ground forces Chi Ri Tray Autoloader

[TheAngryBadger93 18]

With this post i'd like to make a suggestion regarding the autoloader feature of the Type 5 Chi Ri medium tank. Specifically I want to propose the inclusion of a different autoloader system for the tank,

 

The  Suggestion

 

We all know that the Chi Ri was originally designed to have a belt-fed autoloading system and this is represented in war thunder. However, the japanese were working on other types of autoloader systems. From various digging on the internet you may be aware that the belt-fed autoloader system was eventually scrapped for Chi-Ri in favour of a different  auto-loader system. This source: http://ftr-wot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/chi-ri-imperial-japans-most-advanced.html states that the belt fed autoloader was replaced with a single-tray autoloading system. The source does not describe how the system works but does provide a picture of the tray-autoloader being tested on a type 5 75mm gun, i have attached the image for your observation. I would also like to note that this source states that the Chi Ri featured electric turret drive, a gyro stabiliser for the gun and a long range observation device, I am not including this in my suggestion as i have found no other source to back this up but I thought that i would mention it in case anyone else had more information to provide.

 

The second source I came across provides information on another loading mechanism similar to the tray-autoloader that was being developed for an experimental 10cm gun the Ho Ri tank destroyer: http://sensha-manual.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/type5-ho-ri-japanese-ferdinand.html The Source makes reference to the Type 5 75mm gun being tested with the loading system. This source explains that the 10cm gun was equipped with a mechanism whereby the loader would load a shell into a chamber and a mechanism would automatically load the shell into the breach. This gives us an indication as to how the single-tray autoloader system would work in the Chi Ri. This source also provides an interesting photograph of the 10cm gun with the loading mechanism, i have attached the photograph for your observation.

 

Reason for the Suggestion

 

The Chi Ri was arguably the most hotly anticipated japanese tank when they were first announced and this is due to the autoloader system. However, with the way the auto loader system works in war thunder I think many people are disappointed with the Chi Ri. In a 1 vs 1 situation the autoloader can be a huge advantage, the drawback is that you have to wait around 30 seconds until the next 3 shells are loaded. This puts you in a vulnerable situation and can be frustrating, especially when you were unable to get a kill or damage an enemy with the last 3 shots you just fired. People often compare the Chi Ris long reload with the KV-2, the difference is that the KV-2 has better armour, is at a lower BR and and does not have to worry about not being able to penetrate its opponents. The Chi Ri can face tanks like the T34/85 and the centurion Mk 1 which are difficult to fight in a head confrontation and with this autoloader system it is vital that every shot counts. The autoloader system + other drawbacks with the tank means that it requires a steep learning curve and requires players to make adjustments in their play styles to make it work properly which is a big turn off for a lot people. A lot of people consider the Chi-To Late to be a better tank despite it sitting at a lower BR. The single-tray autoloader would function in-game like a standard loading system albeit being faster and I think this may entice players back into playing the Chi Ri as they will not have to make the same changes or adjustments to get the most out of the tanks performance.

 

How its implemented

 

I have been thinking of how the tray auto-loader system could be implemented in war thunder. One option is to add another version of the Chi Ri into the main tech tree, perhaps in a folder with the current version. The second solution is that the belt-fed autoloader could be replaced completely with the new system. A third option I have thought about is to have the tray-autoloader as a re-searchable upgrade for the existing tank we have in the game. I will put up a poll for you to vote  how you would like to see this implemented.

 

Sources

http://ftr-wot.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/chi-ri-imperial-japans-most-advanced.html

http://sensha-manual.blogspot.co.uk/2016/11/type5-ho-ri-japanese-ferdinand.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SAUBER_KH7 3,326]

Open for Discussion.

[igeticsu 3,400]

I'd much rather see two Chi-Ri's than seeing the one we currently have getting replaced

[EpicM4Tank 59]

Since the Chi-Ri has such "trays" it would make sense for the loader to constantly be reloading each shell as the tank fires. If you were to empty all your shots in a 3 round burst, you would be stuck with a 10 second reload for each shell. This means you could fire a shell every 10 seconds, or you could wait 20-30 seconds to wait for your trays to be filled. That would add another dimension to decision making in the Chi-Ri, and make it more threatening to anyone on the receiving end.

 

Another thing to note is the tray loading Chi-Ri is the one in game as seen in it's X-ray:

(you can see the two trays off to the right of the cannon breech)

 

So it would seem appropriate to change the current version than to add another.

[TheAngryBadger93 18]

As stated in the suggestion, the new autoloading system is a 'single-tray' auto loader i.e meaning there is only 1 tray with a capacity for one shell, similar to the mechanism pictured on the 10cm experimental gun. The current autoloader having 3 shells means that it is not the autoloader that I am suggesting, also look at the first photograph, you can tell that it is not the system that is shown in the xray.  

[BakerOne 579]

The Chi Ri in this game is really outclassed because of its huge size and weak armor, making it a really easy target.

To compensate that it really should have a reload speed that is close to the Flak 88 we have, to make it a viable tank in this game.

[RadBaron 436]

I just came from playing the Chi-Ri II in a match, it now fires 2 shells , about 6 seconds to reload between each one , followed by a 15 second reset. Not good at all.

 

And I'm still confused as to how my loader being killed unloads the rounds in the breech (and with the older version of this tank, the 2 standby shells)

[Daddo2 328]

Well, there is actually one more option for the poll. As there is nothing that would obstruct the auto-loading mechanism that the in-game Chi-Ri already has to be refilled any time it's not full and the mechanism was meant to work this way anyway, the in-game version's reloading system should be reworked.

 

To put it simply, 3 is only the upper limit of shells you can have at any given time in gun breech and auto-loading mechanism combined. The loader should be able to start refilling the auto-loading mechanism as soon as the next round is loaded into the gun breech.

 

Similar system of reloading will be needed in game for the Soviet T-64A, Object 906 and IT-1, German RakettenJagdpanzer 2 HOT and KPz-70, US T114 and MBT-70 as well as French auto-loading tanks (Soon^TM, hopefully, coming to WT). The difference between all the other tanks and  the T114 (French auto-loaders are basically the same in this) is, that T114 needs to stop in order to reload its auto-loader from outside of the vehicle IRL (though T114 and French auto-loading tanks carry more rounds in the vehicle that are loadable at one time into the auto-loading mechanism, crew needs to exit the vehicle in order to reload it).

[Daddo2 328]

I'd say this belongs to "Implemented suggestions" now that the first-order ammo rack system has been introduced

[leroyonly 4,310]

As the Type 5 chi-Ri II has its tray autoloader working now,

 

Moved to Implemented Suggestions.