1/35 Articulated tank

[Frank3k]

While building the Apocalypse tank I considered articulating it, but it just wasn't feasible with the location of the turret and the thickness of the plastic. Still, it sounded like a good idea.

I considered the Meng Toon tanks as a source for an articulated tank, but I wasn't sure of their size. In-box reviews of the (probably a type 99) Meng Kids New "Chinese Main Battle Tank" showed that it was pretty big.



I found a great build on Armorama showing that this kit can look pretty nice in the right hands.

During a sale at Sprue Bros, I got two of the tanks and sure enough, the tank is about 3/4 the length of the Tamiya M41. As seen in the Armorama link, it would have been easy to slap two of the tank hulls together, articulate them and modify one of the turrets.

Yeah, well, that's not what I did. I didn't like the (not very visible) simplified Russian/Chinese style road wheels, so I modified the tracks to accept 1/35 M1 Abrams wheels, provided by Jeff Fontaine (thanks, Jeff!). That was a pretty easy mod, but the tracks now looked like crap... so I cut off the track connectors from several runs of the Abrams tracks and made cutouts in the Meng tracks (very soft plastic, so easy to do) for the connectors.

For the articulation, I had a ball joint that I'd designed for an LED light (for my Donegal visor), so I modified the design and printed out a version to connect the two tanks. It worked well:



I extended one of the kit turrets and used one of the left over barrels from the Apocalypse tank and got this:





Ehhhh...

I thought an unmanned turret might look good, and I found this image in a Secret Projects Forum thread:



So I started cutting plastic while watching a marathon of old episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Youtube. I also modified the turret connection to bring the turret up a bit:



Climbing the piles of junk on my desk:





This is where I am today. The M113 hatch is just a place holder :





 I have to figure out a crew layout - the tracks are pretty wide, so the crew will either need a tandem seating arrangement (driver, tank commander, gunner) in the front half or driver and tank commander side by side with the gunner behind them. Moving the gunner to the rear hull may also work.

[apophenia]

Great approach for an articulated tank, Frank! And love you ball-and-socket joint 

[Buzzbomb]

Thinking outside box 

Love the idea

[LemonJello]

That is looking sharp!

[Old Wombat]

Interesting. Looks to be a contender for a UGV/Autonymous AI Tank.

[Frank3k]

Thanks, guys. It's a pretty big vehicle now.

The ball joint holds well, but is easy to pull apart. I had to sand down the ball to make it less stiff.

[robunos]

Looks good . . . 
I was thinking, get two more, join the hulls together, and use your modded manned turret . . .
cheers,Robin.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Out of the box proportions of the hulls certainly makes this articulated vehicle a very smart move.  Definitely like the ball-joint connection to mate the hulls together.  Simple and brilliant! 

[Story]

I thought an unmanned turret might look good, and I found this image in a Secret Projects Forum thread:

Totally TWILIGHT 2000!

 I still want to see your take on the French design
https://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/index.php?topic=1791.msg211374#msg211374

[Frank3k]

If I flip the rear hull as suggested over at What-if, then by default this will have to be a French tank, like the Panhard EBR

[Frank3k]

I reversed the running gear on the rear hull and printed a new articulation. Not sure if this is better or not; the gap between the two hulls seems excessive:





I can try shortening it by 10mm or so, or move the turret support over the end of the rear hull; that will reduce the gap by quite a bit. I'll try it tomorrow.

[Old Wombat]

Frank, if the "reversed" look doesn't gel with you, don't worry about it.

It is your build, after all, mate, not ours.

[LemonJello]

If I may offer my 2 centavos of Etherium;

I like your first iteration, though maybe move the turret back and then the forward crew compartment could detach and leave the damaged turret behind in the event of combat damage.

This would also suggest different rear unit variants: Air Defense, Recovery, Mortar, Logistics...

Agree with you that the gap is too wide in the 2nd interation.  Either way, please proceed with this project. I'm interested in seeing where this goes.

[Dr. YoKai]

The pushme-pullyou configuration isn't bad, and I like it for symmetry. The greater gap between hulls might make it a little more nimble?  But I wish there was something besides a gun in the turret. Even my 'thats SO COOL' sensibilities rebel at that much weight and recoil on such a flimsy joint.

Quibbles aside, it is a great concept, and the execution will be a marvel as usual. 

[Frank3k]

I put down a layer of Stynylrez primer - looks close enough to the various desert sand colors.





I'll probably add another layer (especially on the turret) and add some stripes/blobs of middlestone, dark green or both. I thought about doing a digital camo pattern... but I'm not (that) insane. I wanted to add a M1151 Remote Weapons Station, but despite all those flat surfaces, there really isn't much room - best place would be on the box at the rear - like a "stinger" it just barely clears the turret.

[finsrin]

Delightful strangeness       Another marvel of styrene engineering taking form.

[apophenia]

I put down a layer of Stynylrez primer - looks close enough to the various desert sand colors...

Very nice 

... I wanted to add a M1151 Remote Weapons Station, but despite all those flat surfaces, there really isn't much room - best place would be on the box at the rear - like a "stinger" it just barely clears the turret.

How about mounting the RWS on top of the main turret? Perhaps where the little vent sits now?

[Frank3k]

Tanks, guys!

The turret is a lot smaller than it looks. The M1151 on top of the turret sticks out like dog's balls. On the front hull, it hits the barrel. It still comes close when pointed to the rear, but I figure that last 10 degree or so wedge cut out of the firing arc isn't significant.

[Old Wombat]

I figure that last 10 degree or so wedge cut out of the firing arc isn't significant.

Until it is!

[Frank3k]

I may have gone a bit overboard with the digital-ish camo... it's also not very straight, but most of the sins will vanish with the weathering:

The colors are Badger Stynylrez neutral (a sand color), AK Interactive middlestone and Tamiya NATO green. The colors seem greenish in these pictures:





I'll photograph it against the trees tomorrow. The camo is pretty effective at hiding the outline of the tank against the trees. Gaudy, but it seems to work.

I also plopped a RWS on top, just to see how it would look. A MK 19 grenade launcher will ruin anyone's day:

[Jeffry Fontaine]

"Something Blurry This Way Comes." 
That is one complicated camouflage pattern.  Overall it makes the vehicle difficult to identify at distance. 

[apophenia]

I may have gone a bit overboard with the digital-ish camo...

No such thing!!  I love it ... digital dazzle camouflage 

[Old Wombat]

You missed a word, Jeff!

"Something Blurry This Way Comes." 
That is one complicated camouflage pattern.  Overall it makes the vehicle difficult to identify at ANY distance.

Major, there's somethin' comin' outa the woods. Ain't got no idea what it is, 'coz my eyes go all fuzzy when I look at it, but it's big, it's loud & it scares the willies outa me!


I like it!

[Story]

[South Park] It's coming right at us![/South Park]

[Claymore]

That’s one complex but extremely effective paint job - awesome!