But if you air-drop a tank wouldn’t it be destroyed?

Question: But if you air-drop a tank wouldn't it be destroyed?
- Keywords:
  air-drop,
  aircraft,
  challenge,
  design,
  technology
Asked by minnie to Al on 16 Mar 2012.
- Al Bartlett answered on 16 Mar 2012:
  
  Hello Minnie,
  
  You would think so wouldn’t you? But we have a very special way of doing it. We attach very large parachutes to it so when it leaves the aircraft, it drops very gently to the ground. There have been many times during testing when tanks and trucks have been totally destroyed but this helps the engineers to understand what went wrong and make it better next time.
  
  Check out these video’s from youtube -the first shows an air-drop of a vehicle called a ‘Stryker’ – it a bit like a tank – it will show you how its done.
  
  The second video shows you what happens when it goes wrong!!
  
  1st video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQwJnVad5L4
  
  2nd video – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1izGSMKqskY
  
  Enjoy the video minnie.

Mike commented on 17 Mar 2012:

Wow Al, I’ve just wandered over here from the measurement zone – that’s amaaazing!

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Al commented on 19 Mar 2012:

Hi Mike,

Im really lucky in the job I do – Its not often you get to see things like this!

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Question: But if you air-drop a tank wouldn't it be destroyed?