Another Cat, My Panther G

sunray · Post by **sunray** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:31 pm

I have had a go at a Tiger, a Bulldog, now for a Panther. The Panther belongs to my youngest son. It was a basic model which didn't have sound or a working forward firing machine gun. The controller card was a RX13 which I think are a bit temperamental so it had to go. Also I'm not a big fan of the on/off button or volume control underneath the tank, so they also had to be moved so this is how I have done the mods, upgrade, etc. I hope this might be of so help to someone.

First the on/off button and volume control. I removed the on/off from the bottom of the tank and filled in the holes with filler. I decided the make a mount out of plastic card for the on/off button and volume control. Also I changed the plastic suspension arms for metal ones.

With the on/off switch, etc sorted I added the speaker and a new RX18 controller to the lower hull. After playing around with the layout I decided to use a piece of plastic card to mount the RX18 on, added a new receiver card and new speaker.

I also decided to make my home made antenna from a piece of copper wire, "nerf gun" bullet, biro and some scrap bits of plastic which is stuck to the hull with super glue with the copper wire soldered to the antenna wire to the receiver card.

sunray · Post by **sunray** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:54 pm

Now for the upper hull. When I disassembled the Panther I noticed some of the plastic storks or studs where the hull screws, screw into were damaged. So I reinforced them by attaching a brass collar around them glued with super glue. That seems to have done the trick.

sunray · Post by **sunray** » Thu Aug 23, 2012 11:59 pm

To get access to the on/off button I cut out the gunners hatch and made a working hatch from some plastic card, pin and a small piece of copper wire.

tisaksen · Post by **tisaksen** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 7:47 am

Great work! Wish I had the skills for the small details

sunray · Post by **sunray** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 12:47 pm

After adding engine grills, I removed the engine cover hooks and re-fixed them back facing the right way, facing outwards. I took off the external antenna connector and filled the hole. I also made the cross grill for the rear vent out of metal from a coke can and glued into place.

Once that was done I used a small piece cut from an old dish washer filter for the inner grill for the vent. The white bits on the corners are sodium bicarb which when sprinkled on super glue makes it go off straight away.

sunray · Post by **sunray** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:06 pm

Next I replaced the plastic headlight with a metal one and added a bent piece of copper wire as false cable. Then I used a hot glue gun to stick the wire to the upper hull out of the way.

With that done I added a new metal machine gun. The hole into gun ball required enlarging for the barrel to fit and I drilled a smaller hole as the sight.

ruben2005 · Post by **ruben2005** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:37 pm

looking good fella nice job keep up the good work

sunray · Post by **sunray** » Fri Aug 24, 2012 1:53 pm

As before I glued the wire for the machine gun to the upper hull with a hot glue gun but I allowed a small amount of play in the wire to enable movement of the gun.

Reading Jeff1101 excellent "HL Panther G customization dairy" (viewtopic.php?f=22&t=8956) I thought of making my own spare track holders. I cut the plastic track that comes with the tank, giving me 6 pieces of track. Then I filled the holes for the track on the side of the upper hull with filler and rubbed them down. Using the metal from a fish tin and a pair of sheet metal cutters. All you need to do is mark a straight line and cut along it. The cutters I have produce a thin strip of metal.