University Student Builds Tiger Tank, Lands Co-Op Job

Engineering student Will Foster loved to build models as a kid. He's now working on an engineering degree at Kettering University in Flint, Michigan and his latest model is a 1/2 scale replica of a WWII German Tiger Mark I tank. It's powered by an old 3 cylinder diesel engine rescued from a generator manufacturer where he worked as a co-op student. The vehicle has a top speed of 20 mph and the gun is capable of shooting a variety of projectiles using compressed air from an old scuba tank.

The project came about after Foster saw paintball "tanks" based on golf carts at a paintball operation in Southern Michigan. He decided he could do better by crafting a real paintball armored vehicle for his next visit. So far, the project has cost around $10,000. It might seem like a lot, but listing the tank on his resume led to a co-op job at armored vehicle manufacturer Force Protection Inc. this summer.

It's even street legal. "All you need is a slow moving vehicle sign, apparently, and it's technically a tractor. If you put an orange triangle on there, you can drive it on the road," explains Foster with amusement.

Kettering University student builds fully operational half-size Panzer tank [via Slashdot]