Can't
exactly rememgber at what age I got this for my birthday long time ago ...
its not on my 44th ... nope not on my
28th either, I'm sure I was less than 9
years old. Its a "battery" operated "Scorpion Tank" surely its not meant to be used as a scale
model, it runs forward, has this rattling sound which eventually becomes an
annoying racket as I get older, originally it has a missile that fly's out when
you push a trigger in front of the turret, its an honest to goodness classic
toy! the only thing missing is an
annoying "blinking red light".
I love this toy because it runs so well, realistically fast and the real
rubber caterpillar tracks don't fall off the drive-wheels no matter what the
terrain is. Non designated scale but comparatively it's probably at about 1:25th.
During my most recent "test run" attempt for this post; its motor is
still running but the gears are already loose on their shafts, the vehicle did
not move a bit ... so probably we will
never see this tank run over the pillows and blankets horizon again.
The
Box of the toy says "Scorpion Tank" but back then I don’t really know
what it is, and I don’t care...I'm only after the “playability factor” its only
after I’ve learned to appreciate the evening news that I’ve also learned that
there exist such a real vehicle or to be politically correct ... a "weapon". Manufactured
by "Alvis Vehicles" of
Great Britain, the "FV101 Scorpion Tank" is not classified as a
tank but a "tracked combat reconnaissance vehicle (CRVT)" its
original operational doctrine is to be a forward observer and "recon" for the
main battle group, it is not designed to engage a "Main Battle Tanks
(MBT)" in frontal battle, this is why this type of combat vehicle is
lightly armored and compact to afford more speed (70 kph) and terrain
capability, relatively well armed for self defense; in an un-dire "ground
to ground" situation an autonomous CRVT commander will usually
make a quiet and fast fallback if he felt that that his team is at the edge of
detection by an MBT.
The
Scorpion tank is also designed for "air transport" adaptability, it’s
light weight makes it more ideal for jungle and unstable ground condition where
a MBT's will simply be bogged down. Smaller Nations have used the Scorpion
tanks extensively for their defense forces because it can give relatively
adequate protection against many type of firearms and sharpnels, simple
maintenance (compared to an MBT) and adaptability with different weapons
system, put on a conventional battlefield scenario a "CRVT" fitted with
a high caliber cannon or a guided missile system can destroy an MBT if
it can out-plank it. In more recent time some more advance composite convertions of the
Scorpion called the “Schimitar” which is armed with a bigger cannon and the “Sabre” armed with anti-tank missiles was introduced.
Notable historical and present users of the Scorpion tank and its variants are United Kingdom, Belgium ,Brunei, UAE, Iran, Ireland, Philippines, Thailand ... to name a few.
Notable historical and present users of the Scorpion tank and its variants are United Kingdom, Belgium ,Brunei, UAE, Iran, Ireland, Philippines, Thailand ... to name a few.
1:25 scale German Leopard II main battle tank "(MBT)".
