1/24 HL Type 90 Tank (2004) programmable Autonomous mode

[modler]

Back in 2004,If you got a Heng Long Tank, You got a new for its time, 6mm plastic projectile main gun that was a first for its time. This was something as being a kid was a faraway dream. Like what, a tank that shoots like a BB Gun? Gotta have that

This particular one is a Type 90 Japan Tank acquired online from ebay Back in early 2/27/2004 (21 years ago). Sometime after getting it, I modified it with a targeting laser set up. Can be seen in this video from 2010..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6s2XoNhJTg

Well, it only had one thing going for it and that was the main gun. And after much target practice, I started to play around with autonomous mode.
This was a unique feature for that time and was interesting to play with. The way it works is you use the keypad to type in commands like FWD REV LT RT Fire and such so as to program a step by step autonomous movement of the Tank after pressing the go button. You could use this mode to extend the range of the tank You drive it to the limit of its 27mhz range that was about 60' then run a stored program to go x number of feet more in the same direction say 20 feet FWD then turn LT LT LT LT which is about 180 degree turn the FWD 20 time to come back in range. So in effect, the Tank went on a 60" mission under your control and then went another 20" then turned 180 degrees and then went 20' back to the origin of the autonomous waypoint. This is but one example of what this mode could do. So HL gave us this mode to play with to give us our money's worth lol. Otherwise it was a one trick pony
Interesting fact..6mm bullets could be programmed to FIRE AUTONOMOUSLY There is an interesting story about that they I will convey at some time lol

I recently upgrades this Tank to "IR battle Tank" as I like the interactive potential of the mode. The original radio system still works but it is limited by 2 speeds (low,HI) and seems crude in comparison to what we as Battle Tankers enjoy today Like fully proportional everything with IR battle mode and 6mm BB Gun! The only thing missing is the autonomous mode in the original. Not a problem for me as I am now thinking of a new autonomous mode which I will soon be working into a prototype. Topic for another thread

After doing the upgrade to the latest 1/24 HL circuit and testing the upgraded Type 90, I discovered this generation Tank has a few differences
than the current generation Tank mostly in the road wheels and gearbox that make this chassis desirable for upgrade as it can outperform the latest chassis in a few key areas.

This Tank used a 8 cell nimh battery originally. It can now run on a 4,5, 6 cell nimh or 2s lipo. It is very smooth in its operation compared to the newer model.

The instructions and box proclaim 1 hour run time Unheard of!

more as I get time...

[Martin2556]

Interesting post, I’m sure I have a similar tank stashed away somewhere, I will see if I can dig it out & have a look at it.

[Herr Dr. Professor]

No doubt you already know that about the same time, HengLong sold its infamous Pantiger with a somewhat more simple “autonomous mode.” That is, one ran the toy in a pattern of one’s choice, and then the tank repeated the pattern. (The same was available on model trains some years earlier.) I kept that much-derided Pantiger for kicks, as my stash from my “salad days” is rich in other projects.

[modler]

No doubt you already know that about the same time, HengLong sold its infamous Pantiger with a somewhat more simple “autonomous mode.” That is, one ran the toy in a pattern of one’s choice, and then the tank repeated the pattern. (The same was available on model trains some years earlier.) I kept that much-derided Pantiger for kicks, as my stash from my “salad days” is rich in other projects.

No, I do not know of that one. Sounds very interesting. At about that same time we are referring to, Tamiya had a 1/16 scale model kit M4A3 Sherman that had the same type autonomous mode that would repeat the pattern that one ran with the tank. I bought the Tamiya 1/16 Leopard II instead and it was expensive so I could not afford the autonomous Sherman when I saw it at the mall later that week The Leopard II was lost a few years ago so I no longer own that one but I still have one of the spare transmissions from the Tamiya Leopard II in a Lindberg PT 109 boat

[modler]

It took me awhile but I got a picture of the box "uncensored" of the yellow 6mm BB was blacked out by a sharpie. I used hand cream to get most of that black marker off. I think they had to do this to sell these in the USA at that time

In 2004 when these had just came out, there had never been a mass produced tank model that shot a projectile So this was the first time something like that was available and to avoid problems with controversy like (you'll shoot your eye out) They (who ever they are) blacked out the yellow 6mm BB coming out of the barrel on the tank.