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The Porsche Typ 102 was a version of the Porsche Tiger that would have used hydraulic transmission in place of the electric drives used on the Typ 101.
The Typ 101 or Tiger (P) used a petrol-electric system. A pair of Porsche engines powered a pair of generators, which in turn powered two electric motors, one for each of the drive sprockets. All of these components were carried in the engine compartment at the rear of the tank.
The Typ 102 used the same hull, superstructure and Porsche engines as the Typ 101, but replaced the generators and electric motors with a Voith hydraulic transmission, a system that had been under development since 1932. Each engine drove a hydraulic drive. The output from these was combined in a collector shaft, which drove the hydraulic gearbox and steering system. The driver had pneumatic control levers. This system was expected to produce the same top speed of 35km/ hr as the electric drive.
The original plan was to build half of the first 100 Tiger (P)s as the hydraulic Typ 102. By 23 March this has been reduce to 'less than half', and by 8 May to 90 Typ 101s and 10 Typ 102s. The problem appears to have been a lack of working hydraulic drives.
Production of the Typ 102 did actually get underway. By 23 March 1942 Krupp had delivered 14 Typ 101 and 14 Typ 102 hulls, with two more Typ 102s to follow. As the requirement for the Typ 102 began to be reduced, the existing hulls were converted to electric drive. On 13 May Nibelungenwerk reported that they had converted seven, seven had been returned to Krupp for the work and only one Typ 102 remained in its original configuration.
On 17 February 1943 Dr Porsche reported that a single Tiger P1 with hydraulic drive was being completed at Nibelungenwerk, and this vehicle was probably completed and tested. Porsche didn't abandon the idea of using hydraulic drives, and suggested three different versions on his version of the Tiger II, the VK 4502 (P)/ Typ 180.
Stats
Production: 1 (at most)
Length: 9.54m (with gun)
Hull Length: 6.60m
Hull Width: 3.38m
Height: 2.9m
Crew: 5 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver, Radio Operator)
Weight: 57 tons
Engine: Two 310hp Porsche Typ 101/3 10-cylinder petrol engines
Max Speed: 35 km/ hr
Armament: One 8.8cm KwK36 L/56, two 7.92mm MG34s
Armour:
Armour
| Armour | Front |
Side |
Rear |
Top/ Bottom |
Turret |
100mm |
80mm |
80mm |
25,mm |
Superstructure |
100mm |
80mm |
|
20mm |
Hull |
100mm |
60mm |
80mm |
20mm |
Gun mantlet |
100mm |
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Professor Porsche’s Wars, Karl Ludvigsen.
A study of the military aspects of Fredinand Porsche’s career, spanning a wide range of activities from First World War artillery tractors to the vast Maus tank, and including his most successful military design, the Beetle based Kubelwagen. A well balanced account of a long and active career that actually produced a surprisingly small number of militarily significant products.(Read Full Review)
