Comparison Huan Qi M1A2 Abrams 1:24 vs Heng Long Leopard II A6 Pro 1:16

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

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

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

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

The longest range a tank cannon can effectively fire.

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

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

The maximum speed at which a tank can move on level ground. Unlike real tanks, radio-controlled models are mostly designed for indoor use, where there is simply nowhere to accelerate strongly. Therefore, the maximum speed in most cases is small. This means that the main point that, when choosing according to this parameter, it makes sense to take into account is the age of the future owner: for young children, high speed (even by the standards of tanks) is all the more unnecessary, but for a grown-up “tanker” you can already choose a model faster .

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

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

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

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

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

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

The frequency used for communication between the tank and the control panel.

— 27 MHz. One of the frequencies used for radio remote control for a long time; in some CIS countries it is even reserved by state regulatory bodies for this very purpose. Uses analogue data transmission. Such transmitters are relatively inexpensive, but suffer from one serious drawback: they do not provide channel separation when several consoles are operating in close proximity to each other. In other words, if the tank stays in the coverage area of two transmitters, the signals from them can be mixed, which is actually tantamount to a loss of control. This problem is most relevant in the organization of battles. Therefore, specialized "tank battle" kits (see above), using analogue transmitters, are usually equipped with consoles with different radio channel frequencies (for example, 27 MHz and 40 MHz). And if you want to arrange a duel between cars from different kits (or sold separately), you should make sure that they use different standards (otherwise you will have to use interchangeable crystal oscillators to switch channels, which is not always realistic). The situation is somewhat simplified given the fact that the same model using analogue control can be produced in versions for different frequencies.

— 40 MHz. Analogue standard, completely identical to the 27 MHz described above, except for the actual operating frequency. It is used as an alternative to 27 MHz, whic...h makes it possible to avoid mixing signals from different consoles.

— 49 MHz. Another analogue remote control standard, like the 27 MHz and 40 MHz described above; There is no difference other than frequency.

— 2.4 GHz. One of the most advanced and at the same time common communication standards today. It uses digital data transmission, which gives a number of advantages over analogue standards (see above). One of these advantages is the ability to bind a specific remote control to a specific machine — due to a special channel separation technology. Thanks to this, 2.4 GHz remotes can work in close proximity to each other without creating problems. In addition, the same range is used in Wi-Fi wireless technology, which allows such models to be controlled by a smartphone (see below).

-5.8 GHz. A digital standard similar to 2.4 GHz as described above. One of the key differences is the higher bandwidth, which provides additional reliability and control responsiveness. On the other hand, such consoles are quite expensive, and therefore they have not received much distribution.