Many people recall playing with action figures and army vehicles as children. These days, those same toys have gotten far more advanced. RC tanks are battery-operated and controlled with a remote that broadcasts radio signals to the on-board receiver, which allows the tank to drive around and even shoot miniature tank turrets. Apparently, they’re not just for children anymore.

Simple RC tanks can be fun radio-controlled toys for children, but the simple models constitute only a fraction of the RC tanks being produced today. There are RC tanks for collectors, tank kits for custom builders, and tanks with electronic gadgets like cameras and infrared guns for mock battles. Many collectors’ RC tanks carry high price tags because they are built to precise scale and feature the designs of full-sized historical war tanks. Collectors of these tanks value high-quality materials and detail more than the fun provided by the toy. However, the “toy” RC tanks of today have some surprisingly advanced features as well, such as airsoft cannons and battling abilities.

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Airsoft RC tanks have small working turrets which shoot plastic pellets. The gun mechanism is usually spring-loaded and can shoot pellets up to 50 feet in distance. RC tanks have separate controls for guiding the tank’s direction and aiming the gun turret, which can rotate, elevate and fire. RC tanks are powered by batteries, with most high-end models using a brick of 8AA rechargeable batteries housed in the hull. Airsoft RC tanks aren’t for casual RC operators, since they usually cost around $100.

Some RC tanks feature transmitters that can be set to different bands so that multiple tanks can operate in an area without radio interference. This feature allowed manufacturers to create battle tanks, another kind of RC tank which has become popular. Battle tanks have infrared sensors on their hulls to electronically simulate shooting and receiving hits. Two or more tanks can interact in a simulated war game, similar to laser tag.

Many RC tank enthusiasts put a lot of work into making their models as realistic as possible. Some put extensive detail into the bodies of their models. Spare tires, shovels and other detachable equipment can be added to the tank body to give it a realistic feel, but other enthusiasts prefer a fully immersed experience. In order to feel like they are truly piloting their tanks, some enthusiasts equip their RC tanks with tiny cameras. By placing a small video camera inside the body of an RC model, the pilot can remotely see things from the RC model’s point of view. This practice is most common with RC planes, but is becoming popular with tanks as well. An RC tank with a remote camera and an airsoft firing turret does more than simulate advanced military technology; it duplicates military technology on a smaller scale.