Building a Panzer tank

[kevin456]

Would it be possible to build a Panzer tank from scratch and scarp?

[mikkel]

With a serious supply of money, thousands of hours and a lot of skill, mabye.

[Rainer Schmidt]

Or you can go the route of sheet metal, old car and a wood frame

But seriously, it'd would only ever just be a slightly big prop.

[kevin456]

If you put your mind to it, it could work.

[Capt. Zak]

Perhaps a "blown out" panzer. But anything that can move and be functional? I doubt it. Unless you hit the lottery. Then hell...GO FOR IT!

[2nd Bat]

Here are some efforts both decent and hokey for your consideration:

members.tripod.com/~Mr_Tail/images/JUMBO.GIF

[Rainer Schmidt]

Since you can't link to pictures, here is a link to the page

http://mr_tail.tripod.com/pavs.html

[9mmsleepingpill]

a small suggestion if i may add

one of the sites i play at sometimes has built a movable prop ... some kind of APC, he was going to attempt to build a panzer but i think that fell through due to time and money (i cant remember)

he builds the frame from 3"x 2" wood then covers it with either canvas (which you can paint) or plastic sheets (grey in color)

this should keep your prop light and movable

builds bars inside it so a 2 man team can lift it and the others run along inside it


this works good if the site you play on is pretty smooth and has NO vandals near it

[HellRazor]

Wouldn't work so well in Colorado...the hills we have to climb sometime would give the real Panzer problems!

One thing we have looked at before was an electric motor assisted tank, or one that has wheels and 2 peddles for 2 crew members that were heavily geared down, tank would be SLOW, but you could move it up and down hills realitevely easy. Transportation became our biggest issue with that though, but perhaps someone else will have better luck?

[2nd Bat]

Years ago my son and I built two, half scale, Panther tanks using thin fiberboard on a wooden frame. We picked Panthers as all surfaces were flat and we had a model Panther to go off of and my son frankly always liked the shape of the tank.

They had non functioning rubber treads strung around cut in half McDonalds pickle buckets. With the side skirts the fact that the treads didn't actually turn was barely noticeable (In tall grass it wasn't noticeable at all) Both tanks had jam boxes with a tape of tracked vehicles blarring. The turret turned and the main gun elevated, all hatches worked. The inside housed four motorcycle wheels tucked close together in the center of the inner outside walls (there was alot of over hang side to side and expecially in the front and back. The underside was completely open) Inspite of being half scale and doing everything we could to keep them light they were very heavy. The plan from the beginning was for them to be flintstone powered with guys inside to push them around. You had to tilt the tank slightly forward or aft to turn the vehicles. (they'd then spin on two wheels like a cart) There wasn't enough room inside for three adults to function comfortably and two could barely push them on soft ground. My son who was eight when we built them and a neighbor who was 10 rode in the turret and were the TCs.

With an outside squad of supporting Infantry they moved pretty decently. The "tank" provided cover for the Infantry while they pushed. I painted the fiberboard with bedliner spray and the texture looked quite good and kept them relatively intact for about 8 years exposed to the weather. I painted them proper camo (Late war ambush scheme) with turret numbers and attached spare tracks and road wheels and frankly at first glance (especially if no one was standing by them) they looked real good. We used them in a series of WW2 themed charity paintball games here in the northwest. (four years in a row) They were quite the hit.

The main gun shot tennis balls. I spent about $900.00 a piece in materials and lots of labor. Much of the materials was scrap . Inspite of the bedliner spray and extensive paint they did not withstand NW weather nearly as long as I had hoped. After four years of use they were pretty beat up and the fiberboard had started to warp.

Once the defenders got on a flank they could pick off the supporting (pushing) Infantry and they gradually ground to a halt and became stationary pill boxes. My rules allowed nerf rockets could knock them out if they hit them in the main body side or anywhere in the rear. As long as the two of them were in action and supported one another they were hard to knock out. Once you took out one tank the other was very easy.

In hind sight I wish I had made them a little bigger so a larger crew could push from inside. I also wish I'd used foam board and fiberglass. Certainly way more expensive initially but way more duarble and lighter. I also wish I'd made US vehicles so they could be used in parades to promote WW2 action pursuit games. German tanks are just not PC for public events!

Perhaps an M-10 or a Sherman. The Panthers were much bigger then a sedan and barely fit in my garage. My wife tolerated them for a year with our cars parked outside. Our neighbors really wondered about me but none of their dogs ever pooped in my yard! They actually pushed quite nicely on paved level roads. With no powertrain I could include them in my event insurance. Until they got up close to them the players didn't realize they weren't powered.

I know they would have held up to airsoft rounds way better then they did the sloppy messy paintballs which always took something away from the effect by the end of the day.

[flint]

hi guy's

on this subject i think what i posted in a another spot will fit here.

if after reading this if any one is serous about any big project like this .

a "tank" or "gun battery" please let me know as i am always up to
doing some-thing that others say cant be done.


hey' guy's

a lot of really good and sound idea's here on this subject" i know that I'm the new guy but here' my two' cent's.

i had played paint ball for many years' i was part of a team back in the day.

who played pro-ball we played all over and i have played on Fields with real helicopters apc's jeeps' and also home maid stuff as well.
and it helps a lot to set the mood of the game .

i work with plastic all the time in the props "big and small" that i do for my self.

and to make a full scale fake battery or Flak gun is not hard and would not .
cost a lot for materials.

it would just take some time which is really the big thing' if we pare off into groups by were we live' let's say just for now N.Y N.J .C.T

each state if' enough' members' pick a prop lets say' N.Y--- N.J pick a U.S tank".

and C.T picks a Flak gun each group work's on there own project but since we are all one big group we help out with info on were to get or make plans and find part's.

a real group thing' and it gets done but we all can enjoy it at a game or at any event that we are doing"".

but the main point is if we as a group pick one thing and all split the work we can do a lot more a lot quicker' and it will look a lot better'.

the only thing is were to store thing's Even if in is made to come apart".

the parts have to be put some-were' that is relay the only big head ache"".

also just so you guys know i know that it will still be work but i know it can be done .
i can speak for Shadow and myself as we both have backgrounds in aviation and engineering" it can be done but it will take work and commitment by all.

just my two cent's.

Jericho D. Flint,