Hi all,

New to the RC 1/16 scale tank scene, been playing with 1/24 HL and TM tanks for a while and decided to move to 1/16 scale. Please pardon my lengthy post as i have read through this thread and think i may be able to add some value. Please also excuse my poor english!

Been cursed with inconsistent tank decals/accessories kit and missing accessories after i purchased all 3 tanks at one shot (Pershing, Tiger 1 and Panther) and had to go back to the store 3 times (had drive 1 hour each way) to do the exchange. I think its more of the stores fault than anything to do with the HL factory though.

Just to share with all what i know about the HL tanks. There are 2-3 versions of the tank, when buying one, either on line or on ebay, please check which type you want as the versions which don't smoke or make sounds are cheaper than the ones which do. So basically here is what i have noticed(Please correct me if i am wrong):

Type 1:
Shoots, moves and turns, turrent turns, raises and lowers cannon. Has program mode to get the tank to automatically move and shoot and lower or raise cannon and repeat the above with the push of a button. (Good for a tank based booby trap though!!)
This is the older and cheaper version. Not as powerful as TM and VS airsoft gun and shoots 10 -15 metres at most(please don't shoot any animals with it though). More reliable cannon than the 1/24 scale ones.

Type 2:
Does all of the above and has adjustable engine sound as well as a machine gun sound
(Seems discontinued)

Type 3
Does everything Type 1 & 2 does and has a smoking exhuast(Nitro based) which you MUST not overfill. There is a bottom switch for you to turn the smoke emitter off and on. The smoke emitter fuel tank has already filled with the fuel from the factory and 2-3 drops initially is fine, after the first 1.5-2hours, its necessary then to fill with 5-6 drops.

Being ethnic Chinese, i was quite lucky to be able to read the instructions in both mandarin and english and my frustrations with the local store has lead me to check with a few close friends in China who knows the oem factories that manufacture under the Henlong brand. Now i can finally get the CORRECT accessory pack for my Panther tank and get the rest of the tanks and spare parts direct from the guys.(hmm maybe should setup an online store or something LOL) Please remember that these are not Tokyo Marui manufacturers but quality is more than noticeably improved from the 1/24 scale ones that they had produced. Noticed a few accessories parts between the Tamiya and the HL ones are interchangeable though like the tank tracks, idler wheels, road wheels etc. Tank commander is quite crappy and once you mount it, you will have problems filling in the BBs. Hope this post is of some use. Cheers!!

Note on the tanks: (from my china friends, translated from mandarin):
Please always always use only good/high grade BBs, discard any of the ones that came in the box or it will ruin your cannon. Its only given for testing and should not be used on a prolonged basis. Do not overcharge the battery, the charger that comes with it is an el cheapo one which can overcharge it if you are not careful. The smoke motor should not affect the noise or functions of the machine gun.
The Tiger 1 tank comes with at least 2-3 BBs pre-filled in the turrent so be careful when you start the thing for the first time!!!