Thank you very much.
Well, the Panther have trouble specially in teh "D" variant as we will found later, but once cleaned up in later models it become a fearsome combat vehicle, expensive and more complicated than the allied designs that is sure, but that is hardly a new....Isnt a Mercedes more costly than a Chevrolet or a Lada ?
Engine and automotive.
The ausf D was powered by the Maybach Hl 230, 12 cilinders in V at 65º liquid coooled petrol feed engine.
Displacement was 23,3 liters and the compresion ratio 7 to 1. The indicated fuel was in the order of 75-80 octanes. The maximum power was 700 hp at 3000 rpm. With this figure the Panther was capable to reach 56 km/h in paved road. However to reduce the strain in the final drive ( always a touchy component of the Pz V) the recomended maximum rpm were 2500, in the final gear that allowed 46 km/h, not bad at all for a 43 tons tank.
The gearbox was a semiautomatic Zahndradfrabrik (ZF) AK-7-200 with seven gears forward and two reverse. The driver had the tipical steering levers to operated the tank.
Torsion bars were the choice for the suspension, it wasnt the first time this system was used in a german tank, but the ones applied to the Panther were the larger and most efficient. Its long travel swinging arms provide a very confortable ride and increase speed over bad terrain.
Its had is disadvantages however, the first and more obvious is the costly manufacturing, other was the increased height of the vehicle to 2,85 meters.
very tiring work...to change the internal interleaved wheel, this was necessary when the rubber worn out, it was need to remove first the external wheels, use the manual jack as in the picture and later remove it by means of special extrators. It take time.
And changing the battle tracks, not so difficult but still a healty job for 3 men.
Ground pressure ( with tracks sunk 10 cm) was merely 0,88 km/square centimeter, an excellent figure for such a heavy vehicle.