RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

I didn't think about it at first, but my "bell" (or, as I prefer, "UFO") tank is actually not that far off from Leonardo da Vinci's early tank ideas:


His design has flat faces and four or five guys for propulsion, ... so, an "engine" of 0.5 horsepower , but hey, the guy did live like 500 years ago.

Instead of wheels, have the tank run on three or four ball-like tires with motors inside, thus able to turn any direction very quickly. Hey, you and Leo think alike, but my ideas are nuttier than pecan porridge.

You've done awesome mods to your tank, I definitely would like to try the bb smoke! Did you lose much fps from the bb when drilling the hole in the barrel???

Also I'm intrigued to hear more about the modded arm you made to extend the recoil

No, I lost less than 5% of the total range of the fired BBs. I did have to make sure though that I did not leave any metal spurs or bits inside the inner cannon tube once I completed my drilling. I simply took a small steel bristle brush and cleaned the inside of the barrel. It also helped greatly that the outer aluminum tube that holds the flexible hose from the smoker was shaped exactly with a dremel to match to the outside of the inner cannon tube (and directly over the hole for the smoke to pour through).

I also completed a custom barrel mod with a slightly more powerful spring that I purchased from McMaster's Carr. With my new spring inserted and a few adjustments, my BBs now travel about 130% of what they did when the tank was stock. As to the modded arm, I simply made a custom aluminum piece that adds about 10 mm more travel, and then drilled it and the regular pull arm. I then connected the smaller to the larger pull arm with a bushing, and then attached the combo to the outer cannon arm and housing. Because of Newton's First Law, once the recoil begins, the inertia of the outer cannon is enough to cover the extra 10 mm easily. It provides for a slightly exaggerated effect that is cool for kids. I will try to make a video here shortly for you in the coming days.

Also, as mentioned previously, due to my small son, our tank is all about fun first and high detail second. While my son is mildly interested in getting say, the correct phone box on the back of the Abrams, ... that pales in comparison to having a servo operated CROWS station on top of the tank. Anything that moves, shoots, or lights up is tops in his book

"Anything that moves, shoots, or lights up is tops in his book." I have a similar reaction as each new feature is developed.

Herr Dr. Professor wrote: ↑Thu Feb 29, 2024 4:42 pm "Anything that moves, shoots, or lights up is tops in his book." I have a similar reaction as each new feature is developed.

Let’s face it. We’re all small sons. If it’s shooty, bangy, noisy, fasty we’re all happy.

I'm sure someone has already done this before but I am custom making (actually, ... baking) Airsoft-like BBs that break apart upon hitting the target. They leave a little white residue behind that can easily be cleaned off with water. The IR beams from the IR LED are too large imho, although I do like the Tamiya standard of weight classes and simulating battle damage by slowing the tank down. With residue BBs, you actually have to hit the opposing tank with your BBs, which means that barrel elevation now plays a more fundamental and realistic role. Switching back and forth from IR to BB firing, it takes more skill to hit an opposing tank with a BB than with an IR beam. I am using a mold that gun people use to make die cast BBs. More in the days ahead, ......

Oh, how unsophisticated: the baked 6 mm BBs should leave steel colored powder marks.
Obviously folks have quite some experience with this half-baked* idea. This could make boring* BBs more interesting! What might the powder do to the barrels and mechanism? And how does one roll out hundreds of 6 mm dia. doughballs?**Why not start with bananas/ You're going there, anyway.*

*I really do think this is a nifty idea for great fun. It's just that sometimes the puns keep coming along uninvited.
**Mr Chef! We got an order for one-thousand 6 mm steel-colored flour airsoft BBs!

Herr Dr. Professor wrote: ↑Sat Mar 02, 2024 10:38 pm **Mr Chef! We got an order for one-thousand 6 mm steel-colored flour airsoft BBs!

As soon as I started reading I was sure Herr Dr was sipping something.

Then I saw the footnotes and thought H'mmm Yes Herr Dr. in on a roll this evening.

Look at you creating new markets... I suggest the whipped cream pie in the face though. Wonder if I could get that whipped cream into little balls to go Splat!