RC Tanks Australia Forum

One my life's mottos is "Advancing Australia at a snails pace" this can also be applied to my StuG.

Hull prep'

To alloy for the attachment of 80mm armour, I removed the existing round headed screw bolts and replaced them with small countersunk ones, as the existing holes were much larger I added an additional one to prevent future movement.





I have used a couple of layer of plastic card to increase the the front plate to the 5mm (scale 80mm) required.





My attempts to recreate the rear track stowage











and some more 80mm detail

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SpuD

.....This is why it takes so long:

As it turns out I was not entirely happy with the results, in that the brackets where not only slightly different sizes, but they were also not symmetrically placed. Nor was I happy with my first go at the retaining cross bar.

The left bracket seemed to be the one most guilty of the above issues so as a result new bracket, new location and a new retaining cross bar.....





Also did a little more work on refining the frontal amour.

I have created a CAD model of the fabricated brackets, which is based on evergreen plastic card components which i will post up on Monday if anyone is interested?

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SpuD

Mostly Evergreen based fabrication

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SpuD

I was racking my brain as to how I was going to create some convincing scale wing-nuts and dreading the thought of trying to make what would be quite tiny items a repeatable process.

I looked to Google to see if any 1/16th resin options already existed and yet for some strange reason my initial search was fruitless, later in the evening I made another search using what I thought to be the same search criteria and this time came across the following:





Needless to say I went ahead and ordered a set and will let you know how it all turns out for my $tuG.

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SpuD

Remember how I went to the trouble of remounting the brackets for the track stowage symmetrically by moving the left bracket inwards, my rational for doing this was based on a set of drawings that showed this to be true.

However I have since found other drawings that suggest that the original asymmetric installation may be actually be correct the one.

Now sadly none of my reference books that I own have any clear images that allow me to make a judgement as to the correct arrangement, and I can’t find any images that have been taken from dead astern in my books nor on the web that would allow me to decide either.

So can I ask if some kind sole has any definitive reference as to the correct arrangement or access to a 1/35 Dragon or later issue Tamiya kits that can be measured to see what their tool makers decided what was right?

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SpuD

Follow the link below to an excellent collection of StuG III Ausf G related and nicely detail specific walk-around shots, both thumbs and big toes up.



For shots like these for example.....

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SpuD

Well making somewhat steady, yet extra painfully slow progress.

In regards to the question of the positioning of the the track stowage mounts I've decided to leave them symmetrical afterall.

I hope to fit and paint the photo etched mesh intake grill covers this weekend and plan to also work on some of the other mudguard stowage fittings.

My new barrel from Tank Modellbau arrived last Friday, the supplied collar has been installed into the Saukopfblende and this unit has been finished and painted, the barrel has only primed with Mr Oxide Red, in readiness for further installation work.

I have made the decision to completely ditch all the HL recoil and elevation/declination components and replace it with an entirely custom built servo based system, something that would be far easier, quicker and neater to do in CAD and then 3D print the output, I need to Google and investigate if there are any 3D printer services near by, otherwise I will instead have to use the fabrication method.

While doing a resupply of paint and plastic at the local hobby shop for the about the billionth time this week I walked out of the shop with said paint and plastic but also with a HiTEC HS-55 servo.



Now no longer hampered by the limitations of the stock HL components I did some dry fitting and general thinkerage and I'm now possibly even thinking about adding a traverse servo to the mix as well, and so just placed an order for 2 more servos at the rc tanks Australia webshop (where I should have started).

A side benefit to this will hopefully be that if I can get to work in the StuG then I should be able to apply what I learn to my Jagdpanther (a very way off in distance project by the way).

Will post some progress shots later this weekend.

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SpuD

Hey Spud

Yes - RCTA is where you should have started. Sorry but I've been in the wars and should be more up to date myself. Servos sent this morning. There is another type of servo that is the same size but comes with a longer servo arm. So if you find the length of the servo arm is too small let me know.

Can't help just yet with the 3D printer but soon fingers crossed

What I can help you with is the control board. I will soon have some Taipan2014 Proto boards. Unfortunately there are no elevation/turret servo pins on the Proto boards there will be on the next prototype.

BUT

You will need a programmable 8 channel radio with lots of switches for all of the functions. The money you'll save on the board will more than cover a 9XR or even a XR Pro or Taranis

Are you fitting a Notek or rear lights???

Cheers
KG

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rctanksaustralia.com

G'day KG

Hope you're feeling better after your eye mishap?

[quote="Phyrephish"]Hey Spud

Yes - RCTA is where you should have started. Sorry but I've been in the wars and should be more up to date myself. Servos sent this morning. There is another type of servo that is the same size but comes with a longer servo arm. So if you find the length of the servo arm is too small let me know.

Can't help just yet with the 3D printer but soon fingers crossed. [quote="Phyrephish"]

Really only in the planning phase at present, when the servos arrive I will make a basic CAD model of one and use this to design a CAD based solution, which I will use to work out the dimensional arrangements, but will also be able to be printed out as a mod in the future.

[quote="Phyrephish"]What I can help you with is the control board. I will soon have some Taipan2014 Proto boards. Unfortunately there are no elevation/turret servo pins on the Proto boards there will be on the next prototype.

BUT

You will need a programmable 8 channel radio with lots of switches for all of the functions. The money you'll save on the board will more than cover a 9XR or even a XR Pro or Taranis[quote="Phyrephish"]

Well at your suggestion I already did get a Turnigy TGY 9X about the same time I went AWOL and its been sitting here awaiting the projects resurrection. Although I think it needs a second self centreing thingy and may also need to be flashed with the tanker software?

[quote="Phyrephish"]Are you fitting a Notek or rear lights???[quote="Phyrephish"]

Just got read the riot act last night about all the money thats be going into the $tuG, so at the moment that this aspect of the build is on hold, but I would like to add one of these from tank modellbau eventually:



Also on the shopping list are axels, meal tracks, NOTEK Convoy Light (StuG shaped), drive shaft supports, 4:1 steel gears, etc, etc.

By the way I discovered a whole new hell in the form of installing the etched intake grills, as this was the first time I'd used this media, I can say that it was far from a joy to implement, plan to post progress pics later today.

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SpuD

New servo recoil, the ground work begins.....

CAD model of Standard 7.5 cm HL barrel



CAD model of 7.5 cm HL barrel modified to take Tank Modellbau 40L48 replacement barrel.

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SpuD