The T-72 should be released in Italy and other European countries: the company in charge of the whole release project is Italian, production is Chinese.
Some members from the 2 most known italian rc-tank clubs (CarriRC and RcTank.it, recently twinned and sharing a common covered and fixed battlefied not far from Milan) have been contacted for testing the prototype and giving some suggestions and help to finalize the release. I had the chance to put hands on and drive the first assembled prototype a couple of months ago, as well as seeing its interiors.
Unfortunately I cannot share pics nor videos until after the release, but I can say that the prototype shared several parts with heng long tanks (metal gearboxes, smoke machine, barrel recoil and elevation, turret rotation) but not the electronics, which is proprietary and has custom (not too bad) sounds with engine startup, track squeaks, etc..The prototype had a proprietary IR system with a single receiver hidden in one of the turret aiming devices, and IR shooting led in the mantlet just over the barrel (IR code should not be compatible with anything, but didn't test it, and this might be subject to change before release, as well as the whole electronics).
Tracks are metal, as well as sprocket and idler.
I quite liked the overall model, a detailed replica of a T-72 M1, and from a modeller's point of view further improvements and detailing will be easy to achieve.
If the model will not be sold overseas, I suggest to wait until the whole release ends: after that usually it is possible to buy the whole collection (or the assembled model) on E-bay, thus paying for the delivery just once. And lets hope in the meanwhle they will finally give birth to the no-tax area between Europe and NA.