2x FPS+15x ROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

JamesRobertson
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2x FPS+15x ROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by JamesRobertson »

Hi All,

I thought it was time to show some progress on my quest to turn the HL Abrams into "deadly" robotic Airsoft Weapon!

While I understand the whole airsoft-tank thing isn't everyone's cup of tea, I think that's partly because the stock airsoft guns are so bad. Obviously the point here is not any kind of historical accuracy, just pure fun:

Image

This is a drop-in airsoft replacement for the Heng Long Abrams tank!

I started with 3D scans of the HL turret, and built a mount for a Mauri MP7 gearbox (clone) since it is one of the only "serious" airsoft AEG gearboxes that would fit in the confined space.

The new gearbox fires too fast for a gravity-fed BB hopper like the stock tank has, so I also designed a powered magazine that has ~200 round capacity and can keep up with the gearbox.

All that's left to design is the mount for the barrel elevation servo, which will give the new system -0/+20deg barrel elevation (better than stock), and put the finishing touches on the electronics PCB's. When its done it will be able to plug in to the original electronics (or compatible upgrade electronics)!

Prototype Airsoft stats (Updated) are:
Rate of Fire (ROF): 15 rounds per second (15x stock performance)
BB Velocity (FPS): 150 feet per second (2x stock performance)


I plan to finish up this project in the next few months, and I will post updates so stay tuned! Comments/suggestions welcome!
Last edited by JamesRobertson on Mon May 06, 2019 9:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Tech-Com
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by Tech-Com »

Very cool!
I'm putting the guts of an airsoft H&K MP7 in my 1/6 Stuart.
240fps at 9 rounds per second.

As you mentioned the magazine is the tough part since the gravity feed method won't work.
JamesRobertson
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by JamesRobertson »

Nice, where did you get your MP7?
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Rad_Schuhart
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by Rad_Schuhart »

I love all this crazy new ideas. I have seen serious airsoft stuff using .177 steel pellets and C02 cartridges, but that was dangerous.

Keep on posting!
My RC tanks website, loads of free info for everybody:
https://radindustries.wordpress.com/
Tech-Com
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by Tech-Com »

JamesRobertson wrote:Nice, where did you get your MP7?
Refurbished on eBay for $35
JamesRobertson
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by JamesRobertson »

Tech-Com wrote:
JamesRobertson wrote:Nice, where did you get your MP7?
Refurbished on eBay for $35
Thanks. Any links? I have been using the $40 Well R4 gearboxes (MP7 clones) from eBay but the performance isn't as good as what other people (you for example) are getting so I want to try some other versions of the same gearbox and see if I can get the FPS up to ~200+. Not sure where to find it though.
JamesRobertson
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by JamesRobertson »

Rad_Schuhart wrote:I love all this crazy new ideas. I have seen serious airsoft stuff using .177 steel pellets and C02 cartridges, but that was dangerous.

Keep on posting!
Thanks for the encouragement, I definitely will!
JamesRobertson
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by JamesRobertson »

Yeah definitely a camera.

Its just an airsoft gun, like any other.
Heisenberg
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by Heisenberg »

I knew it, I'm not the only one who has that crazy idea:). I'm trying to squeeze similar gearbox into my leopard 2a6. I went for the gearbox from jg mac10. Slightly more powerful but its pretty much the same design.
At this moment I'm stuck with the magazine, how to feed bbs to the gearbox.
Would you mind sharing how did you sort it out?
JamesRobertson
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Re: 1.5xFPS+10xROF Airsoft Upgrade HL Abrams

Post by JamesRobertson »

Hi Heisenberg,

Great to see someone else interested in the same thing!

The magazine was a bigger challenge then the gun itself, definitely. I studied the designs for self-winding box mags and standard airsoft magazines, so that should put you on the right track. The key is you need to apply constant pressure to the line of BBs to push them into the chamber. Typically this is accomplished by a spring inside the airsoft magazine that applies force to a sprocket which rotates like a paddle-wheel and pushes the BB's through a tube and into the chamber. In a self-winding magazine, the spring is constantly tensioned by a motor so there is no need to wind it every ~30 rounds like with a normal magazine.

Unfortunately commercial self-winding magazines are way too big to fit in a 1/16 tank, so I had to design my own miniaturized magazine which I produced using 3d printing. It took a lot of prototypes to get it right but now I can feed a continuous 15rps for 200+ rounds! :D

Are you using 3d printing to make your custom parts? You can pm me if you want to talk collaboration or something!

But here's the simple way of just getting something to work: use a standard hi-cappa magazine placed in the Hull and use 1/4 in ID tubing (like this: https://www.homedepot.com/p/UDP-0-170-i ... /304185165) to channel the BB's from the magazine and into the chaimber. That should give you a 40-80 round capacity depending on the magazine you choose.
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