RC Tank Warfare community hobby forum

Thought I would start a thread in here as doubtless plenty of new owners are going to be looking for hints and tips on the forum.

First off, this is an amazing 1/16 scale model. Three options are available, basic plastic everything including gearboxes, pro version with metal tracks, gears, idlers and sprockets, and the platinum version with metal tracks, gears, idlers and sprockets, plus metal road wheels. All versions have smoke units.

The RX18 is all new. It has dual sound options. currently either the Tiger 1 or the Leopard 2A6. They are directly copied from the Tamiya versions and even with the HL speaker the sound is excellent.

The barrel now elevates up and down on the left stick.

I fully charged my battery, it comes with a Lithium Ion that is tiny, and charger that has a fully charged indicator on it. It takes a few hours to charge it up. The big plus is that I have run the tank so far for almost an hour, and the battery is still going strong, though that was without the smoker running.

The tx is all new, you can switch between sounds, switch the smoker on/off from the tx. The airsoft now has a dual button fire, so no safety switch on the tank. Handy buttons are at the top of the tx.

BB only and no recoil. HL has apparently ceased manufacturing IR tanks that use their incompatible IR system. The only way to get IR is to install a Clark, IBU or Elmod board (Elmod have just added the Challenger to their library, the T90 will undoubtedly follow soon).

If you are only after BB battling, then this a bargain tank straight out of the box.

The tank arrives with a pile of sprues, and although HL have traditionally aimed at the childrens market, I would anticipate that Johnny will need help from Dad to assemble everything. Some parts are a tight fit and need to be lined up to slot in precisely, they are also on the fragile side so impatient fumble fingers would start to break parts very quickly. HL are moving well into Tamiya territory with this tank.

The sprues are colour coded to the camo on the tank, so check where parts are going to ensure that the camo pattern matches.

Once assembled the T90 runs like a dream, the tx/rx drive the tank very smoothly and it is easy to control. The plastic gearboxes are well suited to the tank, and they are also ultra quiet.

Things to do:

HL have left the pre-2.4ghz ariel mount on the turret roof. It's not needed for 2.4ghz but it can be removed by simply tugging on it with a pair of pliers.
If T90 sounds are required an aftermarket board will have to be fitted.
If IR is required then a DIY apple is required. The hatches are half moon and open forwards so sticking a pre-made apple in either hatch will see the front sensor blocked off by the hatch lid.
HL have included dummy brackets for the real tank IR system, these are the empty prongs each side of the mantlet. Fitting an IR box would be an ideal place to mount a battle system IR. However, the HL brackets and solid moulded and don't move with the barrel elevation, so it will need either new brackets made from brass tubes that will rotate, or add joints to the existing ones.
The camo/paint is good, but when you tidy up the parts after removal from the sprues you will get a few tiny spots that are visible after assembly. I have used Vallejo WW2 German Beige for the beige areas, and it seems a good match. Still looking for a match on the green?
There are no covers for the allen bolts in the rear sprockets. It will need cylindrical plugs with a countersunk middle to look accurate. The problem is getting them out once they are in as they would be very small diameter.
One turret ring screw was missing on mine - easy fix from the parts bin.

That's as much as I have discovered so far.

Well written review, to the point.

I have the MZ version, which has a zinc alloy gearbox, plus metal tracks, idlers and sprockets. The metal parts are supplied as bare metal, presumably to prove they are metal. For painting them, I used Vallejo #608 US Olive Drab Primer, from a set of 6. I don't know whether it is available as a separate entity. To my eye, it is a pretty good match for the Heng Long green.

Pictures of my tank can be found here viewtopic.php?f=1&t=20969&start=20

I've got the Olive Drab but not the primer. I'll give it a try later and see what happens.

Update to the above, there is a turret ring screw missing by design, there is nothing for the screw to go into.

The barrel wouldn't go horizontal on full depression, so I have cut a short length of styrene tube, cut a slot down both sides and plugged it over the tab on the back of the airsoft unit. This will increase the movement range.

Haven't got one yet.

Which gearbox does it use? The low-profile, like the Jagdpanther? or the "normal" Engine-above-each-other? long shaft? short shaft?

I hope it becomes available at licmas, or rctank, because the shipping from GB is pretty steep at the moment.

Because.

I. Want. IT!

Jagdpanther style, so low profile and long shaft eg 60mm.

The modification to the barrel elevation worked a treat, it now depresses to below horizontal.

If anyone has theirs apart can they tell me which 2 pin plugs go where? I have elevation and rotation, and the machine gun. The airsoft is working, but there is no gun sound. It may be a low battery so that is on charge (it lasted an impressively long time).

wibblywobbly wrote: The modification to the barrel elevation worked a treat, it now depresses to below horizontal.

Cheeky question time. As I don't have any tubing can you do one for me please?

Actually it was half a piece of tube in the end, just superglued onto the underside of the tab. Any old lump of styrene would do it, but I will throw a piece in the box and bring it to the meet for you.

wibblywobbly wrote:I've got the Olive Drab but not the primer. I'll give it a try later and see what happens.

Update to the above, there is a turret ring screw missing by design, there is nothing for the screw to go into.

The barrel wouldn't go horizontal on full depression, so I have cut a short length of styrene tube, cut a slot down both sides and plugged it over the tab on the back of the airsoft unit. This will increase the movement range.

Can you post a picture of what you did with the styrene tube to increase depression range ? Not getting a mental picture here at all.

The T-90 is indeed a very nice offering from Heng Long and thanks for the tip on paint matching.

On the rear end of all HL airsoft and recoil units is a tab that sticks out, this tap rests on the curved part of the elevation unit. When the elevation unit rotates it pushes on the tab and raises and lowers the barrel.

On some tanks, and the T90 is one of them, the elevation unit can't push the tab high enough at its highest point to lower the barrel to horizontal. Think of a seesaw, the tip of the barrel is at one end, the mantlet hinge is in the middle, and the elevation unit is at the other end. If a short guy was stood under the seesaw he wouldn't be able to push his end up far enough to lower the other. (I am going to get arrested, I know I am - did I just say that??).

By putting a block under one end of the seesaw the guy can reach the underside and push it up further - oh God I just said it again....