Comparison Heng Long Tiger I 1:16 vs Great Wall Tiger 1:72

The scale reflects the ratio of the dimensions of the model to the dimensions of a real tank — either a specific prototype (see "Copy of the original"), or some average vehicle. For example, if the width of a real tank is 3.5 m, then the width of its copy on a scale of 1:16 will be 350/16 = 21.8 cm. Of course, absolutely exact correspondence in dimensions is far from always found, and the proportions can be distorted; however, the scale makes it possible to estimate the dimensions of the model as a whole.

The smallest of modern radio-controlled tanks are made in 1:72 scale (for comparison, the same scale is the most popular among prefabricated plastic models). And the largest ones are in the 1:16 mentioned above.

The scale and dimensions of a tank are important not only in assessing the area needed for a model to drive normally: in tank battles, larger vehicles are in a less advantageous position than small ones. Therefore, if you are purchasing several tanks with the intention of arranging battles between them (and we are not talking about the "tank battle" set — see "Type"), you should choose models of the same scale. Now the following scales of models are on the market: 1:72, 1:43, 1:30, 1:24, 1:20, 1:16.

The minimum age for which this radio-controlled model is suitable. These recommendations are rather conditional, but it is still not recommended to deviate from them. "Adult" models 14+ with many adjustments, moving parts and power simply will not be able to master the baby. At the same time, models for the younger age category may not be interesting and boring for older children.

The method of firing from a cannon, provided for in the design of the tank.

— Air gun. Shooting, carried out according to the principle of pneumatics, when the projectile is ejected from the muzzle using compressed air. Many of these models even use the standard 6mm BB balls used in airsoft drives as ammunition. This option is closest to real shooting from a tank gun, it provides the most features for choosing targets: for example, matchboxes or figurine toys can be used to set up an impromptu training ground, while infrared “guns” are useless against such targets. But for organizing tank battles, pneumatics are much less convenient than IR emitters (see below), although technically it is quite applicable. One of the inconveniences of using airguns is the limited amount of ammo, but some see this more as an advantage that provides added realism. The real disadvantage is that when shooting, you must be careful: the speed of the ball is quite high, and neglect of safety measures can result in damage to surrounding objects or even injuries. Also note that pneumatics is quite high consumption in terms of battery consumption.

— Infrared gun. Shooting using pulses of infrared radiation, fixed by special sensors; in the absence of such sensors, the gun becomes useless. This limits the use of IR emitters and does not allow them to be used for firing at improvised targets like the same...soldiers. On the other hand, this option is extremely convenient for organizing tank battles: hit sensors (see below) can be installed in several places on the tank and connected to advanced control circuits that provide hit counting, fixing points of destruction and other additional features. At the same time, the probability of dishonest play or errors in hit evaluation when using such models is reduced to almost zero. In light of all this, the presence of IR guns is typical for models designed for tank battles (including specialized kits, see "Type"). However when organizing a battle between tanks that are not included in one set, it's ok to clarify the compatibility of guns and sensors with each other. IR emitters work silently and invisible to the eye, so guns of this type are usually complemented by sound and light effects that simulate a shot.

— Is absent. In this case, the absence of one of the options described above in the design is implied. In this case, the model of the gun can be supplemented with sound, light or other effects that simulate shooting or recoil (see below; although a simple dummy is more common, without additional features). And in some models — in particular, spy tanks, see "Type" — guns may not be provided at all, even in the form of a dummy.

The longest range a tank cannon can effectively fire.

For air guns (see "Shooting") this parameter is usually indicated by the maximum range of the projectile. This allows you to evaluate not only the range as such, but also the power of the gun: the greater the range (and hence the power) — the more attentive you need to be to security measures.

For infrared (see ibid.), the firing range corresponds to the greatest distance from which a “shot” can be correctly recognized by an IR sensor of a similar model (or a second tank included in the “tank battle” kit, see “Type”). This information is useful when choosing tactics in a vast area, where the distances between opponents can be quite large.

The presence of a smoke generator in the design of the tank.

A smoke generator is usually used to simulate exhaust smoke. This function practically does not affect the functionality of the model, but it significantly increases realism. The basis for the "smoke" can be either a special liquid supplied in the kit, or plain water sprayed by an ultrasonic steam generator.

The capacity of the battery supplied with the electric motor model (see "Motor"). Indicated only for variants using original batteries (see "Battery type"), measured in ampere-hours: 1 Ah corresponds to the capacity at which the battery is capable of delivering a current of 1 A for 1 hour.

The higher the battery capacity, the longer, usually, the tank is able to work without recharging. However, the practical time of operation on a charge is largely determined by other characteristics of the machine — scale (see above), weight, model and engine power, the presence of additional features such as turret rotation or various effects, etc. Therefore, in most cases, this parameter plays a purely reference role and in fact can only be useful when buying a new battery as a spare or replacement — capacity data will allow you to evaluate the characteristics of the new battery and its general suitability for this model. By this indicator, only models that do not have any significant differences in other characteristics can be compared with each other.

The operating voltage of the battery supplied with the tank. For models for AA and AAA cells (see “Battery Type”), it is not indicated — the specification of these cells assumes a common voltage standard, about 1.5 V. In other cases, battery voltage data does not play a significant role in everyday use, but may be useful , if you need to pick up a charger, a spare battery or a battery to replace a damaged one, but you do not have data on the battery model (see below).

The type of power source required for the operation of the tank (the power supply for the remote control is indicated separately, see below). Note that such sources are required not only for models with electric motors (see "Engine") — any radio-controlled car needs electricity at least for the operation of the radio signal receiver.

— Li-Ion. Batteries made using lithium-ion technology and not belonging to any of the universal standard sizes (like AA, see below). This technology makes it possible to create batteries that are smaller and lighter than the "nickel" varieties described below; in addition, lithium-ion batteries are practically not subject to the “memory effect”, are easy to use and charge quite quickly. Their disadvantages include a higher price and less resistance to high and low temperatures than those of the same "nickel".

— Li-pol. Further development of the lithium-ion technology described above. Lithium-polymer batteries have an even higher charge density, which made it possible to achieve compact dimensions; on the other hand, the disadvantages in the form of high cost and sensitivity to extreme temperatures are more pronounced in them.

— Ni-Cd. The oldest of the technologies used in the batteries of modern radio-controlled tanks. Nickel-cadmium batteries have low cost, good reliability, resistance to low and high temperatures, and high charging speed. All this makes this option well suited for radio-controlled cars — es...pecially large-scale, with an abundance of additional features that require a lot of power. At the same time, such batteries are not without serious drawbacks. Chief among these is the "memory effect"; it manifests itself in the fact that when charging an incompletely discharged battery, its capacity decreases. However, subject to the rules of operation (quite simple), this effect can be reduced to almost zero.

— Ni-Mh. Technology designed to overcome the disadvantages of nickel-cadmium batteries (see above). Nickel-metal hydride batteries have the same advantages as their predecessors — reliability, resistance to adverse temperatures, high charging speed; at the same time, they are practically devoid of the "memory effect" and are considered safer from an environmental point of view. Of the shortcomings, only specific storage requirements can be noted: such batteries cannot be kept completely discharged for a long time.

— AA. Unlike all previous designations, this one does not describe the technology for manufacturing batteries, but the standard size. AA is a small battery, colloquially referred to as "finger-type". Their key difference from all the types of batteries described above is their versatility: such batteries are replaceable and are widely used in a wide variety of electronic devices. At the same time, not only rechargeable batteries are produced in this standard size, but also disposable cells, which gives you the choice: either to buy batteries every time as needed for relatively little money, or to pay a large amount for batteries once, but not to spend money in the future. Further expanding the choice is that AA elements have different characteristics and price, but are completely interchangeable. The main practical advantage over the original batteries is the ability to quickly replace dead batteries: they are sold in almost all stores with “household trifles”, and the process itself usually takes less than a couple of minutes. On the other hand, the power of such a power supply is quite modest, so it is found in models of a relatively small scale, and the batteries themselves usually need quite a lot — about 6 – 8 pcs. In some models, AA elements may be included in the package, but most often the owner of the machine has to buy them on their own.

Operating time of a tank with an electric motor (see "Engine") on one battery charge or on one set of batteries. Usually, this parameter is indicated for perfect operating conditions: on a flat surface, at low speed, without using additional functions (shooting, turret rotation, effects, etc.), and for models on AA batteries (see "Battery type") — also with high quality and good capacity of these batteries. The conditions of actual operation are different, respectively, and the operating time may differ markedly from that stated in the specifications. Nevertheless, this parameter characterizes the battery life of the car quite well and quite allows you to compare different models with each other.