Airsoft Tank

[Sir Mister Sir]

Hey guys,

Over the last year I made a airsoft tank. It is patterned after a M1A1 Abrams.

At our local Memorial day parade. We live in north east Az. This was in Show Low.



Loaded up for the parade.........



A short video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STNwnIUN4fU

So do you guys have any suggestions for a scenario that would include a tank ? We are kind of new to the airsoft world. I haven't seen many airsoft tanks like I've seen in paintball. There a reason for that ?

Thanks in advance for any ideas.
 

[SLINKEY]

that things pretty sweet man
i think the main reason you dont see them too often in airsoft is the cost factor of building one.

Theres a tons of potential for that to be used in games.

i mean you dont even really need to plot a game around a tank to use it in games, Just bring it out with your aeg and have fun
Im sure everyone would be jazzed to get shot at, and shoot at that thing.

got to say also thats a pretty funny teaser video you made haha

[Ganef]

Give us the lowdown: Parts, engine, drive train, treads? time to build, costs?

There are a lot of "tanks" at national ops using rangers and 6x6 buggies as the base vehicle. A lot of airsofters carry AT weapons too.

The biggest drawback from using vehicles at games is the lack of good places to play with trails big enough for vehicles. N. AZ is just too far for a one day OP for phx players.

I really dig what you did!! would love to stop by for a test drive someday, and could convert your barrel to shoot nerf rockets instead of paintballs.

[Sir Mister Sir]

Thanks guys !!

I had planned on using the pocket nerfs for ammo but I have had a hard time finding them and off the internet they are expensive at least the ones I have found. If I can gather up enough of em they would be a lot cooler to shoot out of the tank.

What do most guys use as AT weapons ?

Yes we live a long way away for a airsoft battle but I thought....... when it's 110 degrees down there next summer I might be able to entice a few players.








The Tank is homemade. Frame, suspension, tracks, hull and turret.

The frame is square tubing welded together. The drive train is a golf cart rear end with a 4-wheeler engine connected to it with a chain. The steering is controlled by the brakes. The sprockets and drive hubs are homemade.

The treads are made from conveyor belt, plywood, Trex decking material, poly pipe,and metal.

The hull and turret are made from plywood covered with bondo.

Nothing really fancy. I finished it last winter and have had it in three parades this summer so far it's holding up well. It is kind of slow but I plan on fixing that this winter. 

I have about a year and a half into building it and about $2000.00 but I had a lot of parts already on hand like the 4-wheeler (cheap Chinese copy) the golf cart rear end etc.

Any other questions let me know.......................Still looking for a good scenario 

What are the rules for tanks in a airsoft op ?

[Shadow]

I'm thoroughly impressed.  Job well done!

[gunny77]

This is incredible. Good job man. Me and a few friends of mine tryed to do something like this a few years back when I lived in cifornia but the project fell through at about the half way point cause of low funds to comlete it. But this is amazing. What is the scale of your tank and how much does it weigh? And what is the current.top speed?

[wolfenblaze]

we need to go 1.1 scale here people i know it be alot of work but i can be done. for under like 5 grand i think we just got to get an old tractor or something only other option i think is to buy surplus coldwar stock from EU. to bad army is not selling its Humvees even though its replacing em with those new mine proof recon units.

[Uchiha Itachi]

Cheap chinese? I've had a Baja in the backyard for years.

The nerf mini vortex are plentiful where I live. The Frys near me sells em for about $2 each. You'll find them in random super markets and they won't be advertised.

[DMAN007]

Very nice job, I applaud your ingenuity

This is incredible. Good job man. Me and a few friends of mine tryed to do something like this a few years back when I lived in cifornia but the project fell through at about the half way point cause of low funds to comlete it. But this is amazing. What is the scale of your tank and how much does it weigh? And what is the current.top speed?

I did the same thing with a friend a while back! In the end we had a Powerwheels car with a plywood tank like hull and a potato gun attached on top.

[Sir Mister Sir]

Thanks for the comments.

Top speed is about a  fast walk. It weighs 1200 pounds and it's a 2:5 scale.

Thanks for the info on the nerfs. I guess I'll just keep an eye out for them.

And I must give credit where credit is due. There is a fellow in Australia that has a series of videos on youtube on how to build a tank. That's where I got a lot of ideas, pointers and sometimes I just flat out copied what he had done. There is also a forum called Scaledtanks.com that helps people build one of these things.

 

[Dayton]

Love the tank. If you need ideas or help converting it to nerf, let me know, I just built a 2" nerf mortar, and I know exactly what you need to get quick, easy, and consistent shots. As far as an auto loader though, I'm not too sure what to do there, although I have seen a few tutorials around for making a nerf auto loader.

Just FYI, Me and my friend are working on building a mold and experimenting with different flexible foams to build 2" foam rockets. (For the mortar I built) When we get the mold and foam working the way we want it, I'd be willing to sell you as many as you need/want for your tank. Initially I'm looking at a cost of 2 or 3 dollars per rocket. But once I get the process perfected and build a 10 rocket mold, it will make things easier and likely cheaper.

But that's a ways out, still experimenting, but if your interested, I'll let you know when I get things going.

[Raith]

That is pretty slick.

[Sir Mister Sir]

Love the tank. If you need ideas or help converting it to nerf, let me know, I just built a 2" nerf mortar, and I know exactly what you need to get quick, easy, and consistent shots. As far as an auto loader though, I'm not too sure what to do there, although I have seen a few tutorials around for making a nerf auto loader.

Just FYI, Me and my friend are working on building a mold and experimenting with different flexible foams to build 2" foam rockets. (For the mortar I built) When we get the mold and foam working the way we want it, I'd be willing to sell you as many as you need/want for your tank. Initially I'm looking at a cost of 2 or 3 dollars per rocket. But once I get the process perfected and build a 10 rocket mold, it will make things easier and likely cheaper.

But that's a ways out, still experimenting, but if your interested, I'll let you know when I get things going.

Hey Thats great. I would be very interested in getting some rockets from you.

The biggest problem I have with shooting the nerf rockets is the amount of air it takes. What do you use ? Do you use a sprinkler valve to fire it ?





 

[Dayton]

I use a quick exhaust valve with a 3 way valve attached to the QEV to fill and fire it in one smooth motion.

If you want me to, I'll draw you a diagram tomorrow, but quick explanation is this:

Barrel of launcher attached to Quick Exhaust valve (Exhaust port)
1" galvanized pipe, roughly 14" long attached to QEV (Out port) (this is the expansion chamber)
1/4" 3 way ball valve attached to QEV ("IN" port on QEV, Common port on ball valve)
1/4" quick coupler (air pressure source) attached to ball valve (valved port)
2nd valved port on ball valve is left open to atmosphere

Operation:

Pressure from air tank to ball valve, Ball valve is turned to allow pressure to flow into QEV. When QEV is pressurized from IN port, it sends pressure to Out port (expansion chamber). When ball valve is turned 180 degrees, it allows pressure from In port of QEV to de-pressurize to atmosphere, which causes QEV to switch modes and "exhaust" all the pressure from the expansion chamber to the exhaust port (which is attached to barrel of launcher). All this happens near instantaneously, and happens exactly the same without having to try to open the ball valve really fast every time. which causes better range with lower pressures, and consistent projectile velocities.

This way you can fill and fire the whole thing with 1 valve, makes things so simple.
The QEV valve is rated for 150psi, but Humphreys (manufacture) says that it should handle 200 psi just fine, and if it does fail, the exhaust membrane (rubber) will fail first, causing the QEV to exhaust (launcher fires).  So as long as you don't stick your face in front of the barrel when the expansion chamber is pressurized, it's very safe.

I am using propane as my pressure source, since it is about 100 psi in the winter, 200 psi in the summer, (roughly) and is in liquid form, so much higher capacity than just a pressurized air tank.

At 200 psi, I can shoot a nerf pocket vortex roughly 400 feet in a mortar trajectory. A flatter "rpg" trajectory goes about the same distance since it isn't fighting gravity as much. And a JCS foam rocket about 1.5 times that distance.

I am looking for an affordable and compact CO2 regulator that I can use with a paintball tank though, that way I could get a consistent 200 psi all year round.

QEV: http://airinc.thomasnet.com/item/specialty-valves-acc-/super-quick-exhaust-valves/qe5?
Ball Valve: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/Two-Piece-Ball-Valve-1WMW9


Anyways, if you want me to go into further detail about my mortar, let me know. For now, time for me to go to bed, work early tomorrow. I'll take some pics of it tomorrow and point out the different parts as well if you like.

[Sir Mister Sir]

That sounds like a sweet set up you got there. I did a lot of searching when I was making my gun and I don't recall anything quite like that. Very nice. Some more info would be great. I'd like to see how you put it all together.

Propane would be a better propelent than what I'm using but I'd be afraid of using it in the tank. I like the paintball co2 idea but I was unable to find a way to connect to it and regulate the pressure. I have heard of people using scuba tanks but that sounds expensive and it might be a pain to get refilled up here.

Thanks for your help.