Tiger Ausf E “F01” Gruppe Fehrmann

[Vince Cutajar]

Cool
Looking forward to see how you implement the turret rotation limits.

Vince

[AlastairCooke]

Hi Vince,
Thanks.
The current thinking is that if the azimuth angle is equal to (or greater than) a given value (say 90 degrees) and the commanded direction is, say clockwise, the motor speed will be set to zero. Motion will be allowed only if the commanded direction is changed to anti-clockwise. Also if the azimuth angle is equal to (or less than) a larger given value (say 120 degrees) and the commanded direction is anti-clockwise then once again the motor speed will be set to zero. Motion will be allowed only if the commanded direction is changed to clockwise.

I think this will work...it's worth a try.
Alastair

[Vince Cutajar]

No harm in trying.
You need something to measure the angles.

I might be saying something stupid but wouldn't microswitches to limit the movement of the barrel work also? You just want the barrel to not hit the antenna.

Vince

[Adrian Harris]

"A switch will need to be set in order to get full rotation"

It sounds like full rotation is desired when the antenna is not fitted.

Adrian.

[Simon Peck]

Curious: why avoid rotating the barrel over the antenna?

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
Thanks for the interest. To answer the questions...
1. I am not sure that the scale base is flexible enough to bend the antenna out of the way as the barrel passes over it. Neither is the antenna itself robust enough for this treatment.
2. I have swapped out the rotation motor for one that has an encoder so I can calculate relative azimuth angle. The absolute angle will be determined by establishing a repeatable start point (zero) before the logic is switched on. (Hence the need to be able to rotate the turret with the zero being constantly set to equal the current angle.)

Although I will most likely run the model with the antenna removed, it is good to build in some insurance.

Alastair

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
Update 19 Oct 23
Just a short update...
Rotation controller

Wiring complete
I also need a 24V to 5V buck converter (regulator) to provide a secondary voltage to the RC receiver. This was mounted to a bespoke circuit board.

The original intention was to fix on two XT30 sockets. I decided against this in the end due to the proximity of the rotation motor, choosing instead to add a short length of cabling.

Units labelled and mounted to the baseplate. The baseplate has had a corner cut out to make space for the rotation motor.

That's all for now.

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
Update 24 Oct 23
Complete smoker units now installed...

I wanted to use Tygon tubing for the filler plumbing so that I could bend it to fit more easily. Fortunately, I was able to source a brass fitting so that I could get a snug fit into the Festo fitting.

Fill tubing installed...

Radiator/Upper Fuel Tank Bay Floor
Checking to see if ‘pass-through’ is big enough. Left hand side will need five sets of cables:
Three times three wire bundles for the fans, one pair for the speaker, and one pair for the rear light.

Fitting the floor and tidying up the smoker plumbing...

Firewall installed...

That's all for now...

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
With the smoker units finished I decide to re-fit the power electrics (24V and 12V). But first I prepared the radiator fan control box for installation by spiral wrapping the cables...

The control box is located under the 4-way 12V buses. (See image below and note that the rear electrics plate is test fitted.)

The plate was then populated and placed close to its final position so that the cables could be routed and bundled.

Cable bundles were spiral wrapped and secured...

Rear electrics plate in position...

Where has all the space gone...?
That's all for now.

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
Update 19 Nov 23
Engine Bay Detailing – Sides
The side plates are welded in place on the full sized Tiger. As I wanted to simulate this, it necessitated the provision of an angle for the Milliput. I could not find the size I needed so decided to machine down some rectangular section tube. This process was quite time consuming... first, I supported the tube with some square section tubing...

...then set up the mill. I used C clamps to secure the tube to the bed or the rear supports as I worked along the length.

Resulting L section in place.

An ABS section is used to secure the bottom part of the side plate.

Next the plates were ‘dressed’ with remnants of the fixtures for the HL210 cooling system and butterfly valve controls. These items were removed when the engine was replaced with the HL230 as directed by the Henschel drawing H. Sk. Nr. 3426.

Main weld detail added. I will add the welds around the tapped plates later. (Note the trial fit of the redundant butterfly valve.)

The holes for the valve shaft were drilled on the mill using a rotary table

Radiator Fan Drive Gearboxes.
These are 3D printed items: note 2 grades of material used to ensure adequate detail.

20231113_103426-doc.jpg (48.15 KiB) Viewed 4760 times

Gearboxes ‘dressed’ with 12BA and 14BA bolts...

20231114_111448-doc.jpg (103.62 KiB) Viewed 4760 times

Just need to add the lubrication tubing....

Trial fit on the right side of the engine bay.

That's all for now.

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
Update 18 Dec 23. Last of the year so... Season's Greetings!
Fan Drive Lubrication System
Testing a design for the banjo fittings...

Oil distribution block added...

Plumbing complete...

Engine Bay Electrical Panel
The cables are made from styrene rod for robustness...

20231120_145658-doc.jpg (38.17 KiB) Viewed 4505 times

Fastener detail added...

Electrics
Drive power and service power cabling finalised...

Smoker controller complete and ready for installation...

Chassis electronics almost finished, just need to add the Beier Soundmodule USM-RC-2...

Need to tidy-up the battery wiring...

Radio programming
The extensive functionality of the USM-RC-2 and the capability of OpenTx (EdgeTx) meant that it was easy to lose track of what I had programmed, especially if I had not tested the system for some time. Therefore, I decided that I needed to keep a record of what each channel did...

Note that I am using S-Bus as the signal connection between the receiver and the Soundmodule. This means that, although I have only one 3-pin connection, I can use up to 10 out of the 16 channels that the Beier can read. I can still use the receiver PWM channels (‘Physical’) as signals to other systems. This way the sound will be synchronised with whatever action the other system performs, such as a hydraulic motor sound with the turret rotation.

I shall have another receiver in the turret and will double up channels so that the Beier can still provide the sound. I have only allocated 14 to date

That's all for now... More next year.

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
4 Jan 24...
Just a quick update. I was not able to do much constructive over the holidays so I decided to make some drawings of the electrical circuits in the chassis. I could have simplified the layout drawings by combining cables but wanted to give a more accurate impression of the actual wiring in the model.

Hope these are useful.
That's all for now.
Happy New Year!

[Stephen White]

F01 is really taking shape Alastair. I wasn't so organised as you and wished I'd created a record of the circuits in my Cent and especially the configuration of the Beier and its extension module and the nautic multiswitch. I had to do it retrospectively and it was a nightmare. Lesson learnt. It's actually a good lesson for any model, as I'm finding as I get reacquainted with my Pz III which I hadn't seen for five years. Your model is one of the most complex on the Forum and it'll be great to see it all working. Thanks for keeping us in the picture.

[AlastairCooke]

Hi Stephen,
Thanks for the compliment.
I had already drawn up the circuits on squared paper before installation but decided that a better graphic was required for future use and publication. The model progression is rather slow... but slow and steady wins the race? I still hope to have the chassis roofed, painted and detailed by end of 2024. Then onto the turret!
Alastair

[AlastairCooke]

Hi All,
Update 25 Jan 24... progress here and there...
Pioneer Tools
As I am getting ready to obtain a revised (steel) top deck, I thought it was time to get the tool fittings sorted out. I was fortunate enough to acquire some Six Scale Icon items from FOA (before they really started messing us around) so I decided to make up the jack block...

Squaring up the block (light cuts at high speed with a 6mm end mill)

Fitting the banding (0.8mm twist drill in pin vice).

Complete with a bit of distressing from a small hammer.
Sledge Hammer and Spade

Armorpax hammer head with Tim Catton shaft and Tim Catton Schwimmwagen spade with shortened shaft.

Engine Bay Side Plates
Test fit of fan drive gearboxes to see if vent fittings have sufficient clearance.

All good, so I can epoxy in the brass vent housing...

That's all for now...