VIDEO. Tank of Poelkapelle rides again ... and is faster than ever!

Langemark-Poelkapelle Casual passers-by that last weekend in the Roeselarestraat in Sint-Juliaan reason, knew not what they heard. The shake of the ground was accompanied by the deafening roar of a heavy engine, while a small group of volunteers, who all spent countless hours tinkered with the tank of Poelkapelle’, a vreugdedansje made when their creation for the first time in months, and outside of reed.

“This was not to succeed without the firm Hydrauvision from the Dutch Schoondijke, that our two remanufactured hydraulic pumps has donated”, explains Stijn Butaye from the tankproject. “Guido, the patron of Hydrauvision and Jurgen Van Ecke, an enthusiastic sympathizer, the project is so affectionate, that she several times here, are driven to the tank back to get it. Additional trick: from now on we can tank with the remote control, which is a big advantage, because from the inside you can see barely where you are heading. To our great surprise, drive that now actually a lot faster, thanks to the expertise of the technicians Luc and Brecht Vervaecke from Sint-Juliaan. Previously it was the top speed on 3kilometer per hour, but now we get there soon seven to ten miles per hour. Now we have the fastest Mark IV ever,” marvels Stijn proud.

from Now on we can the tank with a remote control

Stijn Butaye

“By the lack of speed we have, last year, our opportunity was missed to ride in the parade in Brussels during the national holiday because the tank in the parade would slow down. That was a one-time offer, but if the organizers read this article: we are again a candidate and promise to keep the accelerator pressed to keep up. That would admittedly only in 2020 can continue, because if everything goes according to plan, the steel structure this summer in England can be admired at the Tankfest and the Great Dorset Steam Fair event.

Female

But for the moment is, will the tank still has a sex change to undergo. “In 1917 reason here, male and female models of this tank through the fields. Our tank is actually a girl,” laughs Stu. “To a male tank of to do, we will be big guns to be installed. In addition, we also need to 380 rubber pads, which we for the first time on the road will be able to drive, without the asphalt to break. In order to finance that, we get help from supporters, such as the women of Happiness that five hundred euros have picked up with a minikerstmarkt. All bits help, of course, but we intend to also have a crowdfunding to take, because we still have twenty thousand euro is needed.”

Who is the tank close to the work want to see it, surf to www.tankpoelcapelle.be for an overview of all events where the Mark IV demonstrations will give.