Origin of tanks
A term lost to time that should probably be brought back: PAUs- Paintball Armored Units. It’ s an all-encompassing term, covering mobile units from the motorized, gaspowered vehicles to mechs and juggernauts to walking tanks, and everything in between. And scenario paintball would not be what it is today without them.
A common-held belief is that tanks were introduced to scenarios in the late 90s with some of the legendary tanks like the Sherman“ Jumbo”, the Allcot’ s“ Panther”, and Thad“ Weltman” Drum’ s“ Automagnus”.
But in an interview with Paintball 2Xtremes more than two decades ago, Henry Fleming Jr. shared a different story.
“ As Wayne Dollack’ s " FX " crew sat around one day realizing they had finished all the props for the next game, there really wasn ' t anything to do--or was there?,” he wrote.“ As we looked around at the various items left from past props and projects, our evil little minds went to work. Wayne Dollack was talking about‘ tanks’, and thought it would be fun to have a small two-man paintball tank. Low and behold, I already had my eye on this old electric golf cart.”
And from there, he went on to detail the build of the first tank. That was in 1989.
“ The tank model was one driver and one exposed gunner with a pair of Tippmanns connected and operated with a hand crank,” said Thad Drum, recounting the simplicity that it started with. But he went on to explain that the tankers would soon elevate the standard themselves.“ In late 2001, I was laid off for two years, and [ during that time ] I built my first tank from an old amphibious six-wheeler called a Sidewinder.”
“ I should note that Wayne’ s World was an epicenter for tanking in the very late ' 90 ' s and 2000s,” said Drum.“ I was there in 2000, and there were around a dozen tanks AF all kinds there.”
Left top & botton: The finished tank in 1989 Top right: Henry and Wayne working on the first paintball tank Bottom right: Another example of an early tank, Wayne ' s World,
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