Tamiya German Federal Army Main Battle Tank Leopard 2 A7V
Full Option Kit - 56046
(Radio Controlled Model Review)

  Released by Tamiya on June 21, 2025, the German Federal Army Main Battle Tank Leopard 2 A7V (56046) comes with their Full Operation Set (with 4-Channel Radio Control).

  The tamiya model is based on the tank that was adopted in 2017 as a further development of the Leopard 2 A7, a modified version of the German Bundeswehr's Leopard 2 A6 main battle tank, which had been in service since 2001. Additional armour was added to the front of the hull to enhance defense, and the suspension was also strengthened.

  The 120mm smooth-bore .55 main gun, equipped with new ammunition, is capable of engaging targets up to 5km away.

  Other features include a driver assistance system that ensures combat capability even in poor visibility, improved tracks, and the addition of a basket on the side of the turret. The A7V, produced by modifying existing vehicles, will begin deployment to combat units in September 2021, becoming a key component of the defence of not only Germany but also EU countries.

  The kit includes brass bushings that after a short while, when dust and grit get into them, can actually wear into the metal drive shafts that spin in them - we recommend these should be replaced by a full set of steel shielded ball bearings ASAP.

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.

Ride Height

   To allow the suspension on any RC model to do its work properly, it needs to ride in a position where it is able to react to any bumps and holes it may encounter on the track. Therefore, it needs to be adjusted to somewhere in-between those limits. That position is commonly termed "ground clearance" or "ride height" and is generally measured as the distance between the underside of the chassis and the ground, with the motor and battery etc installed.

   Simply speaking, determining the optimum ride height is dependent on the specific track conditions and "droop" setting (see my previous article). For Off Road models the rule is simple, the bigger the bumps and the deeper the holes, the higher the ride height. And for On Road, the lower the ride height, the better.