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Review and Discuss: Heng Long 1/16 King Tiger "The Brute"

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  • Review and Discuss: Heng Long 1/16 King Tiger "The Brute"

    Heng Long 1/16 Scale "King Tiger" German WW2 Tank
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    Introduction:

    One of the largest tanks fielded in WW2, the Tiger II or "King Tiger" was built around a fearsome 88mm cannon, capable of piercing every type of Allied armor at over 1,000 yards. First deployed along the defensive lines following the Allied landings at Normandy in June 1944, the King Tiger was a potent weapon when deployed properly, but due to war material shortages and hampered by engine reliability, failed to make a significant impact on holding back the Allied advance. Of the approximately 1,200 units produced during the war, only two remain in running condition today.

    My Personal Averaged Total Score for the Heng Long 1/16 Scale "King Tiger": 87 out of 100

    The Heng Long King Tiger is an impressively large tank and literally stands a shoulder above all other tanks in the 1/16 scale series. If you want big, the King Tiger is worth a closer look. Read below to see how I arrived at this rating.
    As a visual companion to this written review, our Overview and Build Summary Video can be found below:
    Functions:

    Featuring the latest TK6 Multi-Function Control Board (MFCB), Heng Long's King Tiger like its 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".

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    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:

    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. Plan for about 30-45 minutes to clip the parts off their sprues and attaching them to the outside of the tank. I recommend a sharp clipper designed for this purpose, as it makes cleanup much easier.

    The King Tiger's pre-painted tools, shackles, and tow cables clip onto the hull and turret with ease. Most of my time was spent assembling the tracks and arranging them on the turret, as shown below. I like that these tracks are functional track links, that can be used as spares if your track links ever need replacement. In addition, the track links shudder along with the tank's track recoil effect, which visually enhances the overall realism, as I imagine the recoil of the real tank's massive gun would cause anything loose on the tank to shake.

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    At this point I also take a moment to hold the tip the tank's rear upward about 45 degrees and insert 1-2 small drops of glycerin oil into the exhaust stacks. The smoke effect is expelled through these two exhaust stacks, so don't flood the exhaust stacks. Less is more!
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    Users may choose to glue down the spare track links onto the turret, but I prefer to leave them unglued. During transport, I'll remove them, the commander's machine gun, and the rear fenders. These are the only "loose" parts that are susceptible to falling off during transport due to their exposed locations. I also do not glue on any of the "hub cabs", because these also may need to be removed in the future for cleaning, tightening, or replacing.
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  • #2
    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 King Tiger doesn't have many markings on it. Besides the German crosses, two decal options are provided, a simple red 205, and turret art depicting a knight on horseback. I chose the red 205.

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    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.

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    The King Tiger's real headlight is replicated with a white LED. A low-brightness light on the rear hull face is not present on the Heng Long. As a wartime tank, there aren't any other lights such as brake lights or turn signals on the real King Tiger.
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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, although I prefer to use a low voltage alarm to notify me before that happens.
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    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.
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    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.
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    Comment


    • #3
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      Running the tank:

      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. Out of the box, the King Tiger'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.
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      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 King Tiger 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.
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      Like other tanks with wide and long tracks, such as the Leopard 2A6, Challenger II, Abrams, and T99, the Upgrade configuration of the King Tiger 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 King Tiger climbed a 50 degree slope with the plastic tracks. I'd expect the metal tracks and higher weight to lend better traction on steeper slopes, although again, I don't expect tanks to perform like RC crawler trucks.

      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 stock battery is 2s 7.4v 1800mAh. With the smoke running, sound to maximum volume, and moving constantly, a big tank like the King Tiger even in its lighter Original/Upgrade version 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 due to having to move about 11 pounds of tank. 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.
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      "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 about 30 shots at the included target, which humorously depicts a King Tiger with the earlier style of turret, I taped over the BB loading hole so that there's no risk of any further BBs firing from the main cannon. The King Tiger's main barrel is already a long weapon in and of itself; I don't need it firing projectiles, too.
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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. I noticed that the taller profile of the the King Tiger makes it more vulnerable to taking hits from a distance, compared to a lower profile Panzer III or KV-1. Even the modern T-90 has a lower silhouette and thus presents a smaller target than does the big ol' King Tiger.

      As with all other Heng Long TK6 series tanks, I found the King Tiger's 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. The King Tiger is so large that its IR apple is small by comparison, and does not distract much from the vehicle itself. If you do decide to paint the mast to blend it in with the rest of the tank further, just remember not to paint the actual dome.
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      Power and Handling

      The King Tiger 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. Refer to the instruction manual for specific directions on programming your tank's responsiveness to your preferences. 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 TK6 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. I don't expect anyone to add turn signals on this King Tiger, however, but it's nice to know there are at least expandable LED port options.

      In terms of overall ease of working on the King Tiger, 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 King Tiger 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 plastic tracks are wide, which is good traction, but not so good for lateral rigidity. The plastic tracks can be twisted with one's fingers approximately 45 degrees around datum along the length of the entire tank.

      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 or two.

      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! Below to the left is shown the Original and Upgrade versions which are visually identical from the exterior. Below to the right is shown the Professional version, with its all metal unpainted exterior running gear (tracks, road wheels, idler wheel, drive sprocket).

      Visually distinguishing the painted wheels of the Original and Upgrade versions, left, is easily accomplished compared to the unpainted metal wheels and tracks of the Professional version, right:
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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. 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.
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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, I don't rate the King Tiger against other tanks twice its cost, but rather in the context of its own price point 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 "King Tiger" German WW2 Tank:

        Initial Quality: 93/100
        The King Tiger arrived in perfect condition and securely packaged. Like all Heng Long tanks, the King Tiger is primarily constructed from ABS plastic.

        The paint work from the factory was evenly applied and very good for this price point. I tend to think Heng Long does a good job on its multi-color camo paint jobs.

        Like the KV-1, Sherman, and a few others in the recent TK6 series, my King Tiger's tracks were properly tensioned out of the box, so did not require any adjustment. I have spent time at the Heng Long factory to discuss their track tension process on the mass production line, so I expect to see this positive trend continue. Two spare track links are included in a bag, and twelve additional links are hung on the turret, so there's more than enough spares!

        Despite being such a large tank with a long hull and tall side walls, 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 King Tiger's hull out of the box. Internally, the steel gears were greased and sounded good, although I expect after a couple of hours I'll need to reapply grease on the final drive gear.

        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.

        The King Tiger's large size is as much of an advantage as it is a liability. The cannon barrel is mostly metal, and inside it is an aluminum 6mm ID barrel, for the overall large length makes it easy to catch on obstacles. Like the other "Big Five" in 1/16 scale from Heng Long (Challenger II, Leopard 2A6, Abrams, T99), the King Tiger 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 and taking extra care not to knock its long barrel against anything.

        The King Tiger 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 King Tiger less friendly to new tankers.

        Mobility and Drive Experience 90/100
        The King Tiger has surprisingly good mobility despite its size, owing to its wider area of track contacting the ground and thus lower ground pressure. 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 King Tiger demonstrated good mobility on all surfaces I drove it on. Probably better still, the King Tiger's ground stance looks intimidating and its practical as well, with sufficient ground clearance to trudge through grass, weeds, short rubble, and gravel.

        The aforementioned flex inherent in the plastic tracks found on the Original, Upgrade, and Upgrade-A versions, however, are prone to skipping a tooth if the user tries to do a fast "super spin" maneuver because the outer edge of the track cleat can dig into softer surfaces and gradually work its way out. In scale maneuvering speeds, however, the plastic tracks functioned flawlessly. It's a tank, not a drift car.

        I recommend the second or third sound set for this tank. Tap the G and K buttons at the same time to switch between different sound sets.
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        Durability 82/100
        Lacking metal suspension arms but including metal mounts for the idler wheel is a mixed bag in terms of long term durability. Granted, I have never broken a plastic suspension arm, but it should be stated that the Original and Upgrade versions do not have metal suspension arms.

        The bottom of the lower hull on all my tanks has accumulated scratches over time. The King Tiger has a 30mm ground clearance and a fully flat underside. 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. Real King Tiger's fenders were often dented or missing altogether!


        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 and really enhance the tank's overall surface detail.

        There are some limitations inherent with this price point, however. Avid tank historians can probably spot several inaccuracies, from the glacis' welds, lack of engine deck screens, simplified MG mount, etc. The spare track links would also benefit from some filling and detailing. For the average tanker, I don't think these individual scale inaccuracies are deal breakers --Heng Long's King Tiger is still an impressive brute of a tank-- but they are worth mentioning. Super scale modelers will likely spend time further accurizing the Heng Long base model, and I think such will be time well spent. I'd recommend looking for the Trumpeter 1/16 Scale King Tiger, which is a static (non-RC) plastic model, to use it as a donor for spare parts in certain areas. The Trumpeter 1/16 static kit is often recognized as superior even to Tamiya's 1/16 kit.
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        Ease of Maintenance and Upgrade Potential 93/100
        To continue my thoughts regarding scale fidelity, Heng Long does sell a PE ("Photo-Etched") steel mesh set, that better represents the screens used on the engine deck. It's well worth the few dollars.

        The King Tiger is easy to wrench on due to its large size. The internal area is cavernous, and would easily accept, for example, a larger speaker, an upgraded smoker, a larger battery, or an aftermarket barrel recoil system.

        Overall Value (Cost, Size, Performance, Quality) 90/100
        I consider the King Tiger to be one of the better 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 from the WW2 era, the King Tiger is the largest made by Heng Long. New tankers 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 King Tiger with reasonable accuracy, considering this price point. For tankers looking for a big tank, this one is worth considering along with the British Challenger II, American Abrams, Chinese T99, and German Leopard 2A6. Any of these five 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 "King Tiger": 87/100

        The Heng Long King Tiger is an impressively large tank and literally stands a shoulder above all other tanks in the 1/16 scale series. If you want Big WW2, the King Tiger is worth considering!
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        • #5
          Reserved for 3DPs
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          • #6
            German Tanks definitely evoked fear during WWII as their prowess on the Battlefield was well known. Great to see this one modeled and once again the weathering and modifications are nearly limitless. Really looking forward to one of these and a Sherman to go along with it. A nice large Diorama featuring these two would be impressive.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by StormyDog1962 View Post
              German Tanks definitely evoked fear during WWII as their prowess on the Battlefield was well known. Great to see this one modeled and once again the weathering and modifications are nearly limitless. Really looking forward to one of these and a Sherman to go along with it. A nice large Diorama featuring these two would be impressive.
              a proper diorama will have 1 King tiger and 5 Shermans. One on one would be like me in a fistfight with Mike Tyson

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              • #8
                Alpha, I noticed some videos on this tank show the Gun Barrel with recoil. Will this one include that? or is that an upgrade item for the entire Heng Long category? Got to have the barrel recoil if its an option.

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                • #9
                  Jdcrow I just got back from the factory, and can now confirm for the first time that they were able to implement the barrel recoil into the Professional Edition of the King Tiger. We'll be the first to carry these!

                  ​​​​​​​The barrel recoil you've seen online for anything Heng Long has produced before today is most likely aftermarket upgrade kits that are intended to produce instant servo driven recoil, which negates the possibility of firing an airsoft BB. Heng Long's new Professional Edition, out of the box, will use their motor driven recoil setup, which as described in the other thread has a partial second delay between the recoil cycle starting and the firing sound/track recoil/airsoft BB firing. This incongruence is caused by the time it takes for the motor to compress the spring which fires the airsoft BB.
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                  • #10
                    I've begun to paint one of my King Tigers in the so-called hidenhalt "ambush" scheme used later in the war. While most KTs didn't last long enough to become very weathered and rusted, I'm going to take liberties with this one and heavily weather it as time allows over the next couple weeks, including installing weathered metal tracks. Stay tuned!


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                    • #11
                      I will need this...
                      TiredIron Aviation
                      Tired Iron Military Vehicles

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                      • #12
                        Quick question...will this line if tanks have screw retainers for the upper hull, or quick release latching like another brand?

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                        • #13
                          southernmd_man All of Heng Long's standard and Professional edition tanks use screws to fasten the upper and lower hull. Only their Professional Plus edition, which is still in development, incorporates a quick release mechanism for easy access to the internals of the tank. The battery is accessible from the outside via an external hatch, so opening up the inside of the tank isn't something most tankers would do very often. If they did, it's six screws to remove the upper hull.
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                          • #14
                            Perhaps Heng Long could add a Pro Plus Deluxe version. A serious tanker could "order" certain options from the factory (at an additional cost of course) Just an idea.
                            ​​​​​​

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                            • #15
                              Any time estimates on when these will actually be in stock?

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                              • #16
                                sfcfury Unofficially, off the top of my head they're probably 2-3 weeks away at this point. The best way to know exactly is to enter your email in the Notify Me field on the product page. The System will email everyone on that list the moment the tanks are in stock on the shelf and ready to ship.
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                                • #17
                                  I shall opt for the King Tiger with the steel tracks. Just a comment, the REAL tanks recoil will rock the tank back on the 3rd road wheels. I, back in 5he day, commanded a M48A5 that fired a 105mm main gun and a 7.62mm co-axial machine gun.

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                                  • #18
                                    Kestrel The metal running gear on the Pro edition gives a heavy feel to the tank, but what i like most about it is the clinking and clanking that can be heard as everything moves against each other. It's noisy in the best kind of way!

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                                    To the left can be seen the baser versions that have plastic painted road wheels and ABS suspension arms compared to the right side's metal arms and metal wheels. The wheels house two bearings each. The same springs are used between both versions.

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                                    • #19
                                      With steel drive sprocket, and idler, wouldn't steel road wheels make the suspension somewhat...complete?

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                                      • #20
                                        Another thing, is an upgrade for the main gun.? Maybe a stiffer spring or an upgraded gun tube insert?

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