RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

I have bought a machine gun with built in flash to us as a coaxial for the T62 but would like to add the flash effect to the DShKM anti aircraft gun that i 3D printed.
Questions are,
What are the most common way to do this, LED with a fiber optic running up the barrel ?
Grain of wheat bulb, not sure if they are available that small. Size of hole up barrel is 1.5mm, might be able to take it to 2mm.
I seen some of the new very small style of LEDs, the ones that are a little yellow square. What about these ?
Is the flash controlled by the mfu or is it a flashing LED you need ?
Sorry for all the questions.

When I have done this I use a fiber optic cable, you can get them pretty small, with whatever color LED I want (I prefer orange, which I have trouble finding the pre-wired fiber optic in that color) heat shrinked to the other end of the fiber cable.

I have only ever done this with MFUs that have a plug for a secondary machine gun. There might be a thingy you could buy to make it blink, but I don’t know what’s it would be called, or if it would flash rapidly enough to simulate machine gun fire.

Jib wrote: ↑Fri Oct 24, 2025 5:29 am When I have done this I use a fiber optic cable, you can get them pretty small, with whatever color LED I want (I prefer orange, which I have trouble finding the pre-wired fiber optic in that color) heat shrinked to the other end of the fiber cable.

I have only ever done this with MFUs that have a plug for a secondary machine gun. There might be a thingy you could buy to make it blink, but I don’t know what’s it would be called, or if it would flash rapidly enough to simulate machine gun fire.

If you have trouble getting the orange which you prefer get white and either paint the led or end of the optic cable with orange transparent paint (tamiya do these in various colours)

Stormbringer wrote: ↑Fri Oct 24, 2025 12:39 pm

Jib wrote: ↑Fri Oct 24, 2025 5:29 am When I have done this I use a fiber optic cable, you can get them pretty small, with whatever color LED I want (I prefer orange, which I have trouble finding the pre-wired fiber optic in that color) heat shrinked to the other end of the fiber cable.

I have only ever done this with MFUs that have a plug for a secondary machine gun. There might be a thingy you could buy to make it blink, but I don’t know what’s it would be called, or if it would flash rapidly enough to simulate machine gun fire.

If you have trouble getting the orange which you prefer get white and either paint the led or end of the optic cable with orange transparent paint (tamiya do these in various colours)

Thanks! I’ll give this a try next time!

Hi Moogie , https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/335070536265 ... 4296412505

B.

Thanks Blimp.