Matorro King Tiger

[SimonCornes]

I've just picked up one of these via an eBay auction. Very well weathered by the previous owner and a great looking tank ! Sold without 7.2v battery or transmitter.

It has an aerial on the engine deck so I assume it will have had a 27MHz radio? At the moment I am trying to work out how to separate the upper hull from the lower so that I can check out the 'gubbins' ! I was expecting maybe half a dozen phillips head screws on the lower hull between the road wheels, Heng Long style, but no evidence of any holes and the bottom of the hull is smooth apart from the on/off switch for the tank and on/off for smoke. If it is a 27MHz MFU then I'm thinking of replacing it with a HL V6.0 or Taigen V3 but at this rate I'll need a tin opener!! Or a Sherman Firefly!!

[Herr Dr. Professor]

You wrote that you "just picked up one of these." Am I missing something (as usual)? One of whats? You did give us a hint that it might be WWII German when you wrote that it would take a Sherman Firefly to handle it.

[Tiger6]

You seem to like picking up the golden oldies!

Its a 27MHz system, but as far as I can remember its 'not quite' a Heng Long board - certainly closer to the mark than the WSN's tho... The hull is held on with a series of screws under the sponsons, so you'll need to remove the tracks to get at them. From memory, you'll have to carefully prise the hub caps off of the sprockets, or just push out a track pin if thats easier. Be aware that the tracks are a little brittle, but as the whole tank is based off Tamiya's original King Tiger, you can use Tamiya plastic links as replacements (which are just as fragile...).

The gearboxes are toy grade (all be it, they are reasonably robust) if you want better, you'll have to make a platform out of Milliput to mount them on as they do not have the same mounting as Heng Longs.

[SimonCornes]

That would be a King Tiger by Matorro!
I know, its been along day!!

[Tiger6]

Am I missing something (as usual)?

The clue is in the thread title...?

[Jofaur86]

look between the top of the tracks under the wings of the upper frame, presence of several screws? may be necessary to remove the tracks? for having opened a Sherman, seems to me well that so? of memory

[SimonCornes]

You seem to like picking up the golden oldies!

Its a 27MHz system, but as far as I can remember its 'not quite' a Heng Long board - certainly closer to the mark than the WSN's tho... The hull is held on with a series of screws under the sponsons, so you'll need to remove the tracks to get at them. From memory, you'll have to carefully prise the hub caps off of the sprockets, or just push out a track pin if thats easier. Be aware that the tracks are a little brittle, but as the whole tank is based off Tamiya's original King Tiger, so you can use Tamiya plastic links as replacements (which are just as fragile...).

The gearboxes are toy grade (all be it, they are reasonably robust) if you want better, you'll have to make a platform out of Milliput to mount them on as they do not have the same mounting as Heng Longs.

Thank you! I was using a two pronged attack with this subject and Dave at Forgebear has also advised me about splitting the hull! He mentioned that there are also bulges on the lower hull to accommodate the gearboxes and they are incorrect but I'll see exactly what I've got first! When I get it moving I'll see how well it moves and decide on gearboxes after that. Seems like a plan. The sprocket caps are missing (I see Dave sells them!) so I can get the sprockets off and hopefully the tracks will follow - but I note that care is required! Who were/are Matorro? Struck me as either Mato or Torro but then Mato are metal tanks aren't they? I'm afraid that my knowledge of r/c tanks is not yet very robust!

[SCHWEREPANZER]

Don't know whether this helps or not, but if you remove the battery cover, you'll find 5 screws....which may or may not be germane to the discussion.

[Tiger6]

From memory it was a joint project by Mato toys in China/Canada, and Torro in the EU. Not sure whether they raided HL's parts bins (or CAD library), or if it was a separate effort. They did a Tiger (basically a HL with the toy gearbox and a correct length barrel), the Sturmtiger and the King Tiger all around 2008-2009, before calling it quits (presumably due to the economy).

[Tiger6]

Don't know whether this helps or not, but if you remove the battery cover, you'll find 5 screws....which may or may not be germane to the discussion.

These will be for the control board and receiver.

[SimonCornes]

Don't know whether this helps or not, but if you remove the battery cover, you'll find 5 screws....which may or may not be germane to the discussion.

These will be for the control board and receiver.

Yes, I saw those and thought they were too small to be holding the hull together but, yes, very useful if the MFU has to come out!

[Jofaur86]

Help,

http://www.hobbyhavoc.com/forum/index.php?board=39.0

4A9EFBA8-6B0E-4E55-AF4F-FE8EC33F1052.jpeg (45.35 KiB) Viewed 383 times

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D201AF6B-829A-4256-884B-0F108C6AF130.jpeg (84.26 KiB) Viewed 383 times

[SimonCornes]

Ah ha! That looks quite promising!! The back plate on mine is attached to the back of the engine deck so, sadly, a razor saw may be called for!
'Fetch me the bone saw!!'
Thank you!!

[Tiger6]

Shouldn't be, the back plate is screwed to the chassis - unless the previous owner glued it shut?

[SimonCornes]

Shouldn't be, the back plate is screwed to the chassis - unless the previous owner glued it shut?

The previous owner seems to have 'glued it shut'! Apparently the original back plate was broken so it was replaced (HL maybe?) and the seller only wanted a static tank so the top and bottom edges of the back plate look like they have literally been heat welded to the lower hull and engine deck. So I'll free off the top join and the whip off the running gear - sounds easy - in theory! I can now see that the jack is missing and there are no rear mudguards so a bit of scratchbuilding may be required. It still looks great though!

[Tiger6]

Might be worth seeing if Dave can get hold of a complete rear hull assembly for you - that way you can risk writing off the 'less visible' part

[jarndice]

If you are able to see where the glue was applied I would first use a "Debonder" there are a number of different ones available.

[Jofaur86]

did you look under the wings? as advised, on the attached link, see the photo where the lower frame is held with one hand, we can clearly see the holes of the 6 fasteners seen on the upper part
http://www.hobbyhavoc.com/forum/index.php?topic=910.0

[SimonCornes]

Well Tiger, I managed to whip the tracks off - for a change the pins came out of the tracks easily - and there were only two screws holding the top on either side. I was able to cut through the back plate/engine deck join with a scalpel very easily. So it has an RX18 MFU and two speakers!! And a smoker with pipes not attached to the exhausts! So I think I need to improve the back plate/ lower hull join and then make a clip to hold the top edge of the hull to the. Backplate. I bought 100 neodymium-whatever 5mm disc magnets yesterday for about six quid so I think magnets are the way to secure the hull in the future. The receiver has a 27 MHz FM crystal - I though HL crystals were AM? Maybe not. I could swap it for a real RX-18 receiver from my Pan-Tiger, and borrow the 7.2v battery pack to see if it actually goes! Chances are I will want an HL v6.0 instead. Would that be a straightforward case of unplug one, plug in the other? I’m not sure if Taigen do a KT soundboard or if they use a Tiger I? If they use a T1 then a V6.0 might be the best replacement?
Any thoughts?!!!

[john1970]

https://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/rc-tan ... tiger.html

Have a read through should help also has plenty of pics