Bergepanther finishing getting ready for filming

[Gerhard Michel]

Well, since 3 years I use Olafs King Tiger steel track links on my previous 3 models (none Armortek) without any problems except of a little more wear at my driving wheels. Also the grip is stronger under some conditions, which causes a little worse steering and needs some more power. Therefore my Jagdpanther now got steel track links too.

[Phil Woollard]

Well Gerhard if your happy and you understand the accelerated rate of drive train wear and the possible need to replace the odd component then enjoy . I personally am very happy with the ali tracks and have found that they wear in a more scale like manner and behave on film in a similar way to the real thing. It also means that us poorer guys can purchase those old ali tracks that you are no longer using.
We did have some VT of a scale mine exploding under a Tiger1 track and all it did was break an early cast road wheel arm as it all slammed into the pannier underside !
I love all that stuff and quite enjoy repairing the damage ....keep up the good work and keep those photo's coming Regards Phil

[Gerhard Michel]

Hello Phil,

well, I think I don't need "mine proof" track links in our peaceful proving grounds . Till now I have no personally experiences with my ali track links for the Jagdpanther; therefore I will use it also to get this experience of my own before final choosing. But Vincent made only few of these steel track links, and so I struggled to get one to have this choice until it is too late. (Please excuse my halting English; sometime I have to use a translating program).

[Phil Woollard]

Don't worry about the broken English Gerhard, it's my native tongue and I am crap at it !
Regards Phil

[Phil Woollard]

Here's a couple of pics of the cart found in a junk shop which I intend to use in the VT of the Bergepanther charging down a village street with a Tiger1 in tow, and the link again in case you missed it.

[Phil Woollard]

This is for you Gerhard, I have found some of my old photo's of the mine exploding under the offside track of a Tiger 1

[Phil Woollard]

Lovely old photos of running gear repair some in the mud in the field and some in relatively clean conditions.

[Phil Woollard]

I was thinking....as our Bergepanther has lights would there be any interest in some night time video ?
Maybe a still night with a bit of moonlight....you can hear the Maybach but you can't see anything......then in the distance the vehicle appears over the hill and thunders past.

I can remember being in the middle of Salisbury plain in a training village called Greenlands camp surrounded by Chieftains, the noise of those BL two strokes in the dark, all around you, sometimes so close you could reach out and touch the cold steel bazooka plates.........gives me the willies even now!
Regards romantic Phil.

[Patrik Johansson]

Rare photo of an early Bergepanther doing it's job of recovering a Tiger1

One wonders, considering the supposed frailty of the Panther drive train, for how long did these stay in business when put to the task of towing vehicles above its own weigth?

[Phil Woollard]

Well regarding that old photo and looking at the conditions ie the mud it probably helped the berge no end as the tracks could slip and slide reducing the strain on the drive train, just imagine when they hit good ground and the grip was 100% the loading must have been immense.
Just like us on wet grass with our models you must respect the conditions or get the tool box and the knee pads out cheers phil

[Phil Woollard]

Another video of our Bergepanther this being a study of the vehicles inertia behaviour under braking, gear changes and changes of direction.
I have a question ....how was the winch powered, was it electric motor or PTO driven?
The reason I ask is if it was PTO driven then the engine revs would need to be proportionate?

[Phil Woollard]

I love this video of a Panther being driven like the guy just stole it! The suspension deflection is amazing although driving in this aggressive manner may lead to a breakdown.I'm trying to get our Bergepanther to rear and dive on gear change and braking, but I'm having to do it the difficult way with electric motor braking which is taking a lot of practice.The engine rev's are down on volume at present but I have spares on backorder to fix that which begs the question... can the sound system be customised so that it get's to full throttle more quickly,(to clarify I want the audible revs up but not the motor speed) I want the engine to rev it's t-ts off just like the Panther in the video but return to tick over just as fast....has anyone achieved this or can they give any advice?
We are using the Futaba 7c. tx.

[mark lawson]

Phil is your Berbpanther using double torsion bar suspension.

[Phil Woollard]

Yes Mark it is ,I think the double torsion bar system gives a more realistic lurch and dip.
I just have to perfect my scale driving technique to get it to move just like the real thing.........regards Phil

[Gerhard Michel]

Hello Phil,

e.g. the german 'Beier USM-RC2' sound module can use up to 5 'gears' forward and reverse. So it is possible to drive in the 'first gear' with 'maximum motor speed' (acousticly) and very low real vehicle speed. For the most driving conditions 2 gears are a good balance between 'low vehicle speed / high motor speed' and acceptable operability of the rather short way of the RC controller stick without running trough the gears. Only if you will use a rotary button for the throttle channel then more than 2 gears may be acceptable.