Alternative drive solutions?

[Paul Sparkes]

Not one to keep on the beaten track, I have been thinking about what alternative drive motor solutions are available.

Thinking Hydraulic motors and pumps to do main drive motors and small rams for elevation and slew options.

Has anyone considered this? Pro's cons that people may have? RC excavators seem to do pretty well ( the expensive ones anyway)

[Robert E Morey]

hi Paul,
Even most model excavator use an electric motor to power the hydraulic pump which in turn moves the bucket and arm etc. Its hard to replace the efficiency, torque and clean power of today's electric motors. There was a gent here in US many years ago who built five 1/6 scale M5 Stuart chassis with hydraulic powered drive motors. He completed one or two with the hydraulic power, but then realized this was not the best way for commercial models and converted them all to electric power. The hydraulic pumps require either a gas engine or electric motors to drive them -so you don't gain any efficiency - only more complexity and leaky oil. But It's not impossible. I'm not sure the benefit unless you want to really enjoy engineering the drives. Some builders like to undertake complex things like this for the challenge. There is a Ytube video of a gent in Vietnam I believe who built an excavator out of PVC pipe including his own hydraulic pump and cylinders for the boom, bucket etc. Its quite fascinating. But for the track drive he used electric motors.

[Gerhard Michel]

Hi Paul,

do you know this solution?

[Jerry Carducci]

As someone who spent a good bit of the last 40 years fiddling with these things I felt I should weigh in on this subject.

First off I've never tried hydraulic systems in any of my tanks but I have used several different types of IC engines in them.
Technically I think a hydraulic system would be the cat's whiskers but I'll never do one

Look at my website if you want to see an array of models, albeit mostly smaller scale, powered by IC engines. I discussed building
a hydraulic driven model with both Per Sonnervik and Jacques Littlefield years ago. All the components you need are available. I just
never felt enough benefit over what I was doing with ICE power. As clever as I've gotten is a hybrid powered model - electricity generated
by a ICE unit.

Have I been tempted to try a larger version of an Ice system in one of these larger models? Sure, but I won't. Why? 'Simple' has a charm
all its own that I never really appreciated until recently. I had the engine- transmission combo that I used down to the point that it never
gave my any (or rather many) issues. That all said, with complexity comes maintenance.

You can't exactly 'run and forget' any of these advanced models; you certainly can't with anything powered by an ICE unit, nor I imagine one with a relatively complicated hydraulic power system. I was one of those to whom the upkeep and constant fiddling was part of the enjoyment however
as I become older that appeal has lessened. I'll always have my 'ICE brigade' I'm just not going to add much to it.

I know it seems like I am discouraging the idea of alternative power- quite the opposite. If you want to try a different power system by all means go
for it. Just understand what you are getting yourself into...going into rarely sailed waters.

There's a guy in Germany who did what I only thought about for years: he successfully put a turbine engine in a large scale M1 Abrams. It was a very cool thing. I learned vicariously from his project two things. 1) While it was really cool to see( and hear) there really wasn't much practical performance gains over an electric powered version 2) it was complicated beyond measure and the novelty wore off quickly- he put it up for sale not long after completing it. I'm glad he did it so I didn't have to- I've never since thought about that project!

Above all have fun.

Jerry

[Gerhard Michel]

Hi all,

this is the Abrams with the turbine drive solution that Jerry reported:



and here is the model itself

[simon_manning]

Jerry i just browsed your website, Amazing, persevering in the dark days before the web really got going, you are a pioneer of the larger scale tank scene, regards simon manning.

[Jerry Carducci]

Jerry i just browsed your website, Amazing, persevering in the dark days before the web really got going, you are a pioneer of the larger scale tank scene, regards simon manning.

Why thank you Simon, I consider that quite the complement. You're one of the artists here I look to for inspiration.

It has been quite the journey over the years; the bar has irresistibly risen in terms of fidelity to scale; I was drawn in by the mechanics
as well. I liked the idea of a relatively intricate, functional model medium that could be as complex as you wanted yet, usually, difficult to crash, sink
or careen off uncontrollably at alarming speed.

Jerry

[Paul Sparkes]

For inside events whatever would need to be electrically driven.

Think I’ll keep researching, but the ic engine in the tiger is so cool.