Building middleweights

Ive only just got to see the S7 middleweight battle via Fox Kids and in his interview, Gary said that building middleweights is easier than heavies. As Im trying to squeeze a CO2 flipper into 50 kg (as are several others) I must disagree. Its very hard to balance the capabilities of a middleweight. You have to maximise the offensive ability because you might have to fight heavy armour such as that of Steel Sandwich and Phoenix have yet at the same time, you need the armour yourself due to the likes of Typhoon.

Welcome to the world of robot building!

Seriously, you have that problem in all the weight classes. The middleweights arent an exception.

I must say, with a heavyweight power weapon (fp ram 70 bore 100 stroke) in a feather, it doesnt sounds to difficult to make a High power, good armoured middle.
Unfortunatly, middleweights are not that popular over here in Belgium or the Netherlands.
Also, I specialize in robot parts and concepts, not complete machines.

Julian I was only refering to the way in which they weigh less and hense arent as hard to transport plus if i had said they were dam hard would it encourage people to think about building one?

But dont worry I wasnt meaning it to sound as if they are so easy that it is just a case of putting together a few batteries and motors and your away. Any roboteer that comes up with a robot demands respect merely for the fact that they built something within the weight limit and rules, and if it is effective, then fantastic.

Backtracking are we, Gary? Trying to avoid RAF Newton becoming a kill the spinning metal lampshade event? Transport is sometimes an issue. John reckons that he can take Steel Sandwich on the bus. I think that I can take my new one the same way should I so wish. If you see a suitcase handle fitted to the side then you know what it is for. The venue switch to RAF Newton makes it further for you to travel, I suppose. It suits me fine, though.

Mario, the thing is that the high power flipper featherweight isnt up to being hit by Typhoon at full tilt. It must still be a wonderous machine to see in action, though.

Julian, if you fit a 5 kg weaponsystem in a 50 kg robot, you have 45 kg left.

And thats a great argument for the lower weight classes. Youre encouraged to refine technology right down to the wire... and many lessons can be learnt.

Havent seen an example of a featherweight being scaled up for the heavies, yet. Only the other way round (DTK, Kitty etc), with the exception of the US bot Petunia, which is coming to the FRA Champs. It was based around its successful smaller brother, Sunflower.

Oh, and I guess Typhoon 2 was built after its middleweight, wasnt it?

Mario, the heavyweight boys must be lining the base of their robots with house bricks to make up the weight!

yeah mike that was the plan from the start, try out the design in the middles and scale it up.

Lol Julian I think that every match we are in from now on will be a kill the lampshade match!

there has been one featherweight built up to a heavy, Rip and Ripper

as far as I know (the first version of) Ripper came before RIP...

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Mario, the heavyweight boys must be lining the base of their robots with house bricks to make up the weight!

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I wish. My team build 3 heavys till now, and only third time round we managed to keep a decent way below the weight limit. The other two we were drilling holes and losing plates and shortening bolts all over the place.

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Leo

Project II was only 84 kg at the first full assembly weighing. So we put 4mm polycarb all over extra on top of the 16 mm HDPE, rasing the weight to 90 kg, combat ready.

And no, it isnt easy to build inside the weighlimits, but it all depends on construction and basic idea.Time and money. With lots of time you can even drill 4mm holes trough M10 bolts to get 15 grams all over the robot.

On the other side, with the tricks Ive learned over the time, it isnt that difficult anymore.

After discussing weight problems, what about physical size? I got hold of these stainless steel boxes and they seemed huge at the time. I decided to put the wheels on the inside (rather big at 12 as they are from a wheelchair) and its going to be a real squeeze. I may find myself stuck at 24v with the old speedos so a little more space is created by losing a battery but ram, gas bottle, associated plumbing plus the electrics will mean hardly any spare space. Goodness me, Marios buffertankless regulator will be a very welcome addition.

Steel Sandwich and Phoenix remain wonders of miniaturisation.

My steel boxes are 67cm x 51cm and I want to keep the height to 20 cm or so at the very top of the wedge which is also the top of the wheels.

Reading this, the boxes would seem huge but being cut down to a wedge means that much of the area at the front is unusable.

How big are the rest of you building to? I would be especially interested in Blazer as our specifications are so similar even if the implementation is not. The wheels are on the outside are they not? After meeting the middleweight Typhoon before at Extreme 2, Id rather have mine on the inside. (Anyone have any idea as to the military secret upgrades the Typhoons have had?)

Part of my problem is that I have given the wheels extra space so that I can change from pneumatics to a different style of spiked wheels, should they prove themselves in testing, without needing a rebuild.

i dont know blazers dimensions (never measured it:)).I would guess its about 70cm long, 40cm high and about 50cm wide, but because of the wedge shape and funny angels over half the space is lost. I have had huge problems fitting eveything in, in it is;

1 litre buffertank
Regulator
5/3 3/8th vlave
80x210mm ram
2x Wheelchair motors
40cm wheels
2x Curtis speedos and interface
1.1kg co2 bottle
2x 7Ah Batts
Rx and weapon switch
Plus other bits

Blazers wheels are both inside and out! Most of the wheel is cover but the top 4inch or so stick out.

If your worried about the size of wheels, why not use smaller wheels and run a chain/gear drive to them. For example; You could use a pair of go-kart wheels (250mm) and have a 1:2 gear up.

Simplicity is the key. I think that everything will fit (eventually!) Blazer is that bit bigger alll round and the internal volume is increased so that it all goes in even the buffertank. I think that its quite interesting how very different our machines are although they have such similar specs. Lets hope that another difference wont be that yours works and mine doesnt.

I really ought to think up a name soon, I suppose.

How about the Flipskanker? LOL

Lord Flipford?

Comet, Warrior, Number 4, Ace of Herts, Big O, Bagpuss. Ideas so far.