I'd have to say that the Howe and Howe design looks "ok". I really don;t know anything, or have any of the experience of some of the master craftsmen here, but the suspension looks a little iffy to me. (The wheels and track horns/guides look a little small)
Reliability would be the major issue for such a vehicle, since its supposed to go in harms way. I think it was Alan Brook, or Auckinleck who said in India, when ever they got a new piece of equipment, like a mountain gun, they took it to the top of a 100' tower and threw it off. If it survived, they looked at it a bit more. Steven C. --- On Wed, 12/30/09, Steve Tyng <[email protected]> wrote: > From: Steve Tyng <[email protected]> > Subject: [TANKS] Re: Tensioned cable tracks? > To: "R/C Tank Combat" <[email protected]> > Date: Wednesday, December 30, 2009, 8:30 AM > Top secret my ass. Looking at > the pics will give you all the info you > need to duplicate it. One thing I will note. If > my fading memory is > right. The original track on the ripsaw was a pinned > hinge affair. I > guess that didn't work out so well so they came up with the > current > design. Now I'm not saying they copied anything from > us but the > current Howe track is a TTS built using steel cables > instead of > conveyor belting. The drive cog also works on the > same principal as > the one on Marc's Leopard and the Cromwell. > > One issue with the Howe design is how their keeping the > tracks on > track. The guide horns are riding through "fixed" > steel channels > attached to the bottom of their bogies. This may work > well in the > swamps I've seen them running in but would wear very > quickly in a > desert environment. I suspect the channels were an > expedient when > they went to the new track design. > > If I were to build a cable tensioned track I would build a > big round > jig were the diameter matches the inner diameter of the > track I'm > building. The inner track pads will be temporally > attached to the jig > using double-sided carpet tape. The inner track pads > would have slots > cut in them to accept the two cable runs. I would use > a small > diameter cable such as steel fishing leader and wrap it > around the > pads several times (laying in the slots in the inner > pads). Once the > cable was in place I'd secure it in the slots with a > flexible adhesive > like Goop or a polyurethane equivalent and during the same > process > place and nail/screw/rivet (your choice) the outer pads in > place. > > > Steve Tyng > > > On Dec 29, 6:29 pm, Tom Lum <[email protected]> > wrote: > > Exactly. Whenever they mention the tracks, they > claim they are a > > special design and top secret. > > > > Sent from my iPhone. > > > > On Dec 29, 2009, at 6:18 PM, Frank Pittelli <[email protected]> > > > wrote: > > > > > Gregory Kampjes wrote: > > >> After looking at the tensioned cable tracks > from Howe & Howe tech, I > > >> wondered if they could be used in RC tanks. I > have a feeling that > > >> they > > >> would work, but how practable would they be? > Would they be too > > >> complex? > > > > > Where did you see the specs/write-up on the track > design? > > > > > I looked on their website and tried to google > them, but I've only been > > > able to find marketing pictures and stuff about > their upcoming show. > > > I'm sure their hype skills are good, but I'd like > to read about their > > > technology. > > > > > Frank P. > > > > > -- > > > You are currently subscribed to the "R/C Tank > Combat" group. > > > To post a message, send email to [email protected] > > > To unsubscribe, send email to rctankcombat- > > > [email protected] > > > Visit the group athttp://groups.google.com/group/rctankcombat > > > > > > -- > You are currently subscribed to the "R/C Tank Combat" > group. > To post a message, send email to [email protected] > To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] > Visit the group at http://groups.google.com/group/rctankcombat > -- You are currently subscribed to the "R/C Tank Combat" group. To post a message, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe, send email to [email protected] Visit the group at http://groups.google.com/group/rctankcombat
