King Tiger and Tiger 11.

The first r/c model tank that I can ever remember was when Tamiya brought out their model of the Sherman.

This what started my interest in r/c tanks.

Tamiya were always slow to release new models, but when they did,I usually built them, but sadly - very few ever had any pictures taken of them.

I have just found these of my King Tiger in its “ambush” paint scheme to show alongside the Tiger 1 that I painted to accompany it.

No pictures were taken of these tanks after the final detailing and weathering had been completed, but the airbrush work was more or less done.

Bob.

I also have some Heng Long tanks and they really are very good, and excellent value for money - and they work very well too !

Many people have started their model tank hobby with Heng Long tanks and have later enjoyed making their own very individual alterations to them to customise them based on real tanks that they have either seen in real life or in pictures.

All tanks have been very well documented over the years so it is easy to see something that you like that can be achieved with minor or no expense to your Heng Long model tank.

I wish they were available when I started - they have made the hobby affordable to everyone at really low prices and they often cannot be identified as being any different when stood alongside similar more expensive models.

Bob.

All of my tanks are Heng Long. They are cheap but well detailed. All of them have been repainted and I never use the stick on markings. I make my own decals. Also, I look at photos of real tanks to model after.

That M1 Abrams in the photo was modeled after a tank in Desert Storm call "Absolute Death". I upgraded the motors and changed to metal gears and put a slipring so the turret can turn continuously.

Tamiya makes 1/16 scale kits that can be upgraded to rc. They are about four times the price of a Heng Long.

There are other RTR tanks that run from three to five times the cost of the Heng Long tanks. Some even more.

Lew

Chieftain Mark 3.

My Chieftain is a HAYA model that was bought as an RTR, but this only means that it would drive when it was delivered.

The paint was incorrect and incomplete and it needed to be airbrushed in the correct colours dependent on the time period and theatre to be replicated.

The main gun barrel needed to have some lagging added to look "right" and I have used thin cable ties to replicate the individual straps (after I lagged it) until I have time to make some more authentic ones with cast clamps etc - but they give the right effect - especially when the tank is being driven and not being given a close-up inspection.

The tracks are metal with authentic rubber pads inset in them as used to protect the tarmac roads that the regular metal tracks would churn-up!

I also have a set of authentic moulded tracks that actually run better and when weathered they really look good.

Lots of extra individual detail can be added to replicate any individual tank and convert it to any particular mark, so although it would be possible just to buy and run one of these (sadly not currently available) most owners that I know who have bought these expensive models have been serious enough to do a lot of extra work on them, so no two are likely to be exactly the same as each other.

I also have another Chieftain that I have not shown here yet that I have converted and painted to replicate a Mk5 variant in the BATUS colour scheme, and I have an appliqué armour set to convert my first Chieftain to a Mk 10 at some time in the future.

1/16 scale r/c Model tanks are seldom ever "finished" but always remain a "work in progress" that need constant maintenance and rebuilds to keep them "battle worthy" but (like a lot of model boats) - many remain box standard and are kept at home and are not allowed to actually get wet and dirty!

My tanks are all driven and run as often as possible (like my Classic Model Power Boats) and are most definitely NOT shelf queens.....so they will never be pristine or look like they just left the factory.

Bob.

To answer your questions regarding the source of my 1/16 scale Cold War period r/c tanks.

Centurion Mk 5.

My Centurion was built from the HAYA KIT of parts, but it is also available as an RTR variant as well, but I wanted to build mine from the kit of parts as a typical Berlin Brigade tank from the Cold War time period and convert it to a Mk 5 as I built it..

The standard HAYA RTR Centurion comes as a Mk 3 and is painted in some sort of green colour that should be Bronze Green.

The Centurions used in the Berlin Brigade were the only green Cents anywhere that were not painted in Bronze Green but we're painted in Olive Drab to the same colours as their American counterparts that they were working with in Berlin.

My Mk5 Centurion has the authentic Rolls Royce Meteor engine sound (as it was processed through the tanks silencers), it has synchronised main gun flash with smoke that pumps-out with each shot. It also has a separate exhaust smoke system that can be switched off after the cold start, and other sounds such as the turret turning sound and the machine gun (with muzzle flash) also work.

The engine features a cold start sequence and warm-up and can be revved and idled when the "drive" is not engaged and has a "shut-down" sound sequence when the motor is turned-off, but will idle until it is turned off.

It has fully proportional steering in forwards and reverse with turret rotation, and barrel elevation. These functions can all be operated at the same time as well as firing the weapons independently and switching on/off the searchlight and the normal running lights.

Conquerer Mk2.

My other Cold War tank is the Conquerer and that has been 3D printed and I will be working on that one when I am next in the mood and have some free time.

This Conquerer is a Mk2 as used in Germany during the Cold War period, and will need a lot of time to make and change some of the parts and find a way to make the flexible gun cover and correct and refine some of the 3D printed details.

The tank also needs a sound board to replicate the super-charged Rolls Royce Meteor engine as it was run on this variant with open exhausts - different to the Mk1 Conquerer that run with silencers - so a different and louder (!) sound.

The commanders cupola needs to be made to rotate independently of the turret to replicate the real Conquerers action.

Gun flash needs to be "sorted" along with a suitable source of smoke that can be synchronised to be pumped out of the barrel only when the main gun is fired as well as the independent machine gun flash and sound.

A separate smoke unit for the exhaust will also be source and fitted for use during a "cold start" that can be faded out as the engine warms-up and runs cleanly.

All the sounds such as turret rotation and different gun sounds as well as the engine need to be included.

When all the buildings and detail work has been completed it need's to be painted in Bronze Green before it can be weathered and fine detailed.

As far as I know, nobody has ever made a set of metal tracks to fit a 1/16scale Conquerer tank.

The tracks on my Conquerer Mk 2 are 3D printed but may be changed to metal if I can find the time to make moulds for the individual track plates and cast them in a suitable metal and then make and fit the end plates before mixing a "blueing mix" to dunk them in to start the track colouring process.

I will also be looking at the motors that are currently fitted to the two metal gearboxes as the Conquerer (despite it's bulk) could actually run faster across country than the Centurion so it may need a bit more power to give it a realistic performance.

Bob.

Kevinsharpe that question is exactly what i wondered
Philuk👍

Looks interesting. Are these tanks from a kit which have been upgraded or are they the commercialy available Heng Long.
Regards
Kevin

Finally got my Abrams tank running and to our tank meet today. I need to do a radio upgrade and was testing it. The existing radio wasn't working and found one of the transmitter's battery contacts eroded. Now it is back to boats for the next meet. A real seesaw.

Lew

Chieftain Mk3..

My Chieftain Mk3 tank has had some work done on it since I first bought it and is shown as it is now in the garden at home and in our local club hall.

The Chieftain has exhaust smoke and engine sound along with barrel flash on the main gun and the machine gun. The main gun also has synchronised barrel smoke that looks really good as it puffs out when the main gun is fired, illuminated by the gun flash.

I run the tank with full metal tracks that have the authentic track pads fitted as used when running on roads in Germany, but I also fit a set of the correct pattern moulded tracks too for running indoors etc.

Future plans include increasing the power by fitting a pair or "RED" motors into the metal gearboxes, and fitting a Clarke board to add the genuine Leyland multi-fuel engine sounds.

Bob.

Conquerer

Just for you Lew .

Here is a quick glance at the 3D printed Conquerer that I will be working on ...sometime...


Bob.