Ball Tank

[Old Wombat]

I'll probably start closing up the ball tomorrow or Friday. It's been a struggle not to "improve" on the design (the kit is otherwise excellent except for the seats). I realized that the rollers and rail for the central tire don't form a seal... so this ball would have had a hard time fording a shallow creek. Water would have formed a puddle inside the ball and would have been raining into the interior from above as the tire turned. Visibility out of the Ball was close to zero. Crew positions (even my modified one) are terrible. The list goes on.

So, an excellent Bad Idea!  

[Wardukw]

I'll probably start closing up the ball tomorrow or Friday. It's been a struggle not to "improve" on the design (the kit is otherwise excellent except for the seats). I realized that the rollers and rail for the central tire don't form a seal... so this ball would have had a hard time fording a shallow creek. Water would have formed a puddle inside the ball and would have been raining into the interior from above as the tire turned. Visibility out of the Ball was close to zero. Crew positions (even my modified one) are terrible. The list goes on.

So, an excellent Bad Idea!  

It's a bloody good build mate..it only seems to get better 

[kerick]

I'll probably start closing up the ball tomorrow or Friday. It's been a struggle not to "improve" on the design (the kit is otherwise excellent except for the seats). I realized that the rollers and rail for the central tire don't form a seal... so this ball would have had a hard time fording a shallow creek. Water would have formed a puddle inside the ball and would have been raining into the interior from above as the tire turned. Visibility out of the Ball was close to zero. Crew positions (even my modified one) are terrible. The list goes on.

So, an excellent Bad Idea!  

It's a bloody good build mate..it only seems to get better 

I can only imagine the outside view if this thing started gerbilling down a hill! Barf city!
Great work on a Really Bad Idea!!

[frank2056]

I think I'm almost done pimping the interior. I made a movable periscope for the tank commander, but like all things ball tank... it will be of limited utility. Here are the two hemisphere interiors. The black wires are for the fuel lines, which will get glued to the engine... somewhere. The brass on the 37mm rounds is more gold than brass, but it's what I ended up with:



This is the driver/TC side. There's a green wire from the driver's seat to the brakes. I scratchbuilt a battery (on a shelf to the upper left) and cabled it up as well:



37mm gunner and loader side. I added the diamond plate floor just to give the loader something to stand on. His seat also blocks direct access to the exposed, unprotected radiator fan, which will be right behind him.



This vehicle would have been ridiculous in practice. Rolling down a hill uncontrolled would have been only one of the many problems with this design.

[Wardukw]

Looking great mate 👍

Now imagine that thing trying to cross a trench and getting spun sideways with each side stuck on the trench walls 

[su27rules]

    

[buzzbomb]

Oh this is good 

[loupgarou]

Looking great mate 👍

Now imagine that thing trying to cross a trench and getting spun sideways with each side stuck on the trench walls 

Yes, it looks more and like the baddest of bad ideas...
I was thinking of what would happen inside if the clutch ( ? or whatever) burned and the WHOLE contraption started rolling. 

[Wardukw]

Looking great mate 👍

Now imagine that thing trying to cross a trench and getting spun sideways with each side stuck on the trench walls 

Yes, it looks more and like the baddest of bad ideas...
I was thinking of what would happen inside if the clutch ( ? or whatever) burned and the WHOLE contraption started rolling. 

Total brake failure going down a steep hill  aswell as the clutch         

[Rheged]

Looking great mate 👍

Now imagine that thing trying to cross a trench and getting spun sideways with each side stuck on the trench walls 

Yes, it looks more and like the baddest of bad ideas...
I was thinking of what would happen inside if the clutch ( ? or whatever) burned and the WHOLE contraption started rolling. 

Total brake failure going down a steep hill  aswell as the clutch         

Ouch!  Gerbilling off down the hill into the sunset does not sound like a life enhancing rxperience.

[Wardukw]

Looking great mate 👍

Now imagine that thing trying to cross a trench and getting spun sideways with each side stuck on the trench walls 

Yes, it looks more and like the baddest of bad ideas...
I was thinking of what would happen inside if the clutch ( ? or whatever) burned and the WHOLE contraption started rolling. 

Total brake failure going down a steep hill  aswell as the clutch         

Ouch!  Gerbilling off down the hill into the sunset does not sound like a life enhancing rxperience.

No..not in the least 😆 🤣
Ladies and Gentlemen..it's brown pants time 

[frank2056]

Getting close. Today's adventure was fixing the outrigger wheels, jokes that they are. One known problem with this kit is that the wheel halves don't fit into the spats. I solved it by cutting off the upper half of the outer section, since it isn't load bearing.
The modified wheel is above the sprue, the red dashed line indicates where to make the cut on the unmodified wheel:



I also painted the big tire and realized I also had to extend the olive drab down the frame a bit. I've since done a better job painting the OD. I glued a front and rear half and they click onto the frame. They'll need some cyanoacrylate to hold in place, though:



Some videos of a real monowheel:

This kid seems to enjoy going over horse excrement. Which illustrates an issue with these open frame wheels:

[kerick]

I've always wanted to build a radio controlled mono wheel. Start with a bicycle tire.

[NARSES2]

This is simply getting better by the post   

[Rheged]

This is simply getting better by the post   

Totally agree.  It started superbly and has been getting steadily better.