When it all goes wrong

 So I had to re-think the tank design a bit. The lower drive section is fine, although I had a problem. When putting the tank through its paces over  very rough ground one of the brackets holding one of the motors broke. All that happened was one track went slack but luckily did not come off. The brackets holding the motors have now been given a significant upgrade so that will not happen again. 

Main probelm with the tank was the turret. The drive and lower section worked well and did not have any real issues. The turret on the other hand had some terminal problems.

The first was the bouncing of the turret. This was not due to the bearing as I thoguht but the whole base plate on the turret. The turret was made from recycled metal and the metal used for the base of the turret was no good. The steel was deforming to easily and causing the bouncing, a bit like a spring. Due to the fact that the base was moving so much the drive gear to the turret was moving to much and after a heavy day of ofroad driving the gear system was shot. To make matters worse the turret design was also causing problems with the gun elavation. 

Anyway life would not be fun without problems.

After some thought I decided to scrap the old turret design and come up with something new.

My tank was never based on any one design but I had not really considered a turretless tank.

Once I had seen the Stridsvagn 103 I fell in love with the design. 

This will be my new inspiration.

I have decided to keep the lower base section of my tank but modify it a bit. The gun size will be increased and a new elavation system designed with a built in gyro.

I have also decided to increase the firepower of my tank. At the rear there will be a dual gun system mounted to a mini turret. These two extra guns each fitted with a 209 blank fire system will give the tank some serious firepower and noise. I am going to design the back of the new top section to acommadate a modifies Sense Innovations Air sound system.

This new top section will be made from NEW 2mm Mild steel.

The whole new top section will be bolted to posts welded to the lower body allowing the top section to be removed if needed.

There is so much space with this design inside the new top section.

A single removable pannel will allow access to sound system, smoke unit, fmain fire system and drive gear engager.

So nice working with new steel plate.