Model recovery - how to do it?

[Jerry Carducci]

As I contemplate which model I want to begin work on there's a thought I've had in the back of my mind for a while.
Perhaps it's a moot point as it's never happened or no one has put themselves in this position... who knows?

Picture this. You're out with your 200 or 300 pound pride and joy, losing all sense of time and space and your model runs
out of juice and stops dead in it's tracks... and you're many hundreds of meters from your start point. You can't bring your auto to where your model
is or it's in an inaccessible spot.

What do you do? To make things worse you're off by yourself. How do you recover this monster? Supposing a fresh or emergency battery pack
isn't available or worse yet a shear pin or coupling let go? ( Hey even Mercedes, Porsches, Audis and Rolls have mechanical issues!)

I have the Last King Tiger issue and Jagdtiger in my queue and they're 'burning a hole in my pocket' so to speak. I want to ensure I have a way
to recover them long before I twist one nut or apply a drop of locktite....

Ideas?

(And no, before anyone asks, selling them is NOT an option.... I'm the original tank 'motel' - tanks check in but they never check out....!)

Jerry

[Brian Ostlind]

Tracks off roll it with a leash? Spare battery would be ideal though.

[John Clarke]

This is easy battery or substitute not always easy to fit.
1)Switch of all forms of energy on the model. Disconnect both tracks. Long nose pliers required, knee pads optional.
2)Gently roll model off tracks trying not scratch paintwork.
3) Remove lose tracks and pins to recovery vehicle. (Car Van Estate.) 4)Draw up recovery vehicle as close as safely possible to model.
5)Push or drag model with a soft but strong rope (attached to a substantial part of the model ie Panther KT and Tiger towing points), to the brake down support vehicle. (Car, van, or estate).
6) Look around for some admiring bystander for help up the ramps. If not take a few Mr Motivator video lessons before venturing out on your own if the worst was to happen.
7)Get model home, employ partner or admiring bystander to help removal from support vehicle. (Or Mr Motivator lessions)
8)Push or drag into garage, shed or workshop.
9) Sort model out and upgrade where possible.

All trained up, ready to venture out.
Mud, Snow and the odd tornado may be considered more awkward working conditions

[Bryan Brown]

Years ago we made a wagon to put a spare battery in that could be towed by the broken down tank having attached the leads from the good battery to the flat one using crocodile clips

[Donald Suttie]

I had the same thought,and while you guys have covered a rolling Tank
i thought of this if there is a track/drive issue

Dolly Trolly

Donald

[John Clarke]

Looking at the answers so far mostly consider a dodgy battery scenario. A set of duplicate remote battery terminals and a couple of small 12v gel batteries may be an easy answer.
Maybe a recharge from the EV recovery vehicle for those rich enough to own one
But the blood curdling grind or a sudden stop maybe evidence of something more alarming.
So track off, wheels on ground is the only answer.
(Eh Charles.)

[Robert E Morey]

Could add 12V battery and electric winch.

[Paul Sparkes]

Could add 12V battery and electric winch.

Id like to see you try and lift the Jagdtiger onto that trolley.

I've recovered mine a few times due to mechanical failures on the drive system. Usually 1 motor still drives and it can be limped back to the van and up the ramps. Otherwise its a really fun exercise, trust me I know.

[Charles A Stewart]

Hi all.

John Clarke is right to point me out as an example of how to recover:-

(At the end)

Unfortunately while driving the recovery vehicle on an unrelated mission: We fried a motor

Appears at the end of video clip.

Anyone know where to get carbon brush housings for a Parvalux pm50, 12v motor

Still that's entertainment.

Cheers
Charles

PS Should mention with them trollies you would need several bodies to hold it down while recovering said dormant vehicle

[John Clarke]

Could add 12V battery and electric winch.

That's the weight limit accounted for: One 12v battery and an electric winch.
Hope they're foam filled tyres.

[Gerhard Michel]

Hi all,

an empty battery is an avoidable risk by using a battery monitor via telemetry, combined with acoustic warnings in the transmitter. Favourable is using only one battery for all needed voltages, receiving these voltages out of the driving battery by using dc-dc-converters also known as BEC.

Remaining mechanical risks are not really avoidable; therefore tools for removing the track link should be available. To draw the tank without track links I can use my steel rope which fastens the tank in my car. This method I had to use only one time till now when my King Tiger lost 2 suspension arms (broken in heavy grounds by a mighty stone in the drive train).

[Steve Stuart]

I have a trolley similar to the the one illustrated with an MDF sheet to reinforce the load bed. I have made a couple of short ramps to allow a Tank to drive up on to it, although standing on the opposite end is to be recommended to stop it tipping up. Two reasonably strong people can lift most Tanks on to it. Then moving it into a vehicle is not too bad as the height difference is more manageable. Steve

[Gerhard Michel]

Well, we are using our tanks in heavy grounds like sandpits and woods, where neither trolleys nor the car would be usable. A tank is a tank......














The cars are up to 200 meters away and a rescue operation would be not very easy. Therefore it is the better way to avoid any problems with batteries. The other risks like track link damages are usually manageable. I prefer steel track links wherever possible. This reduces driving damages to near zero.

[Peter Quambusch]

As you say "a tank is a tank" why don't you use one to recover the other? Did that several times with mine.... KT is strong enough to pull a JP over more than 500 Yards out of a sand pit, or a Sturmtiger out of the woods.... both with tracks on.... Just pulling a KT out of these environments with tracks on is a no go...

Cheers

Peter

[Jerry Carducci]

All of the comments are useful. They reenforce my basic philosophy of being mindful of how and where I run my models. I believe it’s best to be prepared the best I’m able with tools, limited spares, and a variety of means for towing, pulling and raising a model; perhaps not right with me if out and about but readily to hand.

I’ve had large models fail before, notably a type viic sub that weighed 22kg dry and some of my 1/10 scale armor that’s too heavy to carry any distance. Happily I have a built in aversion to running in visibly harsh terrain as I hate breaking things.

Jerry