Strato50

So, will Panzer 3 tracks fit the Panzer 4, and vice versa?

Also need a good sources for a few sets of either, for my WW1 Mk8 project...

thecommander

Dad says, YUP....Kim

The number of links is the only difference.

Rex Ross

"Dad" beat me to it, but here's some photos anyhow...........

Strato50

Very helpful, thanks!

This is going on my Indiana Jones tank

Panther F

OH SWEET!!! [8D]


Do you have the plans/schematic for it? $$



















~ Jeff

YHR

Nice and unique. Great job

Rex Ross

~~~~~~

Excellent project! How are you going to power the drive sockets at the rear? That tank looks big enough inside to have a pool table and a hot tub, but the space available at the rear looks limited for gear boxes because of the way it is shaped.

Strato50

It's huge inside, its a full 6" across and about 15" deep from where the drivers position is and back, and another 4-5" tall (guestimate!) on the interior.

I basically took a metal ruler and hobby knife and started cutting panels to build it. Worked off visual reference from still images from the film. The overall dimensions are based off a Mk VIII but both I and the film makers took a lot of creative license in its overall shape. It's 26" long.

The body of my tank is a lot wider than a scale MK VIII, so I can actually fit two HL drive units in the rear. I plan to build an enclosure around and under them, as it stands now it is just open space. So the tank's rear body will extend almost to the end of the tracks, although I plant to have some open space between them if I have enough room. Waiting on parts!




You can see the difference between the Mk VIII and the movie... they built it a lot wider for the turret.

Strato50

I never drew up any official plans for it, but usually when I take a knife to plastic like this I draw things out in nice round numbers (in inches) so I could probably put together some dimensions

The main 'box' is 6 inches wide, for example. The front glacias and slopes in the rear and forward track area I mainly just eyeballed. Again, the turret was eyeballed, and isn't 'exact' to the movie, but it looks good!

It's basically a bunch of nice clean interlocking rectangles, with track ovals on the sides holding it all together.

I hope it looks more complete and less like a big box once I have the TU's installed in the back. Lots of potential detailing left for this tank!!

Buckeye36

My Feedback: (3)

Very cool!

thomasjohnmurphy

Great looking tank. If you need so tracks (Panzer III/IV) I have plenty. I drive by Hamilton everyday so let me know and we can meet up along the QEW.

DirtyBird69

Incredible..I Love it!...if you ever want to sell a build please let me know!

thomasjohnmurphy

what type of tank are you looking for?

Tanque

Here are photos of the model ( taken at a scrap yard ) ILM used in some of the shots from the Indiana Jones film. I don't know if this was the actual model used in filming( it had
the end bent where it would have impacted on that scene when it went "over the cliff"). The story was that it was disposed of after shooting with specific
instructions on its disposal but the scrap yard owners would have let me have it. Part of the detail 'skin' and the turret were missed but we understood a yard worker had removed them. They were to be given over to us ( me) as well. I chose not to take the yard owner up on his offer as the thing was too large and really in sad shape. It may have seemed cool to have it but the realities if seeing it in the flesh ( so to speak ) out weighed the coolness factor. I don't know what happened to the model; this was a very long time ago.

Hopefully the shape may be seen and will help creating a smaller version.

Jerry

Strato50

Hey guys, an update!

I'm going to use the Panzer 3 tracks & electronics so I've ordered a donor tank & spare set of tracks & 12 extra roadwheels from Mato, with my MKVIII using 12 roadwheels per side.

I've also decided that to make the tracks look more WW1-ish, I'm going to create a hybrid of sorts. Ive bought a few strips of polystyrene "C" channel strips, 1/4" wide, that I will cut and glue to every track link.

Super tedious. Might not even work... BUT I don't know if it's ever been tried! With 2 full sets of P3 tracks on this project, that comes to 368 links~ altogether... Oh man.

Also Ive come up with a spring & brass tube assembly to act as a track tensioner, up front. Pics will come when I actually build it!

DirtyBird69

probably something like this/WW1 style.....I like It!

Strato50

Some updates!

My donor Panzer 3 came in the mail today so it quickly succumbed to my tools for its parts!

I cut the roadwheel axles out of 7/32" brass tube, CA-glued the roadwheels together & mounted them onto the hull. This baby has no suspension... this baby DON'T NEED no suspension!

I used a piece of .050" aircraft grade aluminum to mount the gearboxes, and bolted them down, to avoid over stressing the plastic hull. They still require some bracing. Most of the remaining cosmetic work will involve shaping a cover for the rear deck & rear hull, so I have easy access to the gears.

This tank uses exactly 2 full sets of Panzer 3 tracks, and they just so happened to fit PERFECTLY on the first try, without adding or removing any links. What a miracle! No return rollers, yet... If I can remove the set on the donor tank without damaging them, I may install them, but as things are the track goes around the hull very smoothly.

I used some steel washers, 2 sizes of brass tube that interlock, and some .025" piano wire to coil 4 springs for the "tensioner" system, as pictured. This allows the front idler wheel (actually a P3 drive sprocket) to push outwards, keeping some tension on the track. It works well, and also allows me an easy method of removing the track.

DirtyBird69

Man I love how this thing is coming along!.... The tensioners although very clever in design, are a bit obtrusive visually....any possible way to camoflage/re-design them so they are internal?

Strato50

I had a few ideas about them, and this one was the most simple and relatively easy to fabricate. I'm alright with it as one of the few sacrifices in scale this model has, hehe. My next choice was a threaded rod & nut assembly, and come to think of it, it would be a relatively easy thing to change in the future if I wanted. I like the idea of the springs, though, it's sorta fun :P

I think with paint, it will stick out a little less! :P

Rex Ross

Have you considered mounting the motor frames on slots cut into the floor so that the mounting screws can be loosened to allow the motors to slide forward and backwards as required?

Your model looks terrific!

DirtyBird69

Thats what I was going to suggest lol...have the motor mounts sit on an adjustable plate that you can slide back or forthat one time to get the tension right....simpleand inconspicuous.....You might not need upper rollers, but I might I suggest using metal on the track sliders as opposed to styrene.....Just my 2 cents..You get this design perfected I'd be happy to purchase one!

Patski

holy crap! I love it!!!! next, Mathilda

Strato50

Hey Rex,

I have done so just the other day! Thanks for the suggestion. I ended up having to adjust for some side-to-side movement as well, so there is some flexibility now!

Strato50

So, it RUNS now! The PnzIII donor HL tank had a couple broken wires inside that worried me for a few minutes, but I fixed em... Even the volume control coming loose seems to wreak havoc on the RX-18.

All the individual track 'pads' are now glued on and surprisingly resilient. I was sanding the edges down on my tabletop belt sander, and they didn't move at all. I have about 100 spares anyway

Some detail work, lots of eye screws & the engine grill.

Rex Ross

OMG! [X(]

Your track modifications caused me to have a flashback about the track I did for my Char1 bis last year. I know what you went through and hope that you didn't suffer any brain damage like I think I did! I really appreciate what a bunch of tedious work that was. Here's a few photos of my brain cramp....we had a very similar solution to the problem.
Rex