Discussion Thread: Heng Long 1/16 Leopard 2A6 Modern German MBT

[Rubicon99]

Agreed. What's also amazing to me is how the MBT-70 program, which originated in the late '60s with the West Germans and Americans collaborating to construct the next generation of main battle tank, eventually gave rise to the M1 Abrams and the Leopard 2, both of which remain front line platforms and are slated to remain in service for another 15 years. To have a machine in service for 60+ years says a lot for the original "bones". Although they initially struggled over whether to design in metric or imperial, eventually both sides got a solid tank out of their respective offshoot programs.

I also find it interesting that the Abrams fires a licensed version of the German Rhinemetal 120mm L55 cannon, which is what the more recent iterations of Leopard 2 fire as well. Shared munitions, shared heritage, similar fundamental approaches, yet two distinctly different tanks. I need to finish weathering mine...

Another interesting point about the 120mm cannon shared between the Leopard 2 and A2 Abrams is the longer barrel used on the later models of Leopard 2. Why is it longer many people ask? The simple answer is that the Germans are a "non nuclear" arms country and is such will not use Depleted Uranium (DPU) metals in their anti tank "heavy armor" penetrator rounds like the U.S and other NATO countries. Instead they still use a Tungsten based metal. So to achieve similar performance of their penetrator rounds they lengthened the barrel by almost a meter. Longer barrel = higher velocity = more energy = greater penetration.

The problems with this longer barrel are one, that the Leopard 2s equipped with it cannot fire the 120mm U.S. or similar made rounds as the ballistics are far different and the Leopard 2 fire control computer is reported not to be able to adjust for the difference. The same goes for the A2 Abrams firing the rounds intended for the longer barrel. The second problem is the barrel is so long it greatly increase the difficulty with maneuvering the tank in the already tight terrain environments of the European landscape like the typical old world villages, large cities and dense forest. Third and to a lessor degree for the German army is transport by air. Because of these draw backs it is common to see other countries that use the newer model Leopard 2 using the "original" shorter barrel as used on the A2 Abrams as it allows for the use of U.S. and standard NATO 120mm rounds yet does not add to the maneuvering issues.

With regard to the Heng Long Leopard 2 and using it in IR battling the issues of the longer barrel is clear and it is a harder tank to fight effectively with. The Heng Long Abrams with its shorter barrel yet similar overall size is an easier tank to maneuver in a simulated city scape or heavily brush laden battle field. It is not uncommon to see modified "shortened" barrels on Tamiya and Heng Long Leopard 2s that are used in IR battling, these typicaly represent non German army late model Leopard 2s.

[Alpha]

Agreed. What's also amazing to me is how the MBT-70 program, which originated in the late '60s with the West Germans and Americans collaborating to construct the next generation of main battle tank, eventually gave rise to the M1 Abrams and the Leopard 2, both of which remain front line platforms and are slated to remain in service for another 15 years. To have a machine in service for 60+ years says a lot for the original "bones". Although they initially struggled over whether to design in metric or imperial, eventually both sides got a solid tank out of their respective offshoot programs.

I also find it interesting that the Abrams fires a licensed version of the German Rhinemetal 120mm L55 cannon, which is what the more recent iterations of Leopard 2 fire as well. Shared munitions, shared heritage, similar fundamental approaches, yet two distinctly different tanks. I need to finish weathering mine...

[StormyDog1962]

Look how far we've come from fighting the Germans in the World Wars to now sharing weapons platforms and munitions. Like airplanes bigger is always better. These all look to be very easy to work on and maintain but the larger size is definitely worth looking at. German engineering during the War was and still is truly a marvel. Once again can't wait to do some weathering on this one and to see what others will do.

[Alpha]

CONCLUSION

As with all Heng Long 1/16 tanks, I assess a rating for each of seven key areas. I don't rate the Leopard against other tanks twice its cost, but rather in the context of its own cost and intended audience, which is the entry level and mid-level RC tank enthusiast looking to get started without breaking the bank. From that vantage point, here is how I rank the Heng Long 1/16 Scale "Leopard 2A6" MBT:


Initial Quality: 94/100
The Leopard 2A6 arrived in perfect condition and securely packaged. Like all Heng Long tanks, the Leopard 2A6 is primarily composed of ABS plastic. The fit and finish of this Leopard is superb, considering its price. There is a slight gap as seen in the Build Video on the port side turret cheek armor, but it does not hinder use and I don't notice it anymore.

The paint work from the factory was evenly applied and very complex, especially considering the angular faces around which the paint molds must conform. My Leopard 2A6's tracks were properly tensioned out of the box, so did not require any adjustment. Two spare track links are included, if ever needed to lengthen the track and thereby reduce the overall tension.

Despite being such a large tank with a long hull, the lower hull and upper hull didn't exhibit much noticeable flexing. I think a casual tanker would agree that under reasonable conditions, it is not necessary to reinforce the hull out of the box. Internally, the steel gears were adequately greased and sounded good.

User-Friendliness and Transportability: 88/100
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.

Another plus side in my book is the Leopard's large size and generally boxy shape, both of which make it easy to hold and move around. There aren't too many tiny detail pieces to get ripped off when driving through a bush on the RC battlefield or scraping against something else in my car trunk.

At the same time, the Leopard's large size may count against it depending on its audience. As one of the largest tanks in 1/16 scale, the Leopard 2A6 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 an easy to transport tank should probably look elsewhere. I recommend carrying this tank at all times with two hands.

The Leopard 2A6 lacks an adjustable idler like the newer Challenger II or T-72, which means fine adjustments cannot be made to track tension. My tank didn't require adjustments to the track tension, but if it ever did, a tanker would need to learn how to remove or add track links. This takes less than two minutes, but it is still a potential task that makes the Leopard 2A6 less friendly to new tankers.


Mobility and Drive Experience 92/100
A wide and long track stance help reduce the ground pressure, distributing it across a wider area than certain other tanks. This gives the Leopard good mobility despite its size. The wide tracks give positive traction when climbing reasonable grades, and its independent suspension and tall road wheels naturally give it better handling over uneven terrain. When used in the context of a scale tank and not subjected to unreasonable expectations of being a Crawler, which it is not, the Leopard 2A6 demonstrated good mobility on all surfaces I drove it on. In short, it is a pleasure to drive! The third sound set is a turbo-diesel and sounds the most intimidating while this tank is tearing around at high speeds.


Durability 85/100
I own two Leopard 2s, both Tamiya and Heng Long, and have driven three other Heng Longs. In all, the tanks proved themselves to be very durable in terms of the steel gears, gearbox, and drive sprocket. I can see the advantage of heavier metal tracks if running on surfaces like pavement or gravel, because my plastic-tracked Upgrade version has shown some wear on the plastic track pads, compared to the minimal scratches incurred on my metal-tracked Professional version. The metal suspension arms are a welcome inclusion, as they ward off damage and add stiffness to the overall running gear. The metal outer barrel and metal inner barrel is also an advantage that I enjoyed discovering on this Leopard 2A6. I appreciated that Heng Long chose to include the metal barrel and metal suspension arms on even the most inexpensive version of the Leopard 2A6.

The bottom of the lower hull on all my tanks has accumulated scratches over time. While the Leopard 2A6 has acceptable ground clearance of 35mm along the majority of the flat bottom of its lower hull, the suspension arm mounts are modeled in plastic and do extend downward an additional 8mm. These low areas are usually the first elements to become scratched or lodged against obstacles. Because in the Leopard 2A6 these elements are cosmetic, I don't worry too much about it. But it is worth noting that any Heng Long tank after a couple of hours of driving will likely have many similar scratches along its underside.Over time some scratches may accumulate along the side skirts and road wheels, as well, but I count that as "realism" and again don't mind too much.

I have not lost a track on any of my Leopards yet, while running both the plastic tracks and the metal tracks. See the link *here* for how to adjust track tension to reduce the risk of a track coming off.

Scale Fidelity 82/100
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". A few of the parts were loose, so I bonded them with ABS glue. But otherwise, 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", including the smoke grenade launchers, bustle bins, tools, rear view mirrors, and many grab handles, took about 45-50 minutes from start to finish. Plan for an hour if you want to take your time cutting the parts out of the plastic sprues. I recommend a sharp clipper designed for this purpose, as it makes cleanup much easier. The accessory parts are pre-painted as shown below, and really enhance the tank's overall surface detail, as can be seen on the engine deck.

A subtle but important advancement is Heng Long's inclusion of raised "non-slip" surface detail on certain areas throughout the tank, which adds more scale realism than the Abrams, which omits such a detail.

There are some limitations inherent with this price point, however. The implementation of the Leopard 2A6's taillight cluster is simplified for RC drivers but at the cost of less realism for scale enthusiasts. The bustle bins are also the most visible scale aspect that distinguishes the Heng Long from a Tamiya, because the Heng Long example is molded from plastic with softer detail. Also, the Leopard 2A6 lacks clear vision blocks, as does the Abrams. I rectified this by adding clear plastic sheet salvaged from a yogurt container.

Finally, the blue decals provided to depict the Doghouse and CITV "glass" elements were left off my tanks because I think they look unrealistic.

Ease of Maintenance and Upgrade Potential 93/100
The Leopard 2A6 is easy to wrench on due to its large size. The internal area is cavernous, and would easily accept, for example, a larger speaker. The turret is also massive, almost longer than a Panzer III, so there's lots of space to access the internal components and install future aftermarket upgrades.

One significant benefit is that many Tamiya 1/16 Leopard 2A6 parts and the aftermarket industry that produces products to support that model, also fit the Heng Long 1/16 Leopard 2A6 with little to no modification. These include Tamiya's 1/16 modern German tank crew figure set, Tamiya's expensive but excellent resin tracks, and its highly detailed bustle racks.

Mato and other manufacturers also produce upgrade parts that fit the Heng Long 1/16 Leopard 2A6. Click *here* to see our review of Mato's rubber-padded metal tracks on a similar tank, the M1A2 Abrams.

Overall Value (Cost, Size, Performance, Quality) 90/100
I consider the Leopard 2A6 to be one of the best values in Heng Long's 1/16 scale tank lineup. For enthusiasts who want to show up at the next RC IR Tank Battle event with one of the biggest 1/16 tanks out there, the Leopard 2A6 doesn't disappoint. Leopard 2 enthusiasts can get into the RC Tank hobby knowing that they're fielding a good looking tank at a great value for the money. It is easy to drive, less easy to carry around, and represents the real Leopard 2 with acceptable accuracy at this price point. For tankers looking for a big tank, this one is worth considering along with the British Challenger II, American Abrams, and WW2-era King Tiger. Any of these four heavy/main tanks dwarf smaller tanks such as a Panzer III or Sherman.

My Personal Averaged Total Score for the Heng Long 1/16 Scale Leopard 2A6: 90/100

The Heng Long Leopard 2A6 looks great out of the box, and with a little bit of effort can be detailed even further. Here's a work in progress... What will YOU do with your Leopard 2?

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Running the tank:

Driving the tank is straightforward. 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. Out of the box, the Leopard 2A6's track recoil was too high for my liking, so I reduced it to the Low setting. 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.

Gears, Driveability, and Run Time

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 Leopard 2A6 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 roughly doubles the weight of the tank from ~5+ pounds to ~10.5 pounds, 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 more expensive Pro version will appeal to those who want weight above all other considerations. By contrast, for the average casual RC tanker wanting to save weight and cost, I think the cheaper Upgrade version is worth considering.

The Upgrade configuration of the Leopard 2A6 can climb comfortably at 35 degrees with good traction. Like other tanks at the Upgrade level, the plastic tracks grip most surfaces well, although it tended to spin out sometimes on tile floor. On a hard dirt hill, the Leopard 2A6 climbed a 50 degree slope.

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 Leopard 2A6 has two exhaust ports, just like the real tank. Accessing them to refill the smoke oil isn't very convenient, but simply hold the tank's rear upward at a 45 degree angle and you'll be able to see the outlet tube partially concealed behind the exhaust grating.

The stock battery is 2s 7.4v 1800mAh. With the smoke running, sound to maximum volume, and moving constantly, a big tank like the Leopard 2A6 will consume the battery in about 20 minutes. With scale movements and firing sequences, medium volume, and with the smoker turned off because it's not very visible in direct sunlight, I can stretch the battery to about 30 minutes or more. The much heavier metal tracked Professional version uses the same motor, so pulling much more weight decreases drive time. Buy extra batteries because they're inexpensive, or consider upgrading to the Admiral 2s 2200mAh or 4000mAh. The Heng Long battery bays, on all tanks except the T-72 and T-90, can fit much larger 2s packs such as the Admiral 2s 4000mAh. 2s is the maximum recommended limit for the stock components.

"Send It!" Firing the Airsoft BB Cannon and the IR Battle System

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 so that there's no risk of any further BBs firing from the main cannon.

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.

I found the IR emitter'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. Additionally, it appears that turning the turret can create less than consistent results when registering hits.



Power and Handling

The Leopard 2A6 moves at a walking pace at full throttle on the High setting and about 25% slower on Low setting. Hold G and move the left stick up or down to select the High or Low setting, respectively. With the proportional steering controls, can really be slowed down for "creeping" maneuvers that look very scale. 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. 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.

In terms of overall ease of working on the Leopard 2A6, like its fellow "big tanks" the Abrams and Challenger II, I'd give it a 10 out of 10 because its hull and turret are both very large. This makes accessing the tank's internals very easy, and there is a lot of space for adding a larger speaker, for example, or implementing a recoiling barrel or other DIY upgrades.

As mentioned previously, my Leopard 2A6 is the "Upgrade" version, meaning its exterior components are all plastic, while the gears in 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, road wheels, idler wheel, and drive sprocket --essentially all the moving drive system parts outside of the tank--. This significantly increases the weight, which some tankers may enjoy, and also the durability in certain conditions, but the trade-off for this weight gain is lower drive time. For anyone operating the heavier Professional version, I recommend buying a spare battery.

The metal parts also arrive unpainted, making it easy to visually distinguish in product photos which version is which. If the road wheels are green and the track is black, they're plastic and that's the Original or Upgrade version. If the road wheels are metal colored and the tracks are as well, then they're metal and that's the Professional version. The metal wheels would need to be painted by the user, if he/she prefers. I know I do!

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. Almost 8% of the BBs in my Challenger II's bag of BBs were throwaways. Still, there were at least 70 or so BBs that were sufficiently smooth and spherical.

2) Don't flood the smoker. There is one smoker in the tank, with two exhaust tubes. Those tubes in fact function 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.

[Alpha]

Decals:

Apply the decals, as desired, on a cleaned and dried surface, using the instruction manual's clear diagrams. These are simple "peel and stick" adhesive vinyl decals, NOT water slide decals, so do not soak the decal in water otherwise you'll ruin the adhesive. Stick the decal to the surface, then use the back of your fingernail to firmly burnish the decal onto the surface, then carefully remove the clear upper film off of the decal itself.

Like many tanks, the Leopard 2A6 doesn't have many markings on it. But I think they do add a little pop of color and sense of scale.

After applying the decals, you may want to seal them in with a clear coat such as a spray can of Testors Dullcote or WBPU ("Water Based PolyUrethane") from either Minwax or Varathane. I didn't apply a clear coat, but the decals continue to hold well to the surface, so I do not consider a clear coat absolutely necessary for casual use. If you do decide to apply a clear coat, always test under the tank first to ensure the colors do not react adversely to your chosen clear coat product.

The pre-installed LEDs look excellent, and together with the decal markings help breakup the three tone NATO camo scheme. It's not too flashy, and still retains the intimidating factor of this behemoth.

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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 2s 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.

If you plan on battling your friends with the included IR (infrared) system, plug in the IR apple and locate its magnetic anchor spot behind the hatch. Heng Long's magnets are concealed inside the turret and thus there isn't any unsightly mount visible from the outside of the turret. The IR apple is low profile, and reasonably sensitive in overcast conditions out to ~10-15 meters.



As part of your pre-drive routine, inspect the suspension arms for any debris from previous use, especially if you run it outdoors in dirt or gravel. Check the suspension travel to ensure each road wheel moves smoothly. On the less expensive Original and Upgrade versions, the arms rotate on bushings, not bearings, so it is normal to have some play between the parts. However, excessively loose or wobbly road wheels or suspension arms should be tightened with a screwdriver or allen key before driving. For this reason, I do not recommend gluing the wheel covers on, but instead recommend relying on their tight press fit to remain attached. They will remain removable if in the future you ever needed to access the screw that connects the wheel to the arm for either tightening it or replacing it.

Note that even the most basic version of Heng Long's Leopard 2A6 includes metal suspension arms and metal idler axle mount. I like that!

[Alpha]

Heng Long 1/16 Scale "Leopard 2A6" Modern German MBT (Main Battle Tank)

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Introduction:

Developed in the 1970s and sharing several design and technological influences with the American M1 Abrams, the Leopard 2 is currently the German Army's Main Battle Tank. Recognized by many military observers as one of the most potent armored vehicles in history, the Leopard 2 has also distinguished itself by being one of the most widely exported tanks in current operation across NATO member countries.


My Personal Averaged Total Score for the Heng Long 1/16 Scale "Leopard 2A6" German Main Battle Tank: 90 out of 100

Heng Long's 1/16 scale Leopard 2A6 scored an impressive 90 out of a possible 100 based on my review. Read below to see how I arrived at this rating, as I evaluate the "Upgrade" version of this tank. "Upgrade" means that its exterior is plastic but its interior gears are steel. Note, where shown, the metal tracks denote a "Professional" version which includes more external metal parts at higher cost.

As a visual companion to this written review, our Overview and Build Summary Video can be found *here*

Functions:

Featuring the latest TK6 MFCB (Multi-Function Control Board), the Leopard 2A6 like Heng Long's other TK6 series 1/16 scale tanks 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, high speed and low speed modes, etc
3) Smoke effect (On/Off)
4) Headlights and Brake lights (On/Off)
5) Volume (five settings including Off)
6) Four different Sound Sets. Each Sound Set contains a unique engine start sound, idle sound, accelerating sound, traverse sound, elevate sound, machine gun, cannon firing, and shutdown sound.
7) Track Recoil (Three settings from low, medium, and high) --This shudders the tank briefly rearward to simulate recoil when firing the main cannon. The Low or Medium settings are more realistic.
8) Fires a 6mm plastic BB (~10 meters with minimal accuracy and limited velocity, but should still be treated with caution and with adequate eye protection)
9) Fires an invisible IR signal to be used as part of Heng Long's Infrared Battle System, which disables other tanks when hit five times during simulated combat. Up to 20 tanks at the same time can battle each other!
10) Independent suspension on all road wheels

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, 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 parts as shown to the left result in the finished tank to the right:

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Details:
Several sprues of plastic parts are provided for the modeler to install on the tank. These all plug into pre-drilled holes, and are nearly "snap fit". A few of the parts were loose, so I bonded them with ABS glue. But otherwise, 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", including the smoke grenade launchers, bustle bins, tools, rearview mirrors, and many grab handles is straightforward. Plan for an hour if you want to take your time cutting the parts out of the plastic sprues. I recommend a sharp clipper designed for this purpose, as it makes cleanup much easier. The accessory parts are pre-painted and really enhance the tank's overall surface detail, as can be seen on the engine deck. Flexible tow cables are draped over the rear exhaust manifold grille and anchored to movable shackles. The smoke effect is expelled through the two circular stacks seen in the photo to the right.



The Leopard 2A6 does include some delicate parts, such as the rear view mirror arms. ABS glue helps to keep them in place. When transporting the tank, I grip it by the glacis (the front slope of the tank's "nose") and avoid gripping anywhere near the rear view mirrors. The smoke grenade launchers are numerous but assemble easily. Take your time.