Progressing on the tank design

 The tanks  is made up of three distinct sections, the track base, turret and gun system. 

The track base is nearing completion. The track design seems to work however it has not been driven under power as yet so it could still fall apart then I would be back at the beginning. I have managed to cut the rubber track pads but sticking them to the metal tracks will be a whole other ball game. Finding the right glue that will bond the two surfaces together is going to be a challenge. 

120 track pads 25mm x 900mm 

A lot more work was needed adding cross section reinforcement to the frame. There were sections of the frame that I felt where not strong enough or might bend under the weight of the finished tank. I added more bracing around the motors to deal with the extra weight in this section. 

At the rear of the tank there is a quick release plate which will suport the bluetooth sound module. It will eventually all be covered but the idea is it will be easily accessable and the removal bracket allows this.

Up at the front a heavy duty tow bar has been added welded to the main frame. This will allow the tank to be winched either in and out of mud or simply into the van for transport.

Still not sure what the tanks final weight will be but we are already getting on towards 100kg.

The motors drives have all be alined now and ready to fit.

Belly ban fitted made from 1.6mm steel sheet.

The belly pan was designed so it will still allow the wheels to be removed if needed.

Lazy susan bearing being fabricated to act as the turret bearing.

This is the fixing point for the top 50mm support wheels.

They are strickly speaking not needed as the track tensioned up really well but I have added them just to add a bit more support to the top section of the track to stop the bowing.

Not complete yet but the lower section all put together to get an idea of sale so the top section framework can be fabricated. This framework will support the metal platform whih the turret will sit on and act as the bodywork for the tank.

I am still not sure about the final tank design  but I am now leaning more towards a more sleek modern design  like this. The lower wheels will be covered more bu the upper part of the tank body will be very low profiles and steal looking. We will see.