VS Tank's new X series has been much
anticipated by the hobby, and the need for a
realistic looking, proportional control, micro
IR battle tank has now been more than amply
filled by VS Tank.
As soon as they became available, VS Tank
rushed review samples of the first two tanks
in the X series to RC Tank HQ so we could
review them for the hobby. In this review,
we'll be taking a look at the following
products:
* VSX US M4A3 Sherman - Single set
* VSX Japan Type 97 - Single set
1/72 ACCURATE SCALE MODEL
RC tankers always appreciate accurate detailing
and these tanks are impressive replicas of the
real thing in 1/72 scale with the usual high
quality paint work that VS Tank are well known
for. The photo below gives you an idea of the
size of the 1/72 X series Sherman compared to a
VS Pro 1/24 scale tank.
PROPORTIONAL SPEED CONTROL
X Tanks have 3 separate forward and reverse
speeds, controlled by moving the joystick
incrementally forwards/backwards. Sideways
movement of the joystick allows a range of
steering options, from neutral turns/pivots
right through to very wide turns. This allows
the operator to easily maneuver the tank exactly
where they want it to go. In case the tank
doesn't run straight, the controller is equipped
with a trimmer for each track so you can adjust
them for even performance. X-Tanks, with their
rubber tracks, have great climbing ability and
can go up the included corrugated slope easily.
Suspension is fixed.
SOUNDS
The
sounds you can hear in the video, main gun and
machine gun, come from a speaker located in
the controller, not the tank, an innovative
solution to the problem of fitting a small
sized 1/72 scale tank with a decent speaker.
WEAPONS
The main gun and machine gun are operated by
separate buttons on the controller, both weapons
have unlimited 'ammunition'... The main gun has
a firing interval of 2 seconds whereas the MG
can fire continuously , it takes 3 seconds of MG
fire to score a 'hit'. When the main gun is
fired it is also accompanied by a back and forth
'recoil' movement of the entire tank. The IR
signal from both weapons can 'hit' other tanks
at a distance of up to 1.9 metres, (almost 6
feet) in indoor light conditions.
TURRET
The turret can turn about 40 degrees either side
of forward. It might not be possible to stop the
turret exactly where you want it to, but exact
aim is not necessary to score a 'hit'. Turret
turning is controlled by moving the turret
control lever left/right.
DAMAGE
Being 'hit' is denoted by a side to side 'shake'
of the damaged tank. After one hit, the power
indicator starts to flash and after the 5th hit
the power indicator turns off and the tank
becomes immobile until reset manually by
switching the tank off/on. No loss of speed or
other functionality is involved when a tank has
been shot.
DEFENSE
The IR sensor is located on the turret and can
be shielded from incoming hits by positioning
the tank so that the higher commander's cuppola/hatch
'shadows' the IR sensor from incoming fire.
BATTERIES
The controller requires 4 AA batteries and there
is a charging port on the controller where you
connect the tank in order to charge the included
rechargeable on-board Ni-MH tank battery. The
charge light on the controller turns off when
the tank is fully charged, this takes about 5
minutes, allowing a run time of about ten
minutes.
CONTROLLER
The controller is a very good ergonomic design,
making it very easy to hold and use. Since X
tanks are IR controlled, they are limited to use
in indoor light conditions. I found I was able
to control the tanks at a distance of 4 metres,
(12 feet) , more than adequate for a tabletop
gaming tank.
GAMING
It's possible to battle up to 4 different tanks
at once. The ID of a tank is pre-set at 1,2,3 or
4 and each tank is available on 2 different
ID's, so you can have a battle with 2 Sherman's
against 2 Type 97's if you wish. The controller
can be set to control any of the 4 ID's.
CONCLUSION
At a
price point of around $33 USD, VSX are fantastic
value for money and they are sure to gain a huge
following around the world. More tanks in this
series, along with diorama accessories will be
released to enable the creation of the ultimate
tabletop battlefield, VS Tank are to be
congratulated on a great new product!
