Old MSgt

Yeah, I just looked on the FOA site and couldn't get on the Build Forum either so I sent Loic an email and asked 'WHAT is GOING ON?' And I hadn't heard that FOA wasn't going to sell the rc Sherman kits anymore!! Maybe he got tired of having to keep re-engineering'em. I got an FOA newsletter and saw they WERE coming out with some of the Sherman 'cast' hulls...

Take your time on the build or you'll get burned out QUICK. I was building my FOA M4 over the winter so a lot of days I didn't want to FREEZE out in the garage AND I had to sit and ponder HOW I was going to MAKE things WORK. And other days I preferred to do IMPORTANT THINGS like staying warm, drank'in BEEER, and watch'in a movie (and THINK'IN about any 'tank problems' TOO!)

I'm up here in the north east corner of Kentucky outside Ashland (i.e.: RURAL!). Where is YOU?

Mike

Jarhead2005

So I had a reply fully typed out, but because I tried to include a screenshot of that newsletter, it all got deleted because apparently I have to have 10 posts before I'm allowed pictures...
M4A3 Sherman

Dragon M4A3 (75) is shipping from California, so will be in stock by next week!! Please DO NOT DELAY your orders, as this kit is in limited supply and will be hard to find after its release. As soon as FOA sells ALL ITS ALLOCATED INVENTORY, we will change the content of .... and will only take orders for its RC components
I'm fairly mechanically inclined, a pretty good problem silver, but I fully expect this to take 3 to 4 months minium. Plus I've got a 1/16 Sherman I tinker on, plus 5 rc aircraft. I've got a steerman right now that's my nemesis! I just can't get it to fly! Rather let me say I can get it up, but getting it back down in one piece is the challenge i live in the bowling Green area myself.

Old MSgt

I have the newest FOA newsletter in my 'save' bin but I just glanced at it and got distracted. I kind of like the looks of that NEW drive system with slightly SMALLER MOTORS! I saw that it's intended for the Dragon Stuart and probably halftracks and others, and IT may be better for your Sherman since you're building 'light'. I don't know what the price for it is but SHOULD be a lot less than the BIG MOTOR (i.e.: WIDE) setup that FOA sells for the Sherman they sold. AND the smaller 12v motors would probably be easier on those resin tracks too! I've messed with the big setup and it's a JOB!

And, yeah, Bowling Green is at the OTHER end of Kentucky... I went to a few of the Patton Armor Museum Open Houses and THAT is a DRIVE (for us 'old folks')!

Loic emailed back and said it was pretty expensive to keep the 'Build Forums' on the FOA site but he's thinking about how he could get it on the FOA FB page. I said he SHOULD cause there's a LOT of FOA build info on there! We'll see.

Big Brother is coming on! Talk with ya later!!! Mike

Jarhead2005

The low profile motors are what I'm looking at getting. $450 for the set, all hardware included to mount. Not a bad deal considering what it would take for me to try to engineer someoneso of my own demise.
Everytimei plan a trip to the Patton museum, it's been closed for remodel. I've been looking at their sure for 6 months now!
Hell, Ashland is a drive for me and I'm only 30!

Old MSgt

Aww, they've hauled all the tanks out of there to the new museum at Fort Benning. They used to have great things to look at but nothing now. Figured it was 'Just My Luck' to retire then move back here where I'm from, go to the Armor museum five times then THEY CLOSE IT!

I'm looking forward to watching you build your Sherman and'll be glad to help with anything I know (or experienced). There's a BUNCH of REALLY SMART builders here on RCU so if you have ANY questions, just ask! They're ALL a BUNCH OF BRANES!!!

And you're down at the total OTHER end of the state (where they build them Corvettes!). If you get up this way give us a holler!

Mike

Jarhead2005

I've been watching a bunch of YouTube videos, not that there are many really on building a 1/6 Sherman. Mainly, the only true build videos, and not videos of some guy driving around, are all from oddball from East coast armory. Even Loic's videos are more 'here look at this' rather than showing you and explaining what and how to do things. At any rate, I've been watching what I can find, and reading all I can find. I think I have a decent basic understanding of how to do. I know how to in theory. But putting theory to practice is always the hard part!
the electronics are probably going to give me the most headache honestly. As long as the workin diagrams are decent tho, I should be able to pull it off.
I've been toying with the idea of possibly casing my own tracks. At least on an experimental level. Casting aluminum plates with hollow rubbe for the connectors inside of a resin shell. Using the supplier tracks as a mold to begin with. But that's allot allot of work.
I've also tossed around the idea of modifying the plastic tracks. Place two times inside for the pins, then filling them with resin. Still allot of work, but prolly cheaper than buying tracks.
I wanna be able to run in the woods and dirt with it, but I also don't expect to run it all that often either. Once or twice a month. One thing I am gonna figure out how to do is place a first person view camera somewhere on the inside so that from the video screen it appears you are actually driving.
As for the paint scheme, that's actually been the hardest part, surprisingly. I have my 1/16th Sherman done up as if it was captured by the Germans. But I figure if I'm gonna do this but one, I should honor where I came from, the Corps. But finding information about how the Marines painted and makesm their tanks in the second world war is near impossible to find! I've even contacted the Marine Corps museum, and they don't even know! Not on specifics anyway. Just in the general sense.

Old MSgt

Hey Jarhead2005! I sent you a PM! And, have you ever looked at the Sixth Scale Collector's Club (SSCC) that's in the Southern Ohio area? I check their site out occasionally because they have nice detailed 1/6 static displays!

Mike

RC_BobM

Hey Mike
I didn't realize you were building one of the FOA RC shermans. Its looking really good. It will be a nice addition to the Armortek Sherman you built.

I was wondering on the FOA, do you think the bogey wheels could use some real bearings? Like what you are putting on the SDKFZ7?

which Sabertooth Speed controller did you use?

I have not been able to get to the FOA forum as well - I thought it was just me!

Great to see someone build this version of the Sherman! Would love to see some pix with the Armortek Sherman!
Bob

Old MSgt

Hi Bob! I built the FOA/Dragon M4A3 with the 76mm turret almost two years ago. When I got it completed FOA wanted to buy it back so I shipped it to Utah. But it WOULD have been a HOOT (if I still had it) to park the FOA/Dragon and Armortek Shermans side by side for pictures! Heck, if they weren't different hull/turret models, it'd be hard to tell'em apart!

I purchased the first FOA/Dragon Sherman right when they came for sale so a few 'bugs' were worked out along with FOA while I built this one in this post. Now FOA has implemented improvements that we (Loic and us builders) ran on to back then.

Now Dan (Jarhead2005) is planning on building one with the USMC colors/markings! He said he was going to post his build on here and if he has a question I know all of us can provide him solid advice! He's got a JOB ahead of him but, after our emails, I know he'll do GREAT!!!

Mike

Old MSgt

The ESCs I used in both the FOA/Dragon and Armortek Shermans are the Sabertooth 2X25 for the drive motors, and the 2x12 for the traverse & elevation. I like'em because they're simple to hook up (because I don't know anything about electronics!) and I've never had a Sabertooth fail. I run'em in all my larger scale tanks.

And replacing those roadwheel bushings with needle bearings is SO easy (and CHEAP!) It surprised me no one on that forum hadn't did it before. IF I were building the FOA/Dragon Sherman again, I would probably see about using FLANGED bearings on the wheels. Avon has all kinds of bearings they're really low priced!

Yeah! I went to get on the FOA forums so I could tell Dan about'em and the site was closed! I emailed Loic and he said it had got too expensive to renew the build forums! THAT'S LOUSEY cause there's a LOT of good build info on there! Loic said he was trying to figure a way to post it soon.

Mike

Old MSgt

One more little FYI that's kinda interesting, this morning I remembered that I had a set of Armortek sprockets and a few FOA track links out there in a box. I had the FOA links extra so I kept'em as a souvenir to remember that build.

Here's a some pics of the thickness of a Armortek cast link and a rubber FOA. Then a pic of a sprocket with the FOA track on it. They mesh up fine!!! Just something to look at...

Mike

RC_BobM

Mike those FOA tracks look pretty good. Actually the whole lower hull looked pretty good. I wish you hadn't have sold it!

Thanks for the info on the Sabertooth. I'm running the 2X60 in my Stuart for the main motors and 2x5 for turret rotation. They are easy to set up - set the DIP switches, connect the wires, plug into receiver and go! I like them too. The 60Amp may be overkill on the Stu- but the drive motors have a stall amperage of 80A, so I didn't want to restrict the power to them. So far so good. It would be nicer to use a little less expensive version tho.

Yeah I kinda liked the FOA forum too - there were quite a few builds. Rats.
Bob

Old MSgt

Hi Bob! I have two Stuarts, one static and one rc, and I messed with the rc one a couple years ago, trying to get those drive motors to work. I installed a small Sabertooth ESC in it (I think it was a 2x12) and that kinda helped but I wasn't happy about those stock motors It's been sitting up on a shelf collecting dust since. And it still has the Sabertooth in it.

But now I've been eyeing that new small drive system that FOA just introduced for the Stuart and others. It's 12v, chain drive like their larger tank drive units, and only $350 SO I'm pondering IT. A couple years ago Loic said he would like to bring out upgrade stuff for the Stuarts so I guess this is the first thing.

Maybe next he'll make stronger rear idlers, sprockets, and suspensions! I LIKE my Stuarts but for rc they DO need a makeover on the lower end.

And how about posting YOUR AMAZING Stuart?? We'd LOVE to see how far you've come on it!!!

Mike

Panther F

Thought I'd bring this awesome thread back up as I just bought the DRAGON kit... nothing compared to the FOA!

Looking for products and 'other builds' this one reminded me of what it could be.