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Review: Heng Long 1/16 T-90

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  • Review: Heng Long 1/16 T-90

    Heng Long 1/16 Scale "T-90" Main Battle Tank
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    My Personal Averaged Total Score for the Heng Long 1/16 Scale "T-90" Tank: 88 out of 100

    Read below to see how I obtained this average score when assessing Heng Long's most modern Russian tank in 1/16 Scale. This review is based upon the most recent production run of Heng Long's T-90 "Upgrade" version, as of October 2019.
    As a visual companion to this written review, our Overview and Build Summary Video can be found below
    Introduction:

    Entering service in 1993, the T-90 is an evolution of the Cold War-era Soviet T-72 tank. Further advanced since its introduction with updated armor configurations, countermeasures, and armament, the T-90 remains Russia's principal modern tank as the more common counterpart to the more expensive turbine-powered T-80. The T-90's cannon is capable of firing both conventional shells and ATGM (Anti-Tank Guided Missile) munitions. Like its T-72 predecessor, the T-90 is exported to several countries in modified variants, including to the current Iraqi Army operating alongside export versions of American-built M1 Abrams tanks.

    Functions:

    Featuring the latest TK6.0 MFCB (Multi-Function Control Board), this tank is full of features:

    1) Proportional acceleration, steering, turret traverse, and gun elevation/depression
    2) Programmable radio settings for the amount of recoil, the sensitivity in turns, the overall sensitivity in acceleration, etc
    3) Smoke (On/Off)
    4) Volume (five settings including Off)
    5) Four different Sound Sets. Each Sound Set contains a unique engine start sound, idle sound, accelerating sound, traverse sound, elevate sound, machine gun, cannon, and shutdown sound.
    6) Track Recoil (Three settings from low, medium, and high) -- Low or Medium are the most realistic.
    7) Fires a 6mm plastic BB
    8) Fires an invisible IR signal to be used as part of Heng Long's Infrared Battle System to disable other tanks during simulated combat between up to 20 tanks at the same time

    Scale Fidelity:
    The T-90 ranks higher in the scale fidelity category than some of the older Heng Long models. Super scale enthusiasts will recognize details such as the drive sprocket pattern, but for the majority of tankers, Heng Long's T-90 looks like a T-90.

    What's In the Box:

    As an RTR or "Ready To Run" RC model, everything is included in the box except six AA batteries for the radio transmitter. In areas where shipping liquids is restricted, the glycerin used for the "smoke effect" is absent, but can be found locally at hardware or convenience stores that sell glycerin oil.

    The radio, tank, cosmetic accessory parts, 2s 7.4v 1800mAh tank battery, tank battery charger, and plastic BBs, don't require any "assembly", other than installing the aforementioned "cosmetic accessory parts".

    Initial Two Minute Function Test:

    Because the tank itself is functionally complete and it doesn't require the cosmetic accessory parts to run, I recommend testing your tank's basic functions immediately after unboxing the tank, before you install the cosmetic accessory parts. If there happens to be any problems, it is better to report them to Motion RC for warranty support before the tank has any cosmetic parts attached to it.

    To conduct this initial two minute test, insert six AA batteries in the radio and turn it on. Plug in the tank's included 2s battery and slide the tank's switch to On. The radio and tank are already "bound" to each other via 2.4Ghz signal, so simply press the Key button on the radio and your tank will activate. Move all the tank's controls in every direction to evaluate their function. Refer to the Manual for all controls. Note that the turret and cannon barrel will produce a "clacking" sound when they reach their maximum travel points. This sound is normal and is a warning for you to stop moving it in that direction. Importantly, DO NOT run the tank more than two minutes for this initial test, since it arrives with only a storage charge.

    Once satisfied that your tank is operating normally, plug the battery into the included wall charger. While it's charging, turn your attention to the installation of the "cosmetic accessory parts", covered in the Details section, below. Installing the cosmetic parts onto the exterior of the tank result in the finished result:

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    Exterior Quality:
    Like all of Heng Long's 1/16 tanks, the T-90 is primarily composed of ABS plastic, which is nicely molded. Overall the parts are molded nicely, although there are noticeable sink marks on some of the ERA panels along the turret. The paintwork is excellent, and the various shades make an effective camo. The sheen of individual parts is uniform, and nothing stands out. I like the sharp contrast between the flowing camo paintjob and the blocky areas on the turret and along the glacis and forward lower hull, seen below.
    .
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    Details:
    The T-90 includes more than ten sprues of plastic "Cosmetic Accessory Parts" for the modeler to install on the tank. See the Video linked above for the large pile of plastic, which for a modeler like myself is always a welcome sight!

    These "Cosmetic Accessory Parts" all plug into pre-drilled holes, and are nearly "snap fit". Be careful of the rear turret bustle bin, because its arms are somewhat fragile. The rest of the parts assemble easily. Following the Video linked above and the clear diagrams in the instruction manual, I imagine most RC modelers would have no problem installing these parts in 60-90 minutes.

    I didn't glue on any of the parts, and don't expect to. I prefer being able to remove the turret mounted machine gun during transport.

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    Assembly:
    The tank arrives RTR, with a radio, tank, accessories, tank battery, tank battery charger, and plastic BBs. The glycerin needed for the smoker may not be included depending on your area's local shipping restrictions, but it's cheap enough to source locally. The main thing you'll need to run the tank out of the box is six AA batteries for the tank's radio.

    Assembly of the tank itself is complete, and the tank can be running literally within a couple minutes of opening the box and inserting the batteries.

    Once you're done verifying everything works, plug the tank's battery into the charger, since it only arrives with a storage charge.

    Apply the T-90's included decals, as desired, on a cleaned and dried surface, using the instruction manual's clear diagrams. These are simple adhesive vinyl decals. They are NOT water slide decals. After applying them, you may want to seal them in with a clear coat. I didn't, and the decals continue to hold well to the surface. Eventually I plan on modifying and repainting this tank, at which point I will seal everything in with a clear coat.
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  • #2

    Pre-Drive Checklist

    By the time you've finished detailing your tank with the parts sprues and decals, your tank's battery should be fully charged and you're now ready for your first full test run!

    Plug the battery back into the battery bay under the tank. I like how Heng Long designed the screw to always stay connected to the battery bay door, so it's impossible to lose that little screw. The included 2s 1800mAh battery uses a Tamiya-style connector for main power, and also has a conventional three wire balance plug. I've found this to be convenient for checking the battery voltage with my battery voltage checker, just as I do with my larger airplane batteries. Heng Long's system will automatically shut down when the battery is depleted. I typically prefer to use a low voltage alarm to notify me before that happens, but on this T-90, its battery bay is too small to fit the alarm, so I just guess unless/until the MFCB shuts itself down automatically.

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    Running the tank:
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    Driving Heng Long tanks is easy to learn. The right stick controls forward and reverse, and left and right travel of the tank treads. The left stick controls the turret's traverse (side to side) and elevation/depression (up/down) of the main gun. The trick is to synchronize your movements so that the tank moves realistically, and points the gun as the tank moves in a different direction. All Heng Long tank turrets can traverse 320 degrees, and the barrel elevates and depresses through a range of 20 degrees or so. When you hear a "clacking" sound, the movement has reached its maximum limit and you must stop pushing the stick in that direction. Perhaps in the future Heng Long will be able to implement a limit cutoff switch.

    Refer to the manual for how to fire the machine gun, the main gun sequence, load 6mm BBs, and conduct IR battles. The TK6 also allows the user to program a range of features by means of pressing down a combination of buttons and moving one or the two control sticks. The amount of recoil can be adjusted higher or lower, the top speed can be set to two limits, the sensitivity in forward turns and reverse turns, and other actions are programmable in mere seconds. The forward turning was too fast for my liking, more akin to an RC truck, so I reduced it down to turn more slowly and react to my inputs more sensitively like a real tank. RC Airplane pilots would recognize this feature as adding "Expo" or "Exponential". It's a neat feature that Heng Long has included in this latest generation of TK6 MFCB.
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    The Upgrade version available from Motion RC does not use Zinc Alloy gears like Upgrade versions of years past. Rather, as of 11/2019, all of Motion RC's Upgrade version tanks include Steel gears, which are superior to the old Zinc Alloy gears in every way. While the remainder of the tank's running gear is ABS plastic, I prefer this Upgrade version because the steel gears in the gearbox are very durable, yet the plastic tracks keep the tank light and maneuverable. The Challenger II is already such a large tank that it has a good weight without extension metal parts. The Professional version replaces the plastic tracks, drive sprocket, and idler wheel with metal versions. This nearly doubles the weight of the tank, and increases the cost as well, so I recommend the Pro version for tankers who don't mind having a shorter drive time or having to buy a couple spare batteries. The durability and heft of the Pro version will appeal to those who want weight above all other considerations.

    The Upgrade configuration of the Challenger II can climb comfortably at 35 degrees with good traction, but begins to slip nearing 45 degrees. Like other tanks at the Upgrade level, the plastic tracks grip most surfaces well, although it tended to spin out sometimes on tile floor.
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    Indoors, the sound is very loud, the LED headlight is bright, and the smoke is easily visible. Outdoors, the sound is still readily audible and the LED is also visible in daylight, but the smoke becomes difficult to see. This is just as well, since the real tanks weren't constantly venting smoke as if they were on fire, so I don't mind the reduced visible volume in daylight. The Challenger II has two exhaust ports, just like the real tank, and these are easily accessible under plastic grates. This makes refilling them with smoke oil very easy to accomplish.

    "Send It!" Firing the cannon

    Firing the machine gun by pressing the labeled button triggers a machine gun sound and a bright LED at the base of the coaxial mount located in the turret alongside the main cannon. Firing the main cannon is accomplished by holding down both the cannon button and the machine gun button, resulting in a cannon firing sound and a track recoil and a 6mm BB going flying 30 feet out of the tank. It's all synchronized very well, so that the overall effect is convincing. I prefer the lowest or the middle setting for track recoil, because the highest setting is too exaggerated and unrealistic in my opinion. I appreciate the need to push and hold two buttons to fire the main cannon, as this prevents accidental firing of the 6mm BB. The BBs don't hurt, but they are projectiles nonetheless, so all precaution should be taken for safety. I normally don't load any BBs, and after a hundred or so shots at the included target paper, I taped over the BB loading hole inside the hatch so that there's no risk of any further BBs firing from the main cannon. Another method would be to disconnect the plug from the MFCB.
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    The most fun I've had with all these recent Heng Long tanks is engaging in IR Battles with other tanks equipped with the same TK6 MFCB. Whether a BB is loaded or not, firing the main cannon will always trigger the cannon sound and the track recoil, and will also always trigger the IR (infrared) emitter that's hidden in the mantlet, facing forward. This IR emitter sends an invisible beam that is detected by the IR mast that connects to any other TK6-equipped tank or Tamiya IR battle system equipped tank. The mast connects magnetically to the turret, and receives "hits" from other tanks. Registered hits result in the tank shuddering for a split second. After five hits, the tank plays back an "explosion and burning sound", then shuts down for five seconds, before powering back up automatically so you can resume battling your friends. A backyard brawl with four or five tanks is serious fun! Maneuvering and angling for a shot while driving for cover, all the while shouting taunts to your friends, becomes very competitive very quickly.

    To battle other tanks equipped with this same TK6 system, plug in the IR receiver "apple" into the left hatch and locate its magnetic anchor spot just to the left of the right hatch as shown in the photo, below. Heng Long's magnets are concealed inside the turret and thus there isn't any unsightly mount visible from the outside of the turret. I did find that sometimes the large machine gun's location would mask incoming shots.

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    As with all other Heng Long TK6 series tanks, I found the T-90's IR system's sensitivity to be acceptably consistent in overcast conditions out to ~10-15 meters. In optimum conditions, a hit can be registered out to 25 meters or more, but in my experience this was rare, and in local RC tank engagements, the range to target tends to be much shorter. It should also be noted that IR technology is susceptible to decreased performance in direct sunlight, which is why IR Tank Battlers often use sunshades on the IR receiver ("apple"). IR receivers can also be masked by obstacles, even those on the turret, such as the T-90's machine gun. Additionally, it appears that turning the turret can create less than consistent results when registering hits, so it isn't a perfect science yet. Chalk it up to simulating real life misfires?
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    Comment


    • #3
      Power and Handling

      The real T-90 is a reasonably quick tank, powered by a V12 diesel engine. Heng Long's 1/16 T-90 moves at a walking pace at full throttle on the High setting and about 25% slower on Low setting. The High setting is lower than the top speed of the real tank, but in practice I don't find the stock T-90 sluggish for most users. Hold G and move the left stick up or down to select the High or Low setting, respectively. As expected, the T-90 is fastest on harder surfaces.

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      Short grass and dirt lots are just fine, too, as long as the T-90 is on the move! The tank begins to bog down in grass that is tall enough scrape the underside of the lower hull. Use gradual turns while moving forward to minimize track shedding, and avoid spinning in place on grass.

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      With its proportional steering controls, the T-90 can really be slowed down for "creeping" maneuvers that look very scale, especially when traversing the turret while elevating or depressing the main gun. This is where the TK6 MFCB shines, in giving excellent proportional control to everything that moves on the tank. Older versions only cycled their cannon barrel up/down in a loop, but now with this TK6 version I can elevate or depress the gun at any time along its path, and I can do so quickly or slowly in proportion with my stick inputs. For this and other reasons, I consider the previous ten years of Heng Long's MFCBs to be completely obsolete, and this new MFCB is the way of their future. I wouldn't recommend buying the previous versions that came before the TK6.

      Upgrade path and "Wrenchability" --how easy is it to service, maintain, and upgrade this tank?:

      Speaking of the TK6 MFCB, I was pleased to see that it has several unused ports, which users can use to add other lighting functions. There is a brake light port, and also turn signal ports. There is even a "Main Cannon Barrel LED" port, that flashes in sync with the cannon sound. If you were okay with running an LED into the barrel and cancelling the airsoft BB firing function, you could within minutes have a neat simulated "flash" at the tip of the barrel every time you fired the main gun. Click *here* to visit the Tutorial thread describing this process that generally applies to all TK6 series tanks from Heng Long.

      The T-90, like the T-72, both use low profile hulls, and this RC counterpart cannot fit Heng Long's normal black plastic hard case battery, pictured below. Interestingly, the blue 2s 7.4v 1800mAh battery included with the T-90 and T-72 is actually the same battery, it's just not enclosed in the normal black plastic hard case (~50% of which is empty). The lack of additional battery space is the most significant bottleneck hindering the T-90's upgrade potential, because any additional weight or power requirements won't be able to be offset with a larger battery.
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      As mentioned previously, my T-90 is the "Upgrade" version, meaning its exterior components are mostly all plastic, while the suspension arms are metal and the gears inside the gearbox are steel. I find this to be a great balance between cost, driveability, and weight. The more expensive "Professional" version features metal tracks, idler wheel, drive sprocket, and metal road wheels, increasing the total weight to over ten pounds! The increased weight provides better durability in certain conditions, and of course it feels more tank-like (i.e. a brick), but the trade-off for this weight gain is lower drive time. For anyone operating the heavier Professional version, I recommend buying a couple spare stock batteries because you won't be able to fit a physically larger battery inside the T-90.

      At the time of writing, Motion RC is stocking the Upgrade Version and the Professional Version, reasoning that those are the two better options of the four. However, let us know if we should carry the other versions. The Original version is the least expensive with the least metal content, with the Professional being the most expensive with the most metal content. All other components between all four versions remain identical unless cited in this image:
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      Things to watch out for:

      1) The plastic BBs included in all of Heng Long's tanks aren't the best. Their instruction manual recommends visually sorting the BBs and removing any BBs that are deformed, flat, broken, or oblong. There are always at least several BBs that are deformed, so follow the manual's instructions to visually inspect the BBs before you pour them into the turret loader.

      2) Don't flood the smoker. There is one smoker in the tank, with one exhaust tube exiting at the port side, just like the real T-90. The hidden tube in fact functions as both the exhaust for the smoke and the intake for the smoke oil, so it's imperative that you only put one drop in each of the tubes every hour of smoking. Less is more! If you overflow the tubes, the smoke can't exit, causing the smoker unit to clog and die.

      3) Read our "Do's And Don'ts of RC Tanking" article *here* and watch its accompanying video *here* for all relevant tips, tricks, and warnings that pertain to any RC tank. Most importantly, do not attempt to run the tank into obstacles larger, in 1/16 scale terms, than what the real tank was subjected to. These tanks are not scale crawler trucks, so don't expect them climb over rocks and boulders taller than the tank's ground clearance, which is typically around 1" from the underside of the hull. Also, do not attempt to drive in water or mud. In their stock form, RC tanks are not intended to be used in wet or muddy conditions. Extensive waterproofing and cleaning is just the start of upgrades required to make such operation repeatable without irreparable damage.
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      Comment


      • #4
        CONCLUSION
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        As with all Heng Long 1/16 tanks, I assess a rating for each of seven key areas. To be fair, my ratings are given in the context of the T-90's own price point and intended audience, which is the entry level and mid-level RC tank enthusiast looking to get started in the $150-$300 RTR range. Because I have driven every tank that Heng Long produces, my ranking system also considers the T-90 against its other 1/16 scale TK6-equipped peers.

        Initial Quality: 93/100
        My T-90 arrived securely packaged and passed its initial two minute test with zero issues. Like all Heng Long tanks, the T-90 is primarily constructed from ABS plastic. The "Upgrade" Version I have is mostly plastic externally with metal suspension arms, while internally the tank's metal gearboxes feature steel gears.

        The paint work from the factory was evenly applied with minimal overspray despite an excellently complex camouflage pattern. Internally, the steel gears were nicely greased and the entire compartment was clean. The date stamp on my tank was 9/2019.

        User-Friendliness and Transportability: 82/100
        The convenience of Heng Long's RTR package really makes it easy to get started in the world of RC tanks. In that sense, all of Heng Long's tanks excel in lowering the cost of entry into this segment of the hobby, and I think many scale enthusiasts would appreciate a scale tank as much as they would a scale airplane, car, truck, or boat. Heng Long's included radio does the job, without being overly flashy. I tend to prefer a cheaper overall package with this basic radio than one with super low latency and 1km range and hall effect sensored bearing gimbals. This isn't a jet flying at 100mph away from me at a thousand feet. While other manufacturers dominate the higher scale and higher featured market, the price is often prohibitive for someone starting out with their first tank to see if it's even something they're interested in.

        Transporting the T-90 can be cumbersome due to the highly detailed turret surface and the long cannon barrel. My tank weighs over six pounds despite being the "lighter" Upgrade version. The Professional version with metal wheels and tracks weighs about 11 pounds! So, persons wanting a lightweight, easy to transport tank should probably look elsewhere.

        Unfortunately the T-90 does not feature an adjustable idler like the recently updated Challenger II and the more recently released T-72. While my tracks didn't need adjustment out of the box, if I did need to adjust them I would need to do so by removing or adding track links which can take a few minutes rather than a few seconds if an adjustable idler was present.

        Mobility and Drive Experience 88/100
        Driving the T-90 is a fun experience. It has a certain menace shrouded behind its detailed low profile turret and very long cannon barrel. I drove over a variety of dry surfaces without issues, from sand to gravel to pavement to short cut grass. Nor surprisingly, the track pattern does not "bite" well into smooth tile surfaces or wood flooring, so slower speeds are recommended indoors. In scale maneuvering speeds, however, the plastic tracks functioned flawlessly. It's a tank, not a drift car!

        I used the third sound set for the T-90. Out of the box, it was programmed to the first sound set, which I did not like. Tap the G and K buttons at the same time to toggle between each of the four different sound sets.
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        Durability 84/100
        Metal suspension arms are a plus for durability, but the underside hull of the T-90 is highly detailed with several protrusions that are vulnerable to scrapes and dings when driving through rubble. The road wheel layout resists debris accumulation and the sprocket tooth geometry appears modified from scale but it has proven reliable so far during my ~10 hours of running the tank.

        Customers wanting the added rigidity and durability of metal tracks, metal idler wheel, metal road wheels, and metal drive sprocket should consider purchasing the more expensive "Professional" version.
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        Scale Fidelity 90/100
        Several sprues of plastic parts are provided for the modeler to install on the tank to enhance its overall scale appearance. These all plug into pre-drilled holes, and are nearly "snap fit". I prefer to keep the parts unglued so they're easy to remove or replace if needed in the future. Installing the plastic "accessory parts" took over an hour to complete because Heng Long's T-90 has the most cosmetic accessory parts of any tank in their 1/16 scale lineup. I recommend using a sharp clipper designed for removing plastic model parts from plastic sprues, as it makes cleanup much easier. The accessory parts are pre-painted and really enhance the tank's overall surface detail, especially in the way that the T-90's camo pattern undulates and flows from surface to surface.
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        Some areas of detail are necessarily softened at this price point and acceptable for a mass production RC tank, but overall this 1/16 scale T-90 looks good from almost any angle, like the Challenger II. The gun shroud is molded in plastic instead of being flexible like the real tank, but I can't see how else Heng Long could have executed this other than a plastic piece because the IR bulb is concealed in this area as well.
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        Ease of Maintenance and Upgrade Potential 78/100

        As mentioned previously, the biggest bottleneck to upgrading a T-90 is the battery bay, which physically limits the maximum battery size to 2s 1800mAh. For casual tankers, this is more than enough, but for modelers loading down their T-90s with over 10 pounds in the Professional version, stocking up on spare batteries is highly recommended.

        The T-90 is designed with low profiles to present the smallest possible target silouette and also use an autoloader to reduce crew compliment, but in RC form that translates to very limited internal space for bigger motors, bigger batteries, bigger speakers, smokers, fans, etc.

        I do plan as a future DIY project to modify the Shtora-1 "opto-electrical dazzlers" (the two "eyeballs" on the turret on either side of the main cannon) to illuminate when the tank receives a hit during IR battle. There is enough space in the turret to run LEDs and required wiring to those dazzlers.

        While physical component upgrade potential is limited, I do think the T-90 has near unlimited potential for scale modelers who want to custom paint and weather their T-90. Every surface on this tank is screaming for a panel line wash, chipping, pigment, oil, and dust weathering techniques! At Heng Long's factory showroom, there are several customer painted T-90s. It seems to be a very popular subject for custom paint.

        I have driven the upcoming "Pro Plus" version of the T-90, which uses an all metal lower hull and torsion bar suspension, among other upgrades. Its revised lower hull allows a 7000mAh battery to be fitted, in which case the battery limitations above no longer apply. However, because the Pro Plus is not yet available, and will also cost at least twice what the Professional costs, I will not factor the Pro Plus' upgrade potential into the final score.
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        Overall Value (Cost, Size, Performance, Quality) 85/100

        Putting my personal bias on the side, I must recognize that the T-90 is a good value but the more recently produced T-72 from Heng Long is a better value in terms of user-friendliness. Compared to other modern tanks from Heng Long, the T-90 looks very unique but is saddled with its battery bay size limitation. For these two reasons, I need to rank the T-90's overall value as lower than some of its other Heng Long counterparts in the modern category.

        My Personal Averaged Total Score for the Heng Long 1/16 Scale "T-90": 90/100

        One of my personal favorites but showing some wear when compared to some of its modern counterparts, the Heng Long T-90 represents a good value for RC tankers interested in running a unique looking tank with a long heritage and near-limitless weathering potential.
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        Comment


        • #5
          Great to see you will have at least two versions of this and possibly 4. Russian Tanks have long been known for being some very rugged and durable machines.

          Comment


          • #6
            The T90 is one of my favorite R/C tanks to drive. I like to refer to is as the sports car of tanks, sits low, sleek, excellent handling and just plain cool looking racing at speed cross country.

            Here is mine playing on a tank obstacle course.

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            About to jump over that ditch!!! Missed the photo of it being "airborn" it just happened to fast to catch with my phone camera.

            Comment


            • #7
              Alpha,
              I see that Heng Long makes a Soviet T-72 and a T-34? I can tell that the T-34 seems to be an older model without the Airsoft, smoke, and IR. But the T-72 seems to have it all. Are you going to carry those or updated versions?

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              • #8
                karltrek Hi there Karl, yes, we are going to be carrying the T-34 and the T-72. All of our Heng Long tanks are the latest TK6 versions with Airsoft, Smoke, IR, Steel Gears, proportional everything, adjustable track recoil, and the several other benefits of the expandable TK6 MFCB. We're not carrying any of the previous obsolete MFCBs from Heng Long (TK5.3, RX18, etc).

                The Professional edition of our T-34 will also include rubber capped metal road wheels and barrel recoil. It's as fully featured as the Professional edition of the Leopard 2A6 and M1A2 Abrams.

                We'll publish their product pages on the website and corresponding review threads here in Squawk when we get a bit closer to their arrival. I didn't want to inundate the tank thread with too many product reviews in the first salvo.
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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Alpha View Post
                  karltrek Hi there Karl, yes, we are going to be carrying the T-34 and the T-72. All of our Heng Long tanks are the latest TK6 versions with Airsoft, Smoke, IR, Steel Gears, proportional everything, adjustable track recoil, and the several other benefits of the expandable TK6 MFCB. We're not carrying any of the previous obsolete MFCBs from Heng Long (TK5.3, RX18, etc).

                  The Professional edition of our T-34 will also include rubber capped metal road wheels and barrel recoil. It's as fully featured as the Professional edition of the Leopard 2A6 and M1A2 Abrams.

                  We'll publish their product pages on the website and corresponding review threads here in Squawk when we get a bit closer to their arrival. I didn't want to inundate the tank thread with too many product reviews in the first salvo.
                  Sweet! Thanks for the update!

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                  • #10
                    You're welcome! The T-34, T-72, and T-90 are among my favorite tanks to run. I've refinishing my T-34 in the "Tank Texture" thread. Paint booth in a week or two, as time allows.
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                    • #11

                      Hey, does anyone have the building plan for a RC tank T90. This plan was not supplied with me. greetings D.Rinsma

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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Fries View Post
                        Hey, does anyone have the building plan for a RC tank T90. This plan was not supplied with me. greetings D.Rinsma
                        Fries Welcome to Hobby Squawk, Fries! By "building plan", do you mean the TK6 function guide that shows the wire ports and features, or the actual assembly guide for the cosmetic spare parts that shows their location on the tank?
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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Alpha View Post

                          Fries Welcome to Hobby Squawk, Fries! By "building plan", do you mean the TK6 function guide that shows the wire ports and features, or the actual assembly guide for the cosmetic spare parts that shows their location on the tank?
                          Hello
                          Thanx for your comment. I mean actual assembly guide for the cosmetic spare parts that shows their location on the tank?

                          greets

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                          • #14
                            Fries The tanks have been added to the website and will be shipping out after the weekend (today is Saturday as I'm writing this). Each tank includes a printed manual. We don't yet have an electronic copy of the printed manual, but we're working on scanning one and putting it on the T-90's product page.

                            Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

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                            • #15
                              I'm still trying to decide what scheme to repaint my T-90 in. Something from the Tank Biathlon, probably, because some of those have rather unique schemes. What they do to those tanks is jaw dropping -- drifting, jumping, jumping while firing, jumping into water at full speed, etc. Who said a tank can't be a rally course car?






                              Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

                              Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

                              Camp my Instagram @Alpha.Makes

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                              • #16
                                Originally posted by Alpha View Post
                                I'm still trying to decide what scheme to repaint my T-90 in. Something from the Tank Biathlon, probably, because some of those have rather unique schemes. What they do to those tanks is jaw dropping -- drifting, jumping, jumping while firing, jumping into water at full speed, etc. Who said a tank can't be a rally course car?





                                Couldn’t agree more....RC tanks are fun to drive fast, hard and get “air” with, as long as they are set up correctly, it is safe to push the limits.

                                Modified and upgraded Heng Long T72 getting “air”...

                                Click image for larger version  Name:	D030F4B8-B926-448B-ADFB-5B5BAEF06447.jpeg Views:	0 Size:	200.5 KB ID:	237624

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                                • #17
                                  Alpha,
                                  Is there physical space in this tank to fit a bigger battery? If one wanted to perform surgery on the battery bay, can a bigger pack be shoe-horned in? Alternately, if the hull was fit with magnets or quick connectors is there space in the body?

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                                  • #18
                                    Davy101 Extensive surgery would be required to fit a physically larger battery inside the T-90 and still access it from the outside. You'd need to scratchbuild an entire length-wise battery box and externally opening battery door.

                                    As an alternative, we're selling an upgrade battery that fits in the existing stock battery bay, without any modification. This Upgrade battery doubles nearly the capacity of the stock battery, from 1800mAh to 3500mAh, and is made using Japanese Sanyo NCR cells. I'm using these in my 10+ pound T-90 Pro, and they're running great without the hassle of modifications.

                                    It is in stock and ready to ship today from the US warehouse:

                                    https://www.motionrc.com/products/ad...miya-connector
                                    Live Q&A every Tuesday and Friday at 9pm EST on my Twitch Livestream

                                    Live chat with me and other RC Nuts on my Discord

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                                    • #19
                                      Alpha,
                                      Thanks very much! That addresses the real only down side to this model in my opinion.

                                      Edit: Tank and battery ordered! Now, get the Challenger II Pro back in stock...
                                      Last edited by Davy101; Feb 27, 2020, 10:55 AM. Reason: Ordered from MRC

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                                      • #20
                                        Originally posted by Davy101 View Post
                                        Alpha,
                                        Is there physical space in this tank to fit a bigger battery? If one wanted to perform surgery on the battery bay, can a bigger pack be shoe-horned in? Alternately, if the hull was fit with magnets or quick connectors is there space in the body?
                                        Yes you can. It is not hard to do. I run a 8 cel 9.6v full size NiHM 5000 mah battery in my T90 and T72s. You do have to remove the old battery box and you will lose the airsoft feature, but a large more powerful battery can fit.

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