Tamiya US Medium Tank M4A3 Sherman - 48212 (Radio Controlled Model Review)

  Released by Tamiya on December 18, 2010, the 1/35 R/C US Medium Tank M4A3 Sherman (#48212) came with a 2.4Ghz radio system.

  This 1/35 scale assembly kit RC tank features exciting and realistic manoeuvrability with sound and light effects.

  The kit includes pre-assembled gearboxes and turret rotation unit for ease of assembly. Forward/reverse running, left/right turning, sharp turning and pivoting, as well as turret rotation and main gun elevation/depression can be controlled.

  The onboard speaker produces realistic sound effects such as engine sounds, main gun firing, damage sounds and explosions. Main gun muzzle flash and hull recoil effect are also reproduced. Tamiya's unique infrared light system will allow you to have battles with 2 or more tanks. The model features highly detailed upper hull with lower hull and road wheels specially designed for RC operation.

  With nearly 50,000 units produced, the M4A3 Sherman is a byword for longevity and this 75mm gun-toting tank was one of the keys to the Allied triumph in WWII. It was powered by a V8 gasoline engine and featured a welded hull. The Sherman can roughly be divided into early (from June 1942) and late (from February 1944) production variants, the late production Shermans being recognizable by their single-piece frontal armor, commander's cupola and loader's hatch, plus wet ammo storage. They served both in Europe after the Normandy landings and in the Pacific Theater as the Allies ground toward victory.

Rating: 4 RCScrapyard

Electric Motors for RC Models

Q/  What does 15x2 or 17x3 mean?
A/  The first number relates to the number of times the wires are wound round each of the 3 armature segments, the second number relates to the number of wires side by side. So a 15x2 would have 2 wires laid side by side and wrapped around each segment 15 times.

Q/  What is the difference in performance between a Low Turn motor (eg 11x1) and a High Turn motor (eg 27x1)?
A/  A Motor with Less Turns like an 11x1 means high current draw from the batteries which corresponds to less runtime, but More Power (Torque or Punch) Best for tracks with lots of corners and short straights where fast acceleration is needed. (use a small pinion)
Motors with More Turns like a 27x1 give you More runtime, but Less Power. So you get a smoother response and are therefore easier to drive. Better for less experienced drivers and Long straight, sweeping corner tracks. (with a large pinion). This is correct for Brushed, Modified and Stock Motors as well as Brushless Motors.

Q/  How do the number of winds effect a motor?

Wings

   When you think of the Wing or the spoiler on any RC model car, you immediately think of down-force, but which wing is best for your model and what setting should it have?

   When you first build your car, most drivers will cut out the wing supplied in the kit, put it on the car and forget about it. It's only when the new kid at your local track starts beating you that you begin thinking about changing a few things to make your car faster, and one of the easiest changes you could make is to your wing.

   Choosing a wing for off-road can be confusing, so first of all you need to understand just what your wing can do for the way your car handles. Down-force equals traction and traction is what you need for controlled acceleration. The correct wing on your car can give you a good proportion of that down-force and if it has high side panels, it can also improve cornering and straight line stability.

   The first thing you need to consider when choosing your wing is the size.