The pneumatic punch also came on line this month. It's a 12" air cylinder with a titanium pike on the end. 280 pounds of force equates to some unreal point pressure. An onboard process controller runs the air valve sequencing, optimizing the supply to give about 30 shots. Designed for soft targets (batteries, R/C gear, cameras) there are two configurations for the punch: fore and aft. The preferred position is aft, atop a pan-tilt rig that gives 180 degree coverage of the Ag's back. The video feed sights along the barrel of the cylinder picking up the three sighting laser points on the target (a la Predator). The single-hand interface to the R/C transmitter came together, too. I have complete drive and weapons control with a single hand. It's awesome.
 | The forward internal frame before mounting of the ram. The Ag actually contains two frames that are shear-loaded against each other. This type of design provides some cushion from weapon contact shock into the driveline. |
 | Head-on view. The forward edge is sharpened tool-steel to keep a good edge during the competition. It rides about 3/8" above the deck, a trade-off between scooping ability and high-centering liability. |
 | Tapping holes in the support structure. The aluminum deflection shield will be screwed into this framework. |
 | Layout fluid on the aluminum plate. After it dries I scribe the cut lines that correspond to the measured area. This is a build-as-you-go project. I have a general idea of how things are going to turn out. I deal with the specifics as they arise. My policy is "Sand to Fit." Don't confuse this with poor engineering: this thing is built like my old 1975 Jeep CJ5. |
 | The completed front wedge with the aluminum deflection plate attached. I'll be sending it out this week to be anodized, making it more resistant to scratching. |
 | The pneumatic punch fully extended. You just can't believe how hard this thing hits. That is until you've seen it smash right through a piece of 1/2" plywood on the fly. Watch out! |
