RE: HENG LONG OWNERS ONLY THREAD!
Well then,
Addressing the questions posed:
What does the future hold for us 1/16th HENG LONG enthusiasts?
I hope it holds more tanks that Tamiya, Bandai and Wasan/Mitsuwa won't try, as it opens up the possibilities for us modeller/tankers for scratch builds. Take the M41, for example: with a bit of work, it can be retro'd into a close M18 Hellcat or M24 Chaffee, or used as-is and the top changed to make an M42 Duster and even advanced into an M113 or possibly a Bradley. You could even make a Predator (M41) or Bigfoot Fastrax (M84) car crusher.
Is HENG LONG really stifling future Tamiya model issues?
If HL is stifling Tamiya, Tamiya is in DEEP trouble. Look at the Tamiya Knight Hauler semi-truck: half the price of a Leopard, but just as fancy electronics and mechanics. Most of the design costs on the DMD and MF were done years ago for the Tiger 1. So why the much higher cost?
Are we going to be left with only new HENG LONG models to choose from, like the Pan-Tiger, the Per-Dog and most probably a Tig-Zer and the like?
I doubt it. Tamiya won't bail because of HL; if they do, they need some new market analysts. I expect HL's success with their models might provoke Wasan/Mitsuwa to make a new model, possibly even issuing their T34-85 as a 76mm (instead of us having to scratch it) and then going with other Russian models, as no-one seems to have tackled that area yet in 1/16. It MAY even provoke Tamiya into releasing their units closer together, and at cheaper cost, and ~hopefully~ looking into making guys like Kenny Kong, Imperial Modelbau and SchumoKits/AxelModelbau their 'official' aftermarket suppliers.
Like most RC enthusiasts, many of us see the RC 'toys' as an introduction to RC. If someone was unsure of their interest, I'd not recommend a Leopard 2A6 at $800 (plus the radio & other gear), but advise them to buy a Walker Bulldog at $100 (almost ready to run) Then if they really like RCing, they can save up to go 'above and beyond'...
Then again, everyone has an opinion... starting to think I gotta get a spare hull to make a Fastrax or Predator!