Modding the RC Airsoft Tank

[goduranus]

Hi all, I registered on this forum to ask a somewhat off-topic question.
I recently bought myself an RC tank that shoots 6mm BBs. Right now, its guns is underpowered, not even shooting through a coca cola can.

Tank Pic Here

I want to upgrade it to shoot through the plastic shells of other RC tanks, about 0.7mm thick, at 1-2 meters away. Is this even possible? How much fps do I need? And what would be the optimum ammunition?


The tank's airsoft system is cloned from Toyko Marui's 1/24 tanks, but I suspect that parts are not interchangable with TM's guns. Could the experienced players of the forum help me find some upgrade options?

Here's a picture of the tank's airsoft system.



Thanks

[Cobrajr122]

You are going to need a pretty high FPS so break plastic with plastic.

Plastic BBs will deform on contact which dissipates some of their energy, to avoid this and ensure that more energy is being transferred to the target you will have to use silica or metal BBs.

I have no idea what FPS would be needed to acomplish your task as it would depend on the type of plastic, the angle at which you hit it, and a bunch of other stuff.

[goduranus]

I did a quick search online for hard and dense materials that come in 6mm balls, and found tungsten carbide ball bearings. Over 1.5 gram a piece.
Now I have to find a tougher spring and see if I can reinforce the shooting mechanism.

[ccyg8774]

Originally Posted by goduranus

I want to upgrade it to shoot through the plastic shells of other RC tanks

Why would you want to do that...

[ccyg8774]

Originally Posted by goduranus

I did a quick search online for hard and dense materials that come in 6mm balls, and found tungsten carbide ball bearings. Over 1.5 gram a piece.
Now I have to find a tougher spring and see if I can reinforce the shooting mechanism.

With BBs that heavy, the trajectory will be like "peeing" even with a very high power AEG. (higher power than you can achieve on the small space of that tank.)

[Rookie Ab]

What about silica bb's
Most are afraid they'll break through their guns and scopes.
should do a toy tank, with enough velocity

[goduranus]

I'm gonna head out to the hardware store tomorrow to get a new spring, and up that velocity.

As the tank churns out a feeble 10 rpm, I suspect it has an insane gear ratio (50 times higher than AEGs?), thus enough torque to pull a very strong spring. However, the gearbox shell is made of toy-grade plastic, with gears themselves made of slightly stronger medical-grade plastic, so I am going to be conservative and start with one that is between twice and thrice as strong as the AEG springs.

I am aware that a spring too strong will break an un-reinforced gearbox, but I'd like to ask. When you install a spring stronger than the gun can handle, does the gun break right when you try to fire the first round(strength problem)? or is it after a certain number of round(wear and tear)? or does it happen mostly during sustained fire(vibrations)?

[kyle milliken]

Originally Posted by goduranus

I'm gonna head out to the hardware store tomorrow to get a new spring to increase the velocity.

As the tank churns out a feeble 10 rpm, I suspect it has an insane gear ratio (50 times higher than AEGs?), thus enough torque to pull a very strong spring. However, the gearbox shell is made of toy-grade plastic, with gears themselves made of slightly stronger medical-grade plastic, so I am going to be conservative and start with one that is between twice and thrice as strong as the AEG springs.

I am aware that a spring too strong will break an un-reinforced gearbox, but I'd like to ask. When you install a spring stronger than the gun can handle, does the gun break right when you try to fire the first round(strength problem)? or is it after a certain number of round(wear and tear)? or does it happen mostly during sustained fire(vibrations)?

On the rate of fire issue the reason it shoots so slow is because the company that makes these tanks wanted to keep the thing as close to the real thing a possible so, they programmed it to shoot that slow. Meaning that no amount of modding to the gears and that well make it shoot faster.

[ArcticFox1984]

a little from column a, b and c.

Stripped gears, blowing the front of the gearbox off and snapping axles are just a few of the more likely outcomes.

kinda hard to say as I've never seen the inside of a tm tank... the liberal use of plastics isn't reassuring though... might wanna do what you can to improve the airseal in the compression piston and go real easy on increased spring tension.

If that doesn't sound fun enough to you, then I'de suggest reinforcing the shell with jb weld and go for it.

[goduranus]

A picture of the gearbox interior,spring/guide removed.
Does it look like I can upgrade the gears with some from AEG kits?

[Viperfish]

Your best bet would be to look into modding it with an AEP gearbox.

[XZIVR]

Those gears are completely different from an AEG gearbox. I've seen these things before - used to sell them at a hobby shop. I can tell you that even a single AEG gear is about the same size as the whole set of gears in an RC tank.

Originally Posted by goduranus

I'm gonna head out to the hardware store tomorrow to get a new spring, and up that velocity.

As the tank churns out a feeble 10 rpm, I suspect it has an insane gear ratio (50 times higher than AEGs?), thus enough torque to pull a very strong spring. However, the gearbox shell is made of toy-grade plastic, with gears themselves made of slightly stronger medical-grade plastic, so I am going to be conservative and start with one that is between twice and thrice as strong as the AEG springs.

I am aware that a spring too strong will break an un-reinforced gearbox, but I'd like to ask. When you install a spring stronger than the gun can handle, does the gun break right when you try to fire the first round(strength problem)? or is it after a certain number of round(wear and tear)? or does it happen mostly during sustained fire(vibrations)?

Um, the motor in an AEG is a tad bit bigger than what's in the tank. That sort of has something to do with the power. Insane gear ratio? Yes, I'm sure. Similar power potential? lol.

Also by the looks of it, the spring in the tank isn't compressed nearly as much in that thing as it is in an AEG. AEG springs are around 6 inches long uncompressed. They get compressed to around half that.


I'm still a little disturbed by why you want to damage other people's tanks, and worry that you don't fully comprehend the dangers involved.

[baker_Jeff]

Tightbore barrel?

[ccyg8774]

Originally Posted by goduranus

so I am going to be conservative and start with one that is between twice and thrice as strong as the AEG springs.

When you install a spring stronger than the gun can handle, does the gun break right when you try to fire the first round(strength problem)? or is it after a certain number of round(wear and tear)? or does it happen mostly during sustained fire(vibrations)?

On AEGs, the gearbox break from a strong spring mostly after some usage, as the piston knocking leaves small fractures and wears on the metal gearbox over time.

To your RC tank, I think it will be a different case.

Looking at the gearbox interior, I think a spring that between twice and thrice strength as the AEG spring will be strong enough to blast your tank gearbox right away if you managed to put the it in the gearbox. Flying spring, gears and plastic shrapnel are dangerous...

[Viperfish]

Originally Posted by ccyg8774

On AEGs, the gearbox break from a strong spring mostly after some usage, as the piston knocking leaves small fractures and wears on the metal gearbox over time.

To your RC tank, I think it will be a different case.

Looking at the gearbox interior, I think a spring that between twice and thrice strength as the AEG spring will be strong enough to blast your tank gearbox right away if you managed to put the it in the gearbox. Flying spring, gears and plastic shrapnel are dangerous...

Have to admit though, the gun on a tank exploding would look really badass!