Pig Dog Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 A bit off topic perhaps, but for those of you who haven't seen it yet, Dragon Models has come out with a line of very nicely detailed, pre-painted 1/72 scale radio controlled tanks. These are much better quality than many of the Radio Shack/toy store type tanks I've seen on the shelves. You can probably see it in action at your local hobby shop, but Dragon has some info on their website (a bit slow though). So far they've released two early versions of the Tiger I, with several more variants to come (and hopefully eventually some Russian and allied armor), but for the moment means you can't quite stage a good tank battle with your buddies (well, that and the fact that there's only two frequencies available, reducing the size and scope of your battles by a large margin). Radio range and run times are decent (10 minutes approx so far) considering the transmitter uses a single 9 volt battery, with about 15-20 minute recharge times for the Tiger on the included display pedestal (4 AA's in pedestal to recharge). Forward speed seems relatively scale, though the thing can neutral steer like nobody's business. The only 'weakness' I've seen so far is that the tank occasionally throws one of its rubber tracks (instruction manual recommends removing the tracks when not in use, presumably so they don't get over-stretched). Granted, these aren't quite cool as Tamiya's 1/16th scale tanks with their infra-red battle systems, but then again, the Dragon Models Tiger I fits in the palm of your hand, and runs 50-80 bucks, as opposed to nearly 700(!!!) for the Tamiya setup. The Tigers should be available at your local retail hobby shop (or one of the online shops like VoyagerToys) now, with more models to come. I suppose theoretically, one could build nearly any 1/72 scale plastic tank and probably adapt it to use Dragon's transmitter and receiver, but then, that would probably mean destroying the rather nice Tiger model that it came installed in. Anyway, its fun to chase pets around the house with, and otherwise entertain yourself while waiting for the latest patch to download. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joques Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Cool! But does the gun work? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
britfish Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 I bought one and it dosen't work, bought it from a store 100 miles away so cant take it back either Left sprocket stutters badly. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke of Earl Posted January 9, 2003 Share Posted January 9, 2003 Bonjour fellas, Reminds me of the Pocket Armor Tigers and Panthers that I bought from Hobby Link Japan back in 2001... The PA models use rubber tracks just like these Micro Tech models... and they also come pre-assembled... But, the PA models require AAA batteries... they do not have a recharger base unit... and they do not have any cool Tank Commander figures... However, the turrets can be remotely rotated (L-R) on the PA Tiger & Panther models using the transmitter... Cordialement, Duke of Earl [ January 09, 2003, 12:40 PM: Message edited by: Duke of Earl ] 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig Dog Posted January 10, 2003 Author Share Posted January 10, 2003 Originally posted by britfish: I bought one and it dosen't work, bought it from a store 100 miles away so cant take it back either Left sprocket stutters badly.Hmm, mine works perfectly, but it sounds like one of the left pinion gear isn't seated well if the track is stuttering. I'd say you've got 2 options: 1. Call the store you bought it from, tell them it was damaged when you bought it, and ask to return it for replacement. If you attempt to resolve the issue in good faith and they don't do it, you can contact your credit card company about disputing the charge (that is, if you used a credit card). Many card companies have a 50 mile distance clause that may work in your favor. 2. If you can't get the retailer to replace the item, and the credit card company won't refund the transaction (or you didn't use the cc), there is a US phone number listed in the manuals for warranty repair/replacement of your unit (90 day warranty I believe). Shame your tank didn't work, hopefully you can get it dealt with and up in running order, they're loads of fun when they're working. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pig Dog Posted January 10, 2003 Author Share Posted January 10, 2003 Originally posted by Joques: Cool! But does the gun work? Actually, on the Dragon Models tanks, no. However, Marui (the AirSoft people) makes modern 1/24th scale tanks that *do* fire 6mm AirSoft plastic pellets, however they are quite a bit more pricey than Dragon's tanks. The tank also has a remotely operated turret rotation/elevation as well. Viper/Vipor, makes a Chinese knockoff of Marui's tanks that also fire 6mm pellets, for considerably less money. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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