re: hinged tracks [TANKS]1

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

Forwarded from Chrysanthos Kanellopoulos:

Hi Chris,

I was planning to send an mpg in a few weeks time from now. They work 
good. The tracks sort of slip on concrete floor (like predicted), but 
other than that I am happy with their performance.
The tank turns on slippery ground, even does full turns on steep slopes.
A good idea is to bolt rubber pads '(from rubber sheets) on the hinges 
pads, for more traction, but I am happy with it as it is. Hate to undo 
and re-work about 110 bolts and double nylon lock nuts. A long winter 
night I might do that.

I also worked a few modifications to reduce the extra weight of the 
steel tracks (used to run the vehicle on cloth reinforced rubber belts - 
see PS and attached image).  New upper hull is from 1.5 -2 mm aluminium 
so it is ultra ilght . I saved about  1.5 kgr there.  I also removed 
some wheels together with their axle and installed some "BBQ power fans" 
with batteries right above the motors to cool them down., just in case. 
They look like hairdryers, blow air, they are ultra light, cost $5 each 
and come with their own battery and switch.

When I posted the images, it was right after the first summer run tests, 
on dry dirt and dry lawn, so the tracks were clean.  The tracks rusted 
fast, but they keep being sanded if you run them on dirt soil. every now 
and then I put them in a bucket full of gasoline overnight so the rust 
does not cojagulate, then lubricate them.  They look shiny in parts, 
rusty, greasy and ugly as they should.

CHrys

PS the drive wheels of the attachment are also CAD-drawn and cut on
hydorcut. These cloth reiforcement belts can be found in many widths and
lengths, not in a variety of thicknesses though, so I do not know if 
they are suitable for your 1:6 scale tanks. These belts are 100 cms 
long. They tend to throw a bolt everynow and then. Good traction though.