TamiyaLeopard 2A6 for Regular Use?

[zooma]

2DBB66D7-6740-4460-AE86-C33577F595B9.jpeg (655.82 KiB) Viewed 164 times

D96D1F6D-45F1-464E-8413-862F3C0E79DE.jpeg (646.96 KiB) Viewed 164 times

The extended wire allows the turret to sit alongside the hull when changing the battery .

With the battery fitted there is still lots of space inside the turret. The socket for the battle function will also need to be extended but is temporarily held on a servo pad to stop it wandering about and falling down inside the hull !

[HERMAN BIX]

Slick wiring Mr Zooma, overall very tidy solution your pulling off.
Top job that Man !

[zooma]

Thanks Herman,

Electronics is not my strongpoint (nothing is to be honest), but I like to see tidy wires and neat soldering so I keep practicing until I get it looking OK.

Extending the “battle socket” may not be quite so easy but a long radio extension lead could be chopped in half to provide the wires with a plug and socket to lengthen the wires and allow it to be unplugged when the turret top needs to be completely removed with no wires attached to the lower turret.

I would like to find or make a good mount for the main gun that can be permanently screwed onto the lower turret.

Having the “half cup” barrel mounts in the turret top with nothing but a straight bearing edge in the lower turret makes it tricky when refitting the top and engaging the barrel raising lever as there is no location in the lower half to help align everything before the magnets take a grip as there are too many things sliding about that are not visible.

Hopefully someone will already have a good fix for this problem - maybe it’s the same barrel mounting in the Challenger 11 and Abrams?

Bob.

[ColemanCollector]

I would think some 2-3mm sheet styrene could be carefully fitted, a hole drilled in each, and then glued to the existing bottom mount to make a standalone gun mount on the bottom half. The breech pivot ears look long enough to sit in the drilled holes, but if not, tapped for some small screws and washers would hold it in the new mount. You would be able to leave the top half mounts in place as added sturdiness with the top half turret in place. Maybe? Lol

The more you fiddle with HLs, the more you realize they weren't really designed to come apart other than to do whatever was needed to recharge the battery. And I suspect with most owners that's just fine! RC tankheads? A whole other matter!

Great Leopard!

Mike.

[zooma]

That’s a great idea Mike,

I am away in my van enjoying the sun for a few days, but when I get back I will take a look at making a pair of “spats” with axle holes bored into them to sit on either side of the lower barrel bearing (moulded strip that the lower half of the barrel axle rests on).

Angle alloy/angle brass was considered to make a lower mounted bearing for the barrel axle, but given the undulating surface of the turret bottom - your idea is better as it is simpler and will be much easier to make and fit.

KISS is always the best option

Screwing them on would be a good idea as it would be necessary to remove one side (at least) to get the barrel assembly out when needed....... future plans include “dumping” the BB firing mech and fitting a proper recoiling unit with muzzle flash and barrel smoke so I will need to be able to take it apart as needed.

Thanks for the idea,

Bob.

[zooma]

[attachment=1]DE50D30F-7320-4D7E-A156-72B0B211ED20.jpeg

When running my HL Leo 2A6 last time I noticed the the smoke function was working OK but the smoke was coming up around the top deck and not out of the exhaust outlets!

Checking inside I noticed that the two black moulded caps that sit on top of the smoke unit had split and melted!

As the unit was still making smoke, the unit had obviously not been allowed to run dry.

Rather than buy and fit two more of these “melting caps” I did away with them and connected some yellow Tygon petrol tubing directly from the smoke unit to the exhaust outlets.

Time will tell if the Tygon tubing holds up OK, but it is a good tight fit - much tighter than the original soft “rubber.” tubing and the installation looks tidy.

If it fails - it won’t be any worse than the original factory fit !

Sadly - the Tamiya Leopard 2A6 does not have a smoke function, so this is an advantage that the Heng Long Leo has for those (like myself) that like to see smoke coming out of the exhaust outlets.

.........but it is something else to maintain or repair when it goes wrong!

[Ecam]

That tubing looks like it will do the trick. The HL plastic (ABS) leaves a bunch to be desired and often splits. I hope this will be the cure. Great work!

[zooma]

I note that this comparison between the Tamiya and Heng Long Leopard 2A6 models has now been moved away from the “Modern Tanks” section to this “Builds Log” section.......I had trouble finding it at first - I was a little worried that it may have been deleted.

Both the Tamiya and Heng Long tanks can benefit from some small “changes” to make them more suitable for regular use, so I guess this is a better place for this comparison blog to live as things that are “changed” to make them more suitable for regular use can be described and pictured here for both types.

Not exactly a regular “Build Log” but hopefully one that will be found “interesting” enough to warrant its move from its original home in the “Modern Tanks” section......but if not... I am sure that it could find its way back there again

[Ecam]

I agree, confusing at first, but in the right place now!

[zooma]

There are now two of us that have found it Eric


.....we might be the only two.........