VK 4502 (P)

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VK 45.02 (P)
General properties
crew 5 (commander, gunner, loader, driver, radio operator)
length 10.71 m (pipe ahead)
width 3.32 m
height 2.95 m
Dimensions 57 t
Armor and armament
Armor 70-120 mm
Main armament 8.8 cm KwK 43 L / 71
Secondary armament 2 x 7.92mm MG 34
agility
drive 2 × Porsche type 101/3
500 kW (670 PS)
suspension Torsion bar
Top speed 38 km / h
Power / weight

The VK 45.02 (P) was the official name for an unsuccessful heavy tank project that Porsche produced in National Socialist Germany during World War II .

The development of this vehicle began in April 1942. The Friedrich Krupp AG company received the order to build towers. However, the prototype of the fuselage was never made. The towers were mounted on the first Panzerkampfwagen VI Tiger II . After the VK 4501 (P) could not win the contract for series production, Ferdinand Porsche looked for ways to improve the design for future versions. Taking into account the latest Allied armor designs, however, it became apparent that simply reinforcing the armor of the VK 4501 (P) would not be enough to survive on the battlefield. It was particularly important to optimize mobility in the field. What originally began as a single vehicle with the title "Type 180" developed into a series of five different vehicles for which two tub configurations had to be developed: the rear with its turret on the back and the front with its turret on the front. Both an electric and a hydraulic drive system and four different engine models. The overall project became known as VK 45.02 (P).

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