THE R/C 1/16 SCALE IMAI ELEFANT. I will talk to you about one of the great large scale tank phenomenon, and one that is also one of the least known: The phenomenon of the 1/16 scale R/C IMAI ELEFANT. IMAI had seen and grasped the magnitude of producing arguably the best and most outstanding large scale tank model, To shine like a beacon to the world, (they even stress this in their instructions booklet!) A search for excellence! This model has reached legendary status without equal, This model for just about all of us is still the model to end all models, it is awesome! I swear this is just like the closest thing to building a real tank! Everything interlocks just like the real thing and it even rumbles like the WW II original. Almost everything is made out of metal, including the incredible tracks! I have mine built straight out of the box, and it still looks extremely impressive! Truly a magnificent model and extremely rare, a collector collector’s item, this kit perhaps will forever be unsurpassed, I place this model high above all others, this model is almost like a shrine! This kit is still the undisputed king of all models, a kit to hold proudly high in hand. There’s many that have never even seen one, that’s why I decided to leave mine still in it’s original condition, built straight out of the box, a sincere exposure of the built product, to let everyone see how one looks. Everywhere large scale tank modeling buffs meet and talk, the very name 1/16 scale R/C IMAI ELEFANT electrifies the conversation. What and where are the sources of the IMAI ELEFANT magic? The answer may well be found in the fact that the most striking feature of this model was that it was composed almost entirely by die-cast metal. It was a blueprint of technical innovation, it was the tank of dreams! Pioneer and forerunner of many ground-breaking features, like aluminum gun barrel, with even main gun elevation, (yes, R/C operated!) and metal tracks etc…One feels a malevolent beauty and the gravity of the almost Gothic form of the kit, once built, this kit was a highly organized power structure in the truest sense, weighs in at almost 30 lbs fully loaded! Each road wheel consist of 10 parts screwed together, (all metal with even rubber gasket!) The road wheel system was designed to interlock and operate just like the original Porsche running suspension system configuration, around 6 (3 per side) two-wheel bogie assemblies, each assembly was pivoted to the hull and the suspension arranged externally. All six bogie assemblies are similar in principal, however, the rear assemblies on both sides are reversed , despite their similarities, the assemblies are not interchangeable, for example, a rear assembly cannot be mounted in either the center or forward positions, nor can an assembly be interchanged with it’s corresponding assembly on the opposite side. The metal suspension is really the high-point of this model, everything interlocks just like the World War Two original. Definitely the people at IMAI decided to come out with a model to cover itself in all its full glory! Surprisingly, it does not feature a box art like the Tamiya’s and the Bandai’s, It just comes in a 16x16 inch cubic cardboard box with a drawing of the ELEFANT stamped in Japanese 1/16 scale R/C IMAI ELEFANT. It was an underground offering that did not get that much hype as the Tamiya’s or the Bandai’s did, which even went unnoticed to many (probably because it did lack a glorious box art!) But it does come with an excellent real photographic instructions booklet jammed-packed with pictorial illustrations and literary instructions, and of course, the content has to be seen to be believed! One can just marvel at all the die-cast metal parts genuinely praise to a high degree of scale accuracy and natural inclination to precision to the very frontier of quality. This model is a perfect example of a long discontinued kit and one that has long ceased to exist. When it’s gone it becomes a classic, and when it dies it becomes a legend. The 1/16 scale R/C IMAI ELEFANT has earned it’s place as the immortal knight of the large scale tank world, This triumphant model with it’s legendary status has become such, that no chapter dealing with 1/16 scale German armor can omit and be complete. The curtain of silence fell on the 1/16 scale R/C IMAI ELEFANT after it’s release, But somehow more and more people know of its existence, the fame is growing, and the young and old demand to know more, This model stands out as a shinning light of large scale modeling greatness! This extraordinary model (which so amazed the world) has captivated public imagination, and with such high motivation, I will see to it, lead, and be prepared for the high destiny of this model.
My IMAI Elefant:
The 1/16 scale RC IMAI Elefant pictures
The 1/16 scale RC IMAI Elefant Volume 2
