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The forward-reverse switches and one of the analog throttle controls
are shown here. With Panther Tank #002 using a digital control mechanism,
this analog approach was taken to see how the two approaches differ
under battle conditions.
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The main drive motors were used to power kiddie cars and were
bought from a surplus catalog complete with heavy-duty plastic gears.
The motors are directly connected to the drive shafts for the front
drive wheel of each tread. The treads themselves are driven by friction,
which has proven to be sufficient and far more reliable than cogs.
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Click Photo For Enlargement (95 Kb)
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Click Photo For Enlargement (40 Kb)
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The Tiger tracks were built (2nd generation) as separate assemblies that are
bolted to the bottom of the hull. That allows them to be easily removed for
modification, testing and maintenance. Alumininum square stock (3/4") was
used to mount the fixed 1/4" axles. An additional right-angle piece adds
strength to the hull mounting.
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A close-up of the track mounting assembly shows the various nuts, bolts and
lag screws used to hold everything together. With a couple of wrenches, the
entire assembly comes apart in a few minutes. Double-nuts and washers
are used between the mounting assembly and each wheel to lock the axle
into place and provide a uniform spacing between the assembly and all
wheels.
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Click Photo For Enlargement (337 Kb)
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Click Photo For Enlargement (131 Kb)
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November 2001:
Tiger Tank #001 is shown here immediately after the first-ever R/C tank
battle, with all of its accumulated damage. With a little
bit of soap and water, and a lot more system tinkering, it will be ready
for more battles to come.
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May 2003:
The Tiger-1 finally gets a camo paint job and some details to make it look
a little more like the original. (Good looks don't help much during a battle,
but it can't hurt either.)
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Click Photo For Enlargement (114 Kb)
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Click Photo For Enlargement (97 Kb)
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May 2003:
The original straight magazine didn't feed reliably enough, so it has been
replaced by a tubular magazine. See
Tubular Paintball Magazine
for more details about the construction of this magazine, including
detailed photos of each component.
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June 28, 2003:
The Tiger proudly wears a coat of paint after a day of battling against
the Tyng Regime. Fortunately, frontal hits on the Tiger don't count.
(See
First Tyng Invitational for details)
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Click Photo For Enlargement (140 Kb)
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Click Photo For Enlargement (88 Kb)
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October 12, 2003:
Based on extensive field testing and battlefield experience with T001, T002
and T012, the original
bicycle-chain track developed for the Tiger 1 has been deemed too unreliable
for long-term purposes. Therefore, a new track system, based on the Tyng Track
System (TTS) was built (see Tank T005 for details).
The modified design uses a molded inner tread that
incorporates two teeth, instead of the single tooth in the original TTS.
This photo shows the stages of development including (from left to right):
male plug, female rubber mold, molded inner tread, plate drilled to
accept rivets and oak outer treads.
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The mold was made using Evergreen 40 molding rubber
and the tread was made using Smooth-Cast 300 polyurethane resin,
which cures in 3-5 minutes. Both materials are available from
www.smooth-on.com.
The inner treads are 4 inches long, 1.25 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.
The teeth are approx 3/8 inch
tall and are placed so that there is 1.5 inches between their bases, which
is the thickness of the drive and roadwheels on Tiger 1. The outer treads
are 1-3/8" inches wide because that was the width of the pre-cut molding
at the lumber yard which eliminated a couple of milling steps. The oak
molding strips were planed down to 1/4" so that the rivets would be long
enough to attach them to the inner treads.
The molded inner treads were tinted gray to eliminate the need for painting
them, while the outer treads were sealed with lacquer and will be painted
black or gray. The outer treads were made out of wood instead of plastic
because oak has excellent durability and they could be made faster and cheaper.
More experience
is needed with the plastic resin before it will be considered for use
as the outer tread, which needs to take a lot of abuse as the
tank travels over rough terrains.
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