Hi desertlynxaz. I'm the Jerry the other guys referred to. Aka: gas/glow tank guy, the guy with the
noisy, smelly, fill in the blank, tanks.

I'm going to start this out by saying listen to the others! Make an electric model your first model tank.
To own and operate a glow/gas powered model isn't the best way to start out. I'd not recommend it.
Why? Setup isn't trivial, the forces and internal speeds involved require a lot of maintenance and
care how you operate them. They aren't the sort of model you can run and forget or just pull off the shelf
and go. At least not for long. Lapses in maintenance can be costly. I personally like all this, it adds a depth
to the hobby I really enjoy. I do my own machine work and in many instances my own foundry work.
It works for me, keeps me centered at times living in the white collar corporate world the rest of the time.

You should also know I actively run( although not as much as many here ) and operate a pretty significant
herd of 1/16 scale electrics. Love 'em.

Now a little more info on 'gassers'

All of my glow powered models are 1/10 scale

I have to say as much as I enjoy ( most of the time ) IC engine powered tanks, I refrain from calling them
"nitro" as the nitro content I keep to no more than 10% simply referring to them a glow powered tanks.

I do have two actual gas powered tanks ( Sankyo 1/8th scale Type 61 ) and I've built a model ( 1/10 scale type 74)
powered by a OS 48 Surpass 4 cycle on gasoline that used a CH Ignition system ( hall effect pickup) with TCSA to control the timing. Long story short I removed everything to run it on glow fuel as I just couldn't keep the engine cool enough, a real pity
as at started great, ran beautifully but after 10min the exhaust manifold would glow red hot.

90% of my models are powered by the same type of engine - the long out of production Webra .40cid ( 6,5ccm) RC
"Blackhead" - the first version with keyed crankshaft not the later, less expensive Silverline .40 Blackhead. The original
Blackhead is tough, easy to maintain, simple to tune, powerful and lends itself to a rear ( "Stamo" ) style cooling fan
which makes for a compact unit. Below is an example of the engine, sans starter and flywheel.

The model and the engine is the easy part. You need a transmission, but you already know that.

A engine- transmission unit is not easier, cheaper or simpler than electric by a long shot.

There are not many options to buy on the market. Three that come to mind are Sankyo's, once used in a 1/12 King Tiger ( not recommended),
1/10 Type 74 ( good), 1/10 type 90 ( unknown quality ) and 1/8th Type 61 ( good, noisy Zenoah 23cc eng, OOP);
Telis Tank's gearbox and the you make it your self designs from Iliya Cerjak which are very good.

I have hunted high and low for and have used for nearly 35 years what I consider to be the best designed and most robust
model tank transmission ever - The unit once sold by Jochen Maier of Germany. It is a 3 speed + reverse, braked differential. They are difficult to find, especially apart from the Panthers they were originally for. I've run them, bought basket cases and rebuilt them; never met one I didn't like. Below you will find a photo of the complete power pack
(actually two); transmission, engine and self starter. A mint condition, complete one as shown is now a very expensive proposition; I've heard them sell for close to 2k. They are way over engineered. My oldest is .. well 35 years old, still works great.

But if you like to build things, have competent machining skills, study the designs, braked differential, Cletrac, dual differential, triple differential designs and you may build your own. I did for my 1/10 Hetzer project . on my website
you will find how I built my own 'baby' version of the braked differential with simple forward and reverse. Even that project was not inexpensive, gears alone, not including planetary ( epicyclic ) differential, bearings, shafting and misc materials was nearly $300.

So gas or glow; either is seriously more costly than electric.

And please, don't use a tank of any kind against a animal, seriously bad mojo...besides you'll probably get to know
bubba real well in the county clink.


Jerry