Re: wannabe 1:16 RC Tanker Choices (HL; post WWII)
Posted: Tue Nov 11, 2025 5:24 pm
If I may chuck my twopence worth in? I don’t have any experience with the Pershing, Merkava, (although I do want one) Bulldog, or Sherman. Plenty of experience with the Abrams, Challenger, and Leopard.
If going modern, I would look for a tank with steel gearboxes, metal wheels, idlers, and sprockets, but with plastic tracks. The Heng Long metal tracks are horrid, both in appearance and the way they perform. Modern tanks use duel pin tracks the Heng Long are only single pin. They are cut away on the inside, which means they fill with dirt. This in turn gets packed into the sprocket and idler. They are heavy, and cause the plastic hull to flex, both scenarios will cause the tracks to come off. As modern tanks need their track tight, this put stress on the mountings for the idler. The raised pads should be rubber, but as they cast into the track, no matter how much you try to make them look realistic, eventually the shiny metal shows through.
Metal tracks that are fitted to WW2 tanks do wear realistically. There are metal tracks with rubber pads, and duel pin design, but these are even heavier than the Heng Long tracks. There are means to mitigate these problems, involving hull bracing, support bearings, different weight springs, and plenty of maintenance. But reading your post you just want something to run and have fun with.
The plastic tracks are quite robust, have the same grip as metal ones, look better especially when painted, are lighter, and generally perform well. My all plastic Leopard 2 is pretty robust, in that I haven’t managed to break it yet, and the plastic gear boxes are holding up well.
I would consider.
1. Leopard 2, with plastic tracks, and all metal running gear.
2. A T72/T90 I know you said you didn’t want no Communist tank, but these were sold to numerous countries. They are small, and the metal tracks are actually quite good. This is the exception in modern tanks. Pesky Ruskies did care about damaging the roads.
3. The new Haya Gepard.
4. The Centurion has been mentioned.
5. The Abrams, with plastic tracks, and metal running gear.
What ever you decide have fun. I’m like you, a lone wolf, just plain antisocial really. I get the fun out of breaking them and coming up with solutions. There really is something for everyone in this hobby.
If going modern, I would look for a tank with steel gearboxes, metal wheels, idlers, and sprockets, but with plastic tracks. The Heng Long metal tracks are horrid, both in appearance and the way they perform. Modern tanks use duel pin tracks the Heng Long are only single pin. They are cut away on the inside, which means they fill with dirt. This in turn gets packed into the sprocket and idler. They are heavy, and cause the plastic hull to flex, both scenarios will cause the tracks to come off. As modern tanks need their track tight, this put stress on the mountings for the idler. The raised pads should be rubber, but as they cast into the track, no matter how much you try to make them look realistic, eventually the shiny metal shows through.
Metal tracks that are fitted to WW2 tanks do wear realistically. There are metal tracks with rubber pads, and duel pin design, but these are even heavier than the Heng Long tracks. There are means to mitigate these problems, involving hull bracing, support bearings, different weight springs, and plenty of maintenance. But reading your post you just want something to run and have fun with.
The plastic tracks are quite robust, have the same grip as metal ones, look better especially when painted, are lighter, and generally perform well. My all plastic Leopard 2 is pretty robust, in that I haven’t managed to break it yet, and the plastic gear boxes are holding up well.
I would consider.
1. Leopard 2, with plastic tracks, and all metal running gear.
2. A T72/T90 I know you said you didn’t want no Communist tank, but these were sold to numerous countries. They are small, and the metal tracks are actually quite good. This is the exception in modern tanks. Pesky Ruskies did care about damaging the roads.
3. The new Haya Gepard.
4. The Centurion has been mentioned.
5. The Abrams, with plastic tracks, and metal running gear.
What ever you decide have fun. I’m like you, a lone wolf, just plain antisocial really. I get the fun out of breaking them and coming up with solutions. There really is something for everyone in this hobby.