World's Fastest R/C Car, anyone?

[RogerR]

they said that turbine power is allowed, and that made me wonder...what if you used a solid fuel rocket motor to spin a turbine? the only issue that i wonder about is rule #6

6. The vehicle must remain operable after its speed runs. Sacrificial motors or power systems that are inoperable after a run are not permitted.

would a spent rocket motor be considered a "sacrificial motor"?

the whole question is hypothetical, since i wouldn't know how to go about making this...i'm obviously out of my element.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Maxzillian

Oooooo, it's about darn time they decided to hold an official competition. I've personally been on the r/c scene for the last 5-6 years and have seen some pretty darn crazy creations. The following being two of my toys I've hand built... although the latter has been in the works for 4 years and still isn't done and the former has a little touch up work that needs to be finished such as strengthening the rear suspension and making battery mounts to hang the packs off the side of the chassis to keep the center of gravity down.
http://www.mtsquad.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=116
http://www.mtsquad.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=59

That 6x6 is really awesome. Here's my coolest ride. http://team696.org/images/Mvc-018s.jpg I custom made the tube chassis. I did it when I was really young and I don't have it together anymore. The frame cracked in a few places over the years (I raced it you know) and I wanted to put it back into its original form. I also made a tube rockcrawler style chassis for my Clodbuster that is all together but I never got around to doing electronics and paint.

[Bcahn836]

Our school actually has a R/C car club, one of our teacher mentors is really into these cars. They race in the school parking lot and go off road with the T-Max then go back inside fix them and do it again. All of the members bring their own cars and just have fun. And most of them are on the robotics team which is cool.

[Maxzillian]

Sanddrag: Thanks. I love the sand rail. Personally I've wanted to build one for some time now but I never did get around to collecting the right parts for such a project. Now I can't tell from the picture so I'll guess. Is yours based off a rc10?

I wish our school had a r/c car club, but there really isn't enough inthusiasts in our school let alone the entire community to support such a thing. I personally know 3 people who have r/c cars, but none of them do it very often.

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Maxzillian

Sanddrag: Thanks. I love the sand rail. Personally I've wanted to build one for some time now but I never did get around to collecting the right parts for such a project. Now I can't tell from the picture so I'll guess. Is yours based off a rc10?

I'm glad you like it. I was going to put an interior of sort but I could not find properly scaled seats and didn't have the expertise to make them. It was based on Losi XXT.

As for this world's fastest challenge, I took a look around the Tower Hobbies website and here's what I came up with. The HPI Proceed looks like a very suitable platform for such a high speed car. I found that the Trinity Novarossi and Sirio racing engines have a claimed maximum RPM of an astonishing 44,000 and around 3 hp. With one of those engines and the optional gear set, the Proceed would have a theoretical top speed of around 134 mph. Now, in realityit would probably be considerably lower, more near the record of 111 mph. If there is some way to get another engine into a Proceed or make it use a 3 speed (like from the Kyosho Mad Force), it is possible to make a potentially wining car. Or maybe there's even a way to get two two speeds in series for four but I have a feeling for such a large space three would be sufficient. One disadvantage of the Proceed is that the engine is mounted transverselly, making it difficult to run a twin setup. Maybe something more like an 1/8 scal off road buggy chassis where the engine is inline and it would be easier to add a second one. Ofna has a car called the Ultra GTP that is like this but made for on road. I think Ofna even has a monster truck with two engines called the Twin Titan. Perhaps the engines could be swapped out and it modified for on-road racing?

The only bad thing about this contest is that RC cars cost so dang much and I haven't even heard of any sort of monetary prize. (Of corse having an RC car that goes over 100 mph would be a prize in itself)

[Maxzillian]

Honestly, the car shouldn't need a ton of power. The way you can get around that is by making a car with great aerodynamics and very little rolling resistance. So basically a car with narrow sedan tires or even foamies and a body that is as low as possible. However, if you do want to go ahead with the twin engine idea, I'd have to agree on using a 1/8 scale buggy. They have plenty of room for such a setup and I've seen it done several times before (the most memorable being Greg Vogal's Nitro USA-1 with twin engines and the ability to hit 67 mph).

[sanddrag]

Originally Posted by Maxzillian

(the most memorable being Greg Vogal's Nitro USA-1 with twin engines and the ability to hit 67 mph).

OMG I remember that! You read RCCA? That truck was so awesome. And he used those HG lexan shock bodies - it was like right when they came out. He was such a cool guy, does he still work for them?

Anyone remember Chris Chianelli? (sp?) He used to do the "Back Lot" He then went to work for DIY on his own RC TV show and now I guess he has his own line of Megatech products. He was awesome too. Too bad no more Back Lot though. Wow, I have so many old issues of RCCA. Probably like 100.

[Billfred]

Originally Posted by sanddrag

OMG I remember that! You read RCCA? That truck was so awesome. And he used those HG lexan shock bodies - it was like right when they came out. He was such a cool guy, does he still work for them?

Anyone remember Chris Chianelli? (sp?) He used to do the "Back Lot" He then went to work for DIY on his own RC TV show and now I guess he has his own line of Megatech products. He was awesome too. Too bad no more Back Lot though. Wow, I have so many old issues of RCCA. Probably like 100.

They still have backlot--just not his backlot.

(On the other hand, I guess you could compare the two to a 196X Pontiac GTO to a 2004 Pontiac GTO. But still...)

[team222badbrad]

Speaking of RC are any of you going to purchase the new Traxxas Revo when it comes out? I would but I just dont have $500 to spend.

http://www.traxxas.com/REVO/

[Billfred]

If Dave won't say it, I will--that's pimp.

Thing is, I'm an electric guy. Nitros just are too much of a headache for me, between the noise, the smell, the cleaning, the tuning, the fuel...yikes!

When they come out with an E-REVO, I'd probably be all over it. (Is it Revo or REVO?)

[Maxzillian]

Sanddrag: yeah, I have just about every magazine RCCA has put out from 1997 to 2002-03, but I stoped subscribing after then since many of the articles they put out now is just recaps of old articles. RCCA used to be a great information source, but lately it hasn't been up to par. I only wish Chris was still a part of RCCA, his backlot sections and articles were simply perfect. As for the REVO, I'd love to own one, but I'd rather build the truck myself.

[team222badbrad]

This is an interesting article I found in todays local newspaper:

http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/8950817.htm

Posted on Fri, Jun. 18, 2004

Earning a living is hard, sure, but this is ridiculous

By MARK GUYDISH

WILKES-BARRE - "Yeah," Walter Letanski said on the store phone shortly after the robbery. "Your mother does have a broken wrist and an ankle sprain. They sent her up to get a cast. It's broken in two places."
The snatch-and-run saga that left Karen Letanski sprawled on the ground outside the family store happened with lightening speed, but the effects will last for months.

"Three guys in their 20s came in," explained Walter, owner of Walter's Hardware on Coal Street, on Thursday afternoon. "Two were at the counter talking to my wife. The third guy was over in the hobby department."

Walter was near the back of the store. His wife grew suspicious when one of the men talking to her made eye gestures, apparently to the man behind her.

That man then grabbed a gas-powered, remote-control model truck and ran out the door, with Karen following. The two other men charged out behind her, hitting her in the back and knocking her down. "I heard my wife scream," said Walter, who would not disclose his wife's age.

It was not going to be an easy escape, though.

A customer in the parking lot saw the commotion and followed the three in his vehicle as they ran up a side street, hopped in a car and sped off. The customer continued to follow, Walter said, until the culprits went the wrong way on a one-way street.

One of the three men had been in the store before, about a month ago, Walter said. He came in with another person - not one of those who robbed the store Thursday - and that person tried to buy a model car with a check. But a call to the bank revealed the check was no good, so the men left.

The previous visit, the bouncing check and the parking lot witnesses gave police "a lot of good leads," Walter said, increasing the odds the men will be caught. He praised Wilkes-Barre police for their speedy response.

The toy the men stole? A Horizon Hobby HPI Nitro monster truck worth $400. If it's not recovered, that's money out of Walter's profits. The insurance deductible is more than twice the car's value.

But that's not important, of course. His wife is. He fears she'll be hobbled by the injuries for months.

Which also makes work at the store harder. She's part of the staff, along with his kids. "We really have a family business here," he said, his voice trailing off for a moment.

Then he picked up again. He described the three robbers as white men of average height - 2 or 3 inches shy of 6 feet - and thin.

"It would have been better if it had been my son," at the counter when the thieves struck, Walter said. "They wouldn't have knocked him down."

A customer interrupted, asking for help and guiding Walter to the boxes of gas-powered, remote-control vehicles.

"My son wants one with four-wheel drive," she said.

Obviously, he wants to get his the honest way.

Mark Guydish, a Times Leader staff writer

Walter Letanski, owner of Walter's Hardware on Coal Street in Wilkes-Barre, recounts the theft of a remote control model car Thursday afternoon. Two of the three thieves knocked his wife down when they ran, breaking her wrist.

[Billfred]

This is when you just let them go. I mean, a swiped Savage will hurt you, but so will a few grand in medical bills.

Let them win the battle--then win the war.

[trhgammer]

have any of you thought of using dual egines on a car because you could probaly get twice as much speed out of them. You could make a tank that is twice as big so that the car stays balanced. But hooking them both up could be difficult. But the only problem I can see is weight because more weight the slower the car can go. Oh and I was wondering if any one has checked out the traxxas jato if so could you tell me anything about it's performance.

[sanddrag]

There's a couple cars on the market with dual engines, but I think they are all monster trucks. The hardest part is getting them both tuned to run the same. More weight doesn't necessarily mean less speed, it means less acceleration.