KV-1 57mm prototype

[wyvern]

I think I've now made enough progress to post where I have got with my current project to build a 1/16 KV-1 57mm prototype from the heng long and asiatam base. I will try and update when I have some further progress to show. suffice to say I am enjoying playing with milliput and plasicard.

The 57mm prototype with flat mantlet



So this is where I have got to so far... Its based on the following;

1) Torro IR Kv-1
2) Asiatam kv-1 hull - rebuilt so its square and the suspension is adjsutable
3) 4:1 steel gears with ball bearings on output shaft
4) asiatam idler

Kept the plastic tracks as they are pretty rugged and the tank weighs enough as it is! One thing I found which was causing the sprockets to slip on the tracks was that the plastic sprocket bottom diameter was slightly too large for the tracks to mesh well. I sorted this with some careful filing to reduce the diameter.



The turret and new mantlet

The turret has had to be rebuilt quite a bit to allow the gun to pivot in a new position. The gun extension is a carbon rod with brass tube and milliput which is a push fit in the chopped down barrel of the old gun. I though about an asiatam recoil but felt when I eventually put in servo recoil it will be easier to put it in the existing ir gun set up. I have put a softer returnspring to make it a bit better.



The lower hull

I bought an asiatam hull as they were selling them cheaply from asiatam.de (still are I think) but found that the hull was pretty poorly made (although solid) with the sides not bent to 90 degrees to the hull bottom. It also had the issue of the sagging bottom with the gearboxes in the back. So I stripped the hull and bent the sides so they where square. I then rebuilt the suspension with adjustable set screws which allowed me to fine tune the suspension to sit correctly. In retrospect I should have bought a taigen hull as I guess they have sorted a number of the issues with the asiatam model.





The next steps are to finish building the mantlet with its flat front. Then put the headlight back on ........ Hopefully it shouldn't take too much longer to complete

[Raminator]

A unique and interesting build, Wyvern. I knew that there was a T-34/57 prototype, but I'd not seen the high-velocity 57 mm fitted to a KV before.

Nice work on the hull, I've got the Taigen metal KV lower and it seems to be a rebranded Asiatam one with all the same faults and shortcomings. How'd you mod the suspension? The SU-152 I'm building at the moment sags at the arse end no matter how much I adjust it, I'd be keen to see how you've addressed it.

[wyvern]

Hi raminator, thanks for the compliment. I am away from home at the mo and will draw a sketch and take some picks at home on Thursday. Its fairly simple work although repetitive and can be dome with a file and pillar drill. Although I have done it on all the wheel sets you might be able to get away with doing it on just the rearmost torsion bars which is where the weight is.

[wyvern]

I have put together a quick tutorial as to how I altered the suspension on the asiatam KV-1

You will need;

1) m3 grubscrews + M3 metric tap and tapping drill to suit.
2) file, pillar drill or lathe, metal hacksaw.
2) aluminium tube 10mm external diameter 2mm wall thickness :

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Rou ... uo82VJR5Fw





You will have to file away parts of the gearbox frame and baseplate for clearance ;



Note on mine, I put a steel m3 insert (http://www.theinsertcompany.com/steel_s ... nserts.php) to hold the grub screw as previously I had used m 2.5 grub screws which had stripped the aluminium threads on occasion. M3 threads are significantly stronger so it should be ok.

[Raminator]

Pictures don't seem to be working, sorry. Do those aluminium sleeves replace the brass ones, and do the grubscrew let you apply pressure to the end of the torsion bar?

[wyvern]

Hi - I have tweaked the previous post. Although I could see them, there could have been something wrong with the embed code. let me know if you can see them ok. I have however realised that when I bought the asiatam hull it has the earlier suspension type;



You could modify the Taigen suspension by cutting it in two and installing a sleeve over it with a grub screw similar to my method. I think I would recommend doing it for the rearmost 4 torsion bars to save some time. behold my wonderful sketch produced in paint : )

[PainlessWolf]

Good afternoon,
Alpha came up with a double torsion bar fix for the rear 4 axles on the 'Palace' build. I added a stiffener made from common window hanger bits and voila, it has worked to this day with no modification required.
regards,
Painless

[wyvern]

Out of curiosity, where did you buy the spare torsion bars?

[PainlessWolf]

Good afternoon,
I think I may have gone to the hardware store and bought flexible steel rod and cut and shaped to size. It has been a few years since the build. I am about to build an early Soviet 'Big Barn' version of the KV-2 so I will have to dig out my notes. Another Taigen lower to correct on the base vehicle no doubt.
regards,
Painless

[Raminator]

Thanks for the clarification, Wyvern. I'm not brave enough to cut those parts though, Taigen white metal has the structural integrity of chalk! Two of the suspension arms on my hull came broken and had to be replaced, I can't imagine how the material would fare with violence deliberately visited upon it.

The double torsion bars are a great idea Painless, do you think piano wire would work as a substitute? I know my local hobby shop sells it by the metre.