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Single motor tank

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:04 pm
by 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?

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 5:03 pm
by Martin2556
Early Tamiya tanks used a single motor & two clutches. 😊

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:04 pm
by 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.

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Wed Apr 03, 2024 11:34 pm
by Saracen
Vantex did exactly that with their models. This is the inside of my M4A3 Sherman:

DSCN1461.jpg
DSCN1461.jpg (1.84 MiB) Viewed 1493 times

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

Adrian.

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 4:22 am
by 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.

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 9:47 pm
by 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? :O Does anyone have such a beastie?

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Thu Apr 04, 2024 10:26 pm
by 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.

Re: Single motor tank

Posted: Tue Apr 09, 2024 8:32 pm
by Saracen
> but it must be canTANKerous to run.

:haha:

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.