UAZ-469, a Russian army jeep for collectors
This time on the Auto Today Automotive Hobbies section, we check out a war veteran from WPL RC and it is the UAZ-469.
If the United States of America had the Ford and Willys Jeep, the Eastern Block needed something as well. Enter the UAZ-469, a rugged 4wd built in the early 1970s that could be driven on any terrain and most importantly across adverse weather conditions prevalent in Russia. Now, WPL RC has acquired lincese to recreate the magic of the UAZ-469 in 1:12 scale and that too in RC form! So how is it and is it worth buying? We tell you all the details.
The UAZ-469 looks too cool
Just like the Willys Jeep, the UAZ-469 is all about simplicity. It looks cool and WPL have ensured detailing to the highest level. The round headlamps are functional and feature a warm glow rather than a powerful LED beam. The parking lights look great but do not come with lights. Such is the case with the spot light on the driver’s side as well. All these come as optional extras and can be retrofitted to the RC car. What would have been great is if WPL gave working taillights atleast. The moulded features like the wipers, grille, ORVMs, door handles, rear bumpers and a tow hook add realism to this RC. The spare tyre at the back by the way is functional and can be used trail side.
The party-piece of the UAZ-469 is that it comes with a detachable roof. The black treatment mimics a soft top but in reality it is made of slight light plastic that offers a bit of flex and is held on by three little screws. Once removed, you can see the highly detailed interior with a dashboard, gear stick, steering wheel and seats. The windshield can also be folded down for a roof down experience and we strongly recommend adding a figure to ensure scale realism.
Last but not the least, WPL have done a splendid job with the UAZ-469 and it feels premium and worthy of being added to a scale RC collections.
What drives this UAZ-469
WPL have worked hard to improve the underpinnings of their RCs over the years. The UAZ-469 is powered by a 380 brushed motor which sends power to all four wheels using plastic drive shafts. Metal upgrades are also available now. Steering duties are taken care off by a 17g servo that is powerful enough and smooth too. Steering dual rate is also available making it easy to drive though tight spaces.
The UAZ-469 is suspended on leaf springs that are attached to realistic shackles. Tyres are slim and stay true to the original design. Under the bonnet resided the two-in-one ESC and the li-ion battery that provides a genuine run time of 15 minutes.
The 2.4Ghz remote control offers steering and throttle trim adjustments as well as a drag brake option. The remote is new to WPL and looks and feels better than before. A rather clever feature on it is that WPL have included a slot to house some basic tools that one might require trail side.
It will also be apt to mention here that WPL offers a plethora of upgrade parts with the UAZ-469 and we strongly recommend the 2-speed gearbox, metal suspension among others.
How is the UAZ-469 to drive
Despite being powered by a brushed motor, the UAZ-469 drives very smooth. The slow speed control especially is rather good and one can negotiate obstacles with precision. Ground clearance is adequate too and incase the UAZ-469 hangs up it will be because of the differentials. A bit of wheel speed will be able to ensure freedom. Talking of speed, this WPL RC is not made for going fast. But it offers generous performance and you will be able to keep up with it trail side.
The suspension comprising of leaf springs is also something to talk about. It is ultra-realistic in performance and articulation offered is top class. It also does not bounce around making it look very real. The only downside here is the grip offered by the tyres. Because scale reality was more important, WPL chose these wheel and tyre sets. But one can upgrade to gripper rubber that will be better on mud and wet surfaces. Last but not the least, this WPL is not exactly waterproof! Light puddles and rain should be fine but anything more serious could affect electronics.
So should you hunt one down
The answer to this is absolutely yes if you are fan of scaled realism. This WPL once treated with accessories will look absolutely brilliant. As for the performance, it is adequate enough and prices are not exorbitant either. So go hunt it down online and have a play.
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If the United States of America had the Ford and Willys Jeep, the Eastern Block needed something as well. Enter the UAZ-469, a rugged 4wd built in the early 1970s that could be driven on any terrain and most importantly across adverse weather conditions prevalent in Russia. Now, WPL RC has acquired lincese to recreate the magic of the UAZ-469 in 1:12 scale and that too in RC form! So how is it and is it worth buying? We tell you all the details.
The UAZ-469 looks too cool
Just like the Willys Jeep, the UAZ-469 is all about simplicity. It looks cool and WPL have ensured detailing to the highest level. The round headlamps are functional and feature a warm glow rather than a powerful LED beam. The parking lights look great but do not come with lights. Such is the case with the spot light on the driver’s side as well. All these come as optional extras and can be retrofitted to the RC car. What would have been great is if WPL gave working taillights atleast. The moulded features like the wipers, grille, ORVMs, door handles, rear bumpers and a tow hook add realism to this RC. The spare tyre at the back by the way is functional and can be used trail side.
The party-piece of the UAZ-469 is that it comes with a detachable roof. The black treatment mimics a soft top but in reality it is made of slight light plastic that offers a bit of flex and is held on by three little screws. Once removed, you can see the highly detailed interior with a dashboard, gear stick, steering wheel and seats. The windshield can also be folded down for a roof down experience and we strongly recommend adding a figure to ensure scale realism.
Last but not the least, WPL have done a splendid job with the UAZ-469 and it feels premium and worthy of being added to a scale RC collections.
What drives this UAZ-469
WPL have worked hard to improve the underpinnings of their RCs over the years. The UAZ-469 is powered by a 380 brushed motor which sends power to all four wheels using plastic drive shafts. Metal upgrades are also available now. Steering duties are taken care off by a 17g servo that is powerful enough and smooth too. Steering dual rate is also available making it easy to drive though tight spaces.
The UAZ-469 is suspended on leaf springs that are attached to realistic shackles. Tyres are slim and stay true to the original design. Under the bonnet resided the two-in-one ESC and the li-ion battery that provides a genuine run time of 15 minutes.
The 2.4Ghz remote control offers steering and throttle trim adjustments as well as a drag brake option. The remote is new to WPL and looks and feels better than before. A rather clever feature on it is that WPL have included a slot to house some basic tools that one might require trail side.
It will also be apt to mention here that WPL offers a plethora of upgrade parts with the UAZ-469 and we strongly recommend the 2-speed gearbox, metal suspension among others.
How is the UAZ-469 to drive
Despite being powered by a brushed motor, the UAZ-469 drives very smooth. The slow speed control especially is rather good and one can negotiate obstacles with precision. Ground clearance is adequate too and incase the UAZ-469 hangs up it will be because of the differentials. A bit of wheel speed will be able to ensure freedom. Talking of speed, this WPL RC is not made for going fast. But it offers generous performance and you will be able to keep up with it trail side.
The suspension comprising of leaf springs is also something to talk about. It is ultra-realistic in performance and articulation offered is top class. It also does not bounce around making it look very real. The only downside here is the grip offered by the tyres. Because scale reality was more important, WPL chose these wheel and tyre sets. But one can upgrade to gripper rubber that will be better on mud and wet surfaces. Last but not the least, this WPL is not exactly waterproof! Light puddles and rain should be fine but anything more serious could affect electronics.
So should you hunt one down
The answer to this is absolutely yes if you are fan of scaled realism. This WPL once treated with accessories will look absolutely brilliant. As for the performance, it is adequate enough and prices are not exorbitant either. So go hunt it down online and have a play.
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