RE: Hills, Mountains, etc.

True. Tractors have a fairly high center of gravity (about 0.75m-1m off
the
ground). 

I do not know where the center of gravity on a tank is. With modern
tanks
(Abrams, Chalenger, etc.), I would expect it to be fairly low (just
above or
along the top edge of the tread prehaps). Wheeled vehicles (LAVs & such)
and
older tanks appear a little more top heavy. GEVs, I imagine, would
balance
at the top of the aircushion. Grav would be either balanced upon or
hanging
from the gravity engines. Walkers would have a fairly high center of
gravity
(duh!) and would have to constantly adjust to keep it over thier
legs/feet.

In all cases all you have to do is to get the center of gravity to a
point
where it is not over the supporting mechanism of the vehicle (past the
bottome of the tread in the case of a tank) to tip it over. 

A wide (1.5x as wide as tall*) tank may not tip over on the hills while
standing still, but going over the rocks, ruts, etc. at speed just add
inertia toward the tipping point. I know that _I_ would rather not be in
it
while it goes around the hillside.

But back to my question, has anyone modeled this before?

-----
Brian Bell
-----
* I realize that a tank is not a solid mass and that the engine (perhaps
the
heavist part of a tank) is in the body, so the 3:2 ratio may be
exagerated.

-----Original Message-----
From: KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de [mailto:KH.Ranitzsch@t-online.de]
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2002 12:20
To: gzg-l@csua.berkeley.edu
Subject: Re: Hills, Mountains, etc.

Bell, Brian K (Contractor) schrieb:
> When my grandfather took me out on the tractor, the first 
> thing he said was not to jump off. The second was to only 
> drive up or down the hills, not around them. 

I think tractors are especially prone to falling over because they are 
relatively narrow and high, with a high center of gravity. Most 
military vehicles won't fall over that easily. But it can still happen. 

Greetings