Red RC - RC Car News

New from Team Associated come these custom-fit chassis weights. Available for the Team Associated RC8B3.1 and B3.1e buggies they are made from machined brass and allow you to adjust the front and rear weight bias with 15g and 30g options.

Source: Associated [teamassociated.com]

New for the Viper 988 1/8 scale onroad chassis from Serpent is some spares sets as well as some new options. First up the start pack is a great value pack for drivers starting with the Viper 988, giving you some essential parts and options at hand. Next up for high traction conditions Serpent offer the hard composite arms for the Viper 988. These can be made even harder when using the optional carbon inserts which will be introduced soon. Finally Serpent introduce this easy and fast spacer to change the front roll centre on the Viper 988. The thickness is 1mm each and the shape allows for easy assembly and changes.

Source: Serpent [serpent.com]

The fourth round of the 2017 South-African ORE 1/12th national championship series was held at the Welkom RC Arena on Saturday 23 September 2017. The busy 2017 RC racing schedule and a long weekend in South Africa celebrating Heritage Day made that not all the 1/12th drivers could attend the one day event.

1/12th Scale Modified
The series leader Antonio Caroli showed good pace and managed to put in a TQ run in Q1 followed by youngster Marius van Niekerk and Hein Kotze. In Q2 Antonio stopped after lap 12 and Hein Kotze raced well to achieve TQ for round 2 followed by Andre Greeff. In Q3 Antonio managed to fix his car and had the fastest run followed closely by Hein Kotze and Shaun Schutte. Antonio eventually took overall TQ after a good run in Q4 with Hein Kotze and Marius van Niekerk starting from 2nd and 3rd on the grid respectively. In the mains it was Antonio who had fast and consistent runs winning both A1 and A2. Hein Kotze and Andre Greeff struggled with their cars but it was Shaun Schutte with his new Xray X12 2018 who secured a great second place and Marius van Nierkerk deserving his first podium in third.

1/12th Scale Modified A-Main:
1. Antonio Caroli (TQ) – Xray X12
2. Shaun Schutte – Xray X12
3. Marius van Niekerk – Xray X12
4. Ashley Hurley – Xray X12
5. André Greeff – Xray X12
6. Wayde Solomon – Xray X12
7. Brandon Solomon – Xray X12
8. Hein Kotze – Xray X12
9. Rowan Bower – Yokomo

1/12th Stock (13.5 Blinky)
With the series leader Francois Laubscher absent from this event the TQ and win was up for grab for the drivers. In the qualification rounds it was young Brandon Solomon who took TQ in all the rounds securing a great pole position for the mains. It was a tight battle between Wayde Solomon and Gerry Esterhuizen with Gerry managing to start from 2nd on the grid. During the main races it was Brandon who led from the front by winning all three mains. Xray team mates Wayde Solomon and Gerry Esterhuizen had good races in the mains with Wayde eventually finishing 2nd and Gerry 3rd.

1/12th Scale Stock A-Main:
1. Brandon Solomon (TQ) – Xray X12
2. Wayde Solomon – Xray X12
3. Gerry Esterhuizen – Xray X12
4. Patrick Lester – Xray X12
5. Petrus Wasserman – Xray X12

Source: Xray [teamxray.com]

New from T-Works for the JQ Racing The Black Edition comes a number of carbon option parts. The new lightweight items include a graphite brake cam plate, a graphite centre gearbox plate and finally a graphite radio plate.

Source: T-Works [rc-tworks.com]

Arrowmax have introduced the first ever Pro belt grinder. Design to fit front, rear or even middle belts, the Pro belt grinder will help you to precisely grind down the rubber from the top of the belt. The result is a perfectly smooth, light running belt which maintains the same strength as the original version. The function of the belt is guaranteed by the Kevlar fibre inside the belt but the harder outer surface creates more drag and effects the smooth running of the car’s transmission.

Source: Arrowmax [arrowmax-rc.com]

Tamiya have introduced the follow up to their F104 Pro chassis, which was first introduced in 2009, the Pro II. Receiving refinements to enhance your R/C formula racing fun, the Pro II pairs the lightweight and streamlined direct drive F104 chassis with a new lower deck, and upgrade parts, giving a sharp and responsive driving feel. Furthermore, it includes an all-new original body design based on 2017 F1 car bodywork and wing dimensions.

Specifications
– 1/10 R/C model assembly kit. Length: 440mm, width: 180mm, height: 88mm, wheelbase: 270mm.
– The lightweight F104 chassis is fitted with various upgraded parts to turn it into the F104 PRO II.
– FRP double deck chassis has a new lower deck design, and an inline (longitudinal) battery position.
– The 1.5mm thick FRP T-bar design with U-shaped cutaway is inherited from the F104WGP. It makes up the rear suspension in concert with friction plates and a TRF damper.
– Features front independent coil spring suspension. Alter camber by changing upper mount attachment direction.
– Utilises an aluminium ball differential.
– A realistic original polycarbonate body is included. Its design is inspired by 2017 trends, with a sharp, slanting nose and bulging side pontoons. Additional parts are included to create alternative lower side pontoon sections as separate parts for chassis with larger R/C equipment.
– Separate parts depict the complex front wing and its low rear counterpart, rear diffuser, mirrors, helmet, etc.
– Comes with realistic semi-pneumatic synthetic rubber tires, and marking stickers to decorate the body.
– A wide range of Hop-Up Option parts are available to further tune the chassis to your needs.
– Requires: 2-channel radio, steering servo, ESC, 7.2volt battery & battery charger.
– Requires Tamiya Polycarbonate paint to paint the body. (sold separately)

Source: Tamiya [tamiya.com]

Newly announced from Tamiya is the Blue Metallic Limited-Edition Neo Scorcher. Mounted on to the TT-02B chassis, TT-02B the Buggy version, it uses the TT-02 on-road version as its base, adding longer suspension arms, CVA shock units and buggy bumpers to give it great off-road performance. Of course, it retains the TT-02’s excellent drivability and ease of assembly and maintenance, while motor cooling ducts and receiver case add to the model’s durability. It also includes a large wing to go with the futuristic-designed tough body, plus stickers based on the original Terra Scorcher’s livery design.

Specifications
– 1/10 scale R/C model assembly kit. Length: 380mm, Width: 250mm, Height: 145mm. Wheelbase: 266mm
– Finished polycarbonate body and wing have Deep Blue color metallic plating applied, and are pre-cut.
– The model features purple color metal-plated wheels.
– Entry level buggy chassis, which features reliable shaft-driven 4WD.
– 4-wheel double wishbone suspension features long arms and CVA oil shock units.
– Sealed front and rear gearboxes protect the internal mechanisms and make for hassle-free maintenance.
– Stickers to finish the body included.
– Please note: This model requires a receiver with an antenna cable, as the radio signals will be interfered with by the metallic body if using a receiver with a built-in antenna.
– Includes Tamiya TBLE-02S ESC (electronic speed control) Capable of running sensor-based brushless motors and brushed motors alike. (21.5 Turn BL motor limit) (23 Turn brushed motor limit)
– Includes 540 Tamiya Torque Tuned Motor.
– Requires: 2-channel radio, steering servo, 7.2volt battery & battery charger.

Source: Tamiya [tamiya.com]

New from Fenix Racing for the recently released Mugen MTC1 comes this new aluminium flex chassis. Following a similar design, the chassis shape follows the angled battery, thus preventing the front of the chassis from scrubbing on the ground. To better tune the rear of the car a stiffener has been included to be fixed to the lower chassis. On the upper part of the car they released two different upper decks, the short one is meant to work with the short carbon fibre one that comes with the kit, while the long one will be mounted in a more conventional way. Both upper decks allow the driver to tune the flexibility of the rear, also providing one extra set of holes to fix the rear end. Also available is fan holder able to carry both a 30mm or 40mm cooling fan and last but not least, is a 7075 brace for the motor mount.

Source: Fenix [fenix-racing.com]

JConcepts have introduced their line of Swaggers and Pin Downs for the Short Course class. The Swagger SCT front tire has a multitude of heights and angular ribs for cornering speed, consistency and straight-line tracking ability and has shown to produce ultra fast lap times while also being easier to drive than other options on the market. The front tires work best on Carpet and Astroturf tracks where the racing line requires an aggressive style front tire. The Pin Downs feature a pin spiked tread, which is directional for added performance and stability. The directional nature of the pins were positioned to allow broken-in type pins to grip the surface in one direction, while the pins are more upright when oriented in the opposite direction. The bottoms of the pins have heavy radiuses which allow the pins to wear more consistently and not tear or rip off the carcass prematurely. Both tires are designed for industry standard SCT wheels.

Source: JConcepts [jconcepts.net]

Following earlier teasers, Kyosho have finally introduced the new Outlaw Rampage Desert Racing Truck. Bringing a new dimension to R/C cars which incorporates real truck components in a 2WD scale truck. With a new chassis designed from the ground up, the underbody features double wishbone suspension on the front with a link system suspension on the rear in combination with the long stroke of high volume aerating oil shocks to deliver a standard of performance worthy of a 2WD trophy truck. Heavy-duty drive system realises high durability and reliability and is designed to handle high loads with its 32-pitch counter gear and diff gear with slipper clutch to manage sudden load changes from landings etc. With a power centre combination consisting of the newly developed ‘G15’ brushed motor and large capacity Vortex WP Brush ESC 45A, the dynamic performance of the Outlaw Rampage is matched by its stunning 1970-80’s trophy truck style with pre-cut and painted body with decals applied.

Features
– Add 4 x AA size batteries for the transmitter and charge the battery for the chassis and this factory-assembled Readyset (RTR) is ready for action.
– Steering mechanism with slider system makes efficient use of narrow space and is easy to assemble/disassemble by connecting the ball link.
– Front bumper features 3-piece structure that protects the chassis from hard impact.
– Newly developed 15-turn ‘G15’ brushed motor delivers exceptional power and speed.
– Pre-cut and painted body complete with decals applied recreates the image of ’70’s and ’80’s trophy trucks.
– Optional LED light unit (for 2 light:No.97054-2,for 4 light:No.97054-4) can be easily installed.
– Includes 2.4GHz Syncro KT-231P+ transmitter. Features throttle endpoint and steering dual rate setting.
– Equipped with Vortex WP Brush 45A ESC that boasts a maximum continuous current of 45A.

Specifications
Length 555mm (with body)
Width 262mm (with body)
Height 231mm (with body)
Wheelbase 335mm
Tread (F/R) 204mm/204mm
Tires (F/R) 108×38mm
Gear Ratio 12.65:1
Motor 15 turn 540 type (G15 motor)
Weight 2,000g approx.

Source: Kyosho [kyoshoamerica.com]