Just ordered another Walker Bulldog

[von steiner]

Max... I really like the work you did to make the M41 into another modified version of the real tank.
I got one (HL, 2.4Ghz) hopefully in the air on it's way here from China.
I noticed among other great mods, you changed the angle of the driver's port-holes.

I am going to make some changes to the HL M41 but not be a "rivet counter."
The Walker Bulldog doesn't get a lot of attention on the 1/16 RC builders sites and I understand why.
Not much war livery.

I am glad you gave the HL another version, removing the turret. Good work and get those top guns to light up!
I am thinking of getting the TK-14 for the new Walker. Not expensive.
The more I read the more I know and the Clark TK-22 that you employed is the best.

You know the M41 isn't a big want, when even Tamiya doesn't put one out in 1/16 RC.
I have a load of photo's from Vietnam with the Bulldog but all in B&W.

Thanks for putting up the modified HL M41. Man... you sure got a lot of odd & ends on that tank.
Mine is gonna be pretty simple. Maybe some paint on the main guns' turret that says.. "Smile....
Wait for Flash!"

VS

[Max-U52]

One thing I really like about my Bulldog is that I can switch back and forth from AA to stock airsoft, and I've even thought about a third hull top with IR for battling. Here's a little video of it with the clark and the stock top.

phpBB [video]

You're gonna love it, and if you plan to do the headlights and need the info i should be able to dig up where we got the LEDs. Unfortunately I only have enough left to do the stock hull top or I'd send you some, but they're really cheap, like five or six dollars for a string of them. But I think I have that wrong using four headlights. I think the real tank has one headlight on each side and the other is some kind of night vision stuff.

Oh yeah, if you correct the angle of the driver's view ports and something goes wrong let me know, I have spares. Sometimes they can be a real pain to get out without damaging them.

I can't wait to see photos of yours and what you do with it.

[jarndice]

I love the way this thread is going,
It should be placed as a warning on the welcome page for new members showing how everyone of us got almost unknowingly sucked ever deeper into this madness
V S you have entered a morass from which there is no escape.
Shaun.

[Max-U52]

Don't let Shaun scare ya. He loves it and he knows it, as do we all. It's a great hobby and full of great guys and way better than collecting empty beer cans.

[von steiner]

Max-U52...

Your last video convinced me on the Clark TK-22.
I checked out the Clark website and found a brand new one with the programmer on e-bay.
The seller has over 700 sales and a good reputation.
Instead of adding the metal gear boxes, tracks and sprockets, I think I will start with the TK22.
I am going to have to get a four channel radio or better.
Still researching what I really need to do. No rush this time around.

The "travel lock" will go on the new M41. If the parts tree with the one I just ordered doesn't provide
it (IMEX has the HL M41 parts trees for $14.00 that has one) I will take you up on your offer only if you let me
pay for S&H.

The Walker Bulldog IMHO is the best looking tank from our past. Maybe not the best medium tank on the battlefield but I still like them.

Thanks for your generous offers. I haven't received the M41 yet but I know it is going to be fun
modifying it.

[Max-U52]

The parts from Imex should have everything you need. Another good accessory kit is the M-26, and that comes with a lot of ammo boxes and some decent crates and a pretty cool med kit. If the plastic gears give up on ya I can always send you some zinc gearboxes to play with. They don't last like steel, but I give them away and they're good for gettin' your feet wet on gearbox swaps and what not. When you do change gearboxes check out my youtube channel for the video on reinforcing those plastic posts that they mount to. A little brass tubing at the beginning can save a lot of headache later.

[von steiner]

Max...
This is what is called "Mission Creep."

The electronic mods won't be too bad as I have my father to fall back on.
He was into R/C flying beginning in the 70's.
This is going to take a loooong time because the more I look at making this model fun to run the heck out of,
the more it is going to take extra parts.
I am still going to have to go "metal" because I am going to add some lead weights in the hull and will
stress the nylon gears and plastic sprockets.
I watched this 1/16th RC tank video and it is amazing that this guy got his Walker to look like a real
1:1 tank with the weights. I think his user name is something like HI542.
Anyway, weighting the tank is going to put a burden on the HL stock stuff.

I will post up in a few days when I get the new tank and begin this "money pit" journey.

I have too many other hobbies that I can't do today because I am still pretty sick but this is fun and
I am going to enjoy every minute of it.

respectfully;

Von Steiner

[Max-U52]

Yeah, one of the most important mods is better gearboxes. I have the latest and greatest all ball bearing black steel jobbies in my Bulldog, but I went with the 3 shaft high/low config to keep the high speed. It's not faster than it should be, though, since the Bulldog was actually pretty quick with a rated top speed of 45 mph. I have a measured scale quarter mile I use to get a rough estimate of scale speed, and my M41 is actually a tad slow.

That's actually pretty easy to do, you just measure out 82.5 feet and that's a scale quarter mile, so if your tank can cover that distance in 15 seconds it's a scale 60 mph. The bulldog should cover the distance in 22 to 25 seconds, but I'm sure one of our guys can do the math and give an exact time to match the 45 mph.

There's a guy down in Georgia that owns his own Bulldog and he drives it around his farm, just for snicks. Lucky bastard.

[silversurfer1947]

By my calculations, at a scale speed for 45 mph it would take 20 seconds to cover a scale 1/4 mile.

[Max-U52]

By my calculations, at a scale speed for 45 mph it would take 20 seconds to cover a scale 1/4 mile.

Thank you. I'll check it the next time I have it outside. I basically just have a couple of paint stripes on the road and I time it with my phone, but it gives a rough idea if I'm close to accurate.