If you’ve been in the R/C tank game for any amount of time, then you most certainly have heard the name Frank Heritage. Frank is madman when it comes to unique R/C military builds, and if it hasn’t been done, Frank is usually on it. Once he’s tackled his objective, he usually puts the final product up for sale for someone else to get the chance to appreciate it. Frank’s reputation coupled with his phenomenal talent has earned him September’s Featured Artist Award, and we are proud to present his amazing array of work to you.
Copyright 2018, Frank Heritage.
Congratulations on winning the Featured Artist Award for September 2018. Your contribution to the hobby is respected, appreciated, and inspiring. We hope that more artists are encouraged to follow in your footsteps.
When did you start doing custom builds, and how long have you been in the tank hobby?
Frank: I’ve been model-making in some form or other all my life but started with RC tanks around 2006 with a Standard Heng Long Tiger 1 (the first tank most people seem to get). Been involved with lots of clubs/forums/FB pages in that time and made many good friends…(and a couple of enemies..lol) along the way.
The custom builds started more or less straight away, as back then there wasn’t the choice we have today; Tamiya only had 4 1/16 scale tanks in their catalogue, Heng Long only had 3!
My first build was a Jagdpanther built on a Tiger chassis. There were some liberties taken with dimensions and details but as I say, we didn’t have many options….I think we are so lucky with how the hobby has grown over the years, not only with the increased number of models available but the amount of after-market spares, accessories, conversion parts and electronics….
Copyright 2018, Frank Heritage.
What’s the hardest part of your process? The greatest challenge you’ve faced?
Frank: I find the hardest part of any build is finding the compromise between a build being fully detailed and 100% accurate, and something that is in essence a remote control toy, subject to being handled, driven hard and even crashed lol.
I sometimes get comments on my builds that something isn’t quite right or you can get “better” parts but as I regularly attend club meets and my young lads also drive them, whether at meets/shows or just a good old backyard battle, they need to be tough. I’d rather be building than repairing. I know guys that have built some stunning builds but are afraid to actually run them, and to me that’s half the fun…
Copyright 2018, Frank Heritage.
Which crafters, if any, do you get inspiration from?
Frank: There are so many really talented guys out there making some stunning builds that it’s impossible to name my favourites– although I love to see builds that make me think, “That’s stunning, I wish I could do that…” by modellers who aren’t “recognised” as the top of the game. It reminds us that we all are still mere mortals…..
Your portfolio of US armor is truly impressive, and you’ll definitely earn some fans here in the States for that. What draws you to American builds?
Frank: Although I build all types, German, Allied…Tigers, T34’s, Pershings, etc…I’m sort of known as the “Sherman Guy”….I love the variation in all the different models….the fact that although both are Shermans, an early M4a1 75mm is a completely different beast to a Late War M4a3e8….Most of my builds aren’t exactly 100% accurate; a friend once said that with the pinups, etc., they reminded him of what Hollywood would make us believe a tank should look like…which I kinda liked…..and then the film “Fury” was released so I had to build the four Shermans from that….
Copyright 2018, Frank Heritage.
Do you have any background video or music playing while you craft? Do you prefer silence?
Frank: I don’t have anything set to build by….sometimes I have music, sometimes TV….although I did do a couple of Vietnam-era builds, a Commando armoured car and a Pibber patrol boat…(my first and only foray into anything floaty), and it just seemed right to play the soundtrack to that war….Rolling Stones, Credence Clearwater Revival, etc.
Can you describe the difference for you between when a build goes perfect, from a build where everything goes wrong?
Frank: To be honest, there are always challenges that you come up against; nothing ever goes totally to plan… I like to have two or three builds on the go at once so if I do have problems, I can walk away from a build, count to ten almost, and come back later refreshed rather than fight it and end up being frustrated with it…
What advice can you offer to crafters who want to up their game to your level?
Frank: The best advice I can give is to have a go….if there’s a club nearby, go along to it and talk to the guys there, most are happy to share their knowledge, and help out if you’re having problems, etc…
Copyright 2018, Frank Heritage.
What’s your favorite part of a project?
Frank: I don’t have a favourite part of my builds…there are so many different elements…from the decisions on what to build, any parts that need converting/scratch-building, the painting/weathering…with them being remote controlled, you also have the electronics, whether that’s keeping the factory-fitted stuff or going with an after-market package with barrel recoil, gun flash, programmable sounds, etc…and you’ve also got the ability to “battle” the completed model with their IR capabilities….
Anything you would like to add?
Frank: All I can add is to have fun….it doesn’t matter if you’re building a budget tank to thrash about the garden chasing the cat or a £1000 exact replica of a KT used on 22nd Dec 1944 at 2:34 pm… they’re all just big toys for us big kids at heart…
End of interview.
Thank you Frank, for helping us to set the standard for this award, and for your contribution to the hobby.
Be sure to check out Frank’s complete gallery here.
Copyright 2018, Fun4Change & Frank Heritage, all rights reserved.
Fun4Change 