Make a Bang

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 7:32 pm

Hello all,
I say all as this might interest most of you. I went to the Military Odyssey at the Kent County Showground near Detling this week and came across a stand for a company called WTAC. They specialise in weapon conversions for re-enactors and the Television/film industry. Their system uses a mechanism in the weapon with a spark plug in and it is fed with gas via tubes that run up the operators arm. The gas comes from an aerosol can and the electrics from a battery.The whole unit is small and I was shown a new valve that was even smaller. I was told that the system was totally clean and that the "Bang" volume could be adjusted by the quantity of gas used (loud to very loud) . The can that they used will produce more than one hundred "Bangs".
Someone from the UKTC had also seen the stand prior to me and had spoken about the possibility of fitting this system into a RC tank. The WTAC person asked to see an example of the tanks and will be looking into the matter. I don't know who the UKTC member was and I don't know if WTAC is already well known to the forum members.
This is all I know on the matter, but if anyone wants to investigate further, then their e-mail address is "wtacsmg@tiscali.co.uk " or Tel:07789 392995.

Allan Richards · Post by **Allan Richards** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:20 pm

Lionel,

This sounds like a good find that could have a lot of potential for the tanks. Coming from a firm already in production it sounds as if the system is well sorted and hopefully safe if it is used by re-enactors. I guess the next obvious questions are how much and is the system small enough to get into a tank? If anyone from the UK Tank Club is persuing the matter it could well be discussed on their forum http://uktankclub.star-one.co.uk/phpbb3/index.php I had a quick look but nothing at the moment. I would be interested fr my Sherman.

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Tue Aug 26, 2008 10:58 pm

The weapon they had on the table was a M1 Carbine and the mechanism cost around Â£700. I know that this is steep,but 1: the running costs are low (the can of gas he had cost approx Â£2.50) and 2: If enough people are interested, then I am sure that the cost will come down.
Lionel

David Price · Post by **David Price** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 12:45 am

I would be interested in more info about this. Since I'm in the States I would probably have to make one myself.

Tim Bowman · Post by **Tim Bowman** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:09 am

Hi David

I have heard of similar devices here. It's just a matter of researching and finding the manufacturers/sources for such systems.

regards

Tim

David Price · Post by **David Price** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:00 am

What exactly are these systems called? I started looking under propane cannons. Not much.

Roland Wallick · Post by **Roland Wallick** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:22 am

Some WWII fighter aircraft use this sort of setup for machine gun simulaters at air shows.

Jim Slothower · Post by **Jim Slothower** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 4:29 am

I believe I read something about a system like this that was pending on Richard Tripps website.

We should contact him, 100 shots without reloading would be great.

Jim

Lionel Champ · Post by **Lionel Champ** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 2:21 pm

If you contact the e-mail address that I gave and ask for John, he will be able to give all the answers you are looking for. This system definitely works and it does give a loud bang.It can be set up for single shot or automatic fire. I was wondering if Armortek would be interested in this system and consider offering it as an option pack.Like I said, if there is enough interest from our forum members and members of the UKTC, then the price will come down and everyone can put input into the development of the system.
I have absolutely no ties with this company and only spent five minutes talking to them, so sorry for not giving anymore info.
Lionel

Ad Wouterse · Post by **Ad Wouterse** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 8:21 pm

Hi guys,

More info on the propane/oxygen system can be be found here http://www.pyroxtreme.co.uk/default2.as ... age_id=118
Some nice videos as well.

Adrian Harris · Post by **Adrian Harris** » Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:01 pm

That looks ideal for a rapid fire weapon such as the 222's main gun

Adrian.

james leslie · Post by **james leslie** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:57 pm

Gents,

There is a guy over here in the USA who has already succeeded in mounting a gas firing system in an Armortek Tiger I. I just got an email from him with pictures of the setup. Seems he has fitted an oxygen and MAPP gas cylinder (like the ones you buy in the hardware stores) inside the tank along with a coil, spark plug, flashback arrestors and solenoid valves. He claims the heart of his system is a circuit board he had designed which controls the gas flow and spark to the barrel.

I will try to attach pictures once I learn how to upload them on this forum. Can anyone tell me how to do this? I can also forward the pictures and his video clip if someone would post them.

From the video clip the system seems to work like a dream. There is a very loud bang with a huge fireball coming out of the muzzle brake. Claims to have worked out how to produce a large volume of smoke by injecting kerosene into the combustion chamber and this will be a refinement added in the near term.

I asked him if he would supply me with a rig and he said he is just about ready to offer to do complete conversions to 1/6 scale tanks for $1200 - $1500 price range.

The video clip show the gun firing about 17 shots in a matter of a minute so it seems to be able to repeat fire at whatever rate the operator desires. He claims to get over 150 shots out of one fill of the gas cylinders.

Regards

James Leslie[/b]

james leslie · Post by **james leslie** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:33 pm

I should have checked my email before making my last post. Here is the link to a youtube video showing the bench test of the system before it was installed in the tank. I am told more videos of the system mounted in the tank will be uploaded to youtube in the coming days.

Regards

James Leslie

Tim Bowman · Post by **Tim Bowman** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 4:24 pm

James

Thanks for the post and the info.

regards

Tim

Allan Richards · Post by **Allan Richards** » Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:25 pm

That video clip reminds me of the days when I used to fly control line pulse jet models back in the late 60's. They started up in much the same way but then contiued to run with a noise like an air horn 2 inches from ones ear hole.

This set up definately looks like a possibility for the tank but the way it popped the muzle off there is still quite a thrust of air coming from the barrel. It also looks as if the firing unit he had was a prototype and the actual unit would have to be made smaller. Also a leak of gas into the tank with the sparks from the motor commutator could be fun!!! It would be essential to prevent any possibility of leaks.

Make a Bang

Make a Bang

Gas firing system for a model tank already exists