Hi all, I've been lurking here for a while, and now I've decided what to do (or try to do!) I have been thinking of making a RC tank for ages, but I could never justify the cost in time and materials, when made, what do I do with it? Having found this group, it all falls into place, build it, fight it, fix it, and fight again! I've been looking about for the tank that I want to build, and after some deliberations I've decided to have a go at a British Chieftain (loosely based on a MK.5 - MK.11 Hybrid) Having found a real one (1:1,60.6 Tons!) and spending a few hours crawling over, under, in, and around taking heaps of pictures, and measuring everything I could reach, I've started to design my build.
As I'll need as much space as possible, and it needs to be fighting tough, the basic hull will be 3mm steel. The upper hull will probably be 1.5mm steel though I may increase this if it needs to be stiffer. The turret will probably be 1.5mm steel also, when I've got that far I'll see what thickness I can form in my fly-press, a bit complicated with the compound curves but I can get up to 3 tons per Sq-inch so fingers crossed. The sheet steel is on order, 2m x 1m x 3mm, which should do for the hull assuming I don't cut it wrong! I was hoping to get away with 1m x 1m but the sides need to be 1155mm long (damn!). The overall size (excluding barrel) will be 1.25 m long, 0.58 m wide and 0.48 m high (49 1/4"L, 22 4/5"W, 18 9/10"H) , so quite a low profile – should prove hard to hit (yeah, fat chance, you lot will be all over me like a rash... wonder if that smooth sloping turret will bounce paintballs off without breaking them? Nice thought but somehow I doubt it) I'm probably going to end up trying to produce a detailed scale model, that also fights, having spent years scratch-building model steam engines I do like my detail, now if that's not a rod for my own back I don't know what is! My first jobs will be to build the tracks and make the 6 bogies (3 each side). having looked at the various ways of building tracks, and not being overly taken with the look of any of them, I've decided to explore making 'real' tracks. To that end I've drawn up a semi-scale track segment (couldn't find how to put it in this post so I've put it in Files) and I'm waiting to get a price on steel investment casting for 220 links (99 each track plus some spares) though it might pay to get 650 and offer two sets for sale – any takers? As this is heading for a very heavy build, I've sourced two motors (4 HP at 24v, and 2HP at 12v) both designed for electric vehicles, and worked out that I can (just) fit two 12v 100Ah GEL batteries in the rear hull, so if connected to provide 24v I'll get about 90 minutes at full power, with luck I can squeeze 3 battles out of a charge, if careful. If I don't need full power then running at 12v it'll run for 4-6 battles. I'm sure I'll have loads of questions once I start assembling things, and I'll post progress as and when I get some free time in the workshop. If anyone's interested I'll be happy to post component drawings as I complete them (working on the suspension arms as soon as I post this). Hope to be battling next year! Regards Phil. -- 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
