Revived an ol' Tauchpanzer

[Herr Dr. Professor]

A week ago, while waiting for parts for my T26E3 I dug it out the first RC tank I did not leave "bone stock." This Tauchpanzer was not my first 1/16 RC Tank (that was a Taigen Walker Bulldog), but it was the first HengLong tank I bought, complete with the crystal TX and RX. This Tauchpanzer was the first "bone stock" tank I weathered, and I even kept a typed of up list of what I did. When I dug out the Tauchpanzer last month, I was happy to find metal gears and the tank in reasonably good shape. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on the electronics. The solution was easy: since 2017 I have converted most of my Taigen tanks to V3. So I have a pile of older Taigen 2.4 GHz generic sound MFUs tucked away (at least until electronic recycling comes around this spring). With some wiggle tricks, lengthened cables for the motors, and a bit of mild slicing and dicing, I got the somewhat newer Taigen board fit up front without removing the battery belly box. This Tauchpanzer is just plain simple compared to almost all the builds here on RCTW, including even mine. But it was fun and good learning for me over a decade ago.

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[Herr Dr. Professor]

Here's the "formal portrait," also taken in the isolation of my back porch today.

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And since I have often enough pestered others to try black and white photos...

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[MrChef]

Awesome revival Herr Dr. She looks properly broken in. Great that you had some gear to get her back in action. And thank you for the obligatory monochrome

[michaelwhittmann]

Nice natural crud.

I like it.

I gotta get more adventurous with my tank terrain.

I wish I understood more about the electronics.

[Panzermechaniker]

Really nice Herr Dr. and the Tauchpanzer is such a fun little tank. So much so I'm getting Mike in our club (Jarlath on here) to just go full out on the internals on mine even trying out some new ideas on it to turn it into what I hope is a very capable light ambush tank for our club IR battles.

[ColemanCollector]

That's a happy looking tank! What would we do without HL and Taigen's little PZIII. Any river crossings coming up?

Is that your backyard? It looks like a nice bit of woodlot. Beech trees in the background of the invasion force?

Mike.

[jhamm]

Guten Morgen Herr Doktor,

den Panzer haben Sie wunderschön eingesaut!

[Herr Dr. Professor]

Thanks to all of you who so kindly responded. The rather stock. but schmutziges Tauchpanzer is actually sitting on the edge of a low stone retaining wall that immediately abuts a low porch. I did not even need to get off the porch to take the photos.

(Yes, I live in a woodland in what is known as the Kettle-Moraine area of southern Wisconsin, with steep glacial hillsides. My lot is just under one acre, mostly old oak trees with junky new growth, what is called a "young forest." Thirty-three years ago, with the guidance of a master builder, my late wife and I were active in building our twelve-sided, timber framed house. She helped me clear away the few trees we took down to suit the footprint of the house, snugged among the trees. I was the general contractor, grunt, and painter. Of course, we both paid and paid and paid. The whole experience was quite rewarding and completely exhausting. I could never do it again. Nonetheless, this house is a work of art built on a loving relationship, lots of sweat, and even some blood.)

[Jarlath]

Really nice Herr Dr. and the Tauchpanzer is such a fun little tank. So much so I'm getting Mike in our club (Jarlath on here) to just go full out on the internals on mine even trying out some new ideas on it to turn it into what I hope is a very capable light ambush tank for our club IR battles.

I'm just about to test out the new IR bulbs for your PZ III (And yes the sound is dead, new TX/RX works good.)

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I hope soon to see the Panzermechaniker/Jarlath PzKfw III Tauchpanzer!