Tamiya JGSDF Type 10 Tank - 48215 (Radio Controlled Model Review)

  Released by Tamiya on December 1, 2018, the JGSDF (Japan Ground Self Defense Force) Type 10 Tank (#48215), is No.15 in their 1/35 RC Tank Series, and comes with Propo TTU-10 transmitter and MC-07 receiver/motor control unit.

  The kit includes pre-assembled gearboxes and turret rotation unit for ease of assembly. Forward/reverse running, left/right turning, sharp turning and pivoting, as well as turret rotation and main gun elevation/depression can be controlled.

  Requires 8 x AAA batteries, and comes with 3 marking options.

  The Type 10 is the new jewel in the JGSDF's crown; officially commissioned in 2010, it has a domestic-manufactured 120mm smoothbore gun and highly effective modular armor, giving it an excellent balance of offensive and defensive capabilities. Compatibility with the C4I network system has also been designed into the vehicle and this enables the coordination among units of various actions. The lightweight body is paired with a liquid-cooled V8 engine which makes the Type 10 a highly maneuverable, state-of-the-art tank.

Rating: 4 RCScrapyard

Rechargeable Batteries
for RC Models

   At the time this article was written, there are four types of Rechargeable Batteries that are commonly in use for Radio Controlled Models.
Ni-Cad (Nickel Cadmium) Batteries have been around the longest. My first stick battery, purchased way back in 1987 was rated at 1200Mah (Mili Amp Hours) and with a silver can 27 Turn motor my Tamiya Boomerang would run around in the back yard for a good seven minutes before slowly coming to a stop. Ni-Cad development continued until around 1998 to a maximum rating of around 2000Mah and matchers pack builders and battery technicians were able to put together six cell packs with voltages approaching 7.4 Volts, to give those that could afford them, an edge over the rest.

   Ni-Mh (Nickel Metal Hydride) Batteries came along in the late 1990s, and by the year 2000 were available at ratings up to 3000Mah. Again, matchers and pack builders worked hard to provide the ardent racer with packs to provide that little bit of extra power, and ESC manufacturers also chipped in with improved controllers to take full advantage of this new technology.

   Now the problem wasn't gearing the car to get to the end of the race using the available battery power, but to find the brushed motor that could handle gear setting that provided the speed and acceleration without the motor overheating and wearing the commutator too much so it needed a skim after every 2 runs. My favourite at that time was the 9 Double.

   More recently, Li-Po (Lithium-Polymer) Batteries have appeared on the scene, providing are a huge step forward in performance when compared with Ni-Cad and Ni-Mh batteries.

Bearing Seals

   If you were to ask anyone with a modicum of experience in RC, they will tell you that the best modification you can make to a basic RC model, is to add a set of ball bearings.

   Quite a few of the entrance level models at the time this article was written, come with plastic and sintered brass ring type bearings. If these bearings are installed in the model and coated with grease as advised in the car manual, dust and grit can be caught in that grease and be dragged into the bearing where it can abrade the shaft that spins in it and it won't be long before it becomes a very sloppy fit, causing all kinds of problems.

   But what should you look for when buying bearings? There are a number of types of seal used on ball bearings, and there is much debate concerning which is the best for RC.