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Due to the fact that my first P.O.S. tank is almost complete I have begun to design another tank. Actually plans for an Armored Division. I am currently designing two vehicles: A Main battle tank that is 8 feet by 5 feet and an infantry fighting vehicle which will be 4 feet longer. (an extension for an infantry compartment) These designs are currently in the planning phase and I think i will make a scale model first. I would like to use a bike chain and pedal system to move the back two wheels and a basic steering system for the front. There will be a turret 3 feet in diameter on both models. The MBT will have a crew of 4: A main gunner who operates the main battery, the commander who operates the secondary armament and pedals, the engineer who helps load the main battery and pedals, and a driver who steers and brakes. The IFV will have the same crew. I will be building the frame with 2 by 2s, side amour made of 3/8" plywood and the bottom will be made of 1/2" plywood. The turret will be made of a plastic drum like on my last tank.

Now I have Question about the armament. I would like both models to have the same weaponry but that could change. I was thinking a Super Cannon II as the main battery and a cap system like the one shown on the Uber Soaker and SuperCap with two hoses connected to valves for the enginner and commander to fire. The main gun would be retractable inside the turret for filling and I would add a simple wire to the torque handle for a firing system.

WBL's are too inaccurate and their range is unnecessary for me. If you have a different opinion please post. I would appreciate any suggestions.
http://uploading.com/files/L03AI72M/demsketch.pub.html

Considering that most people don't use/have publisher, you should upload a jpg or something to show the design.

WBL's are actually pretty accurate to a distance. Their size and weight prevents them from being affected by wind, unlike stream shots which succumb to the wind very easily. They also will hit targets much more quickly.

There's a choice to make though. You can design weapons for any purpose, including the ability to dismount the weapons and use them on the ground, or you can design them specifically for the tank itself. Perhaps a compromise can be reached, dividing the parts up but still leaving them operatable, and such a design would not need to retract into the tank to refill. (because the place you refill is already inside) I'd suggest 2 large water tank compartments. One as a plain old reservoir for general usage, so others can refill from it as well. The other would be a large pressurized source for the gun(s). Perhaps you could create a large pressurized reservoir gun with foot pumps that the gunner operates to maintain pressure. That pump can also be replaced with an air compressor or some form of HPA and a regulator. Such a system may be a bit less powerful than a SuperCannon II, but you won't run out of water so soon. The SCII is pretty much a 1 shot deal. You'll get maybe 10 seconds of shot time and that's it. If you use HPA for that, you'll waste a ton of air unless it's reserved for a WBL system.

Which brings to another idea. A WBL and gun hybrid that relies on the same pressure system. Extra air from the pressurized water tank can be used to launch balloons. However, this leaves the whole tank vulnerable as the gunner struggles to pump up enough pressure to operate even the gun.

For your current tank, you may want to stick to simpler weaponry, like a CPH (good range, easy to pump up) and maybe even a piston gun as a last resort defensive weapon. For larger tanks, you'll be able to have a crew to operate the weaponry. With the current tank, you could also design the weaponry so that the driver can help operate it but it won't be easy.

As C-A_99 noted, many people may not be able to view the Publisher file. You can definitely export your sketch as a JPG file from Publisher. As well, you don't need to use separate hosting; you can attached small files onto posts in this forum.

That said, sketch is interesting, but not fully informative, being what I believe is only a top-down projection of your tank concept. How useful the tank will be really depends on its final overall size, weight, maneuverability, visibility (i.e. how easy it is to see from within) and ability to be used to fire from while offering good protection to its occupants. Of course, choice of what sort of weaponry it'll possess is also important, too.

Having had already experience with your initial design, be sure to draw upon that design's strengths while minimizing or avoiding weaknesses discovered after its use.

Of course, keep us posted of your developments, too!

I am leaving for a week but I will be desining it when im gone. I dont know how much I will check in.