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SIX hours! My hands are still hurting and my eyes just stopped bleeding. I could have done it in less time, but my airbrush decided it was going to be a pain in the bottom. Spent 90min just getting it sorted out. I will elaborate on the painting and weathering later in the thread, but I will say it is 99.5% one color of paint and two colors of weathering chalk. -
PART 1:
To start off my build I first had to tear down the T34 by removing the tracks, idler wheels and sprockets. Then separate the upper and lower lower hulls and remove the turret. The turret was the major part I needed to work on first to improve function of the gun and IR system.
Since I have no interest in the airsoft features of this tank, yet still want the sound effects and track recoil associated with firing the airsoft cannon, I had to do some simple rewiring to fool the MFU (control board) that the airsoft cannon had fired. This was done by splicing the power lines to the cannon motor together (see photo below) and also splicing the track recoil lines (all yellow ones) together. When the system sequence to fire the airsoft cannon is pressed, the "loops" needed to activate the sound and track recoil are closed and "POW" the cannon sounds and the track recoils. The plus side to this is now the tank can fire without the delay of the airsoft system "winding up" for a much more realistic feel.
The second turret modification was to add cannon flash which this tank was not equipped with from the factory, but has the "plug and play" slot in the 6.0 MFU for a cannon flash option that is available on other tank models. I simple ran an orange LED down the barrel, through the cannon breach and out the bottom of the turret with the other turret wires. The third turret modification was to add an auxiliary power line from the commanders hatch down along the same bunch of turret wires and that the cannon flash LED followed. This auxiliary line will be plugged into the "head light" slot on the MFU and with the attachment of a few red/orange LEDs in the commanders hatch will light up presenting a more visual indication when the tank takes a hit from an IR beam.
Removal of the idler wheel(s) to set track tension correctly. This is a new and super important feature in the 6.0 T34.
Tracks being removed before painting the tank.
Wiring "by pass" for the cannon sound and track recoil to function when cannon is fired.
"Hit indicator" LED removable light module plugged into the auxiliary line I added to the turret.
Cannon flash plugged in and testing flash.....perfect function and timing with sound and track recoil.
Thats all for PART 1. More to follow soon.
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Six hours is a great pace! Nikki looks great, the weathering is really well done. What paints do you use?
Did you add a track link to get that sag? My upper track line rides parallel to the ground. I think yours looks better.
Perhaps in another dimension I'd have a wife that actually enjoyed RC with me.Leave a comment:
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Heng Long T34 build and test review.
I though since I just got the new Heng Long 6.0 T34 in for my wife to drive and join in on more battling with, I would do a quick build and review thread about it.
So to start this T34 is the mid level offering for Heng Long with steel gearboxes, metal tracks, idler wheels, suspension arms and sprockets. My focus was to keep the build simple and fast since we have an upcoming battle event in a few days and my wife still needed to get use to driving and fighting the new tank. Oh and you will see this tank was named for my wife "NIKKI" the #2 indicated the second tank using "NIKKI" in part of the name.
I do my reviews kinda backwards and show the start and finish photos first, then work into the "meat and potatoes" of it all after.
Right out of the box and onto the work bench for complete tear down.
Six hours later and it is finished ready for field testing.
Close up of the T34 before field testing.
To see the start for finish of the build, field testing photos and report check back soon....
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