Ok ya'll...make one of these!

[Guinness]

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=Tjpva-ueEEE


Go, view, drool......


Then one of you Engineer types get on this project ok?!?!

-I'll wait ;D


-Here's another one-

uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CXn__aiOnOU&NR=1


How come those Paintball monkeys have all the cool vehicles? Cuz we gots cooler guns?





Slainte!


-G

[YankeeDiv26]

Wow, that 2nd tank is just.....awesome. It would be fun to take out an armored vehicle with a bazooka though.

[azeeze]

That 2nd tank aint paintball its the russian army hehe jk
-Nick

[gryphon]

My old lurking grounds:

forums.warpig.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=6f6734471169b55876b64ce87e123093

Our team has run armor at scenario paintball games for years. I used to run a three-quarters-scale M3 Stuart build over an ARGO 6x6, before I sold it to a field in Osseo, WI. If you put up the events, and especially the fields to accomodate paintball armor (decent roadbeds, low-hanging limbs removed, turn-around clearings, sensible tank rules, field liability insurance) we can find the tankers. I know a guy in Long Island who runs a full-scale repro of a Panther, a guy in Pennsylvania with a half-scale Sherman, and my team runs a full-scale BA-64 Russian armored car. There are at least four Tiger repros scattered around the US.

[2nd Bat]

The Tiger shown is cool (Other then its small scale) and even with the lilipution scale it's kind of a shame after all the wonderful work on functioning tracks etc that they wouldn't make the turret more dimensionally sound and put an outer housing on the main gun barrel. With the bulk of the paintball "Tanks" It seems the builders in most cases don't take the time to give them the correct and authentic shapes that in fact wouldn't be any more work then the amount taken.

There are a few out there that are really nicely done but most are just slokey and hokey. The Tiny Tiger shown would be awesome with a proper shaped turret, barrel housing (with muzzle brake) and authentic paint scheme. In the grand scheme of things that would be so easy to do.

I love the vehicle otherwise and think it would be a cool addition to our events.

[Guinness]

gryphon said:

My old lurking grounds:

forums.warpig.com/phpbb/viewforum.php?f=4&sid=6f6734471169b55876b64ce87e123093

Our team has run armor at scenario paintball games for years. I used to run a three-quarters-scale M3 Stuart build over an ARGO 6x6, before I sold it to a field in Osseo, WI. If you put up the events, and especially the fields to accomodate paintball armor (decent roadbeds, low-hanging limbs removed, turn-around clearings, sensible tank rules, field liability insurance) we can find the tankers. I know a guy in Long Island who runs a full-scale repro of a Panther, a guy in Pennsylvania with a half-scale Sherman, and my team runs a full-scale BA-64 Russian armored car. There are at least four Tiger repros scattered around the US.

gryphon,


Please share images and links to the Panther and others mentioned if you have them- this is a very cool part of Wargaming that I have always wanted to see out there as part of Airsoft gaming!

[YankeeDiv26]

I remember seeing a group of about 6 mini-shermans in one of my paintball magazines. They were obviously plywood and small, but I'd definitely let them roll in at an event.

[Guinness]

I remember daydreaming as a kid growing up on a horse farm about staging tank battles using plywood covered riding lawnmowers with daisy bb guns as the weapons-

It appears as I wasn't the only one

I think these have a natural place in Airsoft, but like everything that crosses that Paintball-to-Airsoft border, Airsoft tanks would naturally be better built and more authentic ;D

Imagine a 20, 30 acre field, Panthers and Tiger I's and PzKpfw IVs on one side with troops closely following, advancing behind armor-

On the other side, Shermans, Stuarts and maybe some Fireflys or Jacksons coming to meet them- or maybe T-34's or Churchills-

Now thats an Airsoft battle I would love to participate in!

[gryphon]

The Panther guy's name is TJ Allcott. His website is www.armoredfistpaintball.com

Troy has the BA-64. For my next big project, someday over the rainbow, I want to do an SU-76. It could happen....

As for scenarios, one word: Kursk.

[wade]

Back when I was a paintballer, I was going to build one of these. Infact, these sweet machines was why I was interested in paintball, but not anymore . Maybe that interest curbed towards airsoft now...

[Guinness]

The second video in the original post in this thread has a Panther and a T-34.

I'm not certain but it sounds like they are speaking Russian or German(?)

that is the level of accuracy I'm talking about- the armouredfist Panther is 'neat' though.

Gawd I don't want this to turn into an elitist Airsoft vs. Paintball rant, but with the ability to 'create' accurate weapons as so many of our members have shown, I'm sure an operable tank can be done that doesn't rely on cardboard bogeys or the 'Flintstone' propulsion method. (I realize the armoredfist tank isnt a Flintstone tank )

Please don't take offense gryphon, certainly none intended, I guess after seeing that movie of the Panther that I posted, I was expecting a bit more

[ersatzjack2]

What I liked a lot about the first Tiger post was the engine sound. The unmistakable diesel roar and the tracks moving across the pavement was really cool. Those of us who are in armor/panzer units really need to add this element to the gaming. I know the 9th SS will be looking into this down the road.

[YankeeDiv26]

As much as I'd love to see a really, really well done armored vehecile, I don't think it'll happen for quite some time. The money and time you need to put into a well done tank is just WAY more then even the most expensive and extensive custom guns.

[Bull]

2ndbat said:

The Tiger shown is cool (Other then its small scale) and even with the lilipution scale it's kind of a shame after all the wonderful work on functioning tracks etc that they wouldn't make the turret more dimensionally sound and put an outer housing on the main gun barrel. With the bulk of the paintball "Tanks" It seems the builders in most cases don't take the time to give them the correct and authentic shapes that in fact wouldn't be any more work then the amount taken.

There are a few out there that are really nicely done but most are just slokey and hokey. The Tiny Tiger shown would be awesome with a proper shaped turret, barrel housing (with muzzle brake) and authentic paint scheme. In the grand scheme of things that would be so easy to do.

I love the vehicle otherwise and think it would be a cool addition to our events.

You mean like this one?



Only problem with it is it's built off of a car so the tracks don't work... now if they combined that one and the tank in the first video... then WOW!

A couple of guys around my area have talked about using the 6X6 argos to fabricate some Cold War Soviet armor... I just honestly think the WWII thing would be much cooler ;D

[Guinness]

www.youtube.com/user/Gizmo4t


Actually, it's happening all over the place- That site has info on how to build a 2.5 scale Sherman, I'm sure someone with some engineering know-how could scale it up to be a 2/3 or closer to original specs.

Here is Oddballs (He is a member of the UK WW2 Airsoft forums) Tetrach built on a Argocat frame as suggested/mentioned in the post above-

www.youtube.com/user/0ddba11s

[YankeeDiv26]

1:2.5 scale seems too small for me. It should be able to hold at least 2 guys, not one with his head bobbin' out. Don't get me wrong, I'd go nuts to see these on any field and think they're truly great, but this is just my opinion.

[2nd Bat]

I built a half scale Panther for a series of Charity WW2 paintball games I put on a dozen years ago. At the time my son was perfectly to scale for it and looked cool as the TC. A friend built a second identical one and the arms race was on. They did not have functional tracks which are awesome as seen in the above videoa but honestly in the grass no one really noticed. They were two man and in hind sight I think for the sake of realism you functionality they need to be at least three man vehicles. Visually 3/4 scale seems to work. (With airsoft everything is scaled down due to reduced range ) It would still be big enough for a large clump of folks to trail behind. (The half scale ones were)

Tyler selected the Panther because he had a modle of it and I supported it because the shape was all angled flat surfaces. I have tons of pictures of them in operation but of course they aren't digital. They were stored at the Paintball facility that went out of business and I was unaware of the change of hands and unable to recover them.

Incidently for effective deployment, 2 and especially 3 tanks mutually supporting each other is very very intimidating and difficult to stop. We gamed against real armored vehicles at local NW events and even with a real tank a single tank, even with Infantry support is actually pretty easy to knock out. Multiple vehicles on a limited road net are likewise easy to knock out but a wedge of tanks in open terrain is scary and tough.

The Grey Tiger above is close to full scale and mounted on a Pickup truck. It looks pretty good in tall grass and is quite authentic in detail.

(Nerf Launchers)

[binarypunisher]

Wow, thats is VERY cool!

A Tiger would be AWESOME, but based on pure size alone I think something like a Hetzer would be easier.


(yes, the gun is not the regular one).

I think Schmitty needs to gravitate away from guns..and move onto vehicles!

If the body is not perfect, or looks wierd (as is bound to happen) - you could also put foliage on top and it would look pretty good. Kind of a burlap for guns.

[YankeeDiv26]

Hetzer seems like a much more practical design, you could probably fit 2, mabye 3 persons in it depending on its size.

[p40warhawk]

I looked into this a lot for paintball use. It would be so expensive to put together a close to full sized treaded Panther or Tiger.... plus as long as the body is on a frame suitable for off-road I think a wheeled version is fine, just try to cover the wheels as much as possible... (tarps shaped and painted to look like the undercarriage?) As for weaponry..... nerf launcher for bunker busting and taking out other vehicles, and use the MG mount spots for some heavy MGs to take out infantry.

[Doom]

I would think that using a trackhoe as a base would save a lot of time. Obviously the arm would go and a portion of the cab would have to be removed as well, but it seems like a good start. Build a solid tank frame around the cab, engine and tracks. Trackhoes are very expensive ($50,000+ for a USED one), but for someone who can afford it, it would be possible.

[2nd Bat]

The hetzer is an excellent choice and one I've considered before. It could be easily made to scale as it was a very small vehicle. With many German vehicles the use of side skirts effectively hide the fact that your treads may not be functional and as Brian said the compromises to precise details coyuld easily be obscurred with foliage. One challenge with full sized armored vehicles is that for many airsoft fields the road nets will simply not accomodate a full sized vehicle.

When we used the 1/2 scale Panthers the wooded trails were perfect for it's size which was about that of a large car. I must dig up the pictures and digitize them. If you have access to a cat such as the one shown above you probably would be better served to link up with a military vehicle club like we haqve and use actual vehicles.

You'll quickly find that transporting them to your event and operating them gets very very expensive.

[binarypunisher]

The easier thing it seems to me about German tanks is that they are much more boxy looking - or at least seem to have more straight edges on them.

Only 2nd Bat and Jager.Dru will fully understand this comment but Hellmutt has an old Toyota van we affectionately call "the chilton", and now that I think about it would present a decent frame to build off of. Obviously there isnt any treads, but the thing was so cheap and will probably not be used as much - why not?

It will definately change the style of gameplay! I know that at Long Winter the tank we had (was actually a SPG - but was real!) got massacred more than once because as airsofters we just arent used to having to defend a tank - we are used to straight up infantry tactics and battles.

[CharleyNovember]

Our tank "Helga" did not look like anything realistic but it did add a different dynamic to the game. It got massacared if it was not closely supported by infantry. It was based on a golf cart.

If I were to rebuild it I would spend the time and moeny to make it look like a hetzer. I do have a small Nissan pickup that I am planning to do that too. This one served a tactical purpose even though it didn't look so hot. I hope the next one will look a lot better.

[gryphon]

Bat brings up the salient point - most fields simply cannot or will not accomodate full-scale medium or heavy tank replicas, and real armor would be completely out of the question because of the ruts it would dig. There's quite a lot of working real armor in the Wisconsin/Illinois/Minnesota region - there's a T-34 over by the Twin Cities somewhere, a working Sherman near Green Bay, at least one Panzer in Chicagoland, and a guy with a working halftrack twenty minutes from my house, but there aren't many places we could play with such toys. Plus it would cost A BUNDLE in gas and insurance. But the half-scales do feel a little too dinky, it's true.

That's why we switched to our armored scout car, which is not only full-scale and real steel, but also the ideal size for airsoft events. I have an ARGO 6x6, and Troy has an Amphicat, both just waiting for their next incarnations. Incidentally, an ARGO 6x6 has almost exactly the outside dimensions of a Soviet T-27 tankette, but the driver and gunner sit TOO HIGH in the ARGO - this is what led me to think about something like an SU-76 or maybe a T-60, or a Komsomolets. An ARGO 8x8 Bigfoot would make an outstanding base for a Hetzer, I bet.

Working tracks on a toy tank are for guys with more time on their hands than me, though I've often wondered why no one has tried to use snowmobile treads for one of these.

[troyluginbill]

Lots of talk about tanks but remember that armored cars, scout cars and half tracks were just as prevalent with infantry and may be be easier to adapt from a wheeled vehicle. Of course now all I have to do is get off my butt and build one. Oh well my wife has already forgotten what I look like anyway.

[2nd Bat]

The dynamic and pysholological effect of a rotating turret always somehow played in my head which is why the assault SPs of the German army always dropped off my list of fantasy rigs to build. The reality is the German SPs make a lot of sense as they weren't especially large (Most were based on obsolete early war light tank chassis.) The Chilton mentioned is probably too big. The sloped sudden nose provides lots of flexibility about what you might do with it however.

A pickup truck makes a good platform as you could remove the windshield and cab and still have a fairly rigid rig to build upon. (Cars don't have sub frames hence loose their rigidity when the roof and pillars are removed.)

I built my rigs with fiber board which is absolutely not the most durable material but I sprayed them with the Rhino liner materials prior to painting and they actually held up quite well. It also gave a mettalic look to the material that looked quite good once painted in German camouflage pattern paint.

This discussion is definitely worth while and lets see about pursuing it further.

[binarypunisher]

Yeah - the rotating turret is definately awesome and intimidating - but there is no denying just how cool the jagdpanther looks. Its too bad they werent great in the infantry-support roles needed for airsoft.

[gryphon]

There were a number of turreted armored cars: almost all the Russian armored cars had turrets - BA-10, BA-20, BA-64; the British AEC Mk III, the American/Brit T17 Staghound (my vote for best armored car of the war;) the German SdKfz 234 Puma, the SdKfz 232.

But, 2nd Bat, for a German vehicle to homebuild full-scale, I nominate the SdKfz 221 or 222. Build on a VW bus frame, one of these would make a seriously cool-looking armored car, and outstanding infantry support vehicle:

www.geocities.com/Pentagon/3620/sdkfz222.htm

And then there's the tankettes, which could be shell-built full-scale out of fiberglass-reinforced foam sheet to drop over golfcarts, riding lawnmowers or ARGOS:

The Brit's Dragon Bren carrier, the Russian T-27 and Komsomolets, the Italian CV- 33, all of these were used as infantry support and they would be easily trailerable even at full-scale.

We could do this in a satifyingly accurate but affordable fashion, comrades, if we concentrate on full-scale light recon and infantry support armor, rather than half-scale tanks. Natasha, our team's BA-64, is proof - she was built as a high-school auto shop project on a '48 Willys frame, and she goes to a half-dozen events a year on her trailer.

[CharleyNovember]

God strike you for taking out a VW Bus they are getting very rare and are very collectable.