IMAI Elephant 1/16 Prob

[Met5]

Antique like IMAI 1/16 Elephant : tried hard to get it back to life , but no luck. 2 x driving motors just totally dead like .
( Use Heng Long Crystal ). Think might be something wrong with the receiver ?

there are some cables from back panel , if anybody know how to sort them out and plug into the receiver ? Thanks.

hi Andrew,
but on this tank will you open a dedicated WIP?

I think that by the end of April I should close work on the Puma, so the Imai adventure will begin.

we may have two parallel WIPs on the forum.....with Jerry as supervisor

[SCHWEREPANZER]

Another take on the venerable Imai Elefant with a few 'field mods.' Just a personal note on the all metal gear box on these beasts: as heavy by themselves as some complete static 1/16 scale tanks; hence the already recommended and well taken suggestion the model be supported by blocks when not in use. Painting of this one by Armor Doktor G. Farrow.

20161012_000547_1476227967394_resized (640x360).jpg (79.29 KiB) Viewed 3079 times

20161012_000515_1476227971164_resized (640x360).jpg (75.56 KiB) Viewed 3079 times

20161012_000733_1476227866943_resized (800x450).jpg (98.96 KiB) Viewed 3079 times

[Met5]

The suggestion of the blocks was born not to spoil the hull or for the transmission boxes?

[andrewrc]

Thanks Jerry !

This Jerry. First, congrats on having a truly unique model; Imai's Elefant will never be replicated. I also have Hooben's
and Asiatam's and they don't come close.

Sorry to say I'd lose the ancient equipment and replace it with a decent modern radio and IBU board or similar system. Test the motors
separately if you are unsure about them.

I the Imai model warrants a regular radio and good control board. If the motors are the original 540 Mabuchi can motors they were good quality and unless they were abused at some point should be more than enough to power that Elefant. Make certain there's nothing loose in the gearboxes, lubricate them well but make plastic card covers for these as they love to spit oil when running. Check the running gear for anything loose as well. Sorry if they sounds redundant or silly but the Imai isn't your average model; many bits to keep track of and replacement parts aren't easy to come by. The main gun elevation, if original isn't its strong point to expect finicky behavior from it.

This is an old song to those who know me but the Elefant should be operated ' Slow and Majestic'. Especially considering it's likely decades older than most people on this forum- the production was stopped in the 1970s; Id run it only under the best of conditions.

I just offer the advice and opinion for what it's worth. No one has to follow it. I have not run any of mine in years.

Good luck and have fun.

Jerry

[andrewrc]

hello ,
I love Imai original gearbox .
it is an antique to me rather than a RC model . I will try to keep as much as possible of its original stuff.
Took off its driving wheels today and found that old driving shaft is unique , not like any other current 1/16 rc tanks.
If change the gearbox , the driving shaft / wheels need to be modified as well and that may make it not Imai anymore ?

Hi Jerry, when I have finished the model currently under construction I will put my hand to my IMAI:

IMG_20210202_121134.jpg

What do you think of the Gear Boxes? Are they reliable? I was thinking of changing them to something more modern.

my Imai was built, primed but not finished. The mechanisms and electronics have to be installed

I was also thinking of taking it apart completely and then reassembling it.

What do you think?

[Herr Dr. Professor]

"If that old system was OEM Imai equipment..." Oh! I did not know that the old AM receiver was not original. (Ignoramus maximus at it again.) In that case, I definitely agree about the change out. Regardless, what cool model!

[jcarducci]

"If that old system was OEM Imai equipment..." Oh! I did not know that the old AM receiver was not original. (Ignoramus maximus at it again.) In that case, I definitely agree about the change out. Regardless, what cool model!

No worries, it's pretty obscure information.

Imai to my knowledge never offered 'packaged' models with radio gear- at least I've never seen one.

In the instruction booklet they do reference a loose recommendation for a radio control system made by Hinode Denko company. I happen to have one of these systems purely for historical reference; I've never tried to use it. Below I have included photos to illustrate this plus the other Imai 1/15 scale tank in my collection - a re-branded Bandai Pz IV F2 molded in a very dark green plastic.

The plastic used on the Elefant is very thick by design (it was their claim to fame so to speak) and so should hold up for many years yet. Still care should be taken to care for them.

Jerry

A page from the Imai Elefant construction booklet

Imai El book.jpg (54.43 KiB) Viewed 3009 times

Hinode RC system

Hinode01.jpg (27.05 KiB) Viewed 3009 times

Components of Hinode system

Hinode02.jpg (44.95 KiB) Viewed 3009 times

Imai 1/15 Pz IV F2

IPzIV.jpg (36.02 KiB) Viewed 3009 times

Pz IV Imai logo

Imai Pz IV bottom.jpg (16.5 KiB) Viewed 3009 times

[jcarducci]

So what was the final resolution of this Imai Elefant? Did you swap out the radio system for a contemporary system?

Jerry

[Herr Dr. Professor]

I am glad and grateful that you posted those photos. This is quite interesting. I wonder if RCTW should have a "vintage AFVs" section. Until about 2010 , I didn't know RC AFVs existed. I remember bumping into a Taigen Tiger I and Walker Bulldog at a local hobby store . In no time, there were fewer tanks at the hobby store.

[Met5]

for the cannon how did you solve?

elevation, swing & recoil......