Can you create a tank, AFV, IFV etc. from aluminium or is this just a stupid idea that would kill everyone inside?
An aluminum tank hmmm? Great idea - for the enemy. Have you ever seen aluminum burn when it gets really hot Like if it is hit by a cannon shell or a grenade. Heavy enough high grade aluminum 6016 or so, could stop rifle shots but that's about hit.
Most military vehicles these days are made out of a super high grade strength linoleum. That way, if they're ever needed to be lifted out by a helicopter or some other flying vehicle, they're light enough. And it also is easier to repair damage and clean off blood stains as compared to other types of metal.
Sure. The Vickers Mk 7 export tank had a turret of aluminum with composite armor layered over and mounted on a Leopard II hull. The M113 armored personel carrier, the most produced armored vehicle since WWII was made from aluminum as have been many other light armored vehicles. The protection these vehicles provide is limited to small arms fire however. Aluminum can't keep out large caliber projectiles and spalls badly against HEAT ammunition.
Armored Personnel carriers are made of Aluminium and pretty hard. I saw an APC, the old M113A2, take a 7.62 round (by accident) at point blanck range and it just nicked it up a bit. it wouldn't take a shaped charge or a Sabot round though. Aluminum does have one advantage of steel with respect to Sabot rounds, if the hatches are open on an APC, the Sabot round will just go in and out without causing a whole lot of damage, unless of course it struck a combustable or the engine, or a crewman. The old M551 was made of Aluminum and styrofoam, it could float nicely and could be dropped by parachute. It was a cool little tank, unfortunately, it only held 14 maingun rounds. It was a tiny tank with a huge gun. Also too, you could create a tank out of aluminum, and then use bolt on or applique steel armor and also you could bolt on Explosive Reactive Armor, to stop the effects of a shaped charge type round. The design of a tank is important too. If you plan on a defensive strategy, you want a tall tank that is slope a lot in front so it can easily hide behind cover and burms and only show a small portion to the enemy and so, use the earth as armor. If your over all strategy is offensive, you want a squat tank that is small and difficult to hit at long range. The old M60 tank and the T-55 are good examples of a defensive tank and an offensive design.
