It seems to me that even when it is just cruising along the noise must be deafening to the crew. And once the crew starts firing the guns it must be loud enough to rupture eardrums. Do they wear earplugs? Do they just go deaf? Or am I missisng something?
It’s exceptionally loud. They have headsets on to deafen the noise and communicate with each other/other tanks in their squad/command.
Say what?
The main gun isn’t actually that loud inside the tank – there isn’t any gas released from the shell inside the tank, and a foot of DU and steel and whatever else makes decent insulation from outside noises.
Driving, it’s probably about like a normal passenger jet, but yes, they have headsets. The Abrams is more quiet than a Leopard because of the turbine, but it has an annoying whine to it that seems to annoy people more.
My experience is with an M113, not tanks; however the answer is most definitely LOUD. The US Army uses these to reduce ambient noise and provide intercom communications for the crew and radio communications with the outside world. While wearing the CVC headset the noise is mostly a dull rumbling in the 113, and you can speak at a normal voice and be heard clearly on the radio.
Is this even on? I can’t hear a thing!
From all accounts inside a WW1 tank was horrific. You may need to define which tank/ period.
Deafening sound and carbon monoxide poisoning and bullets flaking off red hot metal from the interior of the tank.
What he said. The main gun firing is kind of like the special sound effect that they sometimes use in movies during a really loud explosion, where the sound goes totally silent for a heartbeat, before the really big bang.
Only with the main gun, the muzzle blast is deadened consideraby by the thick frontal armor on the turret.
Really, it’s like a sudden “pressure” that comes-and-goes very quickly.
On pavement, the track produces a low to middle-range “rumble” due to the rubberized track pads. On regular ground, that pretty much goes away.
The hydraulics always seemed more noisy than the engine to me.
Tank porn. Heh.
Of course, standing outside the tank near the main gun can damage your hearing pretty easily. If you survive.
Oh yea shall I walk through the valley of death cause I fear no evil.
Declan
Do tankers go selectively deaf at those frequencies?
…and the terrible shaking and being thrown around!
I know a guy who was a tank commander during the Yom Kippur war. Significant but not severe hearing loss. Modern enough and a well equipped force so I think that would be typical for today’s tank environment.
Man, the whine of the turbine is really annoying. Right up there with 1000 mosquitoes in your bedroom at night.
I’m selectively deaf at most frequencies.
Whut? The Yom Kippur war was in 1973 - I’d be a little wary of extrapolating anything from more than a third of a century ago to today. I know they don’t exactly bring out a fresh model of MBT each year, but still…
I’ve only ridden in M113s, but it’s pretty loud in there. The CVC helmet cancels out most of the noise, and you can talk normally, but without the CVC, you just need some standard ear plugs. Even without those, you can ride pain-free, but I wouldn’t make a career of it. You’ll lose hearing eventually, but nothing right away. Hell, I took a 2 hour nap in there without earplugs. But then again, I’m a soldier…we sleep everywhere.