Tamiya German Tank Panther A - Complete Kit - # 56602 (Radio Controlled Model Review)

  Released by Tamiya in 1999, the German Tank Panther A (#56602) is the Complete Kit version and based on a plastic tub chassis, with a rear-mounted double gearbox driven by two 280 electric motors, that operate together or individually to produce forward/reverse running and pivot turning. A DMD Control Unit (T-02) is also provided, which consists of a FET amplifier for running of the motor and a control unit for precise steering. These technologies provide the user with superb control potential, including forward/reverse, rolling turns, pivots and super-pivots, over a wide range of speeds.

  In June 1941, the fearsome war machine of the Wehrmacht rolled into Russia to be greeted by an even more powerful force, the new Russian KV-1 and T-34 tanks. The sloped armor and powerful 76.2mm gun equipped T-34 made it both offensively and defensively superior to the main tanks of the Wehrmacht at that time, the Pz.Kpfw.III and Pz.Kpfw.IV. To rectify this imbalance, Germany started work on the Panzerkampfwagen V, more commonly known as the Panther. Like the T-34, its armor was constructed with ample slopes. It was mounted with a 70caliber 75mm main gun which could penetrate the armor of a T-34 at even a frontal assault. The Model A Panther was equipped with various improvements over the Model D version, including a ball-mounted hull machine gun, stronger wheel fixings and an armored cupola in the turret.

Rating: 4 RCScrapyard

Keeping Notes

   If all you will ever do is go racing at your local track every week, then this article is not for you. However, if you ever look towards travelling around to different tracks around the country, or even the world, the value of keeping notes is all too obvious.

   Every time I raced in a regional or national competition meeting, I would make detailed notes, aided by a little local knowledge initially, and later fine tuned to suit my own driving style.

   My experience now means there are few, if any outdoor tarmac tracks within a 300 mile radius I haven't been to, and my notes on motor, gearing, camber angles, shock settings, tire choice and what inserts work best for that particular track, amongst others, allow me to save valuable time on the finer points of car setup, that can be done in the warmth of my own home on the kitchen table days before the meeting, instead of the often crippling heat, or the arduous conditions inside a wind blown tent.

Toe Angle - for Steering and Straight Line Stability

   When you first build your RC model car, you will no doubt have made all the settings advised in the manufacturers' manual and will take it out on the back yard not thinking of things like camber, caster or toe-in - I know I did. It's only when you get competitive that you start learning about these things and just what a big difference they can make to the handling of your car. One of the more effective of these adjustments is Toe-in.

   The term, toe-in, toe-out, or toe-angle, refers to the alignment of the front or rear wheels, when viewed from above. Front toe-angle is easily adjusted via the track rods or turnbuckles that link to the steering mechanism or directly to the steering servo horn. At the rear, some models like the Schumacher Mi1 can be adjusted by turnbuckles, but most models, on and off-road, have a set of hub carriers to provide the desired toe angle.

   Front toe-in reduces steering when entering a corner, but improves steering response on corner exit under acceleration.