Landships II

Graham · Corporal

Tail wheels

TinCanTadpole · Legend

Ultimately, the best way might be to wait for member Mk1Nut to complete her excellent plans of the Mk I - I believe she has turned her attention to the tail wheels now, but this may take some time.

In the meantime, if you look at the Mk.I-III article on the landships 2 website, you'll find a few simpler plans of the Mk I, plus a handy colour photo of the whole assembly, presumably taken at Bovington Tank Museum not long after they received the Mk I and fitted the tail wheels they had been displaying on their Mk II.

The photo shows fairly well the arrangement, with the X-shaped trail pivoting on a shaft between the rear track horns; the trail projects forwards ahead of this shaft, allowing the hydraulic ram mounted to the centre of the hull rear bulkhead to raise the tail in see-saw fashion.

Either side of the ram you'll see what I believe are spring units, attached to the front edge of the trail ahead of the pivot point and sloping backwards towards the top. I can't help you with these myself, as I haven't got my head around the whole assembly.

Ironship · Private

TinCanTadpole wrote:
Either side of the ram you'll see what I believe are spring units, attached to the front edge of the trail ahead of the pivot point and sloping backwards towards the top. I can't help you with these myself, as I haven't got my head around the whole assembly.

�

The spring units are actually four groups of four springs which are attached to the trail at the forward front edge.� Each side of the hydraulic ram has two equidistant groups.� These four units are attached to a shaft across the top which is attached to each side.� Those suspension points are raised above the track run in the rear above the chain drive axle (see Helen's inner panel drawing for location).� The spring units angle forward and downward to the forward edge attachment points of the trail.� The springs provide downward pressure to the wheels to keep them on the ground while the hydraulic jack is used for lifting them off the ground.� It's a weird inverse arrangement between the axis of rotation of the tail axle and wheels.�

�

This should help.� The main tail frame is at the upper left.� Directly below is the spring assembly.� Center is the steering assembly for the tail (attaches to the bottom of the tail frame) and below is is the hydraulic ram.� On the right is the wheel, then the upper crossbar, and finally the crossbar hull attachments.� The four spring assemblies attach to the upper crossbar at the locators seen, and the four outer brackets at the top of the tail assembly.

�

-- Edited by Ironship on Saturday 17th of March 2012 02:33:55 PM

Graham · Corporal

Thanks for all the info, the piture is excellent Gives me an idear what what I must now try to make. Is this the parts from a kit�� if so which one? Has anybody built the 1, 3/5th scale Emhar model and how have they found it?

Ironship · Private

These are master parts for a kit to be released later this year.

MK1 Nut · Hero

Nice kit parts xx

As for my plans and the missing Tail Wheel section.... delayed I'm afraid.�

I've gone cap in hand to Bovington asking if they have any measurements they can let me have. Also I have asked about photos. Like with the roof details I will gladly purchase some photos to get the finished product correct.

Wish I could give you all some idea of when I will have them finished... but it would just be a guess.

Helen x

LincolnTanker · Commander in Chief

Hi Helen, I think you've had these photos, these are the only photos I have of the Bovington Tail Wheel.

Roger Todd · Legend

The Albert Stern archives at King's College London have a set of 1:8 scale drawings of the Mark I:

http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/stern/st30-01.htm

STERN: 1/19/2 1916 Aug 12 Plan of Mark I tank, entitled 'General arrangement. Tank', produced by the drawing office of the Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Company Limited, Oldbury, Birmingham, Warwickshire, scale 1.5 inches to one foot.

I looked at them several years ago when reseaching the Flying Elephant (I worked there at the time, so it was easy to pop in to the archives virtually whenever I wanted). I never bothered having the plans photographed as it was quite pricey and I was short of money at the time. As I recall they were very detailed, but I don't recall if they included the tail wheels. If someone else lives in London, it may be worth them checking it out.

THE OLD LANCER · Colonel

Hi All,
Made a sit of masters some years ago to convert the Emhar Mk 4 kit into a Mk 1 male, then a few weeks later Panzershop bought out a full kit of the Mk 1 so did not do anything with them, but made the kit!!!!!!

THE OLD LANCER