sevoblast

VCO and I leave tomorro AM early for Odessa. Tank met is Saturday and Sunday. We return Monday in the late afternoon methinks. We will take the laptop. but don't know if we'll have net access there. If not, all orders and inquiries will be answered when we return Monday.
We will of course take lots of photos, and post some of them here. Should be a very interesting time. There is quite a nest of 1/10 scale tankers there, and from last year's photos only 3 1/16 tanks were in the meet, 2 Tamiya and 1 HL Tiger 1. None battle system equiped.
We are taking 6 tanks, five for meet activity, and one Sherman as a hack for newbies to drive, and to demo the Turnigy enertia system.
Activities will include driving skills competitons, model competitons, technical demos, and with our battle system equiped tanks, mayhap some fighting to boot.
If we have net access, I will try to post a little something about the daily activities while there. Weather is supposed to be good. Only fly in the ointment is Sunday afternoon rain is predicted.
See y'all when we return!

Pershing.Driver

Sounds like a great time - Enjoy lots of photos please

HAL_HUSKER

hi, guys... we also ride our tankees... www.d-i-m.su at the moment we have it only in in russian. working on english pages development.
we do have 5 Tamiyas and build the ww2 diorama as well for our tank battles - a lot of fun. we are based in moscow (much easier to come ) tomorrow we will have our interactive show - photos and videos will be loaded. in december we will have our own tank contest. you are welcome as well. and next year we will have big tank event in well known kubinka tank museum.

herrmill

Have an excellent time Bob & send us lots of photos. [sm=thumbs_up.gif]

Its rather appropriate that Karen's KV-2 announcement was posted today. Am certain you guys in the Motherland will see your share of new Tamiya kits headed your way.

bowlman

1/10 wow love to see them monsters have Fun Bob and yes plenty of pics have a great weekend .


Thanks
Jimmy

HAL_HUSKER

some photos from our 5th September event: http://systemaster.ru/links/gallery/...y/3-tank050909

fsciorelli

Otlichna Tovarishi!

Franchik, iz Kalifornia

blitzkrieg65

Nice Pictures Hal, it looks like you all had a fun day! If you want to get those heng long tanks in the battle you can with this unit!

http://www.rctankwars.com/battlecircuits.asp




The Blitz

HAL_HUSKER

thanks guys, yes we did... +a lot of children, that drove "their tanks", having received "THEREALTANKMAN CERTIFICATE"...

fsciorelli

Bil shashlik?

sevoblast

OK, we did indeed survive the trip to and from Odessa, and that's a story in itself. Suffice it to say the roads on the 600 odd klick journey are quite intriguing to say the least. Both VCO and I, and the Kamazik, survived unscathed, which was a minor miracle in itself. Average speed over this major, and only, road east-west on the south coast was a blazing 65kph, in other words 10 hours of driving including stops at 39mph average.
This year there were 3 1/10 scale tanks, the Panther and Cz 38 from last year, and an SU152. Awsome fails to describe these tanks when you are up close and personal. For instance, the Panther has the prototypical double torsion bars for each road wheel, functional. In their build que are a Tiger 1 early, KT, and JT. Truly awsome work, all hand built of aluminium and steel, with cast aluminium tracks.
In 1/16, last year there were only 3, 2 Tams and an HL Tiger. This year, not counting our 6, there was 14 in our scale, a mix of Tigers, Panthers, Stug 3 and P3, and a freshly built KV by Tam.
The competition was basically an obstical and road course, with a 2m high hill at 45 degrees, various bridges, trenches, twists and turns etc, and for the 1/10 tanks pyrotechnic land mines set off by remote control. We were 5th to start this with 3 tanks entered, VCO's Panther with the newly completed Type 1 Competition TU's, the KT, and the German Sherman. None of the other tanks made it up this hill in one try before us, and some could not climb it at all. Our KT just crossed the bridge, came to the hill, never hesitated, powered right up and over the mound with no problems. Same with Panther and Sherm. Then, thru the water obstical, various other bumps and scrapes, in to a 3 sided box, stop there and fire all your weapons, back out of that 2m in to a 90 degree dead end, power forward over a brick wall and to the finish.
Second competiton was a technical and modeling phase, which was quite interesting.
Our tanks were quite interesting to the tankers there, especially the 1/16 lads. They had never seen tanks built for fighting with TBU and all the small and big mods needed for same. None had seen a battle system, but a few had heard of it. After the technical competition, VCO and I just handed out radios and tanks and let them have at it after a short instruction course. A massively good time was had by all then. Some of these tankers I can see will be formidable opponents in Kiev in spring. Rules for TBU competitions will be written and formalized well before the meet.
We made several contacts, and will later this week start planning for a the meet in Kiev in spring when the weather breaks.
Photos will be posted either today or tomorrow after VCO gets some rest and downloads the cameras. All in all, the trip was well worth the trouble, and methinks the beginning of serious tanking in Krim and Ukr has started as of this Saturday past.

sevoblast

Hello Hal
We will be having a tank meet and competition in Kiev in spring I think You are more than welcome to attend with your club. I will email you with my private information.
Sev

EugeniRUS

Hi Bob,

Good to hear you made your trip OK. Wish I was there.
Show us some photos!

BR,
Eugene

sevoblast

Hi Eugene
Wish you had been there also. Reports are the road from Kiev was excellent to Odessa. After we have our spring meet planned for Kiev, maybe you can make it to that one. In Kiev it will be battle contests, technical demonstrations, and modeling contests.
I will post photos later today after Lean'chka downloads them. We have a LOT of photos!
BR
Bob

ArmChairGeneral

Hey Bob, did you travel from the US to Odessa? Thats quite a trip, no trouble with customs carrying the tanks over?

Paul

sevoblast

Nope, Paul, I moved to Krimea couple years or so ago, and spent the three years before that mostly here. Married a local gal who had not much desire to come to USA, sooo...here I be.
Drove from Sevastopol, Krimea, aka home, to Odessa. My back has not recovered yet.
It's no problem to ship tanks here. I sent all I had, plus some kits, and all the parts, electronics, tools, etc before I moved. Nary a squeak from Post or Border Control. Good kitchen knives, now that's a horse of a different colour. When Post started to squeal, I already had the box in my hand, so after listening to them as to why I could not ship them to meself and could not have them, I just turned around and walked out. They didn't know what to do, so they did nothing.

ArmChairGeneral

Interesting, you can mail order knives, swords and small cannon online ! I asked because your profile said you're in the East, USA. Now that would be a drive !

sevoblast

Can't order them here on line, or at least receive any kind of sword, bayonet, or firing device of any kind. Then again, Post often does not know what they are looking at in an xray of a parcel.
The "east USA" is kinda of a joke. My HOR for taxes etc is Jax, but I been living here as stated for a little over two years. Not a bad place, but you got to know and understand the culture here before you come. It is what would be termed "different" to say the least.

herrmill

You want different? Try living in China. JAX is definitely in its own camp, but we don't need to go there..

One of my sailing buddies here is married to a very lovely lady from Volgagrad & was just there for August holiday. From the sound of his trip recap, there are quite a few temptations walking about the shopping malls & supermarket aisles of Mother Russia. Now that's a "difference" I'd like to see.

Now where are those photos, Bob?

sevoblast

Here's some!

sevoblast

Files are pretty big. Here's a couple more.
First ones are of a scratched 1/10 SU152 with blank fire system. Quite impressive.

sevoblast

Couple more.

blitzkrieg65

That first pic is awesome![sm=thumbs_up.gif]


The Blitz

sevoblast

Ain't it now?? Blank fire system in the cabin. Second pic is a news type being run over...hmmmm....gives me some ideas, it do. Third is VCO's personal ride, the Sov Panther, with Tam Type 1's with the ETO steel gears, reinforcements, and gear downs etc. Performed flawlessly all day, and it got run hard in the battles in the evenings. Ready for detailing and weathering in the next few weeks. And yeah, I know, Type 1's ain't supposed to fit the Panther...but with about 10 mikes work, they fit well. Just had to cobble up a longer output shaft. No problem.
Here's the 1/10 Panther right after firiing. Same system.

bowlman

Hi Bob that SU152 at 1/10 th looks real good and the size between 1/6 and 1/16 its not to big and not to small add some battle systems and id like one some thing to think about down the road .

Jimmy