По просьбам товарищей из США и Европы, мы перевели (как умели) статью про танк на английский язык. Кто еще не читал оригинал статьи на русском, — она тут. Кто читал,- извините за повтор в ленте новостей. Спасибо Анастасии за помощь в переводе и Sorry for My English =(
We already wrote about airsoft M1A1 Abrams tank, which was created by the workshop “Combat” special for the airsoft game “Combat for Manhattan”. After the statement of the game, organizers and we started to receive questions from readers to write the details about the tank, how it was created, how much it costs, etc.
We decided to just interviewed the chief master of the workshop «Combat» Vladimir (AVovan). Vladimir sufficiently detailed answers to our questions and even send to us additional photos of the construction process of the tank.
The text we publish on behalf of Vladimir…
Story and process of creating airsoft M1A1 Abrams tank
I have idea with the tank a long time ago. The only thing I did not know how to do this because track technique is quite expensive.
The basis was chosen “MT LB”, because with drawings and sizes that I found online, it is well fit by a tower Abrams. That is, it is about the same height as the Abrams tracked platform without a tower.
Since the drawings Abrams tank of course not find — I bought a model MTLB and Abrams in scale 1:35. Andrew (Chel) helped me in it.
I just about figured that MT LB easy enough to fit under the base Abrams. MT LB is of course a bit shorter than the Abrams. MT LB has six rollers, and Abrams has seven rollers.
Avoid this drawback I decided with a set of wide track to the MT LB. With it MT LB has become more like a tank and has acquired in width plus twenty centimeters. For more similarities to the rear roller MT LB we have built up a flat star, which is at Abrams. The fact that Abrams has leading sprocket in back, and at the MT LB has leading sprocket in front. The case we have also extended with the upper hull, and it turned quite similar.
Then I found the guys who deal with quads and snowmobiles. They are just doing all these external enclosures, arcs, amplifiers, protection. These guys take up this challenging project. A lot of what they’ve done from scratch.
At Abrams has no drawings on the Internet or in other accessible locations. All sizes had to take straight from the plastic models in 1:35 and scale in the actual size. Details were cut from metal, try on, fine-tuned. Corners of the connection details could not try on in advance, any customized by experience with every single detail.
Quite difficult to get the node mechanism for turning tower because the tower is heavy and weighs one ton.
With the cannon is the same story, the mechanism is also quite complicated, as the cannon is also very heavy, if to consider lifting lever tools, that would be about 800 kg.
But guys are adequately coped with all the tasks — the tower was spun, cannon raised.
httpv://youtu.be/tNfluTnN2qo
httpv://youtu.be/T45JUvfWYlw
Of course, in order to move MTLB needed overview because ahead of all closed. For the driver was organized overview of the cameras. It was delivered to 4 cameras, monitor, quad, and, respectively, 4 images displayed on a monitor or together, or each image individually.
Such a way a driver received an overview of back and forth from the tower from the top down. And one camera is to drive the gun, which is located in the exchange machine gun next to the cannon. Accordingly, plan to continue to bring her gun tip. We will organize the crosshairs through the OSD, we impose the image of range, speed, etc.
In the future cannon will be shoot airsoft ammunition type TAG (due to the compressed air supply) and the laser pulse to destroy such equipment or fortifications (based on laser tag system).
In the first game, of course, this system has not shown itself in all its glory, because it was our first experience with such a system, but we are actively working with the developer and I think it will improve the system and it will be quite efficient.
In addition, we are planning to organize a laser tag shooting range, which will place the club «Stalker». Shooting Gallery will be a target Abrams with sensors and one defeat RPGs, so people can come and between games to train in the art from the defeat RPGs for free.
The one who certain number of times in a row hit this target — can claim the patch grenade throwers. So what can we do grenade throwers into classes — 1, 2, 3 classes — depending on whether he can get on a moving target repeatedly.
I hope, it will be interesting and will help to understand the commander in chief who give out the next time a set of anti-tank weapons. People with badges will be able to just make up the backbone of anti-tank forces in the airsoft game.
1:35 model of Abrams as a result of active use adopted quite a sad look, but it just shows that it was used in the making
WHAT COST OF CONSTRUCTION AIRSOFT ABRAMS A1M1?
To me have come questions about the cost of creating this layout Abrams. The fact that it is cheap, of course. MTLB itself (we bought it from the storing), worth half a million rubles ($ 45 721).
Run it a little, so we are not tormented with its repair and chassis — is fully working machine. That is, We only deal with body kit and installing it. The task was to make a detachable (ie not welded to MTLB) bodykit so it can be removed from the machine and installed, for example, to another machine, if we go to another city.
Himself bodykit cost us about 800 thousand rubles ($ 24 385). That is, overall project, with all there video surveillance, sound systems simulation shots (because they were installed on the tank dynamics and sabbufer to imitate the sound of the shot, when he is not charged, say a pyrotechnic charge) cost 2.5 million rubles ($ 76 202).
This is a very serious project and naturally has high demands on security and transportation. Before you repeat something similar — a few times think, it’s not easy.
UPD1: M1A2 review
httpv://youtu.be/GHtbkic8Knw