BATTLE BUG – A Closer Look At The RocHobby 1/12-scale Type 82E Kommandeurwagen

The Volkswagen Beetle is one of the most recognizable cars to have ever been produced. Developed in Germany during the 1930s, the vehicle that eventually became one of the world’s most beloved cars actually had a surprising beginning. The Beetle was first developed as a vehicle to provide basic transportation for the people of Germany but quickly found itself drafted into the German armed forces prior to the outbreak of World War II.

Engineered by a team lead by Ferdinand Porsche (yes, that Porsche), the underpinnings that would eventually form the first Beetle were created, perfected and also lent to its military equivalent, the Type 82 Kübelwagen. This led both the Type 82 Kübelwagen and Type 82E Kommandeurwagen to share the same chassis and running gear. Interestingly enough, RocHobby has been replicated both vehicles as RC ready to run models and just like their real-life cousins, both models also share the same chassis and running gear as well.

If you’re familiar with RocHobby, you’ll know that the company produces some of the most detailed and scale accurate RC vehicles in the industry. The detail they add into each vehicle is simply astounding and a real pleasure to look at and play with. The Type 82E Kommandeurwagen is no different.

The real-life Type 82E Kommandeurwagen was essentially a Type 82 Kübelwagen with a Beetle body grafted onto it. Used primarily by officers, this go anywhere military version of the Beetle was used in each of the theaters of war including in Africa. RocHobby finished this RC Type 82E in the appropriate desert yellow hue that the German Afrika Korps used on their vehicles.

FULL OF DETAILS
The list of details crammed into this RC is long. Roc Hobby has faithfully reproduced the Type 82E in all its detail, scaled down to 1/12th scale. The ready to run RC vehicle is highly detailed and packed full of features that any RC enthusiast is sure to have fun with such as working lights, a steering wheel that turns when the wheels steer as well as a fully detailed engine complete with rotating serpentine belt. This drivable model perfectly captures the look and feel of the original with an impressive amount of authenticity.

This Type 82E also features details including a hard-shell body, full scale interior complete with foam seats, opening doors, trunk and hood, realistic rubber tires including a spare and more. The doors are opened with working scale door handles. How cool is that? What’s more, RocHobby packs in even more detail by including fully functioning portal gear hubs in the rear as well as two-speed transmission. Working lights are located in the head and taillights as well as an anti-aircraft running light mounted on the front left fender. There’s nothing like functioning lights to make an RC look as real as possible.

The Beetle is equipped with a full set of 30 stainless steel ball bearings and metal gears and driveshaft. Power for the Type 82E is delivered by a 130-size motor that is powered by an included LiPo battery. The battery as well as its electronics such as ESC and receiver is located under the car’s hood, hidden just behind a full-size spare tire. This Beetle uses a realistic looking trailing arm suspension set up and has a fully detailed flat bottom chassis, just like the real vehicle that it is based on.

CUSTOMIZED
As great as the Type 82E already looked directly out of the box, we like to push things a little further in the customization department. We called up RC Patina Guy himself, Erik Padilla, to see what he could do with it. What he turned around in only a couple of days is the work of art you see before you.

Complete with a full patina paint job, Padilla also added many more details such as an overall worn look, bullet holes, mud on the tires, as well as a long list of interior details and even a figure to match. We especially like the bag of cash on the front seat and vinyl cover under the hood that covers the car’s electronics and battery.

POWERED UP
We charged up and installed its included LiPo battery and hit the path. When powered up, the Type 82E moved around nimbly and looked terrific with its working lights and realistically sized pizza cutter tires. The car can be switched from running four-wheel drive to rear-wheel drive, which is a nice touch. It’s worth noting that we consider this car a fully detailed model kit that can be driven. The Type 82E is not necessarily a robust, drive anywhere RC, but it’s still fun to drive on relatively flat dirt areas and some mildly rocky terrain but it’s not for crawling or going fast. It does look great wherever it does go however.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Roc Hobby really did a fantastic job in terms of scale looks and detailed features. After seeing what RC patina Guy did with it in only a few days, we’re excited to see how other enthusiasts further modify this highly accurate Kommandeurwagen.

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Text and Images by Jerry Tsai
Source FMS fmsmodel.com