Re: My LAST steering rebuild [TANKS]

["Stacy Hilton" <stacyj-at-defnet.com>]

OK, so I read this reply again and found something else to comment on. 
Generalissimo Pittelli has called the BT-7 a light weight.  Yes, thin armor 
(22mm frontal), small gun (45mm), but FAST (70MPH).  Frank has in fact found 
me out.  I am using the RC tank combat game as an excuse to build a replica 
of a Christie convertible tank.  The most advanced example of one that I 
could find that adheres to the "production" rule.   I am a dyed-in-the-cloth 
Christie nut and I am jumping at a chance to build a functioning example. 
Will it be an advantage in this game?  Maybe not.  But I WILL have a vehicle 
with an actual, fairly accurate Christie suspension, and it will be 
convertible.  I have discovered a couple of disadvantages to the Christie 
design.  SMALL turret (not enough room for the out-of-scale .68 caliber 
gun).  VERY narrow hull (I have no room for my 200W scooter motors).  the 
dual function will eat up valuable space that is already at a premium.  All 
of these things reflect why the Christie suspension system was discarded a 
long time ago.  But damn, if I can pull it off, it will be COOL!!!  And, 
maybe one day there will be a SPEED rule!  Watch who will pepper who's ass 
then!!!  I have suffered MANY set-backs.  Form normally follows function. 
In this case, form is fore-most.  Getting things to fit the form AND 
function is a great pain it the nether regions.  I think a teaser pic is in 
order.

Paul Hilton.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Frank Pittelli" <frank-at-rctankcombat.com>
To: <tanks-at-rctankcombat.com>
Sent: Saturday, September 01, 2007 11:05 AM
Subject: Re: My LAST steering rebuild [TANKS]


> Clark Ward Jr wrote:
>> This is an interesting question because the BT-7 is only wheeled when
>> it's not tracked :)    In effect, you lose a track (or both) due to
>> damage/whatever, and the powered roadwheels keep you moving.
>
> Ok. I've looked at the wiki info on the BT-7 and I think it's a 
> straight-forward issue.  If the vehicle is operating with both tracks, 
> then it is considered a tank (albeit a light-weight).  If the operator 
> removes one or both tracks at any time, then the vehicle becomes an 
> armored car (even more of a lightweight).  Personally, I'd love to see 
> that vehicle with pivot steering on all roadwheels ... using a modified 
> version of the Conn Steering Linkage :-)
>
> With regard to dual designations, that issue actually came up a few years 
> back when Mike Blattau converted the UN Support Vehicle (SV004) by adding 
> a gun to the top (in an effort to stop competition from other supply 
> vehicles he said).  Therefore, during the battle, the vehicle was given 
> the ratings of an armed car, but still ran using the designation of SV004. 
> Similar situations have occurred when tanks with non-operational guns are 
> used as supply vehicles.  Basically, we use whatever accounting method 
> keeps things simple for the score keeper :-)
>
> Frank P.
>

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