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Heat-Spring-Open tankbattle at the AAF-Tankmuseum March 2009
another kick-ass and lots of fun 3 day tank-battle-event
here are Dana's comments to the past action-weekend :
Everyone is in a great mood and ready to rock and roll on the battlefield! We had 12 earlybird tankers on Friday, including Willy and Daryl, who arrived after dinner time. We ran battles until 9:15 pm Friday night, including variations of the West coast run-over-the-flag battles and the new "Zombie Town" scenario...which plays like the movie "I am Legend" until all the "human" tanks are dead!
More fun today. I'll try to post some photos tonight.
-Dana
www.heatarmor.com
I think the 2nd annual Spring Open will be remembered as one of the most fun events yet. Lots of laughs, on the field and off! And we kept things fresh with lots of unusual new battle scenarios.
Five more tankers came Saturday for a total of 17, of which 11 stayed for more battles on Sunday. The meal breaks were full of good tank chat and tons of good humor. We ran battles from early morning Saturday until nearly 9:30 at night!...then almost a full day Sunday...so everyone's tanks got lots and lots of wear and tear!
We tried out several new battle scenarios this time. In addition to the relentless "Zombie Town" battle, (that I dubbed "Tanks are Legend"), there was also a tactically challenging new battle called "1@9 vs. 9@1". We tried this one 3 times so different guys could be the lone defender against 9 incoming tanks with one hit left. It was like a fox hunt. I would like to be the fox next time!
We ran a new battle where all the turretless tank hunters fought together against everybody else with standard tanks. That was interesting. Another new game was called "Tank Football". We played this on the cement floor beside the battlefield. This had to be the most "fast and furious" tank event ever! Once everyone got used to NOT shooting their guns all the time, it was a blast! It's the only tank scenario where EVERY tank is in constant motion at all times. Wow. This one is sure to be a permanent fixture at future battledays!
Randy took the official group photo of all the tankers, which should be posted on the H*E*A*T website soon, but here are some of my candid action shots from the weekend.
1) Here, the gang lines up for the start of a new battle:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3992.JPG
2) This weekend the old tankers were joined by a 10 year old and 7 year old, who both did extremely well:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3987.JPG
3) This is Bob from New Jersey, getting his "IFA" Jagdtiger ready for action:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3930.JPG
4) Here's Bill Will's Pershing at his workbench:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3935.JPG
5) Two veteran RC tankers answer questions from two "newbies":
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3936.JPG
6) Frank from Charlotte, left, gets help at his first battleday from James of H*E*A*T club:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3938.JPG
7) Frank from Charlotte has 5 tanks,
including this spotless French Sherman that is seen heading out for its first coating of battlefield dust!
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3946.JPG
8) I had a terrific weekend with these new T-66 tracks and beefed up gearboxes from Willy.
It was my first battleday in years where NOTHING BROKE on "Mostly Broken"!
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3985.JPG
9) Bret's outstanding motorpool. In the background you can see Marty's tanks:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3939.JPG
10) Marty pilots his heavy KV-1 tank as Frank watches:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3948.JPG
11) Tiger tracks! Here is a good shot of Bret's early Tiger I making tracks in the sand in front of the Bailey Bridge.
Notice those early stowage bins that we call "Mickey Mouse ears":
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4051.JPG
12) Bill Will's nice SU-85 tank hunter rolls through town in search of prey:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3957.JPG
13) Here's a good battlefield action shot showing Marty's Winter T-34 taking a hit for the Motherland:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3952.JPG
14) In one of those funny combat moments, Bob helps his teammate Will O. make battlefield repairs
by trying to push a track back onto a sprocket while under fire!
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3968.JPG
15) Here's ACE commander Bill Will talking with master craftsman Daryl Turner:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3964.JPG
16) Jake and Bob are locked in combat, as museum spectators look on:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3971.JPG
17) This is what happens when you don't use Threadlock on your idler wheel...it flips over backwards. This is one of Daryl's aluminum idler mods on my 5 year old tank "Mostly Broken". A quick fix...and then it's back onto the field:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3981.JPG
18) Bill and James talk team strategy moments before the start of battle:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3966.JPG
19) Willy was the first to create a "lowered apple" on his KT. This weekend he brought his Pershing. Notice the windows cut out of the cupola to allow the red light out:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3993.JPG
20) These are the tools of the trade for running events. Notice the numbered flags for running the West coast-style capture the flag battles; poker chips for drawing even teams; and flags for identifying different teams on the field:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3995.JPG
21) Doug, Randy and Bret were the medal winners in our "Battle Royale" shootout for kill points:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_3997.JPG
22) Here's an exciting battle moment! All three of the tank hunters are lit up during a special battle that pitted the self-propelled anti-tank guns against ALL the tanks with turrets:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4002.JPG
23) James and Bob are pinned in a corner with their tank hunters:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4003.JPG
24) My "Jumbo" is dead, as James' Jagdpanther takes a final hit from his flank:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4008.JPG
25) In another tank hunter battle, Bob's Jagdtiger takes fire inside the railroad tunnel as James' Jagdpanther desperately tries to cover his rear:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4013.JPG
26) Here's an action photo of Bob's monster taking hits in the tight confines of the tunnel:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4015.JPG
27) Bret of ACE is always calm under fire:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4010.JPG
28) Bret's Tiger zips across the Bailey Bridge into the farm village. (Don't worry, the Tiger in the river is just a static model):
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4053.JPG
29) Willy watches Doug defend the town Sunday:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4057.JPG
30) Here's Doug's medium Panzer III on the middle bridge:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4060.JPG
31) Randy realized that the unpainted interior of his emitter tube was "splashing" his wingmen with friendly fire,
so here he uses a Sharpie to black out the inside surfaces:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4017.JPG
32) The Green Team lines up at the line of scrimage for some exciting "Tank Football" action on the museum floor:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4019.JPG
33) The White Team gets ready to "kick off" in the fast paced "Tank Football" game:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4024.JPG
34) Just for kicks, Willy used his trucks as a makeshift "Bailey Bridge" so his Pershing could cross the water:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4030.JPG
35) At the end of the day Sunday I finally threw a track for the first time. But it was my fault for turning too sharp in a pile of loose sand. With one good track left I was able to arc back and forth for several minutes and put up a good fight like Audie Murphy!
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4040.JPG
36) I wasn't the only one! Bret lost a track in a fight with Doug's Panzer III Sunday:
http://www.lowell.to/tanks/IMG_4069.JPG
The whole weekend was a great success for the RC tanking hobby. I'm sure everyone had a nice time, both on the field and chatting with the gang at meals. I heard Daryl say it was the most he had ever laughed at a tank event! We had 17 guys turn out, which is pretty good considering the weather and the economy. But I hope we'll see even more tankers come to Danville for the April Extravaganza and the other battledays later this year.
Thanks to Doug, James and Randy for all the battlefield preps and logistics over the past few weeks. And thanks once again to Karen and the entire AAF Museum staff for the outstanding hospitality shown to us tank geeks! By the way Karen, two guys bought new Tamiya Panzer IV's on Saturday...woohooo!!!
There were a number of competiion battles which ended with first, second and third place going to
Randy Frank, Bret Bensen and Doug Gasser respectively.
Doug Randy Bret
See everyone in April, Dana
Dana Lowell
CO of H*E*A*T RC Tank Club
www.heatarmor.com
more photos from Dana and Randy :
and here are some of my own
" bridge-laying " photos :
Dirty Pershing
you spend time on weathering your tank ?
no need for that if you are going to Danville ...
this is what my Pershing looked like after this past weekend
I love it , couldn't be more realistic !
March 2009