Re: Performance of the T018 [TANKS]

[Frank Pittelli <frank-at-rctankcombat.com>]

Rodolphe GREMEAUX wrote:
> Is the T018 able to perform as well in the forest ( very high grass ) as 
> well as the T001 performs ?  Does the Roller chains Tracks performs well
 > in sand or snow ? How well in front of the Tyng track system ?

No tank performs as well as T001 in really rough terrain ... the Tiger 
Owns The Tall Grass!!!!  The Tyng Track System (TTS) is the only track 
used in battle so far that has handled every type of terrain without 
serious problems.  The only real drawback is "water", which causes the 
friction drive to skip.

The 2060 attachment chain used by T018 and other tanks has no problems 
when moving in a straight line through any terrain, including tall grass 
and thick brush.  It has excellent traction and can stand up to any 
abuse.  In fact, T001 and T018 have been known to chase each other 
through the thick stuff.  However, the attachment chain track doesn't 
turn as well in rough terrain, because it digs in when going sideways, 
unlike the TTS which tends to slide when going sideways.  On the other 
hand, it will last forever and it makes a really cool "clak, clak, clak" 
sound when rolling along.

With regard to sand and snow, we've never conducted a battle in either 
terrain, but based on a couple winter field trials, I think that the TTS 
would perform best on snow, because the belt prevents it from digging 
too deep into the snow.

> 
> By the way according to this man
> 
> http://home.netvigator.com/~kwongck/
> 
> Two 350W 24V DC Motors should be enough to to move a heavy tank at high 
> speed. With only two 12V 17A batteries.
> 

That's consistent with Joe Sommer's published calculations and with two 
years of battlefield experience.  Basically, tanks need two 300 watt 
motors and about 30 pounds of lead-acid batteries (arranged as either 
34Ah -at- 12v or 17Ah -at- 24v) to be competitive.  Although all first 
generation tanks used 12v drive trains, there is a high likelihood that 
24v systems will become more common, because of increased efficiencies 
and availability of scooter components.

> 
> By the way how often do you make refuel (battery reload) in an hour of 
> agressive driving during a battle ?

On smooth terrain (e.g. dirt or light grass) most tanks can run an 
entire battle with about 30 pounds of batteries.  In rough terrain 
battles, tanks have been known to slow to a crawl in 30 minutes or less, 
so it is prudent to have a spare set and refuel halfway through the battle.

Note, as the number of battlers increases, so will the size of the 
battlefield and the amount of energy consumed simply moving around the 
field.  Supply vehicles capable of moving ammo and batteries to forward 
bases will be critical to the success of any team ... just like in a 
real battle.  We've only begun to scratch the surface of the strategies 
that will be required by this hobby.

        Frank "Control The Depots And Win The War" Pittelli