HAYA Chieftain Mk3- first impressions

[zooma]

First step is to see if the TK 26 board will work with any other transmitter ?

[zooma]

In fact, in general it would be convenient and a cost saving were we able to use one transmitter and, perhaps, a receiver in each AFV, regardless of MFU. I doubt, however, that such standardization of MFUs is even being considered.

Let's hope that day comes sooner rather than later Herr Prof !

Maybe some clever person out there can come up with an interface to fit between the various boards and any type of receiver that has enough functions to handle the options that the board has to offer. This would give a free choice of transmitter type that could then be used for several different tank models (and other types of models too!)

Being able to use your own choice of radio with any tank or board would indeed be a massive improvement on what we have now with most boards needing their own bespoke radio so we end up with a different transmitter for every tank ...and (possibly) none of them being the one you would choose if you could..............

[zooma]

I think I will try to replace the loose fabric main gun barrel covers that come on the HAYA Chieftain with something that can be made to look a little bit more realistic.

The original covers will be removed and I will see if I can make something else to cover the barrel that will look a bit more like the Chieftains thermal sleeve.

I am not trying to make a super-detailed model for display or competition use, but one that looks nice at the sort of distance that I would usually see it at when I am enjoying driving it. This used to be called "stand-off" scale, and for me that would be an excellent description for what I would like to see when I am driving my 1/16 scale r/c model tanks.

Fine detail would probably not be seen when I am driving my tanks and some detailed parts could become too delicate for regular use so my compromise will always be that if it looks good then I will be happy with it and not afraid to use it.

[Meter rat]

This used to be called "stand-off" scale, and for me that would be an excellent description for what I would like to see when I am driving my 1/16 scale r/c model tanks.

Stand off scale is what I call mine. Stand off 30m and they look fine.

[zooma]

I have just completed changing the loose cloth barrel covers that came on the HAYA Chieftain for something that looks "a little more" like the thermal barrel shelves when it is viewed as a "stand-off" model.

My simple "bodge" used some thin foam sheet and some small cable ties. The above picture shows it at its very worst angle as the tank will seldom be viewed from underneath and it looks better when viewed from a more normal angle above the tank, but the straps need to be refined to make it a little more convincing although the basic idea has some merit.

The cable tie "clasp" looks a bit like a buckle or a clamp (as long as you are not stood too close and squint a little bit), and leaving the ends a little long when they are cut off can replicate the long strap ends that can usually be seen hanging down from the Chieftains barrel.

I am going to try painting the "thermal sleeve" with a suitable Tamiya acrylic colour (I used Tamiya Khaki Drab ?) to see what it looks like after painting and weathering with the 'straps" picked-out in a suitable brown colour. If this does not look as good as I hope it will, I can remove the cable ties and cover the foam with the thin cloth that I have just removed and fit new cable ties over them both (it will still need painting to a more suitable colour).

There is no suggestion from me that this could be seen as anything like a "true scale" replica of the thermal barrel, but as a "stand-off" scale modification it already looks a lot more realistic than the original HAYA loose cloth covers did when viewed from a few paces away, and if the foam takes the Tamiya paint OK it will be a good "bodge" that is easy to achieve with just a few minutes work and at almost no cost.

If I can find some thinner cable ties that are less than the 2mm wide ones that I used, I will change them as the ones that I used may be a little wider than I would have liked - but they were laying around in the workshop (shed) and I had itchy fingers and wanted to see if my "quick-fix" idea would work.

In the longer term it would be possible to make a much better and more accurate representation of the Chieftains barrel sleeve, but for what I wanted as a 'stand-off" look I am happier with the appearance than I was with the original loose covers and as long as the foam takes the Tamiya paints OK it could be all that I need to improve the appearance of my HAYA Chieftain for my own "stand-off" scale use.........but I do want to find some thinner cable ties that have smaller clasps.....

[zooma]

On my only trip to the club with my HAYA Chieftain I noticed that the track tension was quite loose and then the outside half of one of the metal drive sprockets fell off!

This was not all bad news as I needed to remove the metal tracks in any case so that I could weather them and paint all the wheels. I will also need to paint the moulded "tyres" on the plastic wheels as HAYA have none of the Centurion wheels with rubber tyres in stock that I wanted to fit in place of these solid plastic mouldings.

I did notice that the alloy "hub cap" was only pushed into the outside of the drive sprocket that fell off, so it looks like removing the cast metal hubs from the other sprocket and return wheels will be an easy job.

The plastics hub cabs look like they have been super-glued on, but I am not too sure about that yet - even though I have removed the drive sprockets and metal return wheels.

I do have a set of return rollers with rubber tyres from a Centurion that I would like to fit - but I am not sure if the black plastic caps that hold the rollers on are glued - or maybe even screwed on from the inside as they are not showing any signs of movement as I gently try to lever them off. Does anyone on here know ?

The tracks are certainly very heavy and must sap a fair bit of motor power to drive them - I may try bunging a cheap plastic set of tracks on to see what difference it makes to the driving of the tank.

.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

If you have not already tried, perhaps any of the various brands of cyanoacrylate debonder would work to break CA bonds. These are available in hobby store, craft store, and online (search "CA debonder.")

[zooma]

If you have not already tried, perhaps any of the various brands of cyanoacrylate debonder would work to break CA bonds. These are available in hobby store, craft store, and online (search "CA debonder.")

Thanks HDP,

I will buy some cyno debonder as it will come in handy because not everything that needs to be taken apart will take the heat needed to debond it without using a chemical debonder.

........it turns out that it was only PAINT holding the hub caps on to the plastic wheels of my Chieftain so they came off more easily than I expected with a bit of pulling and twisting.

.... I just need to find out how to get those return rollers off now!

[tomhugill]

Mr tanks a lot did an excellent tutorial on the thermal sleeve

https://youtu.be/yWvbB4xFI0o?si=rRYbceyzO-f73bc_

[tomhugill]

Also a few pictures of the real thing from the Yorkshire show

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