Movie Review - Battle of the Bulge (1965), Part 4

The rest of the movie is filled with great tank battle scenes shot both from the ground level and from the air, giving a sweeping bird's eye view of the battle ground. These are the sort of sequences that would be admired and enjoyed by all war movie fans.

Top notch authentic production value is not an accident since none of the tanks used were decoys and all were real vintage machines of destruction gathered from warehouses all across the Europe. But despite its complexity and grand scale of production, the whole movie was finished in just 8 months from the first "Action!" call to editing in post-production.

The figure of Sgt. Guffy (brought to life by the affable Telly "Kojak" Savalas) provides comedy relief as we follow him and his sidekick running their own black market storefront by selling anything from pantyhoses and perfume to fresh eggs laid by live chickens kept in hotel rooms. While others are just trying to stay alive, Guffy makes it his mission to go back home with his pockets full of cash. And I believe we had those "St. Guffy" type operators in every war since then.

In the Third Act, Gen. Grey, with critical intelligence input from Kiley, at long last discover the Achilles' heel of Hessler's panzers - fuel! Soon Hessler's tanks would be running out of gas and then, since the weather has also started to clear up, they would be just sitting ducks.

The final confrontation takes place in front of the Allied fuel dump. Hessler's force is at long last beaten by a logistics nightmare that similarly devastated a much larger German invasion force at the outskirts of Moscow a short while earlier.

Battle of the Bulge is a good example to those films portraying a war in which the good and the evil were separated like oil and water, and there were no moral ambiguities to any of it. One almost - not quite but "almost," nevertheless - feels "nostalgic" for those days in which we knew exactly whom we were fighting and exactly when the war began and was over.

A booming 8 out of 10 as far as war movies go.

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A Think Tank Must Have Massive Data Input in Order to Solve the Challenges of Mankind

If a Think Tank is going to provide solutions then it must draw from many sources of information. A Think Tank must consider all the experiences, education and observations of its members and it must scour the Internet, Libraries, Conventions, White Papers and read books, both recent and old. Why you ask? Well, it is simple really, you have to look for clues wherever you can and you must take all those clues and cross-pollinate into other fields of study, industries or areas of thought.

Let me give you a for instance. This last week the Online Think Tank divided up a number of books on all sorts of subjects and pitted each chapter and piece of information from those books, most of which were ten years or more old, against the current paradigm, direction and trends of today. Interestingly enough, things have drastically changed in many ways however you might be surprised to learn how similar things are and how frequently history actually repeats. Listed below are some of the books we reviewed and a few thoughts on each one of them:

A. "The corporate Warriors - Six Classic Cases in American Business" by Douglas K. Ramsey. There were many quotes in this book and one which stood out was; "War is simple: its success lies in its accomplishments," -- Napoleon Bonaparte and another quote; "war is capitalism with the gloves off." In the book was Ted Turner VS the networks, Pepsi VS Coke, deregulation of the airlines, General Motors VS Japanese in the damning years, MCI VS AT&T. However, it could have been any time period; the book could have easily been about Microsoft VS Google by simply changing the name of the businesses involved - it would be hard to tell the difference. Some other quotes that were quoted;

"In guerrilla warfare, small units acting independently, played a principal role." Mao Z dong.

"The gorilla in advance his own tactics for each movement of the battle in constantly surprises his enemy." Che Guevara

"It is essential to understand the flow of the opponent's personality, to find out his strengths and weaknesses." My young Miyamoto Musashi

"Offense is defense, don't kid yourself." from Me.

B. "His Excellency -- George Washington." By Joseph Ellis. Contrary to popular belief, George Washington made a number of mistakes and probably was not the best general for the job and he lost many battles and many men. Benedict Arnold went down in history as a traitor and probably would have led the Patriots to a more swift victory, had he not become disgusted and switched sides. Often, our presidents are misjudged by history, and it seems that the victors of battles generally write their own history. Today we see the media reshaping our current history, and yet in the future. We may see the current conflicts much differently and rewarded in the history books, our current president for his great timeliness in taking action in the Middle East.

C. "Vegetables and Fruit" by James Crockett, 1972. It is amazing the amount of knowledge, that is stored in older books on how to do things. It is amazing that no one takes this advice seriously and yet currently, everyone is talking about organic foods and trying to shop and buy them. There is lots of talk about roof-top gardens, as if this is something new. In reading this book and the various chapters such as; Joys of Growing Your Own Garden, Planning and Planting, How to Raise Fruits, Nuts and Berries, and Practical and Pleasing Herbs; it appears to be quite evident that everything you need to know about eating right is most likely available in a book that you can buy at a garage sale or Thrift store for about $.50, thus, I wish to ask a question; how can anyone say that no one can afford to the right or that those who are poor, lack the information necessary to protect their health and eat healthy?

D. "Reengineering the Corporation -- A Manifesto for Business Revolution." By James Champy, and Michael Hammer. 1993. As we watch such corporations as Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Delphi Corp. tried to reinvent themselves, we should consider it that they are doing nothing that is new and they should've learned from past mistakes during the damning years. What does reengineering mean? Does it mean starting over, fixing things with duct tape and baling wire, getting rid of the bureaucracy and inefficiencies? Does it mean starting a steering committee to see what to do or hiring a Machiavellian dictator or Czar of reengineering? Why is it that every corporation knows what to do, yet continually gets into these problems?

E. "Bankruptcy 1995 -- The Coming Collapse of America and How to Stop It." By Harry E. Figgie Jr. and Gerald J. Swanson Ph.D. written in 1993. Apparently, the United States of America did not have an economic collapse in 1995 and apparently, our government woke up and stop spending money, and eventually pay off the debt and enjoy a surplus. There are too many doom and gloom anti-capitalists predicting the downfall of America or the collapse of our monetary system, it simply is not so. In fact, although the stock market is readjusting, and housing is down quite a bit, we only need to look at the equity markets to see all the trillions of dollars waiting to be invested; in fact, in 1993. The Grace Commission Projections, The FED, the OMB and the Secretary of Treasury were all off on their projections, nevertheless, the problem was solved.

F. "Best Practices for Transforming Your Organization." By Price Waterhouse, change integration team 1995. It is interesting to watch stock prices tumble when companies make big mistakes, and yet it is no secret, what Wall Street is looking for. When a mistake is made, then change needs to occur and corporations need to keep up with the changes in the market and the economy. Fluidity of motion is important in corporate America, just as it is on the battlefield, those who forget these truths will be doomed to repeat them.

G. "Marketing Myths That Are Killing Your Business -- That Cure for Death Wish Marketing." By Kevin J. Clancy and Robert S. Schulman, 1994. This book is about business performance, market share, partnerships, and in just reading the table of contents; it is in education. Then there is a place at the beginning to test your own working IQ in marketing, you might be surprised. Why do companies and small businesses keep making the same mistakes?

There are certain things you do in marketing and certain things you do not do and it is amazing to watch our government agencies make public relation mistakes, and some of our largest corporations do some of the dumbest things or launch the most insidious marketing campaigns. It's not like this information is a secret, it is written in all the books, and it is quite available to anyone with half a notion to surf the Internet or buys a marketing book at a used book store.

H. "Maestro -- Greenspan's FED and the American Boom." By Bob Woodward, this book takes us from 1972 to 2004 during Greenspan's reign at the Federal Reserve. Alan Greenspan was successful, due in part to his philosophy and his strength of character to do what he knew was right regardless of those who criticize and wanted things to be easy.

Today we see many complaining that Mr. Berneke needs to lower interest rates to save the stock market and that is ridiculous, because the stock market has turned into a gambling casino, and it is time for it to realign itself with the reality of our current market. It is amazing how similar situations were handled long ago, and how they are still handled today, despite the whining snivels from Wall Street. It is not the Federal Reserve's job to make sure that everyone on Wall Street makes tons of money, nor is it in the best interest of the United States economy to prop up a stock market, which needs to right itself. We live in the greatest nation ever created in the history of mankind, and we ought to protect our economic resources with sound decisions, not on the whims of the stock market.

I. "Science on Trial -- The Whistleblower, the Accused, the Noble Laureate" by Judy Sarasoni 1993. This book written over a decade ago and shows that science and cheating in research has been going on a long time, this was a different story than the current story in the news of the problems with science and the cover-up in the cloning discovery in North Korea. Obviously, we should not be surprised; this is nothing new.

J. "Net Trends -- The Saturn Cyber Trends That Will Drive Your Business, Create New Wealth, and Design Your Future" by Chuck Martin 1999, who was also the author of "the Digital Estate - Electronic El Niño" this book talked about, brick-and-mortar stores, online brochures, the future of content, e-mail marketing, intranet systems, enterprise software, e-business wired workforces, customer data and E-learning. It dealt heavy into intranets, which united the customers, the vendors and the employees with instant feedback. It also explained the problems that we now face with identity data and the sharing of e-mail lists. Perhaps we should have listened to Chuck Martin in 1999, as now we are spending millions of dollars at the Federal Trade Commission trying to figure out how to stop identity theft and we have all sorts of rules now to enforce the protection of the data. This issue might have been able to be headed off at the past long-ago, too late now, as now we are all desperate for a solution and it will not be convenient or inexpensive at this late stage.

K. "The Course of Mexican History." By Michael C. Myers and William Sherman; Oxford press, 1987. One interesting thing about old history books is that they often present the information slightly different, this is because every decade or so we change the perception of history in order to make us all feel good. The tortilla wars and riots in Mexico City, should not be so unexpected, neither should the riots that followed the last presidential campaign in Mexico. Likewise, we should not be too surprised to find 5 million people living in slums outside Mexico City or the officials and the Catholic Church telling people to come to America to work and sent back money. It seems the border problem with Mexico and the number of illegal aliens entering the United States of America has been a problem since well before the Jordan Commission and in 1987, the problems were nearly identical. Without knowing the true and correct history of Mexico, our nearest neighbor to the south, it is hard to put together a reasonable and rational plan to fulfill our mutual interests.

L. "Only the Paranoid Survive - How to Exploit Crisis Points that Challenge Every Company and Career" by Andy Grove 1996. The most interesting concept in this book has to be the concept of; Strategic Inflection Points, which discusses product life cycle curves and how to ride it to the top and then as you are going prepare another start to continue to ride up the chart without going down the other side. Why is this relevant? Well, consider the United States of America and the 200-year civilization curve. Think about how we are starting to drown in political correctness and might end up like the Roman Empire if we continue on this tract.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Most Important Panzer Tank in the German Army During World War 2

During World War 2 the German Army (Heer) had revolutionized the use of armored warfare by using their "panzers" to concentrate large number of units to strike a spearhead through the enemy's defensive lines. Much of armored warfare tactics, prior to the invasion of Poland in 1939, had used the tanks sparingly spread out across wide lines making them ineffective. With the added implementation of the Luftwaffe (Air Force) to attack ground based targets and support the German panzers, the "Blitzkrieg" (Lightning War) was conceived. Now having said all that about the "Blitzkrieg", the panzers were of course used in a defensive manner. As the war turned in favor of the Allies, the Germans started defending the territory they had captured, then subsequently lost and eventually had to defend the "Fatherland" of Germany itself.

So, I ask the question...what was the single most important panzer tank used by the Germans during WW2? We all know of the fearsome Tiger 1 and the Panther, but what of the Panzer I, II, III or IV? Let's start with the Panzerkampfwagen VI...the "Tiger".

The Tiger made a psychological impact on the morale of the enemy due to its long range lethal 88mm gun and the heavy frontal armor (120mm), which made it seem indestructible. The Tiger was too heavy at 56 tons and no sloping armor like the Panther tank which allowed the weight to be much lighter. Only about 1350 produced, but started in 1942 and the majority late in the war... too late and too expensive.
The Panther was considered the best tank the Germans had by many experts, but the initial action was mired by mechanical breakdowns and fires. After those bugs were worked out the Panther went on to have about 6,557 units produced. The Panther had better frontal armor than the Tiger, due to the sloping, and was faster and handled rough terrain better as it was much lighter at 44 tons. The Panther had its debut at the Battle of Kursk in 1943 starting with 84 operational Panthers. Within two days, the number of operational Panthers had dropped to 40 due to breakdowns and enemy action. From then on the Panther was always outnumbered and never had the chance to really make a huge impact.
The Panzer IV production was just under the III's with 13,522, it was the only tank to be manufactured during the entirety of the war. The Pzkpfw IV started off with a 50mm gun, then had to match the Soviet threat from the T-34's and KV-1's that were encountered in 1941 for the first on the Eastern front and had to upgrade to the 75mm gun. The Panzer IV was and all around "workhorse" for the Germans and was in many of the major battles in all theaters of operations.
The Panzer III's had 16,409 produced but were medium tanks that kept getting firepower upgrades to keep up with the Russian tanks like the T-34.
The I and II's had significant impact in the early stages, but were quickly outclassed by the T-34's.

My vote would go to the Panzer IV for the most important tank to the Germans in WW2. The Panzerkampfwagen IV was much like the Allies' Sherman or the T-34 tanks, where vast numbers overwhelmed the high quality, low quantity German panzers. The Panzer IV was improved with each version, except near the end of the war, where resources were limiting performance enhancements. Had the Germans "cranked" out more of the IV's, they would have had more spare parts, lower costs, higher rate of production and just more tanks to wage war.

About the Author:

Bill Snyder has a passion for World War 2 German panzer tanks...so much so that it inspired him to design and create t shirts based on these armored beasts. To see his designs go to: http://www.achtungtshirt.com and Blog: http://achtungtshirt.wordpress.com

RC Tanks FAQ

We are often asked what can I expect from a RC Tank and which are the best RC Tanks to purchase?

In essence an electric tank can be a dynamic toy or detailed scale model. Tanks themselves also come in different sizes and scales with the majority of models functioning both inside out. Depending on price and brand you can expect equipment to be pre-installed or purchased separately.

What are the basic functions of tanks?

Simply a radio control tank typically emulates the functions of a full scale model. There are a number or toys which do not do this but if you buy a scale model these differ to the remote controlled toy tank variety. For example it would be realistic when purchasing scale tanks for their main gun or cannon to function and for the remote control to have a fire button.

Are RC tanks versatile?

An electric remote control tank is a versatile and fun toy since it is easy to drive, doesn't require much space, and can generally be used either indoors or out. Many toy tanks are based on real military tanks from the armies of the United States, Germany, Russia, and Japan. Like other radio control toys, these have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Special effects including gun recoil, sound, and smoke can make a remote control tank much more fun and realistic.

So what about upgrades for model tanks?

There is a current trend for the latest Radio control tank models to come with smoke generators, BB guns and even upgraded metal parts and detailing. Remote Controlled models have progressed to new heights over the last few years and radio controlled equipment has also become more reliable.

So what are the options for play?

Hobby grade tanks when constructed properly would simply look great as a static model. But radio controlled enthusiasts want to take remote controlled models to higher levels. Radio control equipment has been upgraded to allow for Remote control battle simulation where tanks commence battle with BB guns, water cannons or to the death against robot wars style super structures.

What is the future of RC tanks?

Like any technology the future of radio control equipment and remote control tanks will continue to progress to that of any electrical equipment. Faster, quicker, higher, smaller where required and of course a lot more powerful!

RC Guy recommends buying a RC tank from Remote Island. Providing the latest technology in RC tanks.

Michael Wittmann to Airfix: How the Tiger Tank Became a Brand Icon

Natural Selection

The Nazis were obsessed with Darwinian notions of natural selection and survival of the fittest. Aggressive competition was woven into the very fabric of the Nazi state including tank design and production.

The Tiger tank was born from a competition between the firms Porsche and Henschel to produce a 45-ton tank with an 88mm gun, heavy armour, speed and manoeuvrability. A tank that was capable of dealing with the Soviet T-34 and KV-1. The two firms were to have prototypes ready for inspection on Adolf Hilter's birthday, April 20th, 1942. Despite Dr. Ferdinand Porsche's friendship with Hitler, the Henschel design triumphed.

Price Premium

Tiger tanks started rolling out of the factory at a rate of just 25 per month in 1942. Peak production of 104 Tigers per month was finally reached in April 1944. It took an estimated 300,000 man hours to build one Tiger, and cost the equivalent of $100,000 U.S. dollars in 1941. That's about $1.25m today. In contrast the Allies went for cheap, mass production, which ultimately proved decisive.

What's in a Name

The new Henschel tank was officially named the Panzerkampfwagen VI H (88mm) (SdKfz 182) Ausführung H1. However the tank's project design name was Tiger and the name stuck.

Reputation

The newly named Tiger tank quickly gained a reputation on the Eastern Front during 1943 and 1944. The fearsome 88mm gun gave the Tiger a clear reach advantage over its Soviet opponents. Often faced by inferior equipment and poorly trained men, German tank crews and individual tank commanders were able to amass impressive combat scores, numbering hundreds of "kills". The concept of the "Tank Ace" was born and ruthlessly exploited for propaganda purposes. Occasionally just the sight of a German Tiger would make Soviet tanks withdraw.

The Tiger had similar success in North Africa and Italy, creating a powerful psychological effect on Allied troops. In his book, Tank Men, Robert Kershaw explains that it was not uncommon for one Tiger to account for as many as ten Allied tanks in a single engagement. The British finally captured a Tiger intact during 1943. Tiger 131 was shipped back to the UK where it underwent extensive testing. By 1944 British research facilities assessed the Tiger as "basically an excellent tank".

Tiger 131 went on public display on Horse Guards Parade near Whitehall in London, where Allied tank crews got to see just what a formidable foe they were facing. Restored and fully operational, today, Tiger 131 resides at the Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset.

Driving into Legend

The Tiger's influence on Allied morale, known as Tigerphobia, was so powerful that Britain's General Montgomery banned all reports that mentioned it's prowess in battle. However it was the Battle of Villers-Bocage during the Normandy campaign of 1944 where the Tiger gained legendary status. In just 20 minutes a single Tiger commanded by the famous tank ace SS-Obersturmführer Michael Wittman destroyed around 21 tanks and numerous other vehicles of the British 7th Armoured Division.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Capable of punching a hole through 112mm of armour at 1400 meters, the Tiger's combat efficiency was mainly due to its famous 88mm gun. The Tiger also had the best quality armour of any German tank. Its frontal armour was 100mm thick, making it impervious to all but the largest calibre Allied tank and anti-tank shells. The questionable quality of Allied tank and anti-tank ammunition might also have contributed to the Tiger's mask of impregnability.

Certainly a combination of massive armour and powerful gun made for an almost unbeatable tank. Enemy crews often watched helplessly as their shots bounced off the Tiger and their own vehicles were quickly destroyed...often from great distances. The Tiger tank also proved very nibble footed for its size and weight.

Where to Compromise? All tank designs are something of a compromise between firepower, armour protection and speed of movement. Overall the Tiger design was a good compromise, but it did have its weaknesses. A 60-ton tank needs a big engine and lots of fuel. Mechanical reliability was a challenge, so the Tiger needed a lot of preventative maintenance to keep it operational. Its size and weight could also work against it, making it difficult to transport by rail and difficult to recover. The German army would also have to find bridges capable of supporting the Tiger's weight on its line of advance or retreat.

Famous and infamous in equal measure, the Tiger I became one of the truly legendary machines of WWII. Since the war the Tiger has gained a new type of celebrity. It has become a popular subject for toymakers, modellers, military historians, authors, painters, computer game designers, film and documentary makers. Incredibly, the Germans only ever built 1,347 Tigers, and even fewer King Tigers. Today just a handful of Tiger tanks remain. In the heat of a summer's afternoon you might just catch a glimpse of Tiger 131 prowling the Bovington Tank Museum showground.

Iconic Brand

Okay, so we've established that the Tiger tank was a ferocious weapon, but how does that translate into iconic brand? Well, icons by their very nature are visually striking, instantly recognisable, and embody certain qualities. Even today the Tiger's distinctive, memorable design conveys raw power, engineering excellence and outright menace. Images of the Tiger I can be found on every type of merchandise from mugs, baseball caps and t-shirts to video games.

Truly iconic brands transcend time and space. They often live on beyond the cultural period that created them. Their meaning for us surpasses the emotional or functional benefits of the product or service they originally championed. You don't have to be a smoker to know Marlboro country is a land of endless rolling plains; majestic, snow-capped mountains and herds of longhorn cattle. A land populated by strong, silent cowboys who do the right thing and always get the girl.

As an effective armoured fighting vehicle, the Tiger tank has been obsolete from more than half a century. Nevertheless in popular culture it retains its machismo. Whether it's 'Band of Brothers' or 'Saving Private Ryan,' when a GI shouts: "Tiger!" every adult male in the audience knows what's coming next. It's the Hannibal Lecter of armoured warfare. According to Nigel Hollis, Chief Global Analyst, Millward Brown: "Cultural roots can provide iconic brands with resilience, allowing them to remain attractive decades after they were withdrawn from the market."

We instantly recognise and understand that iconic brands such as Nike and Chanel mean far more than drinks, running shoes and watches. Iconic brands personify our values and aspirations, and we trust them implicitly to meet our expectations. Today Nike probably represents lifestyle aspirations more than athletic footwear. However, when shopping for a pair of running shoes the famous "swoosh" motif instantly translates into quality, performance and function. Brands take the legwork out of the decision making process.

A Model of Success

The difference between commercial brands and the Tiger's journey to iconic status is that no one has been steering its course. The Tiger has simply evolved into brand icon. According to Millward Brown's research iconic brands must possess three important features that differentiate them from lesser mortals. The iconic brand must be instantly recognisable. They must have strong cultural roots that tap into society's deepest values or speak to our most venerated aspirations. They must have a compelling story that retains its power, relevance and meaning for current and future generations. Certainly the Tiger has all these things. As a consequence the Tiger tank has become a brand merchandising dream.

Making a Killing

Research by model kit manufacturer Airfix revealed that German Tiger and Panther tank kits outsell the most popular Allied tank kits, the American Sherman and British Churchill, by a ration of three to one. John Tapsell, vice president of the International Plastic Modellers Society (UK), said: "I think it might be something to do with the typical British fascination with the loser and also an interest in German engineering. British soldiers in the war were in awe of the Tiger tank, for instance, and that sort of interest has remained. The (German) uniforms also look very smart."

Darrell Burge, from Airfix, said the surge in popularity of German models, particularly tanks and figures, had started within the last ten years. "Across the hobby, there is no doubt that the German models now sell more than the Allied ones. German subjects are far, far more popular and that is increasing.

"German tanks are much better sellers than Allied ones. They are iconic as the biggest and most brutal of the war. They were virtually unstoppable. They were much better machines than the Allied ones. There is a mystique about so many of their war machines that has translated into increased sales." Airfix sells in excess of 4.5 million model kits each year.

Boys' Toys

In 2008 the Daily Mail carried a story about the latest boys' toy, a giant radio-controlled tank so powerful it can actually pull a car. The story referred to a 1/4 scale model of a King Tiger tank. The story goes on to describe the Tiger as "the German weapon which wreaked havoc among Allied tanks during World War Two." Mark Spencer, founder of Mark 1 Tanks, based in Easton, near Winchester, Hampshire, says: "We have more than 20 models but my favourite is the German King Tiger - I think it's also our most popular model. "I think it's the most recognisable and it was legendary in the war for being pretty indestructible and just destroying everything it shot at." The basic 1/4 scale King Tiger costs from £6,600 but can get up to almost £10,000 with extras.

Broad Market Appeal

The market for radio-controlled models, die-cast and plastic tank kits continues to grow, and companies such as Armortek, Tamiya, Heng Long, Matorro, 21st Century, Corgi, Dragon Armor, and Forces of Valor all offer Tiger I and King Tiger ranges. As well as traditional model making the Tiger features in over 20 computer games including the popular Medal of Honour and Call of Duty series. There are also a limited number of titles exclusively dedicated to German armour of WWII such as Panzer Commander and Panzer Elite. A quick search of Amazon online bookstore revealed over 1,600 titles that feature the Tiger tank. Although certainly a niche market, the Tiger features heavily in military art with original works selling for thousands of pounds. The Tiger is also a YouTube phenomenon, and appears 1,350 times in search results on the video sharing website.

Brand Personality

Brands are like people. They possess unique personalities with which we can identify. Successful brands listen, respond and consistently satisfy our demands. Brands also accelerate the decision making process at the point of purchase. Generally they make our lives easier. In return we give them trust, loyalty and sometimes even forgiveness. These relationships are mutually beneficial, and the best of them can last a lifetime, or even longer.

Few machines achieve iconic status. The RMS Titanic, Supermarine Spitfire, and AK-47 are the strongest contenders from the twentieth century. Each an instantly recognised design classic, they all possess vivid stories of triumph and tragedy. When Dr. Erwin Aders, the father of the Tiger I, set about designing his tank did he conceive of what his progeny would become? The Tiger has taken on a life and personality all of its own. Brutally distinctive in appearance, legendary on the battlefield, the Tiger continues to thunder across our imaginations, and engage us with its story.

Sources:

Alan Hamby's Tiger I Information Centre - visit http://www.alanhamby.com/tiger.html Spitfire, Hurricanes and Lancasters losing out to Nazi foes in kit toy sales, Jasper Copping, Telegraph Online, Dec, 2008 Tank Men, Robert Kershaw, published by Hodder Michael Wittmann and the Waffen SS Tiger Commanders of the Leibstandarte in WWII, Volume Two, published by Stackpole Books Millward Brown's Iconic Brands, Sept, 2007

Charlie Trumpess, MCIM, Chartered Marketer and founder of the new online store The War Years
Visit: http://www.thewaryears.co.uk

Top Warhammer Guide - Warhammer Online Tanks Strategy & Leveling Guides

There are just some gamers who love getting into the thick of battle and use their size and strength to crush and pound their way to victory. No sly magic spells or animal tricks for them, these people want battles to be pure and raw, fist to fist, weapon to weapon. If you are this kind of gamer, then choosing a character using the warhammer online tanks strategy & leveling guides is going to be the best move you'll make. It will keep the battle hungry in you happy. The Tank class or archetype shares similarities with other archetypes of other role playing games. From their looks alone, big, burly, and very heavily armored, you can immediately tell that they are these characters. Their weapons are often bigass swords or hammers. Some immediately think that playing one is too simple for them. Just hack and attack. The truth is, they are not only useful, they are very wise character choices.

Why are they a good character choice for you? Aside from their brute strength, they are very useful in group combats. Their main purpose is not only to inflict heavy damage to multiple opponents, but at the same time, act as buffers or shields that capture first wave attacks from spell casters and such. This is so that other players can attack. By drawing the enemies' attention to them, the Their allies can deal heavier damage to unsuspecting victims. This requires sacrifice and daring for you, but you don't need to worry. Most of them are impervious to spells and if faced with other melee attackers, they are on par with them.

There are four Tank characters in the realm. They have their own special abilities and techniques so that playing them will never be a bore. The characters are the following:

* Chosen - Aside from the ability to be used as a shield and dealing much damage in the process, Chosens have a unique ability called Discordant Instability. This allows you to debuff or remove any spell placed by an enemy and apply it to your own group.

* Black Orc - very simple to use but at the same time, possessing of many different abilities, Black Orcs are hidden gems. They can perform Clobber, Trip 'Em Up, and Skull Thumper. If you execute the attacks properly, Black Orcs are one of the best characters in WAR.

* Ironbreaker - Perhaps the most powerful and toughest, Ironbreakers are to be feared when in battle and rightly so. Plated like a real tank, Ironbreakers deal very heavy damage with skills such as Vengeful Strike and Binding Drudge.

* Swordmaster - Swift and very precise, Swordmasters are effective fighters with their speed and many skills such as Graceful Strike, Quick Incision, and Blurring Shock. The technique is to learn precise timing and balance when attacking for maximum effect.

As you can see, they are not just muscle and brawn alone. To use them, one also needs to be smart and ready to sacrifice. By drawing attention to yourself and attacking your opponents head on, you can divert them from seeing your ally's attacks. They are truly more than their looks, and you'll more of these at the warhammer online tanks strategy & leveling guides.

Do you want to start out one step ahead of everyone else in Warhammer Online and always keep it that way?

No matter which army you are, get your equipments right, avoid mistakes in spending mastery points, and know the top warhammer online strategies at http://TopWarGuides.blogspot.com now.

The Appeal of Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters

If you have always thought that hamsters are just cute and cuddly little things, the Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters will prove you wrong. For these are trained warriors who could use a variety of martial art styles to battle their opposition. While they haven't totally shed their cute and cuddly attitude, the warrior mode makes you doubt that they were anything other than little people meant for action. Cepia has brought out their Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters especially for boys and not surprisingly they are very much in demand this holiday season.

So what is so special about this? Well, they are the dream of every little boy who was ever born. They are fearsome warriors who can fight using a variety of sophisticated weaponry and martial art techniques. What better gift for battle hungry and action thirsty boys than combat-trained toys that can be used to fulfill all their dreams of fights, combats and battle tournaments? They just have to place these toys on the "Tablet of Zhu," the special training ground for the battle hamsters, and they will train and fight.

There are additions to Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters too. The kids could buy battle armor, new gear and machines, battle arenas, and other battle hamsters to make their own team. They could have a team of Ninja Warriors, Special Forces, Rangers, or Skull Tribe Battle Hamsters. They could have tanks such as Rhino Tank and Spider Skull Tank for each of their hamsters, which would make the game all the more appealing. The whole range of battle arenas that you could get could be used to form a complete battle hamster city with a variety of battle games to be played.

In addition to this, each of the this has its own individualities too. The Special Forces team is made up of lime green colored serge, black and blue stonewall (the most popular one right now), grey Rivet, and brown Rock-O. The Ninja Warriors have black Drayko who sports a white eye patch, white Yama whose black nose adds to his charm, brown Azer who is white nosed, and grey Thorn who could be differentiated from Rivet by his nose color (black as opposed to Rivet's green) and the lightness of his shade, as its members. Each of these characters has its own interesting histories, personalities, and abilities and your boys will have a great time imagining up fiery and fantastical tales.

Kung Zhu Battle Hamsters spurs the imagination of boys, allow them to fulfill their thirst for battles and wars, are very sophisticated, and have incredible variety to boot. It is not surprising that boys find them very appealing.

How Tanks Made a Big Dent on Gaming

Warfare often finds its way into games, and games in turn find their way back to warfare. This symbiosis is a fascinating subject, a tell-tale reflection in our culture, and a glimpse of our primitive side.

The art of warfare has been with us across the years, and each battle improved upon the technology of the last. The most cunning generals implemented the clever technology of inventors in order to gain themselves the best advantage possible during their campaigns.

Though not always the case, often a chief concern was to maximize damage to an enemy while reducing friendly casualties to an absolute minimum. War has always been important driving factor in new technology over the years, just as war itself has evolved over time as well. Mobile combat has changed and adapted, from primitive origins it has developed into a sophisticated new form of warfare. The first mobile units were simple chariots that served as a mobile platform upon which to deploy an archer. Such units could often decimate poorly organized foot soldiers. War however progressed and chariots fell out of favor. Leonardo Da Vinci may have been the first to design the first tank, but like so many of his sketchbook ponderings, his design was too impractical for the day and never built.

It wasn't until the modern world, with the advent of engines capable of doing far more work than horses, that wheeled vehicles became a practical tool in warfare. Trucks and cars could transport troops, but similar armored vehicles could protect them far better. Mounting a weapon on such a vehicle would increase its defensive capability. It doesn't take a great leap of the imagination to see how such vehicles were soon re-purposed to play a greater role in the battle. Generals found that having highly mobile weapons platforms boosted troop survivability and increased attack capability to the maximum.

Tanks definitively changed the face of warfare. Commanders could create new tactics, and utilize these metal beasts to terrorize the enemy. They could take on different terrain, the large tracks capable of taking the tanks across even the worst surfaces. Better still they were highly mobile and able to advance much faster than ground troops. This made the front lines of warfare much more fluid and dynamic. These metal beasts also protected the soldiers from enemy fire. In open terrain the comfort of the crew enabled them to cover large distances and still be fresh for battle. Soon the computer age dawned, and tanks were fitted with processors and automated systems to take a load off the crew, and also to speed up target acquisition. It may surprise you to learn that it takes more lines of code to run a tank than it does to run an aircraft! In the digital age, tanks became formidable opponents; often able to destroy targets from beyond the horizon.

So those who enjoy these formidable devices will probably also enjoy playing tank games on-line. Nowadays we are blessed with a myriad of choices. In the past this wasn't the case, with tank games few, but those that existed made a big impact. The 1980 game Battlezone, released by Atari is one that many people would recognize. Its wire-frame vector graphics were highly innovative at the time, and the game was popular. When it was originally created it was a full blown arcade machine, and interestingly one was developed specifically for the military who used it for training purposes. So having come full circle, tanks inspired gaming and gaming went on to provide a means to train new tank drivers and gunners.

Since then tanks have appeared in numerous genres, from the side on games where players would take turns to adjust the angle and power of their shots in order to blow their opponent to kingdom come to full blown 3D titles, tank games have given tank lovers the opportunity to man their favorite vehicle and fend off the enemy. While gamers play games with tanks in them, so too does the military run all kinds of simulations for both training purposes and evaluating different scenarios. Gaming and tanks are not intertwined, both different parts of the same thing. So knowing this, the least we can do is enjoy it by finding and playing good tank games!

Gregory Alter is a horror writer and games enthusiast, who runs his own gaming website.

If you enjoyed this article then you clearly like tanks, and probably games too. If you want to play tank games online for free then visit our website at http://playgreatgames.net/features/free-online-tank-games/

Information on Buying an RC Tank

RC tanks are great fun for everyone and RC tanks have advanced a lot over the last few years.

Radio controlled tanks come in small mini desktop size to over 2 feet long. Also most hobby grade tanks have movable turrets or can do a 360 degree turn, up and down movements.

Have BB firing plastic ammo, headlights,engine and machine gun sound effects. most have smoke effects from exhaust or turret to make these awesome tank models realistic, RC tanks move by radio control and go forwards, backwards and can climb steep terrains and slopes.

Radio controlled tanks are made of plastic with metal parts throughout and are reasonable tough, most PRO version tanks have upgraded metal tracks with rubber treads attached to them and give a great pull and look so real. Every detail on these RC tanks make them so cool like, a commander figure in tank hatch and lights, sounds markings, guns and even a metal gearbox is now very common.

RC tanks can do battle together or with other tanks, if you have pre select channels you select a different channel to other tank and you're ready to roll.

These normally run on 27mhz to 40mhz and most have pre select channels on the radio controller.

Heng long is a great radio controlled tank manufacture and make a large range of model tanks from a beginner to pro level and have features like a built in smoke generator or metal gearbox's and metal tracks +much more make these more reliable and tougher.

The realism of these pro versions is unlimited with quality specifications and all the war tanks like the German panzer tank or bulldog tank,panther tiger tanks are available with all the fine details to make model RC tanks real-like.

A good to remember when buying a RC tank is to make sure parts or accessories are available, so getting smoke pellets or BBs will not be a problem.

Entry level tanks are a good way to get into RC tanks without having to outlay much money. These are smaller versions like 1/30th scale or 1/24th scale models and great to just have a quick tank bash around or for children. they are still a lot of fun with full control and cool sound effects.

There is a Sherman RC tank Pershing that both have the above features and a flashing gun,the 1/24 Abrams RC tank even features a BB firing gun that shoots standard 6mm plastic bbs.

The M4 Sherman tank was the primary tank used by the USA during world war 2, it was also dispatched to the allies and in the UK the M4 was given the name "Sherman" after the union general William Tecumseh Sherman and subsequently the British name found its way into common use in the US.

The M26 Pershing tank was introduced in the last stages of world war 2 as the successor to the M4 Sherman.

Featuring a powerful 50 caliber 90mm gun with a range of 1.400 metres, the Pershing was designed to take on the powerful German tiger and panther tanks.

The M1 Abrams is a modern tank that came in around 1980 and is a well armed and heavily armored and designed for modern ground warfare.

There is a 1/24th scale version of this and fires BB s and all direction turret movement which is controlled by the controller as well as the gun.

Top of the range RC tanks have a upgraded metal track and wheels and a metal gearbox. The metal track + wheels are much more tougher and robust and also gives a better grip and look fantastic. Making the tank more powerful.

You can also paint your radio controlled tank to suit or personalize your own design and heng long make quality pro RC tanks with all these great features.

Either way you're going to have totally awesome fun with a radio controlled tank and some guys build there own battle ground and add some army figures and create a battle zone.

If you are looking for quality RC Tanks then check out our website as we sell a range of radio controlled tanks from beginner to pro models and have the lowest prices.

Also we have nitro RC cars and nitro buggies + radio controlled jets and radio controlled helicopters from brand name manufacturers and low prices.
http://www.coolnitrocars.com

Electric RC Tank - The 1:16 Snow Leopard

If you are a military type-of-person, or enjoy heavy machinery used for war, an electric RC tank might perk your interest.

Electric RC Tanks come in several sizes and have many different features. Some of these features are: Infrared sensors and beams. Infrared is used for battling each other by shooting the "beams" at the other tank. A lot of the infrared sensor tanks come in a bundle of two so that you can get right into the action battling your friend. A good example of this would be "laser tag" with tanks. Another feature some tanks have is sound capability. With sound capability the tank emits sounds of war as you play with it. This could be cannon sounds, engine sounds, or machine gun sounds. My favorite feature is the ability to shoot BB's from the cannon. Tanks with this feature can be loaded with plastic BB's or pellets that it will shoot out of its cannon at the opposing tanks.

The Snow Leopard has several great features being a higher priced tank. It has sound capability, shoots plastic pellets, and has a movable turret so that your can turn on the spot and shoot the enemy. These are just a few of the features that it has.

The Snow Leopard electric RC tank is 18 inches long, 9 inches wide, 8 inches high, and weighs in around 18 pounds. It is powered by an electric motor and a 7.2 volt rechargeable battery which allows the tank to run for up to 30 minutes before recharging. The cannon is powered by an "Airsoft" gun motor and can fire the plastic pellets as far as 25 meters distance. The cannon also has an auto-reload feature making it easier to pump out round after round at your enemy. This tank comes "ready to battle", meaning it is pre-assembled and pre-painted with a camouflage finish. It is controlled by a 3-channel remote system and a 2 speed electric motor. This tank has excellent maneuvering performance giving you an edge over your enemy. It has full motion functionality and the turret moves left, right, up, and down as well.

What comes with it? The 1:16 Snow Leopard comes with the tank, the remote (AA batteries not included), a 7.2 volt rechargeable battery pack and a battery charger adapter (110 volt), and even comes with a bag of plastic BB's to get you started.

Who is it for? I would say that the 1:16 Snow Leopard is for people who like to re-enact war on a scale level, or just anyone who wants to battle with their friends. I would not recommend this for children under 10 due to the ability to shoot pellets which could cause harm if not careful.

To see a picture of the 1:16 Snow Leopard Tank, or to look at other Electric RC Tanks, come visit us today!

Ryan Kramer is a Co-Owner and the CMO of Full Finger Throttle, L.L.C., a new website designed to inform and engage people in the wonderful world and hobby of Remote Controlled vehicles, Gas or Electric. Come visit us at Full Finger Throttle today!

The Tank the Modern Day Assault Elephant of Yore

The tank was a British invention and made its appearance during the First World War (1914-18).The construction of a tank is basically a large long range gun mounted on the chassis of a caterpillar and encased with armor. Over the years the tank or the panzer as christened by the Germans has been refined to a great extant. Its durability, speed and efficacy are greatly increased. Thus by the start of the Second World War the Tank had become an important weapon in the arsenal of the armies of the world.

The Germans under Hitler laid great stress on the panzer regiments and their generals perfected the strategy of 'blitzkrieg' or lightening war. The tanks were the main stay of these assaults and the battles of France (1940) and the Russian war from 1941 brought out the potential of the tank as a major weapon of war. The fall of France and Western Europe as well the advance deep into Russia was spearheaded by the Panzer regiments. In fact the tanks took the place of the armored elephant of the ancient armies and served as platform to shock and awe the enemy.

The Second World War (1939-45) brought out versatility of the tank. In plains and deserts like in North Africa the tank played a decisive role. In fact Rommel's halt and subsequent defeat at El Alamein some 60 miles from Alexandria was in main to the paucity of his panzer reserves. In Russia perhaps the greatest of tank battles were fought. And in 1943 the famous battle at Kursk remains water shed in the development of the tank as a weapon of offense.

But the tank's efficacy in jungle warfare and mountainous regions was suspect. Thus the offensives of Imperial Japanese Army did not rely solely on the tank Also in the conquest of the islands and their subsequent capture by the US army in the Pacific the role of the tank was minimal. Even in the 1962 Sino Indian conflict the tank was hardly used and only in Ladakh the Chinese brought in some light tanks for the assault on Chusal airfield when the Indian defenders put up a stiff fight. Even now when the US army is battling the Islamic extremists in Afghanistan where mountain chains abound the role of the tank is minimal

The efficacy of the tank in desert warfare stands out.Thus in the two assaults on Iraq the US and allies made good use of the tanks and they had a major role to play in spearheading the assault by the ground troops after air superiority had been obtained by the Air forces of the allied powers led by the USA. Thus a limiting factor on the efficacy of the tank emerged in the form of air power.

Thus the success of any tank operations now is not possible without gaining tactical air control over the battle area. The tank to succeed in any campaign must have adequate support from the air. This is now days one of the cardinal principles of offensive operations.Not withstanding these limitations, the armored regiments of any army form the elite strike force and with adequate air support can wrest the initiative from the enemy. It is almost like the assault led by the elephants corps of yore that brought havoc on the opponents by shock and awe.

Memorial Day - A Time to Honor and Remember True American Heroism at "The Battle of the Bulge"

People tend to forget what Memorial Day truly stands for in America. Most Americans are just glad to not have to go to work that day so they can go the movies and see the latest Jerry Bruckheimer/Will Smith blockbuster, or visit the beach and get a tan. But Memorial Day should always be respected and honored with a remembrance of the true American heroes who died defending democracy and the freedom that America has always stood for. This is a story about the longest and most brutal battle in World War II history that takes you into the blood, sweat and tears on the battlefield of "The Battle of the Bulge".

By December 16th of 1944, World War II had reached a breaking point for the Allies of America and Europe. The Germans were trying to strengthen their morale after losing a series of battles to the Allies in Eastern Europe, and Hitler was using every available soldier, tank, rocket launcher and weapon he could locate, and sending it all to a region by the German/Belgium border called the Ardennes Forest. This German military action was called the Ardennes Offensive. It would be the start of Hitler's final military

push to fend the Allies off of Germany's border line so he could protect the last remnants of the decimated German Air Force and his own military bunkers from the inevitable Allied attacks that would come in 1945 to end Hitler's insane reign of terror.

The Ardennes Forest was a 3 mile area heavily populated by 20-foot tall trees covered with snow, towering over the heads of the American soldiers in the 106th, 422nd and 423rd Infantry divisions on that historic day of the first attack. The Americans were over 300,000 strong on that first day before more reinforcements were called in, and they had no idea that more than half a million Germans were coming their way, equipped with 1000 German aircraft, 900 tanks and 500,000 bazookas, machine guns and German flame throwers. While the American soldiers were digging trenches out of the frozen Belgium tundra during the early morning hours of December 19th, the German generals were giving the final orders to attack any infantry division the Germans could find while they blasted their way out of the Ardennes Forest area.

"It had all been so peaceful as it can only be in the hills where the fir woods quietly whisper, here and there dropping some of their mantle of snow," remembered a German artillery officer during those first few minutes of the German attack. "A few stars shone out of a black sky; a low cloud layer hovered in the west. And then . . . the mortars sang their eerie song and sent their cones of fire into the heavens." The US Infantry divisions were under an attack of mortar fire and tank fire that rained down on them like Hell's gate had just flung open it's door. It was a devastating attack that lasted more than two hours, shredding the tall trees overhead and taking the lives of hundreds of men who were not able to dig their fox holes deep enough and were taken out by shrapnel and the non-stop pummeling of the German artillery fire."We thought it would never end," recalled one of the many brave men of the 106th infantry of that first military strike. "There wasn't much of a lull. It totally annihilated the trees in the area."

The Germans were attacking on foot now, opaque figures in snowsuits streaming through the frozen woods to take the isolated outposts and line companies of the US Infantry division by surprise. The mortar shelling was also still going on, which turned the area into a living nightmare for the US soldiers under constant attack. A German officer, watching all of this from the back of the German front line recalls, "The earth seemed to break open. A hurricane of iron and fire went down into the enemy positions with a deafening noise. We old soldiers had seen many a heavy barrage, but never before anything like this." The German forces were hoping on causing so much death and carnage to the Americans, that the US soldiers would throw their hands up and surrender, rather than facing hell on earth. That would not be the case.

By 7:00 AM the barrage of mortar fire lasting for over 2 hours was finally over. The Germans had retreated to about 2 miles behind the American front line, and the infantry soldiers started to crawl out of their foxholes, dazed from the constant shelling and horrified at the hundreds of dead American soldiers strewn throughout the snow, many of them having lost their arms and legs in the German onslaught. At the closest American Army Headquarters, a quarter mile down the road, the officers were sending reinforcements to the badly battered infantry divisions still holding their ground at the forest area of Ardennes.

On December 17th the reinforcements had all arrived, making the battle against the German military a bit easier on the American G.I.'s, but still the German fighting machine killed thousands more of the brave US soldiers through more mortar attacks, tank attacks and hand-to-hand combat. During the fateful day of December 17th, an order was given to the German officers in charge of holding dozens of American prisoners of war to murder every American prisoner they had captured during the Battle of the Bulge. This would commonly be known as The Malmedy Massacre. More than 50 prisoners would be murdered in cold blood after that horrible order was given. Other murders of American POW's would also occur on that day at various locations near the battlefield, but the Germans would not escape justice for these horrific war crimes. The Dachau Military Tribunal of 1946, which was a trial set up to prosecute all German military personnel involved in the killings, would send 58 German officers to their deaths by execution, and more than 300 other Germans were sentenced to harsh German prisons for life.

Back on the battlefield, the German attacks were taking it's toll on the American troops, but the success of the German army only lasted until December 18th, when the lack of fuel needed to run the Panzer tanks and other German armored military divisions caused the Germans to resort to other tactics to get the Allies to surrender. In the days leading up to December 22nd, the Allies had gotten their strength back again, and started to fight the Germans using machine guns, rifles, mortar fire, and anything else the American officers at Army Headquarters had to send to the battlefield. By the 22nd, the weather started to clear, which allowed the Allies to bring their air power into force and on the following day, the Americans started a major counter-attack against the Germans.

On the morning of Christmas Eve the Americans got a rude awakening from the first air attack by the Germans. Sixteen ME-262's attacked the rail yards that sent supplies to the Allied forces, trying to destroy the ability of the US to supply the soldiers with food and weapons. The success by air attack was fruitless, because the German ground attack could not continue without the necessary fuel for their armored vehicles to blow up the entire rail yard. The Americans repaired the damage caused by the air attacks, and soldiered on attacking any Germans they could find in the area on foot and by air with the help of the Air Force and the PF-51 Mustang fighter planes. The US tank attacks, led by the deadly MA1 Stuart class of the armored division, took out many German strongholds still left in the forest area, helping to eradicate the constant mortar shelling raining down on the US soldiers hunkered down in their foxholes.

Throughout the remainder of December and up until mid-January of 1944, the battles that ensued between the Allies and Germany were ferocious and bloody. The Panzer division and the rest of the German military had killed 19,000 Americans, the most casualties sustained by the Allies in any WWII battle in the history of the war. 23,554 Americans were captured, and more than 30,000 American soldiers were badly wounded during that time frame.

Ironically, one of the biggest blows to the German army came at their own hands. The fuel supply that was needed to continue more attacks by the German's armored tanks and their aircraft was drastically low. On January 14th, the German Panzer division, led by Lieutenant-Colonel Joachim Peiper, started abandoning their tanks and leaving the Ardennes Forest on foot. By the time American general George S. Patton arrived, the German army was just a pale imitation of what they were at the beginning of the failed Hitler military campaign. The US troops had killed, wounded or captured 100,000 German soldiers, and the rest of Hitler's army retreated back to Germany to heal their wounds and their pride.

The Battle of the Bulge should be remembered on Memorial Day as one of the finest hours of American history. Never before and never since has an American Army fought against such a difficult enemy that had every available advantage on their side like the Germans did during the month of December 1944. Just out of sheer will and guts were the US infantry divisions of the 106th, 422nd and 423rd able to hold their ground and beat back the German killing machine. Yes, we sustained the worst casualties of World War II during this battle, but because of these great American heroes that fought to their death, we were able to take down Hitler's bunker in 1945 and eradicate the worst dictator this world has ever seen. General

Douglas Macarthur said it best, when asked what he thought would happen after the US military prevailed in overcoming the odds against Hitler and the German army, "Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always."

May all of the fallen soldiers and officers of the Battle of the Bulge rest in peace.

Rob Mead has written many articles about internet marketing and how to create and find great website content that will increase your web site's traffic overnight. Go to [http://www.perfectwebcontent.com] and you will be able to use all of the web site's resources and articles in your quest for internet success.

Tiger Tank Vs T-34 Tank - Battle of Kursk Book Review - "The Last Citadel"

The Last Citadel by David L Robbins, is a fictional book based on historical events surrounding the epic tank battle at Kursk Russia in 1943 during World War 2. The German forces were bogged down by the Russian winter, the Russian victory at Stalingrad and then the subsequent spring rain and mud. In the summer of 1943 the Germans had amassed a huge force to attack Russia and regain lost ground. This would lead to the largest tank battle in history and also lends a dynamic backdrop to this book.

There are 4 main characters that drive this story. The first is a Spanish officer Captain Luis Ruiz de Vega serving with the SS Liebstandarte Panzer Division. He was wounded in the Battle of Leningrad and is but a shell of his former greatness. The next 3 are all from the same Russian Cossack family. Dimitri Berko, a private driving the T-34 in the Soviet 3rd Mechanized Division. He is commanded by Sergeant Valentin Berko, Dimitri's son, and Katya Berkovna, Dimitri's daughter, a night bomber with the famous all-female bomber squadrons of the Red Air Force, so-called the Night Witches by the Germans that they bomb. The 3 main story lines follow de Vega being assigned to escort the new super panzer of the German Army, the Tiger 1 Panzerkampfwagen VI, via train to the front and assure that the Tigers are delivered intact. He then starts itching for action to command one of the Tiger tanks at the Battle of Kursk. He soon realizes how the Tiger is most effective in battle. With Demitri and son Valentin in the same T-34 there is much of the father/son tension along with the tank battles that ensue. The author keeps all entities separate into what seems like 3 different stories revolving around the build up to the tank battle at Kursk. Each character has there own well detailed back stories that are fleshed out through memories, flashbacks and boastful story telling during the lulls in fighting.

The best aspect of this book is the historical accuracy and detail of the Tiger tank and the Battle of Kursk. This book was very close to being non-fiction in the level of detail, but also very engrossing character development. After reading about the amount of research that was conducted by David L Robbins, I knew then just how realistic this book was. He had spent 3 weeks on the battlefields of Kursk in the middle of summer getting a feel for the heat and sun of the Russian steppes. He also trained in how to derail a train using explosives as the Partisan Russian fighters attempted in stopping the shipment of the Tiger tanks in the story. Time was also spent in pouring over video accounts from German and Russian tankers' first hand battle accounts. "Hands on" equipment training was given to him ranging from small arms to the tanks at the Aberdeen Ordinance Museum in Maryland and then being driven around in a restored T-34 in Virginia. David L Robbins certainly did his homework for this book and you will feel it when you read it. This is a must read for any Tiger 1 fan and any WW2 fan in general.

About the Author:

Bill Snyder has a passion for World War 2 German panzer tanks...so much so that it inspired him to design and create t shirts based on these armored beasts. To see his designs go to: http://www.achtungtshirt.com and Blog: http://achtungtshirt.wordpress.com

Kung Zhu Battle Arena Review

Kung Zhu Battle Arena is among the top selling Christmas toys this year. This is going to be in huge demand for Christmas.

In 2009, Go Go hamsters were the best selling toys. This year, a new line of toy hamsters known as Kung Zhu pet hamsters has taken over the market. These hamsters are fighting hamsters and they are known as Ninja Warriors and Special Forces on a special task. These hamsters are able to take on one another in the battle ground for hamsters which is Kung Zhu Battle Arena. Want to know what this Battle Arena is about? Read on.

Kung Zhu Battle Arena is a battle ground or centre piece for these warrior hamsters Special Forces. Enjoy yourselves as they battle out against each other. They will come out from underground channels, move up the ramp and into the fighting area.

This arena can accommodate 8 warrior hamsters which come separately. To make the area larger, you can buy some extras such as battle packages, workout grounds, armours and battle tanks to compliment it. These accessories can bring the whole battle to a whole new level. It will turn these soft and gentle warrior hamsters into crazy fighting warriors! All of these are able to be achieved by using smart chip technological innovation.

The stock levels of this arena will be low and is predicted to sell out fast in the period leading up to Christmas like most top-selling toys. If you want to buy this Kung Zhu Battle Arena as a present, it is advisable to place an order as soon as possible. This will prevent all the last-minute running around shopping and the unnecessary stresses.

Head down to Kung Zhu Battle Arena now to compare prices while stocks last. All available suppliers are listed.

Want to know what's hot this Christmas? Go to Official Top Christmas Gifts.

Kung Zhu Battle Arena Toy

Last year, Go Go pet hamsters were amongst the list of best selling toys on the market. In 2010, we have seen a new breed of toy hamsters take over the market. These are the Special Forces and the Ninja Warriors. These fighting hamsters can now take on each other in the ultimate proving ground for hamsters - The Kung Zhu Battle Arena. In this article, we will take a look at what the Kung Zhu Battle Arena is and what it will offer users.

Your Kung Zhu Battle Arena is a center piece for the Zhu Zhu Hamsters the Special Forces plus Ninja Warriors. Enjoy the view of the fight, when the Zhu Zhu hamster fighters come out of the underground channels. These creatures will them move up a ramp and reach the area which is the Kung Zhu Battle Arena to get ready to battle against each other.

We now have eight brand new Zhu Zhu figures (available to buy on their own) which are the fighters which will be a part of the stadium. This Kung Zhu Arena could be accompanied flawlessly if you choose to buy some extras. Such as a workout grounds, battle packages, armor as well as battle tanks. These accessories will help to turn the Kung Zhu pet hamsters from the soft and gentle looking pets into crazy, battled hardened fighting warriors. This is achieved through the use of technology. Because of the smart chip technological innovation, and that means you begin to see the shift happen once the combat commences.

The battle arena has been tipped as a top ten Christmas Toy for 2010. Amongst the top UK retailers to include the battle arena are, Argos, Toys R Us, The Toy Shop and many more. These toy experts for these store carry out a lot of research to help them determine what toys will sell well.

Like most bestselling toys, it is predicted that the arena will sell out fast and stock levels will be low in the weeks leading up to Christmas. If you are looking to buy the Kung Zhu Arena as a Christmas gift, you are advised to order as early as you can. This will avoid you missing out or running around at the last minute trying to track one down at late notice.

Like we said, the battle arena will sell out fast. So, to makesure you get a Kung Zhu battle arena, you should use a price comparison site. The will enable you to check stock and find the cheapest Kung Zhu Battle Arena prices on the Internet. Other toys expected to sell well over Christmas are the new kidizoom video recorders. This product by Vtech has also featured on many top ten Christmas gifts for 2010.

T-90 Russian Tank

After the break of Soviet Union Russia was left alone to defend itself. A newly designed tank built by Uralvagonzavod in Nizhny Tagil was T-90.

All are familiar with its well-known ancestor T-72 which was a starting build-off point for the new T-90 which became a Russian main battle tank in 1995.

In 1992 Russian Defense Ministry demanded a new tank to exchange expensive but more quality T-80 and cheaper but older T-72. Bothwere built at different plants which meant bigger costs.

Many models of T-90 were built for different purposes.

T-90 is standing for an original production model, T-90K and T-90SK were a command version of T-90, T-90E and T-90S were made for export, T-90A army version with welded turret.

They came in four variations for different purposes and demands.

BREM-72 as an armored recovery vehicle, MTU-90 was a bridge layer tank, IMR-3 as combat engineer vehicle and BMR-3 as mine clearing vehicle.

Armament:

The 2A46M 125mm smoothbore gun was T-90's main armament. This gun was also used in older T-80 tanks. It is capable of firing different missiles for different purposes: armor piercing discarding sabot, high explosive anti tank missiles, high explosive ammunition and 9M119M Refleks anti tank guided missiles which operate with a semi automatic laser beam and hollow charge HEAT warhead. Being effective in ranges up to six kilometers it can take out almost any armor. Even helicopters cannot escape its fire power, with Korn 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine gun it can take out any low flying aircraft or helicopter.

T-90 is operated by crew of three people (commander, gunner and driver). It uses an automatic missile loader which removes the need for a manual loader. Automatic loader can load a round every 4-5 seconds and it can carry up to 22 ready to fire missiles.

T-90 can operate during the day or night by using night sighting system mounted at commanders station which allows him to operate the tank at night. It also uses the ESSA thermal imaging sight which allows commander to engage in action at a range from 5km to 8km.

T-90 is protected by a mixture of modern armor: steel armor plating, explosive reactive armor Kontakt-5 and composite armor. Explosive reactive armor is also placed on the top of the tank to defend itself from air attacks. When using Kontakt-5 the T-90 is very tricky to penetrate. No RPG, anti tank guided missile or KE (kinetic energy) penetrator can harm T-90.

One of the main improvements in Russian tanks is a Shtora-1 suite which includes two infrared jammers, four laser warning receivers, two aerosol grenade discharging systems and new control system. It warns the commander if the tank has been locked-on by a weapon- guidance system.

Specifications:

Weight: 46.5 tones

Length: 9.53 m (31.27 ft)

Width: 3.78 m (9.12 ft)

Height: 2.22 m (7.28 ft)

Crew: 3 (commander, gunner, driver)

Armor:

Classified steel-composite-reactive blend

Primary armament: 125 mm smoothbore gun

Secondary armament: 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun, 12.7 mm anti-aircraft machine gun

Engine Models:

84 V-84 diesel

V-92 12-cyl. diesel

V-96 12-cyl. diesel

Operational range: 650 km

Max Speed: 65 km/h

Future weapons
T-90 tank

A Guide to Buying a Tank Driving Day

Tank driving is a truly unique experience that few have been lucky enough to encounter. But there are now several purpose-built off road courses across the country, offering a tank driving experience so that anyone can have a go.

There may be a range of military vehicles to choose from, such as the 56ton Chieftain Main Battle Tank, Abbot Tanks, Stalwarts and Ferret Scout Cars, to name but a few. Or for the more adventurous, a unique 17 tonne FV432 APC (armoured personnel carrier), with specially modified cannons that can fire 40mm paint rounds!

The Chieftain was introduced in the 1960s and 70s and was one of the most advanced tanks of its time. It had the most powerful gun and heaviest armour of any tank in the world and enabled the driver to adopt a new, more horizontal position. Weighing in at a massive 55 tons and 7.5m in length this really is the daddy of all tanks and great fun for anyone on a tank driving day.

The Abbot comes in at the smaller proportions of 16.56 tons and 5.8m long and was part of the British Army FV340 series of vehicles all designed around the same chassis. Only replaced in the 1990s, this tank is smaller and more agile and even had the ability to swim across water at around 3 knots.

The Alvis Stalwart first appeared in 1959 and was used by the British forces from mid 1960s. The 'stolly' was a formidable cross-country vehicle for its size and to 'climb aboard' drivers needed to use the strategically placed rungs, hubs, tyres and roof and then lower themselves through submarine style hatches. Maximum speed is claimed to be 40mph which feels pretty fast when manoeuvring across trenches.

The Ferret Scout Car is a light armoured vehicle and gives the driver a feel for reconnaissance missions. It was adopted by the British Army from 1950 through to the 1970s. It is fast enough to be used on hard road surfaces but rugged enough for off-road adventure.

The FV423 gives the driver a feel for modern day tank driving as the vehicle is still very much in use in the British Army - although now mostly to support from line infantry rather than in the firing line themselves.

Most tank driving experiences will enable you to receive expert tuition and then put your new found skills to the test under the supervision of your instructor. If you are feeling confident, you may also have the opportunity to repeat the course under 'real' conditions, with the hatches down and only your periscope to guide you.

It is important to note that some of the packages have height, weight and age restrictions, so always check before you book. You must also be agile enough to get in and out of the tank and be medically fit for the activity.

So if you have always wanted to drive a tank across an off road course, or have a loved one that has, why not give it a go?

Submitted by Steve Clark, Managing Director at Experience Mad. Experience Mad provides a range of tank driving experiences as well as a variety of alternatives for those who get their kicks from the less-armoured variety of vehicle! From Off-Road driving to Super Car Driving, to Go-Karting and Quad Biking there's something for everyone.

Khrizantema (AT-15 Springer) Anti-Tank Missile Carrier

The Khrizantema (Chrysanthemum) is the latest Russian long-range supersonic anti-tank missile system. It's NATO designation is the AT-15 Springer. It has been designed to deal with the latest and future main battle tanks. Development of this missile system commenced in the late 1980s and it was revealed in 1996. It was intended to replace the ageing Shturm (AT-6 Spiral) anti-tank missile system. It is reported, that the Khrizantema was accepted to service with the Russian Army in 2004, however it is unknown how many of it's units are fielded. It is considered as one of the most powerful systems in the world in it's class.

Developers of this missile system claim, that appearance of the Khrizantema could possibly change tactics of tank war, as a small group of 3 or 4 of these anti-tank missile launchers can radically change the outcome of the battle. It is claimed, that 3 launcher vehicles are capable of engaging 14 main battle tanks and destroying no less than 60% of them.

The Khrizantema launches supersonic missiles with a range of 400 - 6 000 meters. Average speed of flight is 400 m/s. Missiles are propelled by a solid fuel rocket motor. The Khrizantema is intended to be operated day and night and in all weather conditions, also in various natural and man-made countermeasures environments. Missiles of the Khrizantema can be guided in two independent modes, either by laser (semi-automatic) or radar (fully automatic). This dual guidance system ensures protection against electronic countermeasures. Some missiles are available for this system. The 9M123 and 9M123-2 are the standard missiles with a tandem HEAT warheads, used against armored vehicles. The only difference between these missiles is the laser guidance, used on the 9M123 and radar guidance, used on the 9M123-2. Developers claim, that the tandem HEAT missiles are capable of penetration of 1 100 - 1 200 mm of armor behind explosive reactive armor. It is sufficient to defeat MBTs of the latest generation, such as the M1A2 Abrams and Leopard 2A6.

Also there are 9M123F and 9M123F-2 missiles with thermobaric warheads, used against building, fortifications, lightly armored vehicles and entrenched personnel. In the same manner the 9M123F has a laser guidance and the 9M123F-2 has radar guidance.

Two missiles are carried on the launch rails in combat order. The Khrizantema can launch 2 missiles against 2 targets simultaneously. This missile system can also target low-flying helicopters. It carries 15 missiles inside the hull, and can engage up to 15 targets within few minutes. Launcher rails are reloaded automatically from a magazine, located inside the hull. However in case of emergency missiles can be reloaded manually from outside of the vehicle. In travelling order both missiles and radar are folded to the stowed position.

The Khrizantema anti-tank missile system is based on a modified BMP-3 IFV chassis and features high mobility and maneuverability. Vehicle is powered by UTD-29 V10 turbocharged diesel engine, developing 500 hp. It has a hydropneumatic suspension system, which can be adjusted to suit the type of terrain being crossed. Vehicle is fully amphibious. On water it is propelled by two waterjets. Amphibious speed on water is about 10 km/h.

The Khrizantema ATGM system can be also mounted on other wheeled or tracked chassis with similar payload capacity.

This missile system is operated by a crew of two, including commander and diver. Protection of this vehicle is similar to that of the BMP-3. It is also equipped with an NBC protection and automatic fire suppression systems.

http://www.military-today.com/missiles/khrizantema.htm

Article by ZAAL TCHKUASELI, military journalist and expert.

The LEGO Clone Turbo Tank - The Battle Behemoth

During the Clone Wars, the forces of the CIS (Confederacy of Independent Systems) were locked in combat with the Storm Troopers of the Galactic Republic. One of the most devastating weapons systems they had to face was the main Battle Tank deployed by the Republic. This monster, known as the HAVw (Heavy Assault Vehicle/wheeled) A6 Juggernaut, was manufactured by the Kuat Drive Yards for the Republic. LEGO has produced two versions of this vehicle, which they call the Clone Turbo Tank.

In the long battle between the CIS and the Republic, fighting raged over a wide front. During the Battle of Felucia, a new weapons system was deployed by the forces of the Republic. It was the A5 model of the Juggernaut. Initially, it served as the command vehicle of Commander Ahsoka Tano. This version was 22 meters long, and 15 meters high to the top of the Observation Platform. With its five drive axles, its top speed on level ground was 160 km/hr. The A5 could hold around 50 troopers.

The A5 model was followed by the HAVw A6 Juggernaut, which was much larger than the A5. This newer model was more than 49 meters in length, and its height was more than 30 meters with the Spotter Platform in the raised position. With its larger size, it could carry as many as 300 Troopers. Other armaments included a compact, foldable Scout Walker, laser cannons, and a missile launching system.

The first LEGO version of the A6 Juggernaut was released in May 2005, and was given the name "Clone Turbo Tank"; the LEGO set designation was 7261. This set included seven minifigs, including Clone Troopers, Battle Droids, an Aerial Trooper, and Mace Windu. In this first release, the mini-figure of Mace Windu had a light saber that would actually light up when the top of his head was pressed. This also meant, however, that the minifig could not be taken apart. The set had 801 pieces, and like the A6 it was modeled after, featured dual cockpits, one at each end of the machine.

The second version of LEGO 7261 was quite similar to the first, with a few exceptions: the minifig of Mace Windu no longer had the light-up light saber, and an extra Clone Trooper minifig was included. Some of the construction details were also slightly different, the differences being directed at making the finished model stronger. Both versions featured the very agile suspension that characterized the A6; the wheel axles pivot from their centers, giving the tank the ability to manage rough terrain. The wheels also turned with the model, making it steerable.

The second version of this Battle Tank that LEGO released was designated LEGO 8098, but it retained the name "Clone Battle Tank". This set also has the very agile suspension, and is steerable as well. One of the most noticeable differences between the sets is the wheels - in the first set, the wheels were almost entirely closed. In this newer version, the wheels are presented as a sort of low-profile tire, with an open wheel center which is then covered by a hub disk. The observation tower that rises above the tank is also included.

This model of the Clone Turbo Tank, when finished, is over 17 inches long, and stands more than 8 inches high. The set contains 1141 pieces, and includes a foldable Scout Walker that can be carried inside the Tank. Another useful feature is a pop-up handle that makes it easy to carry the tank around. This version of the Tank has six minifigs, including one of Aayla Secura, which is an exclusive feature of this set. The large doors on either side of the hull can be opened by swinging down, giving full access to the main interior space for loading troops and weapons.

If you have, or someone on your gift list has, a real interest in Star Wars, particularly the Clone Wars series, then this set is a "must have". It will provide hours of enjoyment during the building process, as well as many hours of fun as it is used to re-stage the battles of the Clone Wars.

Find all the details about the LEGO Clone Turbo Tanks, including where to find them and where to get the best prices, by going to: LEGO-clone-turbotank.com. For a lot more info about other major LEGO Star Wars sets, including the LEGO Advent Calendar, go to LEGO-starwars-sets.com. There you can find information about LEGO sets that feature Slave 1, the Battle of Endor, the Death Star, Star Destroyers, Star Fighters, and other great Star Wars sets.

Amphibious Remote Control Toys

The remote control industry has evolved as a whole, but amphibious remote control toys have advanced in leaps and bounds. There is a lot more being offered than the old plastic boats you use to see.

There have been several real vehicles that have been designed to run on both land and water. Most of these vehicles have had military functions such as the amphibious tank. There have been some experimental amphibious combination automobiles and boats, but none have enjoyed much commercial success. Where the real vehicles fall short, however, the remote control world has stepped right in to produce amphibious remote control toys.

The military style vehicles such as tanks and amphibious personnel carriers have been reproduced in remote control scale models. Military reproductions are a popular classification of remote control vehicles. Since many are amphibious, this has carried over to the remote control reproductions. The combination auto and boat has also emerged as a remote control favorite. The operator can drive it right into a lake or pond and with a push of a button, the wheels retract and it becomes a power boat. What never could be completely mastered in real is possible in the Remote control Hobby.

Another variation on this theme is the amphibious airplane. In this case, the seaplane has been in use almost since the beginning of aviation. The remote control models are equipped with skis in the same manner as real seaplanes and take off and land on bodies of water. Although these types of remote control toys are not as common as the land/water amphibious models, they do exist or can be built. They represent an additional challenge to the remote control flyer, but do have an advantage in that water makes a softer landing field. The damage in a crash might be reduced assuming the craft can be successfully recovered.

One of the most unique of the amphibious remote control toys is the stunt vehicle. A good example is the remote control Stunt Chariot Amphibious Vehicle. This crazy example of the imagination possible in the remote control hobby is a stunt vehicle capable of doing wheelies, flips, and 360 degree donuts. With a click of a button, the wheels retract, and the Chariot turns into a powerful watercraft. It is designed so that it can deliver four cans of your favorite beverage to a friend on land or in the water.

The amphibious remote control toy is yet example of how only the imagination has set limits on what can be done in the area of remote controlled vehicles. As the hobby has grown in recent years, just about any type of vehicle that really operates has been duplicated in a scaled down version for remote controlled play. Some vehicles that never quite made it or are totally impractical in full size have made their way into the hobby too. The Stunt Chariot is certainly one of these.

Find RC hobby stores

Remote Control Petrol Cars

There have been many adverts on TV for remote control petrol cars, where you see a car dashing about with a big smile on the boys face and fantastic stunts by the car itself. What people do not realise is there is a lot more to a remote control car than just making it dash about either performing stunts or banging into objects. You will find that petrol cars (nitro cars) are faster and take more skill to control than electric cars.

As well as cars, you can also get trucks, planes, helicopters, tanks and general remote control toys.

Where these cars come into their own as a hobby is buying them and looking into how they work, servicing them or even fixing them or actually building them from scratch. Go into any major newsagents and you will find magazines dedicated to radio control cars, their design, build and tips on how to get more out of their performance as well as major meets where people can race their cars in races.

There are 1000's of spares you can by online for your car when you decide to take your hobby to the level of servicing and fixing your own nitro car. Many forums can be found for when you do get stuck, as the learning curve is pretty steep but incredibly fun. They can run on grass, concrete and some can move over obstacles you put in their way such as the Monster Truck variations.

In the UK we refer to these cars as radio control petrol cars, but in the United States and Canada they call them Gas powered cars. These cars are superior in most ways to electric cars in that the designs are more robust but the petrol gives them more power, torque and overall fun value.

Each time the car is used, it needs the petrol tank to be filled so you can be up and running within a minute or two, but with an electric car you need to charge it for several hours before first use. Please bear in mind the safety issues with petrol regarding the petrol can spilling over, petrol spilling itself onto areas where you will be walking and take children into consideration.

Whichever you goto buy when looking at remote control petrol cars or an electric car, make sure you read up on the specifications first and not just by what it looks like.

http://petrol-remote-control-cars.co.uk/remote-control-petrol-cars/

Few Things to Consider When Purchasing a Remote Control Helicopter

Flying remote control helicopters is a fun and relaxing activity enjoyed by millions of people, both young and old. There are several different types of remote control helicopters, ranging from simple, easy to fly models to complex kits that must be assembled. This popular hobby requires various levels of commitment as well. Whether you're looking for some weekend family fun with your rc helicopter or plan to become an experienced, avid pilot, there are a few things to consider before buying your first remote control helicopter.

1. How much time do you want to commit?

Remote control helicopters are available in several different styles and vary greatly in price. Ready to fly (RTF) models are already assembled and complete with all the components. This type can be taken out of the box and played with immediately and is the best choice for beginners. Almost ready to fly (ARF) helicopters are about 90 percent assembled, but still require some building and extra parts. Remote control helicopter kits are also available and require complete assembly, as well as an engine and transmitter.

2. Gas powered or electric?

Both types of RC helicopters have their advantages and disadvantages, so how do you choose which is best for you? Electric helicopters are typically less expensive than gas ones and are much simpler to use. They are the best choice for young pilots, as well as beginners. Electric powered helicopters run on batteries rather than smelly gas, so there are no fumes. Electric motors are also practically silent while operating, so this type of RC helicopter is more versatile and can be used almost anywhere.

Gas powered RC helicopters are messier, more complicates, and much louder than their cheaper electric counterparts, but gas remote control helicopters are usually the preferred type for experienced pilots. They are thought to be more realistic than electric models and give the pilot a chance to be more involved with the aircraft and how it functions. Gas powered helicopters are typically better for frequent use because the tank can simply be refilled rather than having to replace costly batteries or wait hours for a recharge.

3. Where will you fly your RC helicopter?

Remote control helicopters also come in all sizes. If you are looking for a fun and unique helicopter for indoors, there are micro RC helicopters that are so small you can hold them inside your hand. Another option for indoor flying is an electric model. Electric remote control helicopters do not produce any harmful fumes or odors so they are ideal for large, open areas that are enclosed.

If you plan on flying your remote control helicopter outside, you should consider the wind conditions in your area. A larger helicopter will offer more control in windy situations so a mini helicopter may not be the best choice if you will fly in wind often. Helicopters with fixed pitch (FP) blades are recommended for novice pilots because they are less expensive, easier to use, and simpler to repair, but a collective pitch (CP) helicopter is much better for windy conditions.

3. Gas powered or electric?

Both types of RC helicopters have their advantages and disadvantages, so how do you choose which is best for you? Electric helicopters are typically less expensive than gas ones and are much simpler to use. They are the best choice for young pilots, as well as beginners. Electric powered helicopters run on batteries rather than smelly gas, so there are no fumes. Electric motors are also practically silent while operating, so this type of RC helicopter is more versatile and can be used almost anywhere.

Gas powered RC helicopters are messier, more complicates, and much louder than their cheaper electric counterparts, but gas remote control helicopters are usually the preferred type for experienced pilots. They are thought to be more realistic than electric models and give the pilot a chance to be more involved with the aircraft and how it functions. Gas powered helicopters are typically better for frequent use because the tank can simply be refilled rather than having to replace costly batteries or wait hours for a recharge.

4. How experienced are you?

If you are new to flying remote control helicopters, you may want to begin with a good flight simulator software program designed for RC pilots. Flight instructors are also an option if you are really serious about the hobby. Novice pilots should select an expensive remote control helicopter with easy to access spare parts. It is best to start with a small, electric model because crashes are usually inevitable during the learning process.

Kusuma Widjaja has been collecting rc electric helicopter for 5 years and has quite a lot of experience in buying rc helicopters. His reviews can be seen at http://www.rchelicopterreview.com