And we continue but the reports moved to facebook, everything changes, we adapt.

Some of you might have noticed that already some time nothing appears anymore on this site. Is the project dead. Not at all, we are alive and well and in fact in the meantime gathered enough finances to be able to finish our tank in time. Plans are ready, now organising to make the final leaps.
You better follow on our facebookpage : a mix of reports of our tankwork and other tankrelated stuff.
Have a look at : https://www.facebook.com/YpresSalientTanksP1917A/ but you will need a facebook account for that I know. Well, this is a reason to do it and do like me : don't accept "friends" so you are not too much bothered by all those so called "friends", but you can read nevertheless interesting facebookpages ! See you there, almost 1000 people are following us right now.

Due to finally having found someone to try to build-in the JCB-motor, (thanks in advance Lode) we managed to convince JCB-UK to donate us the needed surrounding equipment, because in 2014 we only received the motor block. Thanks to Chris of JCB power systems who helped us, we saw yesterday morning arriving two packages in Ypres. A small step for some, for us a giant leap. Thansk to everyone to make this possible (Stephen, Gareth, retired general, JCB-UK, Chris, Lode, Luc and I hope I did not forget someone ...)

More than half a year of no news, but once more this does not mean nothing is happening behind the screens, only nothing physically visible. But a while ago the new motor we were donated in the summer of 2014 was moved away from it's shelter in Poelkapelle to a new place thanks to Lode who will try, with help, to get it build-in our tankframe to be used as a reliable power source so we will be able to label it effectively Powered by JCB-UK. We wish to express our thankfullness to the owner of the garage, we were able to use for almost 2 years. THANKS dad (in law) !

Finally a decent track plate produced and compared with the one on Deborah in Flesquières

Last weekend we attended the commemorationweekend for Cambrai-day where for the first time tanks were used in masse and proved their value after the hard lessons learned in the Salient.
We took advantage of this trip to take with us the freshly produced trackplate to compare it with the ones on Deborah. See for yourself. Better can't be done. It was produced by Steeno in Belgium using a dye and starting form a 3D digital model produced by Johan starting from a decent track we borrowed from Philippe of Deborah. In the design process we also 3D-printed the difficult corner to really see and feel if it was good .We promised him to give it back accompanied by a new one, but we are just not yet so far. But this test plate looks very promising indeed. Finally ...

After a long period again some news !

The last year was not the easiest for the tank project. Hence no news.
Right now we have hope to get a new financial injection, but let's not sell the bears fur before it has been shot, as we have a saying in Dutch.
At armistice day we had our yearly Swindon-based visitors but also a French Airforce delegation around the Guynemermonument. Afterwards we went to the new tanklocation for a ride. At the current location the solid ground is not so vulnerable, so we are allowed to turn.
Getting the tank back under it's shelter, Jasper was asked to take over the control levers, which he gladly accepted ;-)
In the coming weekend we will attend as every year the commemorations in Cambrai.

Tankframework on the move

Recently, we experienced a problem in the left hydraulic motor. Seems the internal brake was blocked. JCB-dealer Vandaele Machinery came to pick up the tank and took it to their workshops.
I took advantage of the occasion to try to picture the framework at the side of the Guynemermonument, almost exactly on the place the original Damon II got ditched.
Working further on the project behind the screens. To be continued.

A phenomenal donation by JCB due to the RTR

It seems there is some confusion as if our tankproject is finished now with the yellow/brown tankdummy being placed at the outskirts of Poelkapelle. Nothing is farther from true and this message will show it. At the beginning of our project, already in 2004, we set our minds on a static light tankreplica and built a yellow light framework that was subsequently abondoned later when we headed for a moving tankreplica. Last summer we did make a new much stronger framework and the older one was getting dust at Georges workshop. It's this framework we got out of the dust and plated it to put it outside waiting for the real one to come in the next years.
Well, imagine a lorry stopping at your house in the morning asking where to put for free this motor below. Very warm contacts with the Royal Tank Regiment, and especially Stephen May and Gareth Davies lead to them asking around for a better, more reliable motor we already were using in the stronger framework of last summer. As most of the rolling material did come form an old JCB-excavator they managed to have JCB donate the motor shown on the picture already in Poelkapelle by now. I can only thank all involved and honour their help and generosity by trying to finish in time our "bus" with that new motor. Besides building in that motor the heavy plating and the trackplates are still on my to-do list and off course all the outer detailling including about 350kg rivets and their holes ...
But first I have to settle a bit my mind due to the amazement it went through last week by seeing this motor being donated.

A brand new JCB 6 cylinder gasoil motor, of 165kw (221hp) at 2000rpm and producing 1000Nm of torque at 1500rpm. With this motor we will be able to show what a MarkIV was capable of doing and this is from now on also our aim.
Once more a big Thank You to all who made this possible. Our tank will now effectively wear the slogan : powered by JCB  !