted into thin air, not around the inside of an armoured metal coffin.

The pilot was blasted into the air, the blast was to his butt. The driver is strapped into a five-point restraint. There is a major difference, as car-crash studies show.

As a matter of interest what do the car crash studies show? A pilot also has a five point harness as well. Admittedly the forces in an ejection would not be ameliorated by the harness as the forces would be running parallel to the strap webbing not perpendicular to them so they wouldn't be much good.

However if the vehicle ran over a mine the forces would be roughly in the same direction as an ejection so the the five point harness would then be as redundant as in the ejection scenario. The driver would not be prepared for the impact and thus could have their head turned or neck bent. I would contend that in those circumstances the driver's neck would be broken.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Last thing I saw pilots are strapped into their seats as well and subjected to lower levels of G and in a planned manner. The pilot is also blasted into thin air, not around the inside of an armoured metal coffin.

The pilot was blasted into the air, the blast was to his butt. The driver is strapped into a five-point restraint. There is a major difference, as car-crash studies show.

As a matter of interest what do the car crash studies show? A pilot also has a five point harness as well. Admittedly the forces in an ejection would not be ameliorated by the harness as the forces would be running parallel to the strap webbing not perpendicular to them so they wouldn't be much good.

However if the vehicle ran over a mine the forces would be roughly in the same direction as an ejection so the the five point harness would then be as redundant as in the ejection scenario. The driver would not be prepared for the impact and thus could have their head turned or neck bent. I would contend that in those circumstances the driver's neck would be broken.

The data is at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, they do the test in the US you see in those slo-mo movies. One of the things they discovered is that "whiplash" probably doesn't exist.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

Last thing I saw pilots are strapped into their seats as well and subjected to lower levels of G and in a planned manner. The pilot is also blasted into thin air, not around the inside of an armoured metal coffin.

The pilot was blasted into the air, the blast was to his butt. The driver is strapped into a five-point restraint. There is a major difference, as car-crash studies show.

As a matter of interest what do the car crash studies show? A pilot also has a five point harness as well. Admittedly the forces in an ejection would not be ameliorated by the harness as the forces would be running parallel to the strap webbing not perpendicular to them so they wouldn't be much good.

However if the vehicle ran over a mine the forces would be roughly in the same direction as an ejection so the the five point harness would then be as redundant as in the ejection scenario. The driver would not be prepared for the impact and thus could have their head turned or neck bent. I would contend that in those circumstances the driver's neck would be broken.

The data is at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, they do the test in the US you see in those slo-mo movies. One of the things they discovered is that "whiplash" probably doesn't exist.

It does too!! I got whiplash in my G-spot just the other day!!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It does too!! I got whiplash in my G-spot just the other day!!

Whiplash, it turns out, is based on the head movement of a crash test dummy with a flexible "spinal column". The problem is there is not soft tissue there to act as a buffer/shock absorber. A very tough gentleman took over a hundred head-on collisions while being filmed to clarify this point.

[CJ]

Last thing I saw pilots are strapped into their seats as well and subjected to lower levels of G and in a planned manner. The pilot is also blasted into thin air, not around the inside of an armoured metal coffin.

The pilot was blasted into the air, the blast was to his butt. The driver is strapped into a five-point restraint. There is a major difference, as car-crash studies show.

As a matter of interest what do the car crash studies show? A pilot also has a five point harness as well. Admittedly the forces in an ejection would not be ameliorated by the harness as the forces would be running parallel to the strap webbing not perpendicular to them so they wouldn't be much good.

However if the vehicle ran over a mine the forces would be roughly in the same direction as an ejection so the the five point harness would then be as redundant as in the ejection scenario. The driver would not be prepared for the impact and thus could have their head turned or neck bent. I would contend that in those circumstances the driver's neck would be broken.

The data is at the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, they do the test in the US you see in those slo-mo movies. One of the things they discovered is that "whiplash" probably doesn't exist.

Well they must have renamed whiplash then because I've had it so I know muscular strains happen in car accidents F1 drivers train their neck muscles to continuously cope with G loading of 4 or 5 and poorly trained neck muscles are an absolute cert to take a driver out.

This Wiki article details the tolerance levels of the human body to different G forces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force There is a note that forces >50 are "Death or serious injury likely". However at what level of G would the driver be incapable of defending themselves after the event? I doubt we will know until the vehicle sees combat action.

I agree about the combined arms issue. It could add an extra layer of fire power. You'd know better than anybody if this vehicle correctly used would add to a unit's capabilities. But to me, an 'arm chair general' it smacks of toys for the boys.

[CJ]

It does too!! I got whiplash in my G-spot just the other day!!

Whiplash, it turns out, is based on the head movement of a crash test dummy with a flexible "spinal column". The problem is there is not soft tissue there to act as a buffer/shock absorber. A very tough gentleman took over a hundred head-on collisions while being filmed to clarify this point.

And he was expecting every collision! That is not the same as a relaxed neck experiencing the same forces. In that respect the crash test dummy is a better model as it has no buffers. I think a pig and Mythbusters are in order!

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Well they must have renamed whiplash then because I've had it so I know muscular strains happen in car accidents F1 drivers train their neck muscles to continuously cope with G loading of 4 or 5 and poorly trained neck muscles are an absolute cert to take a driver out.

The inquiry into the reality of whiplash came about when they studied the footage and notice that the dummies were contorting farther than any human could manage. One shot had the back of the skull hitting the spinal column. You can have neck strain after an accident, especially the next day, but "whiplash" was considered to be a long-term injury. Now we know that it usually clears up in two weeks if treated and 14 days if not treated.

This Wiki article details the tolerance levels of the human body to different G forces. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-force There is a note that forces >50 are "Death or serious injury likely". However at what level of G would the driver be incapable of defending themselves after the event? I doubt we will know until the vehicle sees combat action.

The parameters of the tests need to be looked at. You've seen the contests where they throw an egg off a building? The packaging matters. Same with this.

I agree about the combined arms issue. It could add an extra layer of fire power. You'd know better than anybody if this vehicle correctly used would add to a unit's capabilities. But to me, an 'arm chair general' it smacks of toys for the boys.

Only an idiot doesn't think combined arms, so I'm comfy with using this technology if it's deployed intelligently. (Insert "military intelligence" jokes here.)

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It does too!! I got whiplash in my G-spot just the other day!!

Whiplash, it turns out, is based on the head movement of a crash test dummy with a flexible "spinal column". The problem is there is not soft tissue there to act as a buffer/shock absorber. A very tough gentleman took over a hundred head-on collisions while being filmed to clarify this point.

And he was expecting every collision! That is not the same as a relaxed neck experiencing the same forces. In that respect the crash test dummy is a better model as it has no buffers. I think a pig and Mythbusters are in order!

So, bracing yourself is not possible? I don't think preparation makes any difference in a head-on. You're getting hit with a CAR.

[CJ]

It does too!! I got whiplash in my G-spot just the other day!!

Whiplash, it turns out, is based on the head movement of a crash test dummy with a flexible "spinal column". The problem is there is not soft tissue there to act as a buffer/shock absorber. A very tough gentleman took over a hundred head-on collisions while being filmed to clarify this point.

And he was expecting every collision! That is not the same as a relaxed neck experiencing the same forces. In that respect the crash test dummy is a better model as it has no buffers. I think a pig and Mythbusters are in order!

So, bracing yourself is not possible? I don't think preparation makes any difference in a head-on. You're getting hit with a CAR.

I don't think bracing oneself for an unexpected collision or impact is possible. I haven't see any research on the issue either. But imagine yourself on a fairground ride. If you didn't brace yourself then you would have more extensive head and neck movements. I also go back to the point of 50G x 10lb = 500lb. I contend that a 500lb force applied without notice in a random direction to a person's head would be highly likely to do serious damage to the neck of the individual. Imagine having a 500lb force being applied to the side of your head. Do you think that would be more or less than an unexpected roundhouse punch by a heavyweight boxer? Knock-out or not?

Regards whiplash it's a semantic argument then. Neck injuries do happen in car accidents caused by the overextension of muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues. They clear up untreated in about 14 days, fine. What were the G levels that these individuals experienced?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It does too!! I got whiplash in my G-spot just the other day!!

Whiplash, it turns out, is based on the head movement of a crash test dummy with a flexible "spinal column". The problem is there is not soft tissue there to act as a buffer/shock absorber. A very tough gentleman took over a hundred head-on collisions while being filmed to clarify this point.

And he was expecting every collision! That is not the same as a relaxed neck experiencing the same forces. In that respect the crash test dummy is a better model as it has no buffers. I think a pig and Mythbusters are in order!

So, bracing yourself is not possible? I don't think preparation makes any difference in a head-on. You're getting hit with a CAR.

I don't think bracing oneself for an unexpected collision or impact is possible. I haven't see any research on the issue either. But imagine yourself on a fairground ride. If you didn't brace yourself then you would have more extensive head and neck movements. I also go back to the point of 50G x 10lb = 500lb. I contend that a 500lb force applied without notice in a random direction to a person's head would be highly likely to do serious damage to the neck of the individual. Imagine having a 500lb force being applied to the side of your head. Do you think that would be more or less than an unexpected roundhouse punch by a heavyweight boxer? Knock-out or not?

Regards whiplash it's a semantic argument then. Neck injuries do happen in car accidents caused by the overextension of muscles, ligaments and other connective tissues. They clear up untreated in about 14 days, fine. What were the G levels that these individuals experienced?

So it didn't matter if he knew the impact was coming or not.

As for G-levels, I'd have to go to the IIHS site to get that data and that'll have to wait until next week.

[CJ]

Actually F1 cars do provide an example of very high speed impacts and the drivers are specifically provided with a HANS device to prevent neck injuries. I would not have thought the driver of the 1 man tank would have such a device. Would they have a helmet? If so add 3lb to the weight of the head and you get 50G x 13lb = 650lb instantaneously applied force.

[CJ]

So it didn't matter if he knew the impact was coming or not.

I think it does make a difference to the bodies ability to withstand stresses if they are expecting them or not, provided the strength of the musculature and skeleton is capable of making a difference.

As for G-levels, I'd have to go to the IIHS site to get that data and that'll have to wait until next week.

Or possible longer. If you think you're going to have the same amount of time to waste on the internet once Robin is standing behind you with a rolling pin you must be mad!

Good luck for tomorrow and every day after that!

Regards
Chris

[drl2]

Why?

Who cares? I want one.

(Air conditioned, and a with handy lawn mowing attachment so it looks like Darth Vader is grazing in my front yard.)