Single motor tank

[menright]

Just wondering, instead of using two motors and driving the tank in the convensional way would using a larger single motor with a rear diff with brakes fitted to each drive sprocket to steer give me the same results?

[Martin2556]

Early Tamiya tanks used a single motor & two clutches.

[tankme]

Single motor installations are far more mechanically complicated that using a dual motor/gearbox setup. If done right, either can produce good results. The dual motor/gearbox setup is usually cheaper, more reliable and easier to repair in my experience.

[Saracen]

Vantex did exactly that with their models. This is the inside of my M4A3 Sherman:

DSCN1461.jpg (1.84 MiB) Viewed 1494 times

It takes up a lot of room, and makes a heck of a lot of noise.

Adrian.

[tankme]

Interesting, I don't think I've ever seen the inside of a Vantex tank with electric motors. They also had a gas engine version. Yeah, I would much rather just have two motors.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I have never even heard of a Vantec/x tank. The mechanism would be fun to watch in action, but it must be canTANKerous to run. And a version with a gas engine? Does anyone have such a beastie?

[tankme]

Vantex stopped making them at least 5 years ago if memory serves. They had some tank destroyers and Shermans in electric or gas versions. They weren't the greatest in the detail department so they didn't sell very well. They actually weren't very expensive for the scale.

[Saracen]

> but it must be canTANKerous to run.



The worst thing about them is that the hull is some sort of plastic and acts as a sounding board for the chain drive, so they make a hell of a noise. I suppose the two stroke version would drown that out

Takes a hole different driving style, as the motor drives forwards, and the reversing is done in the gearboxes. Very like a real tank - you can go slower by having less throttle, or more track braking.

John Grima at East Coast Armory did a series of videos on correcting some of the detail faults on this and it turned into a pretty good model afterwards.

Adrian.