Mid March Update

Sorry for the lack of progress over the last couple of weekends but been sidetracked!

Progress has been made on the electrics both the main panel and control panel. The control panel will be accessed through the engine hatch on the upper deck. This is linked by an umbillical cable to the main panel. The main panel has been built up (I dont think I've missed anything!!) and is now ready for wiring up, thats not a five minute job!
Howard arrived yesterday with the elevation mechanism more or less completed. That was a surprise! He's now taken the gun barrel to make the recoil mechanism and barrel connection (to be able to remove the gun barrel, have you seen how long it is in 1/4 scale?) He's also got the old base of the turret to carry on with the turret support frame.

This is the layout of the control panel. From top left, an hour meter to show how much running the model has done, a Voltmeter, a security key switch (to knobble the model if left somewhere), the charging socket, and underneath various switches. The second and third from the left are the track adjustment switches with warning LEDs to show full travel in each direction!

 Kind of out of sequence but following on from talking about the track adjustment this picture shows the limit of travel switches on the right hand track adjuster. These will cut the power to the motor to prevent any damage and will light the appropriate LED.

 This is the underneath of the main electrics panel. In the middle the main amplifier, to the right the DC to DC converter (12v from 24v), to the left the +24v -24v and +12v connectors and main relay, bottom left is the strip of relay holders and on the far left edge all the off panel connectors.

 The top of the control panel with the three 4QD speed controllers, aluminium box for the Benedini sound module, smoke generator controller, RC Rx, RC BEC and an RC Battleswitch to turn the tank lights on and off. The red unit is an MP3 player with next to it a 4 pole changeover relay to switch the main tank speakers from the MP3 player to the Alpine amplifier when the model is switched on. To the right of the Ali box is an Electronize speed controller for the turret traverse.

 Here's the top with the steel cover over the speed controllers (not painted yet!)

 The rear of the main panel with four connectors to the control panel, turret traverse and turret power and to the right the speakers and smoke generator connectors.

 To get away from electrics, here's the elevation mechanisn. The mantlet and inner gun tube pivot just to the front of the upright steel panel. This panel will be welded to the turret support frame.

 Looking down the inner gun tube (that which the gun barrel slides in and out for recoil). The motor and gearbox can be seen mounted below the steel panel linked via ball joints and threaded rod (for adjustment).

A side view showing the pivot trunnions and inner gun tube support frame (nice and robust!)

Thats it for now. We're off for a week down in Somerset this next week so there wont be much to report for a couple of weeks but I shall crack on with wiring up the electrics as and when I can.

Late Feb/Early March Progress

Progress has been slow but steady on the Big Panther. Last weekend I was working on the electrics panel, while Howard made some modified spring assemblies and springs then we both made a start on the turret.

This weekend has been all about the turret! Yesterday (Saturday) Howard made the turret traverse mechanism which incorporates an electrical connection which is automatically made when the turret is mounted. This is something I thought about while watching others struggling with their 1/4 scale turrets and umbilical cables but H turned my thoughts into reality (as usual!). Today (Sunday) we made the replacement rear sides and fitted them. We had to do this twice as the first time it didnt go to plan. I think they're about right now but that was using the Mk1 Eyeball rather than relying on measurements which were proven to be pants!!! If in the future you see these parts and think they are wrong, take my advice, keep your thoughts to yourself as if Howard doesnt sock you I might!!! LOL.

Anyway, after this, a start was made on the internal space frame for the turret. This will have hardpoints for the gun trunnions, electrics, speakers and dolly. This will be next weeks job now.

In the background I have been spending money like water :-( One order to 4QD for the speed controllers and Interfaces for mine and A.N.Others tank and we were £660 lighter! Add up other bits and bobs and the electrics becomes expensive. All neccesary stuff though unfortunately. I hope to progress with the electrics panel during the week and when I have something to show I'll get some pictures of that and post them.

 This is how the turret looked when we started hacking it about!

 Although the rear sides were at the correct angles with respect to the sides and rear they were too short.

 So after a lot of measurement and more application of Eyeball Mk1 the cuts were made.

 Also while we were about it, the mantlet and curved front for the turret were removed so that new locating points could be made attached to the turret spaceframe.

Here's an example of one of the front wheelstations modified spring assemblies. The triangular metal plate bolts the the chassis frame tube and the yoke to the left engages with the swing arm. We found that the springs could move on the first swing arms and the first drive chain would run across the coil springs making a juddering noise, the longer tube welded to the triangular plate brings the spring well away from the motor and chain.

 This is the start of the turret traverse mechanism. The pulley is attached to a large tube which sits in the blue bearing housing. This all sits in the hull of the tank. In the middle is the start of the turret, which for now is just a steel tube...

 ...with a keyway for locating and an electrical plug and socket within. The plug is arranged (not in this pic) so that the steel tube and keyway engages first within the pulley tube before it makes contact with the socket. This should ensure the reliability of the plug and socket and prevent them getting bent or broken.

 Howard Tig welds the motor mounting bracket...

...et voila the finished article. The spigott out the bottom of the bearing block will fit in the 30mm square tube of the turret mount (remember in one of the previous chassis pics a tube sticking up from the middle of the hull? That will be cut to length and this assembly affixed to it!)

Here's a short video to show the mechanism working. This is a 24v motor working on a 15V power supply so the mechanism has the potential to spin a bit faster if need be!

 These are the Mk1 sides before cutting...

...and these are the Mk2 sides after cutting. I'm happy with these although it was a bone of contention: see above note!!!

 This is the start of the turret spaceframe looking towards the front of the turret. This will have mounting points for gun trunnions, electrics, speakers and dolly. Obviously it will support the traverse spiggot which plugs into the traverse mechanism as well.

Hopefully by next weekend we'll see some progress on the electrics panel and I can show you the layout of this. Onwards and upwards :-)

Jims Opel Blitz!

Jim Cusworth has put his Opel Blitz lorry up for sale! See the main add on the UK Tank Talk page but here are some pictures to whet your whistle :-)