Dmon1996

After almost 2 years of being on the fence about 1/6, I finally got myself a Stuart. First impression - MAN, IT's BIG! Second, I am sorry to see 21st Century gone before releasing their Sherman. The Sherman was past protopype stage and was being tooled for production when WalMart pulled their contract with 21st Century (may the Wallyworld exec taht did that burn in He** for all eternity), causing 21st Century to go belly-upd because of overextension financially. Anyway, I am much impressed with my Stuart.

Found the pros to be that it is mostly correct-ish. Bear in mind it was meant as a kid's toy. The grab handles are a bit overwidth, but are made of nylon so they do not break easily. Everything is built to last, and the plastic (I believe it is actually PVC plastic) is thick. The lower hull has two compartments that I have not gotten an answer for what they were originally designed for, but either is an excellent place to put the battery in to lower the centre of gravity. The battery is a 12 volt lead acid, easily upgraded to gel which would allow for permanent mount and a remote charge port instead of having to remove it. Another plus is it is really easy to get a figure for the tank commander, although getting a tanker helmet is like finding gold in an outhouse.

The biggest con is the electronics - it comes with one speed forward and one speed back. It does have skid steer which is accurate for this tank but go/stop is not great. Typical upgrade seems to be to either set up for 7.2 volts and use a Tamiya setup or use a Sabertooth 2x12 RC esc. I am opting for the Sabertooth - did a Tam KT with one and it is an excellent speed control.

Anyway, that is my take on the Stuart. My project is moving forward - the skirts have been removed and I am doing the other bodywork. I have not yet decided about whether to replace teh oversize handles but there are definitely some missing so I will start with them.

Postings are useless without pics, so the link to my Photobucket page is http://s305.beta.photobucket.com/use...library/Stuart

Here is a pic with the Sarge overseeing the work on his tank. He's a real taskmaster...

Panther F

It's really not bad as is and for the original price of $149.99 (what I paid for both of mine in 2004) it's fun but also an expandable platform. One thing on yours is to install a suitable sized hose clamp on the sprocket hub so that it will NOT break on you.














~ Jeff

Dmon1996

Thanks for the suggestion, but I was going to try and make an interference fit metal ring. That should do the same thing, and will not cause an out of balance situation. I will hoseclamp if it does not work out. One thinkg that is great about the Stuart is that it is so big, you can really get into fabricating without having to go cross-eyed doing it.

Size comparison between my Stuart (before mod) and my Tamiya Sherman. It really puts things in perspective... saying that the tank is 28" long really does not convey the bulk of this tank.

Panther F

Hey ANYTHING that will create pressure on the outside of the hub of the sprocket is better than nothing. As slow as these things creep along I doubt there will be an in-balance but that all goes out the door when you start modifying them.

I'm working on a slip sleeve to force over the hub and then retain it by epoxy, but the hose clamp is a great idea, one that cannot be seen easily either.














~ Jeff

Dmon1996

I was concerned about a hose clamp's visibility as well as the offset of weight, but if you say it isn't then that is good enuf for me. I will still see if a slip collar is easily done but won't waste a bunch of time on it either. I've seen where some people have put several nylon tie straps on instead of a hose clamp... don't know how good taht would be though. Got lots to do on the tank otherwise, and once the snow melts here I will probably be too busy working on my Mustang restoration. Got a '67 coupe in the garage that I am doing up original, and it will probably monopolize my time in a month or two. Too many hobbies, not enough free time. I need to retire or clone myself...

Panther F

Nope... the "hose clap" is not visible (though you could see it with a flashlight) at all and tie-straps would not exert the same type of support. There are many designs of clamps out there so shop around for the smallest and I would paint it black.

And I know what you mean by time... I want time to work on the Stuarts, but 1/16 get's in the way and I need time for my 1/16 projects but have other things pulling me aside, as well as family and work.

Good luck with your tank!














~ Jeff

pattoncommander

As Jeff mentioned, for the price, the Stuart offers a lot of possibilities. Jack Yang's tracks are a great addition to get rid of those Hokey double pin tracks and make it look soooo much beter.

Dmon1996

I've sent an email to Jack Yang about his tracks, but have not heard back. It souds like he had lost the casting molds and only now has been recreating them. At least, from what I have seen posted on the Ottawa 1/6 forum and M5 Stuart Tank Battallion forum...To date I have not heard back from him on price or availability.

Panther F

Yeah, something about the guy who was to take over the manufacturing process didn't live up on his end of the deal, and then Jack couldn't/didn't get his molds back.

As far as the stock tracks go, I would leave 'em and concentrate on other more important things.


As someone once said, while they are moving you cannot see them!














~ Jeff

Dmon1996

YEE HAH! I just scored a Dragon Tanker Patton with the helmet for $32 shipped off eBay! It's missing the goggles and his gunbelt, but I didn't care about that... It does come with several pieces of spare clothes as well, but I really wanted that helmet! Finding a tanker helmet is like finding hen's teeth now, and they always go for $30-40 now. I got mine with a bunch of extras thrown in! YAY!

Panther F

Cool! Great score! Keep looking for all of those are getting hard to find.

With two versions of Patton, an Eisenhower, the 21st Century tanker, R. Lee Ermey and half a dozen other figures (both Allies and Axis) there's enough to start a small war over here.


I still need to work on the horseshoe turret kit I have for one of my Stuarts.




You keep posting and you just might be the motivation I need.














~ Jeff

pattoncommander

It's been a while and I sold my Stuart, but last time I corresponded with Jack, he was still hand making his tracks and it took a long time, but the wait was worth it. Maybe he just got overloaded.

Ronan87

I'm almost afraid to ask... how much do the tracks go for?

It's kinda cool having a TV star in our hobby I'v seen him on TV multiple times.

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

The Stuart is a blast to convert, I've done 5 or 6 of em now.

Other big thing with the running gear is the rear idler bushing mod. It's a must to keep any longevity in it. It's listed in the Yahoo group, or if need be give me a holler and I'll go over it with you.

bhop73

I actually have one of these myself. The battery charger died after the first time I ran it.. so I only got to run it once. I've been cleaning my apt... was thinking of selling it off to make some space. Incredibly, my gf, after seeing it for the first time, wants me to keep it and display it. I thought she hated my scale-model infatuation.. i guess the bigger the better really is true.

pattoncommander

at the time, I think around a hundred...been a while.[:-]

Dmon1996

From the pics I've seen of his tracks, a hundred would be a very wise investment. Especially seeing as he is casting each link and such. I'd find a brown (Canadian term for $100) for a set of his tracks in a heartbeat!

angusx

Thanks. Very true. Knew that it was big but had forgotten quite how big!

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Jack's pricing for a complete set of tracks (back in 2010) was $250.00, according to his price list.