RC_Car_Magazine_2009-04 by Andrey Georgiev

CCC 02987

APRIL 2009

WINNER’S CIRCLE: HARA’S WORLDS HB D8, PHALEN’S NATS BAJA 5B www.rc-car.com

ON POINT: LOSI 8IGHT 2.0

TESTED

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APRIL 2009, VOLUME 12, NO. 4

CONTENTS TEST DRIVES 34

Kyosho Rock Force Worm gear domination, no prescription required.

Schumacher Fusion 28 Just go to your neighborhood half-mile dragstrip!

Team Losi 8ight 2.0 Buggy Losi took our feedback and produced a star.

HPI Baja 5T It’s the Baja 5B, truckified.

112

First Look: Aquacraft Alligator Tours Swamp Boat Prepare yourself. It’s April.

DEPARTMENTS 20

Driver Stand It’s YOUR turn to write the magazine.

Where’s Waldo Facts, integrity and trust are waaay overrated.

Readers Rigs Keep sending ‘em in!

Feedback Write us letters and tell us things.

124 Inside On Road Don’t like dirt? This is your place.

128 Extra Pics Very disturbing staff photos this month.

132 Pit Lane

New stuff! New stuff!! New stuff!!!

134 Vintage RC Are you old enough to remember this classic?

140 ETC Blah blah blah, yadda yadda, ETC.

146 Last Lap Your free monthly poster. Hang it up!

On The Cover: Schumacher’s Fusion car is stupid fast, but we didn’t have enough space to get it to 100mph. We will though. We will. Muahahaha. In This Issue: Frightening magazine staff Extra Pics; tiny shovels, chains, and other murderous accessories; the “Halo” MasterChief riding a swamp boat while thrusting a red pick-axe skyward (did I actually just type that?), and other April-only shenanigans. •8•

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APRIL 2009, VOLUME 12, NO. 4

CONTENTS FEATURES 54

104

Race Report: Halloween Classic Boo! It’s on-road racing.

Winner’s Circle: Tony Phalen’s NationalsWinning 5B Take a look at the Baja Nationals winning car.

My Top 3: Jared Tebo A glimpse into Tebo’s top favorites.

Winner’s Circle: Atsushi Hara’s IFMAR Worlds HB D8 Check out Hara’s winning chassis, close up and personal.

HOW-TO’S 78

Make Radio Gear Last Just a tip: don’t grunt and brainlessly snap your steering wheel back and forth.

Build A Rock Racer Crawler Racer crawler. Free gift. Vegetarian meat. You get it.

122

102 Set Gear Mesh A slip of paper makes it all better.

104 Trim Foam Bumpers Jason finally finds an RC application for his hair dryer.

110

Sauce On-Road Tires Eeeeehhhhh, you like’a da’ sauce, huh?

116

Submit A Reader’s Rig Tip #2: don’t print out a digital photo and mail it to us. Email. Kthxbye.

PRODUCT TESTS 100 Castle Monster Mamba System Buy a spare to power your Prius.

108 Bantam BC6 Charger This charger is smarter than all of us combined.

118

Novak Sentry Data Logger The 1/10-scale version of Formula One data acquisition.

122 Hobby Gear Truck Accessories Outfit your crawler with this miniature crime kit.

54 R/C Car Magazine (ISSN 1534-3529, Canada GST 12500#9266RT), CPC. PUB MAIL #40024492, Volume 12, Number 4, April 2009 published monthly by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company, Inc., with editorial offices at 25233 Anza Dr., Valencia, CA 91355. Subscriptions $19.99 for 12 issues (one year). Canada add $12 additional postage for one year, $24 for two years. Foreign add $15 additional postage for one year, $30 for two years. Copyright ©2009 by Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing in this magazine may be reprinted in whole or in part, by any means, without the express permission of the publisher. Contributors: Photographic submissions must be 5x7 or 8x10 glossy black and white, or 35mm and larger color slides. Please mark each photo with owner’s name and address. Manuscripts should be typewritten. Unsolicited contributions, manuscripts, photographs and illustrations must be accompanied by a stamped, self-addressed envelope. Unless special arrangements are made in advance, all published material becomes the sole property of Daisy/Hi-Torque Publishing Company, Inc. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited material. PERIODICALS: postage paid at Santa Clarita, CA 91383 and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to R/C Car Magazine, P.O. Box 958, Valencia, CA 91380-9058. Printed in U.S.A. For Canadian returns mail to: Bleuchip International P.O. Box 25542 London, ON N6C 6B2.

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EDITOR

Stephen Bess

ASSOCIATE EDITORS Jason Yu Aaron Waldron

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jason Yu

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Tony Arnold Jimmy Babcock Scott Cramer Stephen Sohl

Darryn Johnson Mike Myers Eric Schutt Tim “Lumpy” Tolleson

ONLINE EDITIORS

Brad Roe bradr@hi-torque.com Tom Hinz tomh@hi-torque.com

GRAPHIC DESIGN John Irwin

PHOTO ARTIST Pat Carrigan

COPY EDITOR Jim Algar

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Kay Deicken

PRELIM COORDINATORS William C. Hawley IV

ADVERTISING NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Robert Rex

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Charles Charron

AD PRODUCTION MANAGER Eric Harter

ACCOUNT ADMINISTRATOR Lisa Beckwith

Available for 1/36-*, 1/18-, 1/10- and 1/8-scale vehicles

EXECUTIVE WEB ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

Sean Mccoy smccoy@hi-torque.com

HI-TORQUE PUBLICATIONS PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Roland Hinz

ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER

TAKE TOTAL CONTROL OF YOUR RC PERFORMANCE WITH XCELORIN™ You don’t need a PhD in engineering just to make your RC car or truck perform exactly how you want. With Xcelorin electronics and programming options exclusively from Losi, you can quickly and easily customize the way your power system operates, and program the perfect setup for a wide range of options. Set your braking percentage, throttle limiting, battery type and more trackside with the Quick Programming Card, or plug in to Losi’s Xcelorin programming software for advanced options like selectable LiPo cutoff voltage, throttle/brake curve, reverse rotation, neutral deadband and much, much more. Only Losi gives you this level of customization for your power setup. Only with Xcelorin brushless systems.

Lila Hinz

ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT Cassandra Mittelberg Katharine Mccoy Tom Hinz

CIRCULATION DIRECTOR Jeff Shoop

PROMOTIONS

Tim La Paglia

ADVERTISING & GENERAL OFFICES 25233 Anza Dr. Valencia, California 91355 (661) 295-1910 Fax: (661) 295-1278

Hobby shop sales: To carry R/C Car call 1-800-767-0345 Newsstand Sales: National and international distribution by Curtis Circulation Company Subscriptions: $19.99 for 12 issues (one year). Canada add $12 additional postage for one year, $24 for two years. Foreign add $15 additional postage for one year, $30 for two years. For subscriptions or customer service, call 1-800-767-0345 Any changes of address or subscription problems please contact us by email: wanda@hi-torque.com or call 1-800767-0345

www.rc-car.com Printed by RR Donnely in the USA

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DRIVERS STAND NOW YOU REVIEW THE CARS s, dback on our test car racers/readers for fee o als ’ll ry You . eve t month it on video products to review nex and will begin posting d ice executives, be hel 8ight 2.0 is our first i Los m Tea The . answer to our front off als, take pay month go es sal al , and then log onto ion iew nat rev for accountable example; read our a al out e tak and , nce a video detailing a loc cuts for poor performa our website to watch fund the ng to Alo e . car hom t r tes you our on second mortgage club-racer’s opinion on ts if your new content er Hand” comments in increase in paper cos with our “On The Oth dback videos are just doesn’t sell. our test reviews, our fee Just a ue. iss ril Ap ngs you more inforbri the r is Ca Okay, so this one more way R/C this s perspecicle art l era t products from more heads-up; you’ll find sev ue of mation on tes iss ril Ap the in an in ine d gaz rea y ma month that you’ll onl tives than any other RC of this column t . cen ols @ per Fo 90 ril ile Ap wh no d R/C Car. An world. And that’s our commitment to is complete garbage, Good Racing, . new you something video will indeed bring Stephen Bess g and polling local We’ve begun interviewin

> You’re next. BY STEPHEN BESS the test cars, You are going to review …the person you , Yes s. not the editor you are next. reading this sentence… Car magR/C ry We have a list of eve 9, 200 r ove and r, ibe azine subscr we ck, He . we’re visiting all of you We’ll be there, in know where you live. over-the-top person. Why such an r, you ask? yea objective for the new eral readers sev ; ple sim Well, it’s quite interview the suggested we poll and e track about rac the “average guy” at t car, and tes en giv a on s his feeling magthe in then publish his views the d min ver Ne azine or online. s of R/C fact that we, the editor you consider Car, are flattered that guys” (that’s us more than “average have heard the first time any of us ted in what res inte that); we’re more who’s her bas nd eke a typical we nster truck in mo ic ctr ele one ned ow k of the his entire life may thin d race car. roa onale -sc 1/8 newest . Now that’s a review t Beginning with the nex ’ve we find ’ll you issue, dropped all of our RC and g isin ert related adv al replaced it with nation , ine airl al and internation ads. el hot and , ncy age travel ial tor edi You’ll notice a few e,” our Lan t “Pi ll. we changes as tion, sec iew rev ct du pro quick will now be titled “The nsored Baggage Carousel, spo the late tur fea and da” Pra by rying est and greatest RC car n, um col s Thi le. ilab bags ava to ap sw l “Driver’s Stand,” wil us ulo Fab at Wh ns: “Destinatio e This Us We Did y enc Ag Travel Rigs” will Month?” and “Readers rs Digs: Top ade “Re lly, ura nat become nsored spo s, Hotel Room Snapshot d our fun to d nee we y, by Hyatt.” He With three ediw. eho som s vel tra global r and over 30,000 tors on staff at R/C Ca the globe, we oss acr ead readers spr miles, if you plan to rack up the air an. know what I me in 2009 to get After visiting all of you the opportuniyou your ideas, we’ll give write the s, iew rev r you ty to publish the magaate cre , ials tor edi ine magaz ose which cho n eve zine’s cover text, and

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WHERE’S WALDO IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE. ering apparent than when cov ry, and this is no more ust deepind the our ort rep t to tha try ue . To combat this, we is the fourteenth iss ws ’09 > sho ril Ap de tra N ce RO and spa LD es of rac BY AARON WA ails. We allot plenty a little over a search for hidden det n here at R/C Car for bee and ing ries nd hav sto bla a er on, g d hin rke n rus I’ve wo ders’ trust and ide scoops, rather tha d hard to gain our rea for interviews and ins year now. We’ve worke vague summary into a nd long a spe ing We eez s. squ ine or r gaz nte ma s look at overview to the pri change the way RC’er laptops while ps, pounding away on sho fee cof handful of open pages. at ns sarcastic) opinions oo ern aft inject our (sometimes ss hours at our local ntle cou d rne bu ’ve It’s no secret that we puppets. We de not ma ’re ’ve sipping lattes. We We We . ns. s and helping racers s and editorial colum nd iew frie h rev wit our ing into rac ustry personb ind clu tracks, ed, unbiased s, advertisers, and rything in a fair, balanc ly risk offending reader tine rou and com, nts d me An ess ce. it a point to present eve coverage, critical ass of our faithful audien e fair t enc sen llig pre inte to , we the ies ts alit rta way that respec t at what cost? Ce inly with a sense of humor. t our fans deserve. Bu this tha of ourry e all nta sav do me to and d h e trie bis we’ve mix it up a littl discriminatory rub do it this way. We can fill each page with non just I’ll can on, now m But we don’t have to Fro ’ll we th. on, defend the tru on our toes. From now selves from having to briefly introduce bit, and keep everyone . ntly ntents in my column and Co ere of diff le e littl Tab a the ine ash gaz reh ma our ch roa it. t app really tes ff tests a new car, we an ewhat’s in each issue. When the R/C Car sta r keyboard to send me h kit is run eac ot, sho oto ph start pounding on you our you for e ril car for Ap Be the the g It’s nin x. run Beyond new format, rela tests to determine ging for us to ditch the arbitrarily designated beg il ma gal ans through a gauntlet of se. This me ves its intended purpo it, issue. @ how well each car ser n a good day without n several sets of eve and ks, pac y ter day in RC is better tha bat of bad s A zen do l, fue of and lons ition. RTR’s Aaron Waldron ered in actual compet tires. Racing kits are ent aaron@hi-torque.com a construcin ut abo ed ash thr ged and monster trucks get flog esnec lly Well…it is. But is it rea tion yard. Sound fun? the first time, it’ll likely rks wo sary? If the car d well. Do we really nee work the fifth time as now m Fro ch? mu so to run every vehicle for the photo on, we’ll just run the car on the shelf. shoot and then put it are s icle Our how-to art cted dire s ion est qu inspired by , eers rac al loc m fro us at ice, mails we get at the off nal sio fes pro m and fro racers who habitually practice tricks and techniques that have gotten them to the top of this industry. And speaking of those professionals, we consult with the best in the business to bring you the most relevant and credible information possible. Why? We are magazine editors, we know well enough. We should be able to write all of our how-to’s n based solely on our ow our ect exp and nce erie exp w kno we e readers to assum best. it The Internet has made gama nt pri for r harder than eve news to ng aki bre t sen pre to zines

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HURRICANE 1/5TH SCALE RTR 4WD OFF-ROAD MONSTER RACE TRUCK

The Hurricane C5 was designed with points that a pro racer would find very useful on the race track agaist the competition. The Hurricane C5 is a RTR and has a Zenoah G230, Futaba OEM radio with fail safe 27mhz, Upgraded rear suspension, Improved alloy shock towers, universals for the front and rear suspension, steel brake disc with fiber brake pads, Alloy CNC chassis braces, Steel pinion and spur gears, Hardened heical ring and pinion gears, C-hub front suspension, Chrome wheels with monster tires.

IMPROVED REAR & C-HUB FRONT SUSPENSION

OIL FILLED ALLOY BODY SHOCKS

ZENOAH G230RC 23CC ENGINE STEEL PINION & & ALUMINUM CNC CHASSIS BRACES SPUR DRIVE GEARS

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Enter promo code: HC5RCCAR and receive a $50 discount plus Free S/H for a limited time only. Some restrictions apply. Get yours from FG Supply online at

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READERS’ RIGS Free Zinio Subscription Send us your photos of your RC creations, and if the photos get printed, we’ll send you a free one-year Zinio digital subscription to R/C Car magazine! Cars winning “Best in Show” will receive R/C Car magazine decals and a new Pro-Line body! Be sure to send your complete mailing address and all the vital hop-up info about your personal ride. E-mail your photos to rccar@hi-torque.com w available in R/C Car magazine, no your Inbox! I live in

itris and Hello, my name is Dim rno GT. It has some Infe an is car My . Athens a Novarossi 21R7 aftermarket parts like niaust carbon pipe, tita engine, a Vantage exh ts par n bo car er oth o um chassis, and als me. Not easy that are handmade by e but nice her g ma to find your it every g din rea joy En . job time. Dimitris Anastasiadis Athens, Greece

Caps lock, check! One [sic] e-mail! MY NAME IS JAY WILLIAMS AND IM IN TAMPA FLORIDA...ATTACHED YOU WILL FIND TWO OF MY LATEST CREATIONS, THE KYOSHO INFERNO GT, ONE IS CONVERTED TO A CONVERTIBLE AND THE SECOND ONE IS A 100 MPH CONFIRMED GAS-POWERED REMOTE...BOTH WITH FUNCTIONAL COWL INDUCTION SYSTEM, CUSTOMED MADE METAL GRILLS AND FUNCTIONAL LIGHT SYSTEM WITH BRAKE LIGHTS. ALSO INCLUDED ARE OFNA FORCE .32 ENGINE WITH MODIFIED CARBS AND CUSTOMED FABRICATED GEARS, WHICH PINION WISE, I WAS ABLE RUN 21, 26 ON THE PINION....AS YOU SEE, MY CARS ARE UNIQUE AND VERY REALISTIC....IN TAMPA, I AM THE FASTEST IN TOWN OF THE 8TH SCALE TOURING CARS. SO CHECK EM OUT....AND OH, BY THE WAY, IN TAMPA, I AM KNOWN AS THE KING, MAKE SURE YOU MENTION THAT WHEN YOU PLACE MY CARS IN YOUR MAGAZINE....THANK YOU JAY WILLIAMS WESLEY CHAPEL, FLORIDA.

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Playing with fire

ld HPI Hellfire This is my three-year-o inner diffs, um SS. It has Integy alumin ering serste 0 910 and JR 985 throttle r, and gea radio vos, RD Logics pipe, e my tak I tor. mo 3 an LRP Z.28R Spec and ck tra al loc my to og HPI underd gs. It is a lot of run with all the big do your magazine. in it ke fun. Hope I ma rk. Keep up the good wo Eric Gibson Monroe, Michigan

David and Goliath

I’m 15, I live in Spruce are a few Grove, Canada, these cars. two t firs my pictures of 1/7 M XT my on ps p-u Ho ounted rem e: XLB Buggy includ the e sid (be y ter bat receiver air filter, m Ra tom cus ), ine eng pension Pro-Line Pro-Pulls, sus g. din bin se rea dec to mod Losi Hop-ups on my Team e: lud inc ck Tru t Micro-Deser springs, ck sho o, LiP i Los m Tea front/rear crystals, and modified travel. n sio pen sus se to increa t ser De I love driving my big too is B XL my Truck where as. are al rur in sy or noi at Thanks, keep up the gre work! Scott Ellio a Spruce Grove, Canad

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• 27 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

READERS’ RIGS Like Father…

sh, I painted Here is my Traxxas Sla p of some hel the Joker body with the n made. Joh y dd bu custom decals my cell eethr a e hav I t, tha h Along wit RC an r, we LiPo providing the po e STRC aluSolutions roll cage, som um shocks, minum upgrades, alumin sion work! pen sus and some custom the local at rly ula reg tty We race pre tty good, pre out track. I usually come beat ’t esn do son or if my daughter Jonas her of s pic you t sen e me! Sh sponsored by Brothers truck! We are RC Solutions, , use Ho y Frank’s Hobb t Print Shop, FST Motorsports, Kisme way in eed Sp and Raising Havok , nks Tha Arizona! Patrick

...Like Daughter

ntha Markham and I am Hello, my name is Sama see I love the Jonas 14 years old. As you can into e but I talked my dad tim e Brothers! It took som xxas Tra my for dy bo Brothers helping me do a Jonas e, cag ons luti So R/C Slash. The truck has a minum itter/receiver, STRC alu Spektrum DX2 transm um min alu , ead lkh bu um front steering parts, alumin tons pis tom cus h wit cks sho rear hubs. Aluminum to talk about because that my dad told me not ine! inst reads your magaz everybody we race aga give t ins s that we race aga Most of my dad’s friend but I dy bo rs the bro the jonas me a hard time about of my t par y onl the it, ut abo tell them "don't worry for rear bumper"! Thanks truck you will see is the ck. taking a look at my tru Samatha

Yes, it is. Good talk.

Here is a pic of my h Traxxas Bandit VXL wit and dy bo s ept a JConc cks Integy piggyback sho M along with RP nt front/rear arms and fro bumper. Amy L Davis n Sheboygan, Wisconsi

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FEEDBACK Side of RC” editorial, I’ve seen too 5 I have the E-Maxx 390 many racers in my run time has Waterproof edition. My area get really with the lower diminished immensely upset over club . I was wondollar batteries I run now racing. I’ve even to lithium withitch sw ld cou I if ing der seen guys cheat, system? Will out having the brushless cut the track and . it blow my ESC? Thanks completely ignore Jarrod Borga (e-mail) their friends when they call them on LiPos safely You can swap out to 2S it. Why does comhan ESC (it can without damaging the petition create so do NOT run dle up to 14.8-volts), but many problems? I hwit ping point them down to the dum hope someday to cutoff first, or you out installing a voltage meet Atsushi Hara es! For full will damage your batteri cus to see for myself me eso aw s' details, contact Traxxa what a good guy at (888) tomer support directly you say he is. TRAXXAS. Some of the pros I’ve met have been Brushless Choices for systems complete jerks. ing I am currently shopp bet Kevin T (e-mail) makes one and I don’t know what’s a is er, oth the m ter or a better value fro If you think that e or speed as lower (Kv) lower torqu to was disturbpho y life? well as increased batter ing, you should see Richard Lively some of Stephen’s middle-school class shless motors In general, lower Kv bru photographs. h wit given voltage will have lower rpm per Awkward! s tem sys Kv her increased battery life. Hig the expense of offer increased rpm at We Bring The something mide oos Ch e. tim run some or , Goods t of both worlds ground to have the bes for r ure act Congratulations, nuf ma ’s consult with your vehicle R/C Car, I signed their recommendations. up for another O’Donnell Z01B was year. Your review of the n? ow ard Te tal To t the car, and I like it, almost perfect. I bough Club Race engine I read your article on gs I couldn’t figure thin but there were a few before that you’re rd hea I’ve ce. nan mainte s’ cars were outperout, like why my friend entire engine apart supposed to take the article and reamedforming mine. I read the You didn’t do that; is I can’t believe what to clean it each time. s. arm n out the suspensio and great maga, nks Tha ? son rea a there checked out the other a difference it made. I none of them had zine. and three magazine tests Tripp Cole r test did, not even you n atio rm the kind of info es al a loy reader who lov y increase the fricclose! Great job from Complete teardowns onl ! you to his Z01B now, thanks ween engine compotion wear and tear bet often you re mo Benjamin Little (e-mail) the , rds wo er nents; in oth the e, cas ine eng the remove the sleeve from taking the time to ces becomes. A miniCheers, and thanks for looser its fit and toleran t more detailed feedback maintain the tightes write in. Look for even mal teardown is best to via video content and t te, bsi ven we pre well as to like this on our tolerances possible, as tets. the engine inadverten downloadable setup she introducing debris into

LiPo Safety?

ly.

Don’t Get Bent!

is heinous in this Wow, your head editor ver your artist did to month’s photo. Whate but very funny. I ry— sca t his photo is jus eed with the “Ugly wanted to say that I agr

Real Reviews

ine; I love the way Hey, guys, great magaz ut the products you you’re very honest abo I the ST-RR truggy yet? test. Have you tested nks. tha , this on iew rev a would love to see Denise St. Clair

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ST-RR truggy Denise, yes the Kyosho the January 2008 was our cover truck on up an all digital k pic can magazine. You $3.99 at www.rcZinio copy right now for .” Thanks for ues Iss ck “Ba k car.com, clic the feedback, too!

Hiring?

Car have any I need a job, does R/C ty, smart wit tic, cas sar openings? I’m fit right in. I’d k thin I . jerk a be and can construcrk wo of Any hope for an out er? tion manag Steel Venom (e-mail) y profile fits Although your personalit we are not tly, fec per our office’s almost are always We nt. me mo the at hiring ugh. If you live looking for free labor, tho in the area, look us up. @

1/18th 1/10th 1/8th

1/18th scale

Sidewinder Micro Sport 1/18th scale and mamba micro pro extreme 1/18th scale power packages come with 4200, 5400, 6800, or 8000 kv motors.

1/10th scale Sidewinder Sport 1/10th scale power packages come with 4600, or 5700 kv motors. Mamba Max Extreme 1/10th scale power packages come with 4600, 5700, 6900, or 7700kv motors.

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1/8th scale and monster trucks mamba monster power packages come with neu-castle 2200kv (left) or neu-castle 2650kv motors (right) designed by castle and steve neu.

, ,

World Class Engineering The newest Revo 3.3 keeps sharp focus on core performance elements in the lightest, quickest, and most versatile Revo yet. Only Revo has the latitude in performance and tuning adjustment to be both the pinnacle of monster truck performance and a superior racing platform. New features include a compact receiver box and shift servo mount, large capacity 150cc fuel tank, digital, high-torque ball-bearing steering servo, 17mm splined aluminum wheel hubs and nuts, and hard-anodized Teflon®-coated shocks

Digital High-Torque Steering Servo

with Titanium Nitride coated shafts. The legendary high revving power of the national championship winning TRX® 3.3 Racing Engine drives a low-mass, quick-revving, two-speed, forward only transmission for amazing acceleration and top speed. Engine performance has been further enhanced with a high-flow dual-stage air filter and Resonator™ mirror-polish aluminum tuned pipe. World class Traxxas engineering sets Revo apart. Nothing else even comes close.

17mm Wheel Hub and Hex Nut

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Teflon-Coated GTR Shocks with Titanium Nitride Shafts

Progressive Suspension Design The key to Revo’s remarkable handling is in the rockers. Revo’s patent-pending linkage-based suspension not only delivers the most suspension travel of any monster truck, it constantly varies both the spring force and damping to match suspension movement. Over small bumps, the suspension is light and responsive, reacting instantly to the surface. Compress the suspension over large jumps and the rocker geometry progressively increases the spring force and shock damping. In an instant, the suspension automatically becomes stiffer when you need it most. Ride height, progressive rate, and damping can all be fine tuned independently of the other. The result is a that simply would not be possible with conventional suspension design. Only Revo delivers the best handling for every extreme.

Truck of the Year RC Car Action

Best Nitro Truck RC Car Action Readers’ Choice

Seven-Time Champion 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 R/C Pro Nationals 2006, 2007 ROAR Nationals

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TEST DRIVE PHOTOS BY JASON YU

Force climb! • 34 •

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The 2.2 rock-crawling segment continues to explode, and now Kyosho has joined in with the 2.2 class Kyosho Rock Force crawler chassis. The Rock Force is a new from the ground up bomb-proof competition crawler chassis which features some of the most advanced machining, chassis, and transmission engineering designs available anywhere in RC... think of if as a new Inferno MP9 for rock crawling. BY TONY ARNOLD>

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â&#x20AC;˘ 35 â&#x20AC;˘ APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

TEST DRIVE TRANSMISSION Starting with the drive system, Kyosho literally put a different spin on crawling with worm-gear-drive transmission. Worm gears offer a lot of advantages; they are more compact, stronger, smoother, deliver more precise control (less slop), are quieter, deliver highspeed durability, provide more drivetrain clearance, position lock (prevent freewheeling), and can deliver so much gear reduction that a gearbox is unneeded— pretty impressive. For rock crawling, it's the ultimate. You could easily pull 1/10scale tree stumps out with the torque from the Rock Force's 30:1 gear reduction just at the axle (143:1 total). Kyosho assured long-term durability with all hardened steel worm gears and drivetrain components. The worm gear drive nets the loneliest-looking gearbox in RC with only a motor mount plate and a non-slippered spur gear that allows for plenty of gearing changes to suit the user—very simple. Since there isn't a transmission hanging up high, the worm-

gear drivetrain lowers CG as well. The benefits of worm-gear drives also spill over into electronics requirements. Because of the gear reduction, Kyosho was right in saying a standard stock 27T motor delivers more slow go than you can imagine. Worm gears also position lock and don't freewheel, so wherever the motor leaves the axle, is where it's going to stay until more power is applied. Even with an inexpensive ESC without drag brakes, the crawler will stay put at the most severe inclines.

DRIVESHAFTS Even the driveshafts on this kit are unique, featuring a dual telescoping design that’s beefy, beefy, beefy. The shafts are made up of dual internally hexed steel female shafts married with a floating steel hex shaft all covered with a free-floating aluminum cover. The driveshafts marry up to the axles via heavy steel output yokes that could easily handle 1/5-scale power output.

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STEERING & LOCKOUT The 1/8-scale class steering knuckles, bearings, worm-gear output yokes, dogbones and axles are a great example of how serious Kyosho was about delivering ultimate durability. Integrated axle/hub cases are Kyosho's proprietary super-thick plastic which should take extreme levels of abuse without failure. Rear toe-in grub screw lockouts, like all the other steering linkage, are big 1/8-inch thick steel pieces

SHOCKS More beef with 1/8-scale oversized threaded shock bodies with thick shock rods and milled brass pistons. The plastic rod ends and the shock bodies are so thick that durability should not be a concern. The milled aluminum shock caps up durability and the shock spring adjustment rings feature internal O-rings

Kyosho uses a bullet ve dri ar ge rm wo proof rce unit for the Rock Fo

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TEST DRIVE to assure that your shock spring tuning stays put. With the big shocks’ damping capabilities, Kyosho recommends a lighter weight oil like the 25wt I used.

CHASSIS & LINKS The Rock Force's Twin Vertical Plate (TVP) chassis design is similar to that of most crawlers, with two chassis plates, a real metal skid plate, and multi-link suspension. Looking more at the chassis, what isn’t typical are huge links, a stock four-link rear suspension, and three-link plus Panhard bar (track bar) front link setup... a what? Panhard bar multi-link suspensions are usually only featured in specialized custom 1:1 rock racers and off-road four-by-fours. Kyosho is introducing the Panhard bar to RC with the Rock Force. A Panhard bar link is a fourth cross link that prevents the axle in a three-link suspension from moving laterally during articulation and thus provides more control, less torque twist, and decreases CG (center • 38 •

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of gravity) changes. Kyosho definitely had the competitive crawler competitor in mind as the chassis provides a ton of tuning options. No need to tear down your shocks each time to tune your ride height for a course. The Rock Force features simple but stunningly effective ride height tuning via front and rear limiter straps (zip ties) that still allow for full articulation. The servo mount was mounted very low for lower CG; however, I am a little concerned that with the output of today’s servos a two servo ear/screw mount isn’t enough to hold under extreme conditions.

BODY If you follow the instructions, you can’t help but wonder if there will be anything left of the body after trimming. All painted and decal-ed up though, it looks simply awesome and is very true to scale to typical 1:1 Jimmy bodied racing crawlers. My paint job was simple

dual color theme thanks to included window paint masks and a number of decals to dress up the body. I of course added a few extra of my own. The stock body will do for us mere mortals; unfortunately it is not USRCCA (governing body) competition legal. However, Kyosho thought ahead and included aftermarket body mounts for an easy body swap.

WHEELS & TIRES The stock 12mm hexed wheels would have been usable; however, they didn’t offer enough clearance to allow the massive anodized aluminum hex nuts to fully thread, and without thread lock, they work loose easily− I am still looking for one that was lost. By contrast, the included stock tires were some of the best and stickiest tires yet to ship with a crawler with excellent overall traction once properly supported with a set of Pro-Line memory foams.

ELECTRONICS Kyosho noted that no special crawler motor or ESC was required, so I choose an Orion 27t Stock Formula motor and powered it with my old-school Tekin Rebel 2 ESC. The battery tray will hold any standard stick pack, but I used one of A123’s new slim molded ultra-light hard case packs to improve CG further. A digital 333oz/in. Hitec 7955TG titanium geared servo kept the wheels turning via a HiTec 75Mhz RX and HiTec PCX FM Transmitter.

TESTING I ran the Rock Force though my standard test “crawler course of pain” to see where it shined or lacked compared to other crawlers and builds. One thing you will notice immediately is that the drivetrain has near zero slop, so little that the only detectable slop is the hex-to-axle pin movement—amazing. When paired with super low gearing it allows total control while crawling even at “the grass grows faster” speeds. Set up in stock form, the chassis is one of the most neutral-reacting crawler kits with zero torque twist I have driven. I could work lines I could never have attempted with previous stock kits and even a few custom builds. The diesel-tractor-like torque output is just awesome and powers you up and over inclines. The worm gear braking was also outstanding and even with the 27T motor, it stuck like glue without rolling. To test the durability I did my worst, and flat out tried to break stuff. The

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best I was able to do was strip the stock servo saver—excellent overall durability. Testing the Rock Force on even loose limestone, I was reminded how very far we have come in only a year with out-of-the-box performance. The Rock Force’s performance exceeded any stock kit I have tested. Much of that performance credit goes to the very low CG design of the Rock Force, factory ride height adjustment tuning, stickier tires, lack of chassis torque twist, and advantages of the worm-gear drive. In the hands of a novice or pro, a bone-stock Rock Force delivers complevel performance.

WHAT WE LIKED Until crawling came along, I felt we were in an RC engineering rut... oohh, big deal, “now a half ounce lighter”... but the Kyosho Rock Force represents some real from the ground up, head-scratching engineering. The kit uniquely delivers some outstanding engineering ideas like worm drive and Panhard bar linking that just plain work. The reality is that with a USRCCA legal body, the Rock Force is competition worthy right out of the box. There is no question Kyosho has delivered the besthandling, competition-worthy, and most durable stock crawler kit thus far. Actually, from a durability perspective, this 1/8-scale parted RC in a 1/10-scale frame may be THE most durable RC available…period. Optional parts are coming including high speed worm gears and sping sets for additional tuning. Then there is of course the "Dig" system parts that will alow turns on a dime even with all locked differentials... but that is another article.

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TEST DRIVE

WHAT WE WOULD CHANGE Unseating Tamiya’s $400-plus CR01 kit as the new highest price crawler kit yet, the Rock Force’s $550 street price will undoubtedly create a stir, considering it still needs electrics, tire foams and shock oil. On a kit of this level and cost, beadlock wheels and a stock motor are expected.

CONCLUSION Sure, the kit isn’t cheap, but Rock Force owners will get an exceptional quality 2.2 class crawler with very durable 1/8-scale parts and more metal parts than competing models. The kit will pay for itself by greatly reducing or even altogether preventing breakage. Even a jaded self-professed crawler nut like myself who has over ten entry- to competition-level crawlers was very impressed with the Kyosho Rock Force in stock tune. For those new to crawling, the chassis delivers very predictable performance that put a precision pro-level crawler in your hands without worry about breakage. For those serious about competing, the performance, chassis, adjustability, engineering and, most of all, the durability of the Rock Force will deliver huge benefits. After all, the most important part of winning is actually finishing. See you on the rocks. @

THE FINAL CALL Highs —A rock-solid drivetrain married with competition-grade components and chassis. TORQUE! Lows—This level of kit needs beadlocks. Shock oil, and tire foams are not included. Final Call—The engineering and components are worth the price in upgrade parts savings and crawler capabilities.

KYOSHO ROCK FORCE Type: 1/10-scale 2.2 Class Electric Rock Crawler Street Price: $550 Class Rivals: Axial AX-10, Venom Creeper, Tamiya CR-01, Losi Comp Crawler

TEST EQUIPMENT Transmitter: Hitec CRX Spectra module, $69 Receiver: Hitec Synth DX, $68 Servo: Hitec 7955TG digital servo, $100 Speed Control: Tekin Rebel 2, $85 Motor: Orion 21t Stock Formula, $20 Battery: A123 Nanophosphate Lithium-ion 2200 6.6V hard pack, $49

TEST SETUP Setup We Used: Included Kyosho instruction manual setup. Test Tracks: Rocks Track Conditions: Rocky

DIMENSIONS D DI IM ME EN NS SIO ON NS S Width ...........................................................................................10.6 in. (270mm) Wheelbase ..................................................................................12.2 in. (310mm) Length .........................................................................................16.9 in. (430mm) Height............................................................................................5.5 in. (140mm) Ground Clearance.....................................................................1.63 in. (41.4mm) Weight ..........................................................................................91.7 oz. (2600g) Chassis ..........................................Machined aluminum twin verticle plate 4-link Thickness ....................................................................................................3mm Suspension................................................................................4-link and panbar Damping .....................................................................................1/8-scale shocks Drivetrain ..............................................................................................worm gear Pinion/Spur...................................................................................................18/86 Final Gear Ratio ......................................................................................143.33:1 Differentials............................................................................Locked Differentials Bearings............................................................................................Full Bearings

PERFORMANCE DATA Zero to 100 feet .............................................................................28.05 seconds Zero to top speed ............................................................................ 0.8 seconds Stalker ATS verified Top Speed ...........................................................2.43 MPH

SOURCES Kyosho America, 20322 Valencia Circle, Lake Forest, CA 92630-8158 • ph. (949) 454-8854; fax (949) 454-8881 www.kyoshoamerica.com

Team Orion, 20322 Valencia Circle Lake Forest, CA 92630-8158 • ph. (949) 454 8854; fax (949) 454 0308 www.teamorion.com Tekin, Inc., 165 Commerce St. McCall, ID 83638 • www.teamtekin.com

Hitec, 12115 Paine St., Poway, CA 92064 • ph. (858) 748-6948; fax (858) 748-1767 www.hitecrcd.com A123 Racing, 12 Avenue E, Hopkinton, MA 01748 • 1-888-2215569 • www.A123Racing.com

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WHY did we spend nearly two years in researching,

reformulating and laboratory testing our new Gen2 Fuels? WHY did we field test in competition on 3 different continents? WHY did we insist in exceeding the racers’ expectations instead of just meeting their needs? WHY? Because our customers expect nothing less from the global leader in car fuels!

The heart of the new RACE Gen2 formulas is a unique and revolutionary lubrication package that combines a greatly increased flow rate with increased film strengths, allowing: • MORE POWER THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE THROTTLE RANGE • COOLER OPERATION • GREATER MILEAGE • EASIER TUNING • ENHANCED FLOWABILITY • EXTENDED ENGINE LIFE

RACE Gen2: Proven superior in competition—and getting attention from industry leaders! “Byron Gen2 is unbeatable in power and consistency. My engines run cooler and last longer. This is simply the best fuel I have ever used.” Cody King TQ Truggy, 2008 R/C Pro Series 1st Place Truggy, 2008 JBRL

“Gen2 provided phenomenal results! I was able to lean the top 7 hours and the bottom 2 hours, got an extra 2 minutes run time per tank at lower temperatures than the previous RACE 3000. What an effect this will have on the industry!”

“If you were to describe the ULTIMATE FUEL for today’s car engines, the new Gen2 RACE Fuels from Byron Originals would fit that description perfectly...” Jim Hottinger, CEO Fusion Motorsports/ NOVAROSSI USA

Ross Denny 1st Place and TQ Monster Truck, 2007 U.S. Gas Championships

Gen2 is on the shelf at a hobby shop near you— look for the new orange color. Byron RACE Gen2—all other brands are officially put on notice!

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TEST DRIVE PHOTOS BY JASON YU

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Speed. Ridiculous, absurd, insane, outlandish speed. That’s what it’s all about. The day I first laid eyes on an electric touring car flying by at top speed, I was impressed. But the day I first saw (and heard) a nitro engine in a touring car, and then hearing the transmission drop into second gear and then going even faster, I was completely blown away. Hands down, there is no other RC car that will top the speed of a well set up on-road car. Evidently, the people at Schumacher feel the same way, and they meant to prove it. Only, they took it way beyond conventional means. What if we told you that Schumacher has produced a car that will easily exceed highway speed limits nationwide? Okay, impressive. Well, what if we told you that this car is also capable (using an optional 100 mph parts kit) of top speeds in the three-digit category? That’s right, 100-plus miles per hour! Catch your interest? Allow me to introduce to you, the fastest RTR available, the Schumacher Fusion 28. BY JASON YU>

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TEST DRIVE KIT FEATURES Plenty 8. Want to talk about overkill? The “28” isn’t tacked onto the Fusion’s name for nothing. As you’ve probably already guessed, the car includes a tremendously large .28 engine. The engine is claimed to have 2.85 horsepower, and tops out at 33,000 rpm. Let’s take into consideration just how absurd this is. Take for example the HPI Savage X RTR. This 12-pound truck runs a comparatively sized .28 engine that propels it to approximately 45 mph. Now take a similarly sized engine and stick it in a car that weighs less than five pounds. I think you get the idea.

Foamies. Knowing that the car will be hitting unrecognizable speeds, Schumacher has equipped the Fusion 28 with foam tires; and for very good reason. You see, there is only a certain number of rpm that a rubber tire can handle before it pretty much…well, explodes. Not wanting any of us to actually experience that for ourselves (and believe me, you don’t want to), the foams were generously included with the car. Not to mention, they’re lighter than rubber, so you can expect some extra rpm.

necting both differentials in a serpentine layout. It’s not the usual skinny belt that we’re used to seeing on touring cars. In fact, the belt in the Fusion is 16mm wide; over three times wider than its electric counterparts. The setup is also a little different. Most cars will use multiple belts routed around the engine. This one goes right underneath the engine, just behind the flywheel. Additionally, the entire belt drive is sealed in its own case, keeping all the rocks, debris, and other not fun stuff out.

One belt to rule them all. The Fusion 28 retains the single belt driveline, con-

Speed X 3. Hiding underneath the plastic cover on the side of the car is

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• 47 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

TEST DRIVE Schumacher’s renowned three-speed transmission. A good portion of the Fusion 28’s top speed will be greatly dependent on this marvelous little setup. The transmission is also adjustable with a single locknut at the end of the layshaft. In my opinion, it’s much simpler than the old spin-thegear-until-you-find-the-setscrew setup. Other cool features…and one not so cool. There are several other features that we found quite impressive. For instance, ball differentials in both the front and rear, swaybars, tons of adjustment, CV joints, a giant throttle return spring, and tons and tons of adjustments like camber, caster, front and rear toe, anti-squat, droop, and a slew of other adjustments. However, the one feature we weren’t too partial to is the Torx screws. It’s been a Schumacher “thing” for some time now, but it’s inconvenient to have to find the driver when compared to the more conven-

tional Phillips or Allen head screws.

PERFORMANCE TESTING We needed a big area to test the Fusion 28. Knowing the track would be nowhere large enough for the car to stretch its legs, we drove around to find the biggest, most open parking lot we could find. We ended up at the local city college, where the asphalt is perfectly smooth, and there wasn’t a single parking block in sight. Finals had just ended, so the students were on break, leaving us with a very spacious area to open the car up. Several tanks of fuel were run through the car before we started to lean it out, yet already, the car is a handful. As we squeezed more power out of the engine, the Fusion became increasingly twitchy to drive. The power on tap is ridiculous. You know, I’ve always wanted a car with tons of power. Maybe next time, I should be a little more careful with what I ask for. With the final tunings dialed in,

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the Fusion was ready to go. However, I don’t think I was ready to go. It was already tricky to drive the Fusion while it was rich, but now with an engine that has full pop, it is downright outrageous. But—oh, my god—is it entertaining! This is hands down the most fun I’ve ever had with an on-road car, ever! The .28 is insanely powerful. It’s got more punch than you’ll ever need. If I can equate it to something, the combination of the car and engine is the equivalent to bolting a Corvette Z06 engine to, oh…I don’t know, a Segway. It is terrifyingly exhilarating! As far as handling goes, I’d hate to say it, but the car doesn’t really have it. None. Zero. Zilch. Well, at least not at speed. At lower speeds, the Fusion’s got a bit of a push. And throttling requires a bit of caressing to avoid spin outs. But who cares? You’re not going to buy this car to run laps around the track. That’s not what the car was intended for. The Fusion is LUDICROUS

… iew of the ON THE OTHER HAND med up the entire rev gle word could’ve sum

t sin e we ing and production tim Aaron: Terrifying. Tha ed us from the proofread sav ompanyand acc ion and Fus .28 er Schumach formance of the Picco per the loit exp ly tru long stretch of smooth spend on car tests. To need an unbelievably you , ion iss nsm tra te disregard for ing three-speed the car, and a comple int from which to see po e tag most certainly van uld wo tall a at t, asphal might contact at wh it g thin any and several car that this car withstood the safety of both the should be duly noted it , ver m we fro Ho ery ty. nd oci wa vel ls be terminal around and fee damage. The car darts tches o stre zer it h as wit s car she the cra in s k seriou e over and loc ore aerodynamics tak ibits a predictable about 45-60 mph, bef ay speeds. Sure, it exh ew fre t pas ll we ) rod ting nec zipping up and con en d wh its legs (an ’t handle terribly maneuvers and doesn eed e would bother -sp eon low som ring y du wh sh pu able clip, but that’s not son rea re mo ate-devoura at est l et down the stre acceleration and rea overwhelming surge of The in RC. . d car nce this erie ng exp asi purch ill I had never before thr a is .28 ion Fus ing top speed of the 75mph+ in a 1/10prehend just how fast t. It's difficult to com fas y sill glimpse). We y, a Sill : for en eo ph vid Ste rself (check out our you it n see 've it to the cenyou il scale car is unt h, and we plan to get ion is capable of 100mp Fus long the ock e -bl iev 2.5 bel our tely absolu . Apparently a long enough test bed ing rate. It's rm ala an at d lan up tury mark once we find bbles . At speed, this car go sle can do plenty dragstrip wasn't enough six-pound, 75mph mis a ; car this h wit l efu car be t Jus . too le durab T a car for beginners. of damage. This is NO

fast in a straight line. If Superman ever wanted an RC car, this would be the one. The only thing the steering should be used for is to keep the car straight when it’s rocketing down the strip, and then to turn around when it’s a speck in your vision so you can rocket ship the car again on the way back. The Fusion 28 lunges forward with so much force, it would put top fuel dragsters to shame. Given enough runs, the accelerating G-

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forces the car produces would probably slide the stickers to the back of the body until they fall off. The Fusion 28 is that impressive.

WHAT DID WE LIKE? The speed. Oh my, the speed. There is no denying that the velocity at which this car travels is breathtaking. And even better yet, the car can still go faster!

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TEST DRIVE

SCHUMACHER FUSION 28 Type: 1/10-scale 4WD nitro touring car. Street Price: $500 Class Rivals: Traxxas Nitro 4-Tec 3.3

TEST EQUIPMENT WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE? Considering the Fusion’s stellar top speed, I would like to have seen something more glitch proof installed in the car. The FM radio, in its own right, is definitely better than an AM radio. However it’s still prone to interference. At 80 mph, I’d feel more confident with a 2.4 GHz system. Another small gripe with the car is the Torx screws. Fortunately, I have a wrench for these screws, but not everyone will. Tools for hex head screws, or even Phillips head screws, would be something everyone would already have in their toolbox.

CONCLUSION Schumacher has officially earned the “Manufacturer of the Fastest Production Car” award. The Fusion 28 is blisteringly fast. In fact, we don’t recommend blinking when you drive the car. We have never tested a car that is so belligerently quick, and quite honestly, we’re disappointed that there aren’t more of these around. The closest competition the Fusion 28 has is the Traxxas Nitro 4-Tec 3.3. And even then, the 4-Tec’s top speed is still ten miles per hour shy of what the Fusion is capable of. Personally, I am absolutely convinced that the Fusion 28 is the fastest RTR available. It will embarrass any box stock car (and most modified cars, for that matter) that even thinks about challenging it. Keep in mind that our Fusion 28 was also tested in 100 percent stock form. So in the unlikely event that there is actually something faster, just wait until you see part 2 of our test—when we take the car past 100 mph. @ SEE EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AT

www.rc-car.com THE FINAL CALL Highs: Fast. Fast! Lows: Torx screws. The Final Call: Have a need for speed? This is the car that will get you your fix. Guaranteed!

Radio: Schumacher Response SW (included) Servos: Schumacher R-1000 (included) Engine: Schumacher Picco X-28 (included) Battery: Energizer AA 4-pack ($5) Body: Kit (included) Tires: Kit (included)

TEST SETUP Setup we used: Stock Test track: College of the Canyons parking lot 2. Track conditions: Wide open.

DIMENSIONS D DI IM ME EN NS SIO ON NS S Width:...........................................................................................7.87in. (200mm) Wheelbase:...............................................................................14.09 in. (358mm) Length:.......................................................................................16.54in. (420mm) Weight:..........................................................................................69.6oz. (1973g) Ground clearance:........................................................................... .20in. (5mm) Chassis:.................................................................................................Aluminum Thickness: .....................................................................................................4mm Suspension: ...........................................4 wheel independent, double wishbone Damping: ...........................................Aluminum body, oil-filled, coil over shocks Sway bars: ................................................................Front: 1.5mm; Rear: 1.5mm Drivetrain: ..............................................................................................Belt drive Pinion/Spur: .......................................................................... 24-28-32/65-61-57 Final Gear Ratio: .......................................................................................... TK:1 Differentials:................................................................................................... Ball Bearings:........................................................................................... Metal shield

PERFORMANCE DATA Zero to 100 feet..............................................................................1.85 seconds Zero to top speed ..........................................................................6.52 seconds Stalker ATS verified Top Speed ......................................................75.34 MPH* *limited space. Stay tuned for the 100 mph speed run.

80 70 60 50 40 30

SOURCES Schumacher USA, Inc., 6302 Benjamin Rd., Suite 404, Tampa, FL 33634 • phone (813) 889-9691; fax (813) 8899593 • www.racing-cars.com

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RACE COVERAGE

NORTHEAST GRAND SLAM SERIES RACE 1, 2008

The 2008-2009 Northeast Grand Slam Series kicked off in style with the Sixth Annual Halloween Classic. A total of 240 entries made their way to The Gate in Cleveland, Ohio, for some of the best indoor carpet racing the country has to offer. Throughout the three-day event, there were plenty of laughs and antics from racers of all types and abilities. The atmosphere was less about the pressures of competing and more about the fun of racing. And isn’t that why we race? STEPHEN SOHL>

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THE BRAINS OF THE OPERATION Here’s a short interview with Paul Ciccarello, Mike McBride, and Chris Goetz, the brains behind the Northeast Grand Slam Series. The actual implementation of the series required even more cooperation with the race directors and owners of the participating tracks. R/C Car: What made you guys want to put together a race series like this? NGSS: There are a few key reasons for doing the series. One is being able to support the tracks; to supplement their income and help keep the doors open, rather than going to a race in a hotel where the promoter pockets the money. Another is time. A lot of the on-road racers range from 20 to 40 years old, and most of us started doing this in our teens. We are all getting older and have more responsibilities, with work, getting married, and having families. To take off a week of work and be away from your family for that much time was getting to be more and more difficult. We all like to travel somewhat and hit the big races. Now you only have to take off one day from work, instead of burning a week of vacation on a single event. Those saved days can now be used for your family vacations, or just to get more racing out of it. This format gives more flexibility to the racer.

The Northeast Grand Slam Series (NGSS) is a unique program that was born of the many sentiments surrounding the “Big Race” onroad scene. The NGSS is a four-race series, intended to bring the competition of national caliber drivers, without the additional burden of requiring a week’s vacation, airfare and extended hotel expenses. In short, it provides more racing, at lower costs, in a concentrated format. The Halloween Classic had seven classes of competition—six of which are the standard classes for the Northeast Grand Slam series: Stock 1/12 and Sedan (17.5 brushless), SuperStock Rubber Sedan and WorldGT (13.5 brushless), and Pro 1/12 and Sedan (10.5 brushless). The seventh class, designated “Raceway Choice” was the growing Vintage Trans-Am class. Raceway Choice participants don’t compete for points in the series, but it gives them the opportunity to participate in one of their local favorite classes. Another unique quality behind the NGSS was the decision to omit the Open Modified classes. Instead, the rules dictated that the Pro class would run 10.5-turn brushless motors. It kept the horsepower to a “Spec” level, which proved to be more than enough power on a technical layout and also gave the amateur drivers a attainable goal to look forward to. This left the Stock classes to be hotly contested among the amateur racers, who don’t typically get to compete in races of this size. In the end, this format proved solid, as the racing was clean and competitive in every class. When the dust settled, the racers went home to contemplate their performances, and more importantly, to regroup for the second round of the Northeast Grand Slam Series in Oakville, Ontario, Canada, at the fabulous FastCats facility. Expect more smiles, more fun, and even greater competition as regional rivalries begin to develop. The next two races will be held at 360 Speedway in West Babylon, New York, and The Track in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Check out www.northeastgrandslam.com for more race information and race results. Though not completed yet, I’m hoping more race organizers can take a look at the success of this racing series and devise their own way of promoting regional races. With attendance rising at races like this and decreasing at the “Big Races,” maybe it’s time to re-think them and develop a better way that’s more receptive to the local racer. Change is good.

R/C Car: What affect do you think this idea will have on future “Big Race” formats? NGSS: Well, for the ROAR Carpet Nationals, they decided to go with a four-day format for a lot of the same reasons. So, maybe it will work its way into other races. Most of the big races in Europe are also three-day events. Our racing seems to have turned into big vacations, and not everyone can afford that. R/C Car: Why do regional/local racers care? NGSS: I think this gives everyone the opportunity for the big events to come to their local track and to challenge the out-of-towners, who they may not have the chance to compete with otherwise. We’re excited to see and hear about the regional rivalries that are sure to develop from event to event. R/C Car: Tell the truth. Is it about money? NGSS: It really is not about making money to take home. We will actually show anyone who wants to know how much money we have brought in and what we are spending it on. After the end-of-season awards, we just hope to have enough money left over to get the ball rolling next season. We’re fueled by passion, but even that doesn’t keep the doors open for very long. R/C Car: What would you want an attending racer to take away from one or all of these race events? NGSS: Most importantly we want them to have a good time! With all the complaining going on over the internet, it’s easy to forget what made us each love racing to begin with. This series is about the fundamentals; big competition at a reasonable price tag. R/C Car: What advice could you give to race organizers to help promote regional racing? NGSS: I am not sure we are the ones to look to yet. So far it is going great, and in the end if it is deemed a success, maybe we can help. We basically took a lot of what we have seen and learned from other big races and tried to consolidate them. We’re not looking to compete with those efforts. We started this series to offer another outlet for people who love doing this stuff and want to take their weekends on the road. That kind of sums it up for us.

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RACE COVERAGE

Stock 1/12 Name 1 Tyler Gerber 2 Max Kuenning 3 Jim Piersol 4 John Firsching 5 Skip Starkey 6 Billy Spence 7 Dave Morrow 8 J.B. Catricala 9 Jacob Delano 10 Jody Flipse Pro 1/12 Name 1 Ray Darroch 2 Mike Blackstock 3 David Chester 4 Paul Ciccarello 5 Josh Cyrul 6 James Brink 7 Mark Smyka 8 Aaron Buran 9 Michael Skeen 10 Mike Pulfer Stock Sedan Name 1 Brandon Shells 2 Brandon Hess 3 Randy Kastl 4 Casey Rettke 5 Anthony Saunders 6 John Tag 7 Greg Dobrosky 8 Alex Galenski 9 Ralph Morella 10 Tim Vasas Pro Sedan Name 1 Josh Cyrul 2 Keven Hebert 3 Craig Xavier 4 Mike Blackstock 5 Paul Ciccarello 6 Jason Schreffler 7 Aaron Buran 8 Dave Johnson 9 Eli Ezrow 10 Ray Darroch SS Sedan Rubber Name 1 Mike Haynes 2 Larry Fairtrace 3 Brian Koch 4 Brian Lutz 5 Mike Collins 6 Rob Love 7 Billy Spence 8 James Reilly 9 Kenny Lambert 10 Junior Norton SS World GT Name 1 Eric Anderson 2 Tom Firsching 3 Frank Calandra 4 Mark Smyka 5 Brian Wynn 6 Eli Ezrow 7 John Firsching 8 J.B. Catricala 9 Jim Piersol 10 Jody Flipse USVTA Name 1 Mike Haynes 2 Mike Collins 3 Chris Goetz 4 Mike Hanulec 5 Eric Chambers 6 Victor Kao 7 Rob King 8 Dustin Richards 9 Michael Huddelson 10 Brian Wynn

Chassis CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC CEFX Corally CRC Speed Merchant CRC

Motor Team Scream Novak Express Putnum Trinity EA Trinity Novak EA Hacker

Battery Team Scream Power Push Reedy Power Push Reedy SMC Team Scream SMC SMC Reedy

Tires CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC Jaco Parma CRC BSR CRC

ESC Tekin Novak LRP LRP LRP LRP LRP Tekin LRP Novak

Radio JR KO Propo Spektrum Futaba Spektrum KO Propo Futaba Futaba KO Propo Futaba

Hometown Medina Grand Rapids West Frankfort Rome Carbondale Centreville Akron Oakville Lexington Marne

State OH MI IL NY IL VA OH Canada KY MI

Chassis Corally Associated CEFX Corally CEFX CRC CRC CRC CEFX CRC

Motor Novak Checkpoint Full Throttle LRP Hacker Novak Trinity Orion Trinity Novak

Battery SMC SMC SMC Reedy SMC SMC Trinity SMC Express Power Push

Tires Jaco Jaco Jaco Parma Jaco CRC CRC Parma BSR CRC

ESC LRP LRP LRP LRP LRP LRP Tekin LRP LRP LRP

Radio Spektrum Futaba Futaba Futaba KO Propo KO Propo JR Spektrum KO Propo KO Propo

Hometown Beaver North Royalton Sterling Cleveland Canton Grand Rapids Broad Brook Medina Nashville Xenia

State PA OH VA OH MI MI CT OH TN OH

Chassis Corally Corally Corally Corally Corally Losi Corally Associated Losi Xray

Motor Tekin Full Throttle Novak EA Express Express Express Novak Novak Express

Battery SMC SMC SMC SMC Express Express Express Team Scream SMC SMC

Tires BSR Jaco Parma Parma Jaco Parma Jaco Parma Parma Jaco

ESC LRP LRP LRP Tekin LRP LRP Tekin LRP LRP Tekin

Radio Airtronics KO Propo KO Propo Futaba Airtronics KO Propo Airtronics JR KO Propo KO Propo

Hometown Dayton Frederick Dayton Nashua Danville Mount Holly Kittanning East Longmeadow Long Island Glen Burnie

State OH MD OH NH VA NC PA MA NY MD

Chassis TOP Associated Corally Associated Corally Losi Corally Losi Corally Corally

Motor Hacker LRP Full Throttle Checkpoint LRP Express Orion Losi Trinity Novak

Battery SMC Reedy Full Throttle SMC Reedy Express SMC Losi SMC SMC

Tires Jaco Parma Jaco Jaco Parma Parma Parma Parma BSR Jaco

ESC LRP LRP LRP LRP LRP Losi LRP Losi Novak LRP

Radio KO Propo KO Propo KO Propo Futaba Futaba Spektrum Spektrum Futaba Spektrum Spektrum

Hometown Canton Quebec Baltimore North Royalton Cleveland Bethlehem Medina Detroit Cincinnati Beaver

State MI Canada MD OH OH PA OH MI OH PA

Chassis Losi Losi Corally Associated Tamiya Corally Xray Associated Corally Corally

Motor Speed Passion Express LRP Fantom Tekin Fantom EA Express Tekin Trinity

Battery SMC Express SMC Fantom N/A Fantom SMC Express SMC Trinity

Tires Sorex Speedmind Xenon Sorex Speedrex Xenon Jaco Sorex Jaco Sorex

ESC Speed Passion Losi LRP LRP Tekin LRP LRP LRP Tekin LRP

Radio Spektrum Futaba KO Propo Futaba Hitec KO Propo KO Propo Futaba Airtronics JR

Hometown Bohemia Pittsburgh Rockford Manitowoc Dayton Columbus Centreville Redford Hudson Dayton

State NY PA IL WI OH OH VA MI NH OH

Chassis CEFX CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC CRC

Motor EA LRP Losi Trinity Putnam Trinity Putnum LRP Express Fantom

Battery SMC TQ Cells Power Push Trinity Power Push SMC Power Push SMC Reedy Reedy

Tires Jaco CRC CRC CRC CRC BSR CRC CRC CRC CRC

ESC LRP LRP Nosram Tekin Losi Novak Losi Tekin LRP Novak

Radio Futaba KO Propo JR JR Spektrum Spektrum Futaba Futaba Spektrum Futaba

Hometown Murfreesboro Rome Rome Broad Brook Rome Cincinnati Rome Oakville West Frankfort Marne

State TN NY NY CT NY OH NY Canada IL MI

Chassis Losi AETC3 Schumacher Xray Hot Bodies Tamiya Associated Hot Bodies Associated Associated

Motor Novak 21.5 Tekin 17.5 Novak 21.5 Novak 21.5 Novak 21.5 Novak 21.5 Novak 21.5 Novak 17.5 Novak 21.5 Novak 21.5

Battery SMC N/A CoreRC Thunder Power Losi SMC Checkpoint Orion Trinity Power Push

Tires HPI HPI HPI HPI HPI HPI HPI HPI HPI HPI

ESC Speed Tekin Speed Speed Losi Speed Speed Novak LRP Losi

Radio Spektrum Hitec Futaba Futaba Airtronics KO Propo Futaba Futaba Futaba Spektrum

Hometown Bohemia Dayton Cleveland Jersey City Sharpsville Gaithersburg Chicago Columbus Hamilton Rome

State NY OH OH NJ PA MD IL OH OH NY

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Passion Passion Passion Passion Passion

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TEST DRIVE PHOTOS BY JASON YU

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No magazine was more vocal about the original Team Losi 8IGHT buggy’s positives and negatives than R/C Car was two years ago. Initially, we recognized the 8IGHT’s incredible acceleration, bump handling, jumping/leaping ability and corner speed for exactly what it was at the time—a complete game-changer. The original 8IGHT won countless major races in its first year, and turned the 1/8-scale buggy world on its ear, leaving other 1/8-scale buggy manufacturers struggling to keep up. Still, after extended testing and a full-blown buggy shootout, we also recognized that the Losi 8IGHT could be difficult to drive consistently, felt floaty and loose, and required caliper-wielding precision setups unless you possessed top-level driving talent. So what did Team Losi do in response to such feedback? They created the 8IGHT 2.0.

BY STEPHEN BESS>

www.fantamag.com

• 59 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

TEST DRIVE KIT FEATURES The 8IGHT 2.0, like the original 8IGHT buggy, arrives as a completely assembled “Race Roller,” missing only the running gear of your choice. A clear body, decals, wheels and tires and a full instruction manual are also included in the box. 2mm Lengthened Chassis. Few things change an RC vehicle’s handling more than the chassis and the component locations upon it. At the heart of 8IGHT 2.0’s revisions is its new, lengthened chassis. Lengthened 2mm behind the engine, the 2.0 chassis extends the length between the engine and the rear bulkhead. New steel down-stop inserts prevent the droop screws from gouging the chassis and altering the droop settings. The 8IGHT 2.0’s “Tuned Flex” chassis (once an option for the original

8IGHT) uses milled areas to both lighten the chassis and make it easier to drive through bumps and ruts. New Rear Hubs and Towers. Losi simplifies the 2.0’s setup options by eliminating several of the original 8IGHT’s camber and shock tower mounting positions. Updated rear hubs now feature a new inner hub mounting position (to create a shorter camber link, increasing rear traction), while the new shock towers feature revised camber link locations to again increase traction and driveability. Both the front and rear towers are now also black anodized for an all-business look. Revised Radio Tray. A well-publicized throttle servo issue plagued the original 8IGHT on internet chat boards, and although we didn’t experience the

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same problem once our throttle servos were set and adjusted properly, the 8IGHT 2.0 “fixes” this issue as well. The 2.0’s revised radio tray repositions the throttle servo by raising it and aligning it more precisely with the carburetor slide and brake linkages to reduce strain. A molded-in brace stiffens the radio tray, adding additional protection. Increased Durability. The original 8IGHT’s design was notoriously durable with only a few weak spots, and naturally the 2.0 addresses these spots. Higher strength steel is used on all of the 2.0’s CVDs, decreasing wear, and thick 3.5mm outer hub hinge pins resist bends and breaks over the original 3mm pins. You can now shim the rear diff (unlike the original) to take up gear-mesh slack, and a left-side bulkhead keyed insert locks the diff into the bulkhead

www.fantamag.com

• 61 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

TEST DRIVE with more security. The fiber brake disks are now drilled and vented, unlike the solid disks on the original 8IGHT, further increasing the car’s longevity during long mains. Losi even includes rubber CVD boots for the center CVDs to protect them from dirt and grime.

PERFORMANCE TESTING Expect to burn at least one gallon breaking-in the tight GRP engine and 8IGHT 2.0 buggy before both work to their potential. Once broken-in properly, the 2.0 will feel more locked in, with increased traction and less chassis roll. Once broken-in, the 2.0 feels like a completely different animal compared to the original 8IGHT. Squeeze the trigger, and the 2.0 shoots away without a hint of delay. Out of corners and on straightaways, the 2.0 simply grips and rips forward immediately. From point to point, corner to corner, few buggies exist that can keep pace. In terms of acceleration, the 2.0 is exactly like the original 8IGHT. Jumping, or rather leaping, the 2.0 off

jumps and through whoops sections is a no-brainer. Like its acceleration traits, there are few buggies on the market that can fly through the air, self-correct and be manipulated in the air like the 8IGHT 2.0. Punch up a jump face, and the 2.0 literally springs off the jump, clearing sections that require full-throttle run-ups from other buggies. It’s almost an unfair advantage. The 2.0 is, again, nearly identical to the original in its jumping abilities. That’s where the similarities between the cars stop. Team Losi’s 2.0 makes a stark departure from the original 8IGHT in the cornering, rear traction and stability aspects. Unlike the original, the 2.0’s rear end simply feels locked in, like Velcro, on most all surfaces. Driving hard on an 1/8-scale track, I felt as though I always needed the entire width of the lane to keep the original 8IGHT on the track. The original 8IGHT floated, drifted and seemed to wash out in the corners—partly a result of my over-zealous throttle finger, and partly due to the

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8IGHT’s design. The newer, longer 2.0 grips in, holds its line, and stays true, without me feeling clinched up while driving at 99.9 percent of my ability. Dive hard into corners at race pace, and the 2.0 carries its speed securely. The rear end feels hunkered down, as though the original 8IGHT had an extra pound of weight adding traction to the rear tires. Hard acceleration out of corners produces forward thrust with the 2.0, rather than sideways, washy pendulum-motion that was prevalent with the original’s rear end. Tenths of seconds that were once lost washing out in corners and blowing past apexes with the original 8IGHT are now saved and subtracted from your lap times with the 2.0. It seems clear from our testing that the 2.0 is indeed faster (via our lap times) than the original buggy. We cannot just drive the car harder without getting loose, but we can also repeat our lap times consistently…both being the hallmarks of faster lap times.

… ON THE OTHER HANDreview, and a bit skeptical of the 8IGHT 2.0

for this Aaron: I was nervous on the drivers’ stand to office. As I walked up the at up and d we sho it when ided to be more picky i’s new buggy, I had dec s car the of st mo n take command of Los ictly tha nce of the 2.0 more str original the of fan a scrutinize the performa s wa I t office. It’s no secret tha pite its that pass through this cess with the car des d plenty of racing suc oye enj t this tha ced vin con 8IGHT buggy, and I’m r, ving the 2.0, howeve dri er Aft s. nt elle flaw g exc dlin the s quirky han or. The 2.0 retain lution of its predecess ion rat ele acc e -lik ket car is, indeed, an evo and roc nt jumping capability, e corner speed, magnifice llable, consistent packag tro con e, tam re mo a in ed pp The . wra , ack car etr rac old of the nce on the takes and more confide that makes for fewer mis formance was not ham per t righ out t tha is r, eve how , HT 2.0 8IG i the of Los best part nce. This is the friendly driving experie pered to create a more , it’s “bloody brilliant.” say uld wo t Top Gear cas for the masses; as the d. Jason: What Aaron sai

WHAT DID WE LIKE? First and foremost: the car’s exponentially easier to drive fast. Being the only magazine that called the original 8IGHT what it was—supremely fast, but often difficult to drive in the hands of the average club racer—didn’t make us popular, but Team Losi was listening. Unless your name was Drake or Truhe, the 8IGHT probably

felt loose and floaty, with a rear end that could easily wash out in the corners. The 8IGHT 2.0 addresses all of these issues, with increased rear traction, a stable feel and a more “locked in” general handling attitude. Don’t worry, the 2.0 still has all the original 8IGHT’s outrageous acceleration, leaping ability and corner speed. We also like that the 2.0 fits onto Losi’s original 8IGHT starter box with no modification.

www.fantamag.com

WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE? Weighing the 8IGHT 2.0’s positives against its negatives is a landslide in favor of the positives. Still, the 2.0 isn’t without its faults. The 8IGHT 2.0 requires an extended break-in time before it handles to its potential, while other buggies don’t require quite the same break-in period. • 63 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

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TEAM LOSI 8IGHT 2.0 Type: 1/8-scale nitro 4WD buggy Street Price: $650 Class Rivals: Kyosho Inferno MP-9, Mugen MBX-6, Team Associated RC8 FT, O’Donnell Z01B, Hot Bodies D8, Jammin X2 CR

TEST EQUIPMENT Radio: Spektrum DX3R, #SPM3100, $320 Servos: JR Z9100S & Z9100T, $119 each Engine: GRP Tuned .21 w/pipe, #LOSR200P, $450 Body: Losi 8ight 2.0 (included) w/Upgrade RC wrap Tires: Losi XBT Blue compound (included) Fuel: Team Losi Nitrotane, 30% quart, #LOSF0430, $15 Also, the 8IGHT requires a detailed eye for setup, with special attention to ride height, droop settings and shock pack, or else the car won’t handle well.

CONCLUSION We never questioned the original 8IGHT’s dominance in the 1/8-scale buggy world, due to its outrageous performance and overwhelming success in the hands of Adam Drake, Mike Truhe and Travis Amezcua. We did question, however, the original 8IGHT’s stability, ease of driving and consistency in the hands of “mere mortal” club racers like 99 percent of the RC world (including us). Losi listened to our feedback, and went to the drawing boards…and hit one out of the park with this new car. The 8IGHT 2.0 addresses all of our complaints about the old car, and even exceeds our expectations in others. As the most vocal critic of the original 8IGHT buggy, two gallons of fuel through the more stable, faster and easier to drive 8IGHT 2.0 has made me a believer in its performance potential for any racer…not just the paid professionals.

@ SEE EXCLUSIVE VIDEO AT

www.rc-car.com

TEST SETUP Setup We Used: The Losi 8ight 2.0 comes out of the box prebuilt with a strong general setup that’s good for most tracks. After a full day of testing with Losi’s Adam Drake at Revelation, Adam made a few changes to the stock setup that made the buggy even easier to drive. Download our updated test setup sheet at www.rc-car.com for all the details. Test Tracks: Revelation Raceway and Hot Rod Hobbies Track Conditions: Loose and loamy, and hard packed and grooved

DIMENSIONS D DI IM ME EN NS SIO ON NS S Width .........................................................................................12.13 in. (308mm) Wheelbase ..............................................................12.71-12.87 in. (323-327mm) Length .......................................................................................19.56 in. (497mm) Ground clearance .......................................................................................28mm Chassis ...............................CNC machined aluminum w/Losi “Flex” Technology Thickness ....................................................................................................3mm Suspension .....................................................................Four-wheel independent Damping ....................Threaded body, hard anodized aluminum oil-filled shocks Swaybars .....................................................................................................3-sets Drivetrain ..............................................................................................shaft drive Pinion/Spur...................................................................................................13/48 Differentials ......................................................................Silicone filled gear diffs Bearings....................................................................Rubber sealed ball bearings

PERFORMANCE DATA THE FINAL CALL Highs: Increased overall stability, easier to drive fast, locked-in rear end, winning heritage. Lows: Accelerated clutch wear, bearing can get gritty quickly, standard screws, setup-sensitive. The Final Call: This is the 8ight we mortals have been waiting for.

SOURCES JR Racing, Spektrum RC, Team Losi Racing, GRP Engines, Nitrotane Fuel All Distributed by Horizon Hobby Distributors, Inc., 4105 Fieldstone Rd., Champaign, IL 61821 • (217) 355-9511

Zero to 100 feet..............................................................................2.75 seconds Zero to top speed ..........................................................................5.25 seconds Stalker ATS verified Top Speed .......................................................45.43 MPH

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TEST DRIVE The crossover between those who ride dirt bikes and ATV’s, and those who are avid fans of RC, is significant. Count me as one; I grew up riding around the deserts of Southern California before I even started grade school. The sights, sounds, and smells of a crisp winter morning in Glamis are sensations that will stick with me for the rest of my life. BY AARON WALDRON>

PHOTOS BY JASON YU

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• 67 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

TEST DRIVE The first time I saw someone yank the pull-rope on a HPI Baja 5B, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. The wonderful (albeit poisonous) aroma of premixed two-stroke oil and gasoline, accompanied by the deep, guttural snarl of the engine, impacted me with the worst case of the “made me feel like a kid again” cliché that someone in his 20s could ever experience. The realistic dune buggy appearance was just the icing on the cake. And now there’s a desert truck version, the Baja 5T. Will someone pinch me?

KIT FEATURES New body, mounts, bumpers, and tires. Obviously, the most recognizable difference between the 5T and the 5B

line is the new desert truck-style body, with accompanying bumpers and body mounting system. The body covers a new extended roll cage and attaches securely to the truck with eight posts, two each on the front, rear, and on each side. The front bumper has four molded mock headlights to look like a real desert racer. The Desert Buster front tires are wider than those of the buggy, but still narrower than the huge rear tires; both front and rear tires mount on Outlaw wheels. Engine and clutch. The 26cc Fuelie engine from the 5B SS returns in the 5T, providing incredible power throughout the rpm range as well as reliability and consistency that nitro engines can’t fathom. HPI’s high-stall 8000-rpm clutch is

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mated to the Fuelie to provide impressive acceleration. While the 5T does not include the tuned pipe from the 5B SS (which the neighbors will appreciate), the canister-style muffler is larger than the 5B RTR to provide more power. Radio equipment. The 5T comes standard with a three-channel FM radio and fail-safe unit, a must for a car this size. The SFL-10MG2 steering servo is new for the 5T, featuring all metal gears to prevent stripping gears and output shafts. Also new is the 3000 mAh NiMh receiver pack to provide incredibly long run times. Revised gear ratios. A 19T gear on the top shaft of the transmission

www.fantamag.com

• 69 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

TEST DRIVE changes the internal gear ratio for better acceleration with the big truck tires of the 5T. The metal-gear-equipped transmission, complete with aluminum diff case, is built to handle the abuse of big horsepower and a very heavy vehicle.

PERFORMANCE TESTING My first thought was “oh great, a pull start.” But the Fuelie 26 popped to life on the third yank of the cord. I spent the first tank of fuel driving up and down Anza Drive before getting yelled at by the local authorities, who had closed our street while a film crew was shooting in front of a neighboring building. Humbug. After nearly 30 minutes of running up and down Anza Drive, I walked down to the open lot at the end of the street.

Oh, wow! Once the clutch engages, hold on tight. The rain-packed, slightly damp dirt provided the optimal conditions for the included Desert Buster tires, and the 5T squatted, unloaded the front end, and took off across the huge, empty lot in a hurry. The long-travel suspension soaked up ruts and bumps while allowing the truck to drive as straight as the grip level would allow. I held the trigger for as long as I could brave before shutting down, turning around, and making a return trip. Let’s get this out of the way: trying to bring 30 pounds of surging desert truck enjoyment to a halt with rear-wheel brakes is not a graceful art form, but more like sculpting ice with a chainsaw and low-grade explosives. The brakes

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are strong enough to safely stop before hitting spectators or immovable objects (like buildings and cars), and that’s all you should require of them. While wildly entertaining, it’s important to use caution and common sense when driving a truck that is this big and this fast. Speaking of safety, the fail-safe works very well; I was brave enough (or foolish enough) to shut the transmitter off while the car was moving. The car came to a quick and drama-free stop. The Baja 5T charged up impressively large hills, and clawed its way through dry brush, wet grass, and over rocks and branches. What the tires lack in absolute grip, the engine makes up for with stump-pulling torque. The stock suspension setup is very compliant, allowing the car to soak up all sorts of

… RC ON THE OTHER HAND to partially judge a new ine editor, I've begun

magaz guys Stephen: As a jaded it receives from non-RC ed upon the reactions bas " our h tor fac oug thr ow lk "w wa 's vehicle g company to ployee at our publishin what is W, WO g-thin e at Hi-Torque. Every em sam exact I Baja 5T said nearly the ere, do-anyoffice and see the HP ed by its drive-anywh tch ma is tor fac w wo s 5T' The t a winner on go g?! 've thin you AT TH ute run times, and min 45 30in d Ad . thing performance a big scale. The at the Baja Nationals. watch the 5T run was to t go I cs, e isti tim ter t rac firs Jason: The its tail happy cha than it looks. Despite ble ps. sta jum re th mo oo ch sm mu and is s truck with tight line way around the track day, but t tha cks tru er the 5T easily made its oth t agains the opportunity to run incredibly Our own 5T didn’t get during our testing was d fiel the und aro it h wit did a handful in we of age bit a dam It’s the aries, it just goes! und bo no ws kno truck 5T entertaining. The t once it gets going, the dency to spin tires, bu ten a has it as t, dir looser is just so much fun.

gnarly terrain without being so soft that it leans excessively in corners, thanks to the swaybars. It’s also not too soft for jumping… The first hill I climbed with the 5T provided the ideal launch pad for this big truck. After screaming up the hill and jumping towards the sky after reaching the summit, I whipped a quick U-turn, pinned the trigger, and blasted off of the plateau like a hang glider. The truck landed back on all four tires and flew down the hill for a repeat performance. I could’ve spent the entire fuel tank making laps up and down the steep embankment, but the fuel tank

was lasting longer than my bladder. Low-speed maneuverability, if you actually want to slow down, is absolutely fantastic. The new steering servo not only does an incredible job of turning the front tires back and forth, but also providing precise and consistent control. The SFL10MG2 is even strong enough to crank the tires in a bicycle-saving panic. I broke a front hub during our photo shoot while jumping a small mound while traveling quite slowly. After the abuse the truck had endured until that point, I was pretty shocked to hear the firecracker-like “pop!” when the hub broke. In the truck’s

• 71 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

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defense, however, the landing was at a very awkward angle and the entire weight of the 5T came down on one front tire. The front hubs are not particularly beefy, but shouldn’t create too many problems.

WHAT DID WE LIKE? The size, the stability, the scale appearance, the absolute performance. The driving experience is incredibly fun, the truck is built solidly, and the motor is impressive. Everything that made the 5B one of the most successful large-scale off-road RC’s ever still resonates in the 5T.

HPI RACING BAJA 5T Type: 1/5-scale 2WD offroad truck Street Price: $1200 Class Rivals: Duratrax Firehammer MT, FG Modellsport Stadium Truck, Hurricane C5, MCD Racing Baja 1000, Molzer Mowery Stadium Truck, Redcat Rampage MT

TEST EQUIPMENT Radio: HPI TF-10 three-channel FM (included) Servos: HPI SFL-10G2 (steering), SF-4 (throttle) (both included) Motor: HPI Fuelie 26cc gasoline engine (included) Battery: HPI 3000mAh NiMH five-cell (included)/12 alkaline AA’s Fuel: Chevron 91-octane with Motul 800 2T Factory Line oil ($1.83, $13) Body: HPI Racing Baja 5T-1 (included) Tires: HPI Desert Busters (included)

WHAT WOULD WE CHANGE? The centrifugal clutch used on the HPI Bajas will overheat if you cruise around slowly, rather than ripping on the throttle to fully engage the clutch. This is a bummer, because the truck works very well at low speeds and being able to lug the engine down lower in the rpm range would make for a much easier time maintaining traction when climbing hills and accelerating on slick surfaces. If I were in the position to be picky (and I am), I’d say that the body is slightly too narrow. The fenders don’t quite extend out to cover the tires, which would make the 5T more accurately scaled. I think the body needs to be about an inch-and-a-half to two inches wider on both sides.

CONCLUSION This truck is awesome. It’s much faster and more nimble than a truck this size should be, but the size of the truck offers the stability to tackle obstacles that would make smaller trucks cower in fear. The long run-times, powerful engine, and solid radio gear are great details in the overall package, but the fun factor of the Baja 5T is what makes this big rig a real winner. @

TEST SETUP Setup we used: Stock Test Track: Anza Drive construction site Track Conditions: Damp, packed, and wide open.

DIMENSIONS D DI IM ME EN NS SIO ON NS S Width .........................................................................................18.1 in. (460 mm) Wheelbase ................................................................................ 22.4 in. (570mm) Length ........................................................................................35.4 in. (900mm) Weight ........................................................................28 pounds. 4 oz. (12,814g) Ground clearance.......................................................................2.5 in. (63.5mm) Chassis ..............................................................Monocoque 6061 aluminum tub Thickness ..........................................................................................16 in. (4mm) Suspension ....................................................................Four-wheel independent Damping....................Hard anodized, threaded body oil-filled aluminum shocks Swaybars ..........................................................................................Included F/R Drivetrain....................................................................................Rear wheel drive Pinion/Spur ................................................................................................. 17/57 Final Gear Ratio........................................................................................8.422:1 Differential ...............................Viscous torque control silicone oil filled gear diff Bearings ...................................................................Rubber sealed ball bearings

PERFORMANCE DATA THE FINAL CALL Highs: Awesome performance, great included equipment. Lows: Narrow body, heat-sensitive clutch. The Final Call: More fun than I could’ve possibly imagined.

Zero to 100 feet..............................................................................3.19 seconds Zero to top speed ..........................................................................6.72 seconds Stalker ATS verified Top Speed ............................................................43 MPH

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SOURCES

HPI Racing, 70 Icon Street, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 • (949) 753-1099; fax (949) 753-1098 • www.hpiracing.com

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WINNER’S CIRCLE TONY PHALEN’S NATS-WINNING 5B

HPI recently held one of the biggest events that featured their biggest guns. Word of the first-ever Baja Nationals spread, and come early November, a crowd of anxious Baja racers gathered at Milestone Ranch Motocross Park in Riverside, California, to battle it out for the national championship. The track was fast, yet technically challenging. Enduring freezing weather and the hourlong main, Tony Phalen rose to the top of the Unlimited class with his unassumingly, conservatively modified 5B.

BY JASON YU>

This 5B was originally Rodney Will’s RTR, which he lent to Tony for the weekend. “He said if I win, I could keep it!” Tony adds. Sounds like a good deal to us! Experiencing some engine trouble his first time out, it’s painstakingly evident that Tony has resolved those issues. Surprisingly, the car doesn’t have a ton of crazy mods done to it, just choice hop-ups. Tony’s 5B makes use of most of the factory HPI bling including the carbon fiber front upper plate, rear upper plate, rear brace, engine mount braces, and the rear chassis plate. The only power upgrade is the aluminum tuned pipe.

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WINNER’S CIRCLE TONY PHALEN’S NATS-WINNING 5B Suspension upgrades include the SS rear shock mount plate and the VVC shock set. The collars on the rear shocks were also doubled to keep them from loosening. Oils in the front and rear were swapped for 45wt and 10wt respectively. Nearly every upgrade afterward was based strictly on increasing the car’s durability. For this, Tony added the GBE front shock tower brace, the aluminum rear arms, HPI heavy duty driveshafts, heavy duty aluminum clutch mount, heavy duty pinion gear, heavy duty bead locks, Integy steel spur gear, and the Outerwears pull start prefilter. “I don’t know how many pull starts I went through before I put that thing on,” said Tony. The transmission, however, was left alone. To keep dirt off the air filter, a front windshield was added. “I made the windshield from stuff I got from Home Depot. Cost me like, seven bucks, I think.” The majority of the changes made to car were simply to make the car more durable. Tony wanted to make sure it lasted the hour-long main. Qualifying in the B, bumping up, and then taking the win in the A, it looks like Tony’s plan, along with his driving strategy, worked. “I didn’t really try to drive fast,” said Tony. “I don’t think I pulled full throttle ever. Maybe on the straight, just a blip; but the rest of the time, I just focused on keeping my corner speed up and staying smooth.” Concluding our interview, Tony sends a special thanks to Rodney Wills, HPI Racing, Hot Bodies, Pro-Line, Competition X, Gabe engineering, and Motul for the support. @

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HOW TO:

PROTECT YOUR RADIO GEAR An ounce of prevention...

Losing control of an RC car due to electronics failure can be dangerous to both the driver and anyone standing nearby. It’s like falling asleep at the wheel of a full-size car; it never ends well, often with catastrophic results. A full-throttle runaway can destroy an engine, and a collision with a solid object will severely injure any car or truck. BY AARON WALDRON>

TOOLBOX

• Assembly tools • Silicone sealant e? How Long Will This Tak s ute min 40 30 to

The bright side? A little bit of preparation can lower the chances of running into problems, and sometimes eliminate them altogether. Most radio problems are caused by three different causes: exposure to dirt and moisture, damaged components, and radio interference. Sometimes, this loss of control simply means not being able to drive the car. Other times…yeah. If these steps are an ounce of prevention, the trip to the hobby store after such a disaster is the pound of cure.

2 EXPOSURE TO THE ELEMENTS

Dirt and water are known enemies of electronics, so it’s important to keep your receiver and servos dry and clean. 1. Put a drop of silicone sealant where the servo wires enter the servo case to prevent water from entering the case. 2. For nitro cars with receiver boxes, or electric cars in which you can zip-tie the receiver in place, stuff your receiver into a small balloon and zip-tie the balloon’s opening around the servo and antenna wires. 3. Spread silicone sealant around the edge of the receiver box lid, and around the opening in the box where the servo wires enter. 4. Use a rubber switch cover on standard switches that bolt in place.

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1 COLLATERAL DAMAGE The electronic components in your car are subject to unthinkable shock and vibration. Here are a few tips to keep them more comfortable. 1. Use hook-and-loop tape, or at least multiple layers of servo tape, to provide more cushion for receivers and ESC’s that must be fastened to chassis plates. Use new servo tape whenever necessary to prevent the unit from coming loose. 2. Stuff plenty of foam padding in all receiver boxes to protect both the receiver and the receiver pack. 3. Pay special attention when routing all wires to prevent them from snagging on drivetrain parts.

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• 79 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

HOW TO:

PROTECT YOUR RADIO GEAR

4. For horizontally mounted switches, install the switch so that the “On” position is when the switch is pushed forward. For vertically mounted switches, “On” should be when the switch is pushed down. This will ensure that the switch is not turned off due to the shock of a solid collision or when bottoming out from a large jump. 5. Verify that all plugs are completely secured, all battery and wire solder joints are strongly bound, and that no wires or exposed circuit boards will short out on chassis components.

INTERFERE WITH INTERFERENCE Even when using 2.4GHz systems, the same tricks that experienced racers used to safeguard against AM and FM interference still apply. 1. Plan the shortest route possible for the antenna wire into the antenna tube. Don’t use an antenna cap, which can hamper radio signals and cause the antenna wire to tear if a turn marshal steps on the antenna tube. Fasten the antenna tube securely to the mount. 2. Don’t allow the antenna wire to come in contact with any metal or graphite chassis components, and be careful not to break the outer sheath of a 2.4GHz coaxial antenna. Both can cause glitching and a loss of range. 3. Make sure that there are no loose metal-to-metal contacts, such as a rattling washer or shim; vibrating metal can cause interference. 4. Install a fail-safe. Many fail-safe units have two settings: one will hold the servos at the position at which they were when the failsafe took effect, and the other will move the servos to preset positions. The former option can cause huge problems, and is often the default setting for aftermarket fail-safes. Configure the preset positions to centered steering and maximum brake, which will bring your car to a halt the instant your car encounters interference.

PAY A LITTLE MORE NOW…OR PAY A LOT LATER None of the tips in this article are difficult or expensive to implement on your car or truck. In fact, many of these steps are simple building and installation habits that will help prevent future problems in every car you’ll own. More importantly, the peace of mind that comes with knowing that you’ve protected your car from catastrophic failure means you’ll have much more fun on the track or in the backyard. @ • 80 •

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INTERVIEW:

MY TOP 3: JARED TEBO

HOUT: YOU CAN’T LIVE WIT BARE NECESSITIES

RACES: MOST MEMORABLE D A-Main #1

s 4W 1. 2007 IFMAR World ck Nationals Tru s Ga AR RO 6 2. 200 #3 ain #1 and 2WD A-Main A-M D 3. 2008 Cactus 4W

: FAVORITE ACTIVITIES 1. Motocross 2. Jet skiing 3. Being with my wife

FAVORITE FOODS:

ked 1. Anything home coo 2. Steak 3. Pizza

’T WANT IF YOU WEREN JOBS YOU WOULD RACING: 1. Real racecar driver builder 2. Hot rod or bobber ilder bu s ssi cha ze l-si Ful 3.

E CARS: FAVORITE FULL-SIZ

1. Ebay 2. My wife 3. My puppies

NST: Y COMPETING AGAI RACERS YOU ENJO 1. Ryan Cavalieri 2. Ryan Maifield 3. Mike Truhe

OD: SONGS ON YOUR IP

1. Ferrari 575 GTC Cobra. a mustang, but a real 2. Shelby Cobra. Not 3. Opel touring car

1.Don't own one 2. 3.

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FAVORITE SPORTS: 1. Motocross 2. MotoGP 3. NASCAR

PET PEEVES:

1. Bad drivers food in their mouth 2. People talking with a depression wonder why we are in 3. Reality TV...and we

E: HASES YOU’VE MAD THREE MAJOR PURC 1. Our house 2. My 2005 EVO MR cky and Chassie 3. Our two Yorkies; Ro

TO: PLACES TO TRAVELin my ‘31 five-window coupe one day

usalem 2. The holy land of Jer e wif my h wit e her 3. Anyw

FAVORITE RACES:

nge 1. The Dirt Nitro Challe 2. Cactus Classic ampionship 3. Any IFMAR World Ch

URI: T LIVING IN MISSO BEST THINGS ABOUly

nd 1. People are very frie aper than my dad’s che ays alw is gas 2. My sick of one, seasons...once you get ul utif bea 3. We have four the next one is coming

ER: HELPED YOUR CARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE 1. My Dad 2. Steve O'Donnell 3. Brent Thielke

1. Travel all of Route 66

• 83 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

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CUSTOM BUILD

BUILD A ROCK RACER Time to get serious!

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With Axial’s RTR introduction and an ad campaign indicating a do-itall basher, racer and crawler, I wanted to give my new favorite RTR a workout. Out of the box, the 27T motor reminded me how much fun the Axial RTR could be in stock form, delivering a great compromise of bashing fun and entry-level crawling. With upgrades, the destiny of the kit could go a number of ways. The body looks scale, so I could just drop in a brushless system or faster motor for a high-speed short course truck. On the other side, I could bolt up a 55T motor, lock the front diff and tune it for slow-go crawling… or I could do both and build a “Rock Racer.” The concept of a rock racer comes from the real 1:1 world of timed “rock running/racing” where you not only have to complete technical crawler courses, but also complete timed laps with jumps and other track-embedded obstacles— kind of trail running meets rock crawling. Setting up a rock racer RC is more than just dropping a brushless system into your stock Axial kit. All the standard crawler CG lowering tweaks are required, along with beefing up durability to survive extra power and impacts at higher speeds. Our build used Axial aftermarket parts and powerful Tekin electrics and turned out fast, durable, and still able to crawl over just about anything.

BY TONY ARNOLD>

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• 87 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

CUSTOM BUILD

BUILD A ROCK RACER 1. DIFF LOCKING Although locking the front diff greatly increases the turning radius, It is required for rock crawling. Installation is as simple as disassembling the axles and swapping the front diff internals with the included Axial Diff Locker and reassembling. For those who will want to do less crawling and more short course racing, I recommend leaving the front axle un-locked for better high speed performance.

S 2. UPGRADING LINK the flexible stock RTR plastic links. I can

s out sigDon’t immediately tos act like bumpers and that these plastic links nce erie ter fas at ally tell you from exp eci s, esp from six-foot-plus fall lower nificantly limit damage a bad thing, so only the is ng wli cra en wh our rock es giv s Thi speeds. Too much flex links. with Axial’s new milled stiffens and , nce ara rear links were upgraded cle her en durability and hig we bet e mis steerpro stic com pla a racer formance. The improved crawling per ng, so wli cra ile wh up the suspension for up when getting bound flex ch mu too e steervid stic ing links pro I upgraded the pla more assured turning, and l tro con ter bet for er kit. with an Axial Rear Ste ing links to aluminum

3. IMPROVING SHOCKS The number one Axial durability upgrade are aluminum shock bodies for smoother performance and worry-free durability. While I had the shocks apart, the included up travel limiters and two extra shock O-rings are installed under each piston to drop the ride height and CG for improved performance all around. To add extra shock durability, two additional O-rings were installed to soften down travel. Typically, I would go with heavier oil for crawling to slow shock response, but that would negatively affect our higher speed performance. A good compromise is sticking with the stock 30wt oil that will provide a slower suspension for rock crawling, but allows enough shock speed to be useful at higher speed. I added three big shock spacers to the left rear shock to limit torque roll under acceleration and during binding while crawling.

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4. ELECTRICS At the heart of a rock racer is typically a faster brushless motor and ESC that provides both low speed torque and high rpm top speed. When we say “fast” on a rock racer, that usually still means under 30 mph. For my rock racer I wanted to lean more toward crawler versus race, so I used a brushless Tekin RS Sensored ESC and 21.5T motor. Slow-go torque is there, but if I need extra bashing speed, a 3S LiPo pack could be used with a little motor timing advancement. Although not intended as a crawler system, the Tekin RS brushless system powered with a MaxAmps 2S LiPo pack worked perfectly as a medium speed rock racer with higher than stock speeds and loads more torque for crawling. Unlike regular rock crawling, rock racers’ higher speeds will pull current beyond what a small receiver or crawler pack can provide, so a full-sized pack is required. Our full-sized MaxAmps 2S pack was mounted to the rear axle simply by bolting on Axial’s Low CG battery mount. This provides a huge CG improvement over the high stock battery placement and provides a relatively neutral front-toback weight bias, which is actually preferred for rock racer builds.

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• 89 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

CUSTOM BUILD

BUILD A ROCK RACER 5. TIRES & WHEELS

however, just like t fine for a rock racer; The stock tires are jus y 2008), I (Ma icle Crawler Tuning art I did back in our Axial tire foams and the of th wid the ch from removed about a half-in ms which foa lve-point star cut on the the then did a shallow twe ring “Ai n. ctio tra press and adds helps the tires to com tires to the ws allo eel wh per holes wheels” by drilling two l crawler, I did not easily. Unlike a typica ss pre com and e ath bre chassis would the as s eel time to the wh add extra weight this speeds. While her rotational weight at hig have to deal with extra y beadlock gra ck sto the I swapped out the wheels were apart, led rear links—not a s to match the red mil rings with new red ring t they sure look cool. performance gain, bu

6. DRIVESHAFT STRENGTH Axial’s driveshaft rings greatly improve the overall strength of the stock driveshafts. Slip these on and glue in place with CA glue and the common problem of stripped-out driveshaft yokes will be greatly reduced.

7. BODY If you are going to go through the trouble of adding a bunch of cool upgrades you might as well customize the body. I choose another scale-looking Axial Baja Buzzard body. In order to give the tires a little more room during crawling, I removed about 5/8 of an inch around each wheel well. My paint theme was simple, and

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I used the included Axial Logo masks on the hood and bed. I masked out the hood, door panels and bed. Then I sprayed the hood, door panels and bed with a light coat of FastKolor Pearl yellow through window screen for a carbon fiber look, removed the masks, and then painted the body black and applied stickers.

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CUSTOM BUILD

BUILD A ROCK RACER TWEAKS 8. MISCELLANEOUS cated and mounted

s relo The stock receiver wa tape to the back of the m foa ed sid with doubleto the antenna to be moved servo. That required the ely saf be to a ws the antenn axle mount, which allo wling. cra ring du s ssi cha and tucked under the body

GO ROCK RACING If you have enough people in your local rock crawling club, you might be able to convince your club to convert the outdoor dirt track to a Rock Racing course once a week with a couple of removable rock piles or other obstacles placed on the course. You may not have a Rock Racing track, but setting up a timed run course in your back yard with a mix of long fast runs and jumps around your landscaping with some technical crawling sections also works great. If rock racing sounds about like someone bringing a stopwatch to your neighborhood RC bash, then you are very close to how much fun this new emerging area of rock crawling is. From bash, to race, to crawl, the Axial kit is flexible enough to do it all with a few upgrades. Hit the rocks, hit the throttle and go rock racing. I guarantee it will be more fun than you have had in a long time. @

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WINNER’S CIRCLE ATSUSHI HARA’S WORLDS-WINNING D8 Maximum best! BY AARON WALDRON >For

most club racers, driving talent reigns over equipment as the number-one dynamic in winning the Amain. At the highest level of RC racing, the IFMAR World Championships, driving talent is still paramount, but having topshelf equipment can be the difference between hoisting a big trophy and standing idly by at the awards ceremony. Shortly after the 2008 IFMAR Worlds in Charlotte, North Carolina, our sneaky photographer infiltrated the HPI Racing/Hot Bodies offices in Foothill Ranch, California, to dissect Atsushi Hara’s D8 racing buggy. He returned to work safely (although not quite in time for lunch) to bring us this exclusive, in-depth look at the car that will carry the most prestigious title in RC for the next two years, as we show details that you won’t find anywhere else. Good work, Mr. Yu.

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Running Gear Futaba electronics—Hara used Futaba’s new flagship surface radio, the 2.4 GHz-equipped four-pack, to maneuver his buggy around the huge The Farm II track. Futaba BLS352 and S9351 servos control handled the steering and throttle/brake duties, respectively, while a Orion Marathon 1600 mAh Ni-MH battery pack powered the system for over 60 minutes of competition. O.S. horsepower—Perhaps one of the most iconic engines in 1/8-scale off-road over the past several years, the O.S. V-Spec was chosen for duty once again. The most recent reincarnation, the O.S. Speed-tuned V-Spec II, paired with an O.S. P3 plug and

2060WC pipe to provide the power and a significant run-time advantage that proved to be the deciding factor in North Carolina. Cosmo fuel—A popular choice overseas, the fuel used to win the first WC held on U.S. soil in eight years isn’t available in the U.S. Hara’s engine sipped Cosmo 25-percent during the triumphant hour-long main event. Brand new Pro-Line tires—Not just a new set for the main event, but a brand new tire pattern released just before the World Championships. Hara and his mechanic put their faith in the new Pro-Line Revolver, in ultra soft M3 compound, to provide consistent grip. At the IFMAR World Championships, each racer must have his chassis stamped so that the tech inspectors may verify that the driver finishes each race with the same that he started; you may only change the chassis if it suffers significant damage. This picture shows the wear and tear on Hara’s buggy after a week of competition. Hara used a thenprototype lightweight chassis plate that is 1mm thinner than the standard chassis, an option that is now available to the public.

For added insurance, the captured front hinge pins that come with the D8 were replaced with traditional captured hinge pins that are fastened with a locknut. Note the lightweight aluminum axle stub.

Hara’s D8 features custom-machined, lightweight components like these milled-out diff cups. Hot Bodies now offers several of these lightweight components for purchases.

Hara’s Worlds-winning buggy features a custom-fabricated shock tower that is taller than the stock unit, and longer shocks from the Lightning Pro 2. This setup offers more downtravel than the stock D8 buggy, while still maintaining the proper up-travel. Although Hara’s was the only D8 in North Carolina to use this modification, the shock tower is now available from Hot Bodies.

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• 95 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

WINNER’S CIRCLE ATSUSHI HARA’S WORLDS-WINNING D8

The purple anodized turnbuckles are custom…a Hara trademark!

The Farm II’s thick clay can tear apart an engine in no time; an external fuel filter provides extra protection against dirt entering the fuel tank during pit stops.

An accessory commonly found on nitro off-road cars, Lexan rear arm guards help to protect the rear hinge pins, camber links, and driveshafts from dirt and mud.

The red tint on the Pro-Line air filter is partially from the North Carolina clay, but mostly from the red PJ1 motorcycle foam filter treatment used to oil the element.

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Hara installed lightweight hard anodized drivetrain parts for increased acceleration and better fuel economy. @

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PRODUCT TEST CASTLE MONSTER MAXX SYSTEM Be afraid. Be very afraid!

BY R/C CAR STAFF >When

we typically receive brushless/ESC systems here at R/C Car, we handle the little box and contents with interest, and then move along our way. Then along came the Castle Mamba Monster system. Its brick-heavy, sealed shut 8- by 6-inch box intimidated us before we even opened it up. “What the heck is in here?” we thought, as we trembled with anticipation. Labeled as a brushless system for “monster truck and extreme 1/8-scale,” we were frothing at the mouth by the time we had it unboxed. Features

A gigantic brushless electric motor that’s nearly four inches long from end to end. A gigantic brick of an ESC, with a moldedin cooling fan with protective housing. Wires thick enough to jump-start a Greyhound Bus. Just what the heck is this Mamba Monster capable of?! All we know is that this brushless/ESC combo is only made for vehicles that can handle it, like large monster trucks and 1/8-scale buggy conversions. Here are the stats for our 2200Kv test system: Price: $349 (motor/ESC combo) Cell Rating: 18 NiCad/NiMh cells or 6S LiPo (up to 25.2 volts!) Continuous Amps: Listed as “more than you can handle,” up to 120 amps Resistance: 0.0003 ohm ESC Dimensions: 2.2x1.9x1.4 inches ESC Weight: 121 grams Connectors: 6.5mm bullet

Notice anything unusual? Let’s start with the Mamba Monster’s deranged 25.2-volt limit. That’s 18-cells (two nine-cell packs) or up to a 6S 22.2-volt pack. Few vehicles can even contain that much battery. How about the 120-amp continuous ESC capacity? That’s enough amperage to power several rooms in your house. Castle claims on its website that “Thermals are for the other guys,” essentially saying that the Mamba Monster simply will not ever get into a thermal shut-down situation. Beyond the Mamba Monster’s insane power and specs, the system is also fully adjustable via Castle’s USB PC link, called “Castle Link.” Using the included adapter and software, you can attach your Monster ESC to a PC computer to change numerous parameters such as low-voltage cutoff and throttle and braking curves. We loaded up the software, and were pleased to find that its operation is both intuitive and easy to use for anyone with computer experience. If you’re going this far with such an insane ESC/motor combo, take the time to learn its software. It’s worth it.

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The Monster motor itself is the second half of this powerful combo. Available in 2200Kv (up to 25.2v) and 2650Kv (up to 16.8v) configurations, each Monster motor features a gigantic 5mm shaft, a “Neo” rotor, four poles and high speed ball bearings at both ends. There’s even machined cooling fins on the green anodized motor case itself. And if those massive 7mm gold bullet connectors don’t have you dreaming of nuclear-style electricity flow, nothing will.

Testing We installed our 2200Kv Mamba Monster into a fresh Traxxas E-Revo, which curiously enough will be released soon in a full factory brushless version that includes the Mamba Monster preinstalled. Being the impatient folks we are, we installed our Mamba Monster well before the factory built truck was available just so we could test the Monster system itself. The results, as you’ll see, are stunning. Combined with twin Max Amps 2S, 6500mAh, 30C packs for a “mere” total of 14.8 volts, the Mamba Monster still lays down awesome power. We installed the system with a Traxxas recommended 18tooth pinion gear. In this configuration, our E-Revo topped out at 33 mph and got there almost instantly. The Mamba Monster’s throttle control is silky smooth, with power that never seems to end. Braking feels strong and predictable, and the reverse function works as it should— smoothly, without the instant-on reverse that some factory systems have. Crack the throttle open at any speed, and the Mamba puts the Revo into an instant wheelie. Just for kicks, we then dropped twin Max Amps 3S packs (for a total of 22.2 volts!) into our E-Revo in an attempt to push our E-Revo and the Monster system to its limits. Suffice it say that the Castle Mamba Monster never broke a sweat, even after repeated abuse sessions, but the E-Revo felt as though it would be

wood-chipped into Traxxas confetti at any moment. You know the scene in “The Hulk” where Dr. Banner just starts to transform into The Hulk, with his shirt straining, tearing and ripping apart due to the pressure beneath? This is how our ERevo felt the entire test session—as though it wanted to tear itself apart from the inside out. In other words, AWESOME power. We managed to strip out a spur gear when the gear mesh let go, and our spur gear looked more like a drink coaster than an actual toothed gear. Do yourself a favor, and thread lock the motor mounting screws securely, and set the gear mesh properly. Any deviation in gear mesh will smoke the spur gear due to the power.

Conclusion We’re in love. The Castle Mamba Monster system is so powerful, we’re considering contacting “Top Gear” to see if they’d like to convert a full-size go-kart to brushless power. Clarkson would go for it if anyone would. Electric monster truckers and brushless 1/8-scale buggy racers now have an insane, and completely addictive, brushless system ready to deliver power like they’ve never seen. @

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SOURCES

South Kansas Ave., Castle Creations, 235 3) 390-6939 (91 • 61 Olathe, KS 660 20 W. Charles 144 s, rie tte Ba ps Max Am 99026 • (888) WA ls, Road, Nine Mile Fal 654-4450 ., Plano, TX 75074 • Traxxas, 1100 Klein Rd 2) 265-8011 (97 fax (972) 265-8000; • 101 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

HOW TO:

SET GEAR MESH It’s all in your teeth!

GEARS n STEP 1: CHECK THEthe meshing process, first check the ee tw be e nc ara cle the h >Gear mesh, Before you get on wit od shape. BY R/C CAR STAFF bell and pinion and spur gears to make sure they’re still in go rs will strip tch clu or r ca ic ctr ele spu an rn spur gear, and worn the pinion and spur in hicle perfor- It’s easy to overlook a wo possible time without routine mainve on ct pa im jor ma s rst out and break at the wo spur in a nitro car, ha nded or flatr gear mesh? The tenance. Check the pinion and spur gears for rougear teeth. If pe pro is nt rta po im w sing mance. Just ho gear tened gear teeth, chipped gear teeth, or mis edged, replace n’t run properly if the and wo p rld cris wo rp, sha the n’t in r are ca best RC the gears on your car waste your to overworn set of gears will . As easy as it may be tly ec tting gear mesh on a Se orr m! inc t the se is . sh me hicle is problems than it solves time and create more r gear mesh on your ve look, setting the prope even easier.

• 102 •

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gear teeth. An example of good

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Just starting to wear

STEP 2: CHECK THE CLUTCH BELL BEARINGS (NITRO ONLY) Remove the clutch bell and bearings, and spin the bearings on the tip of a pen or the engine’s pilot shaft, and check for gritty or notchy movement. Replace the bearings if they’re not silky smooth, as healthy clutch bearings make a world of difference in proper gear mesh.

STEP 3: CUT A SLIP OF PAPER. The good ol’ ‘slip of paper’ method is still our favorite here at R/C Car, so the editors like to keep a piece of copy paper handy that’s cut into small half-inch strips just for setting gear mesh. Cut it, and tear off a strip.

IT! STEP 4: SANDWICHctric

ele Loosen the engine or er pap the d motor, and fee spur between the pinion and ine or eng the gear. Gently move spur the s ard tow tor electric mo , nce ista gear until you feel res re. and hold it the

STEP 5: CINCH IT DOWN! Tighten the engine mount screws, and remove the piece of paper. The paper should look crumpled but not torn, and your gear mesh should have just a “tick” of play without being too tight or too loose. Spin the drivewheels on your vehicle—do they rotate smoothly? If the gear mesh binds or whines, it’s too tight; simply tear another piece of paper, and retry with a different amount of pressure. You’ll have it down to second nature before you know it. @

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• 103 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

HOW TO:

TRIM FOAM BUMPERS Too bad my bumper’s not emo

Sure, it sounds simple, but it’s not as easy as you may think. At least not without making it look like a rat chewed it up. Why bother, you ask? Because whether you want to acknowledge it or not, once that body comes off, a gnarly, chewedup-looking foam bumper is just tacky on a kit that may have cost you your entire paycheck. Additionally, it may not fit as flush against your body as it should, either completely distorting the front end or leaving a huge gap. There are a few techniques in making that bumper look clean and fit perfectly under that body. We simplify a very effective one into seven steps.

BY JASON YU>

TOOLBOX

• X-acto knife dpaper • 100 and 150-grit san . gun at He • e? How Long Will This Tak s. ute min 20 to 15 About

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STEP 1: Install your bumper. We’re using GMK Supply’s large foam bumper, part number 133.

STEP 2: Set the body over your car. It’s important that the body stays level and lined up to the body posts.

STEP 3: Take a marker and draw a line along the edge of the body onto the bumper. This will give you a visible line to cut along. Remove the body when you’ve finished.

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• 105 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

HOW TO:

TRIM FOAM BUMPERS STEP 4: Use your X-acto knife and slice the excess off. Cut just along the inside of the line you drew. Note: Do not try to cut the extra foam off in one pass! Instead, make a few passes along the lines with the X-acto knife until you finally cut through the foam.

STEP 5: Put the body on again to check the fit. Make note of anything hitting or not sitting right, and we’ll adjust in the next step. The front of our body is being pushed out by the bumper.

STEP 6: Sand the bumper. Fold a 100-grit sheet of sandpaper over a few times to stiffen it up and start sanding! Sand down the rough parts of the foam until smooth. For the areas that need adjusting, concentrate on sanding that area down until it fits the body correctly. Finish the bumper off with 150-grit.

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STEP 7 (OPTIONAL): Use a heat gun and seal it up. Pass the heat gun over the bumper a few times to “seal” the foam in. The heat melts the foam ever so slightly to eliminate the “frizzies” and really gives it a nice production look. Note: Do not hold the heat gun in one place, as it will melt the foam!

CONCLUSION That’s it! Done correctly, the process will increase the support to the front of the body substantially, which translates into less body flex at top speed and cornering. The only drawback to this form-fitting process is that you’ll have to stick with the same body every time, that is unless you get another bumper. Racers will not have a problem with using the same body, but if you want the option to run a variety of bodies and still want the support of a formed bumper, consider having several bumpers prepped for your ride. @

SOURCES GMK Supply, www.gmksupply.com

! s t r i T-sh pport u s r u o y Show rite o v a f r u o to y ith a w e n i z a g ma irt. h s T r a C R/C s $2.95 ay, $12 plu

rs tod upon Order you ch. Call or mail co cts, a du e shipping ayable to Plus Pro kp t with chec 7.0345 or online a 6 .7 Call 1.800 om ar.c www.rc-c

Name_______________________________________ Address_____________________________________ City________________________________________ State_________________________Zip____________ Indicate Size & Qty. Small___ Medium___ Large___ XL___ XXL___ XXXL___ Mail to: Plus Products, P.O. Box 957, Valencia, CA 91380-9057

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• 107 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

PRODUCT TEST

BANTAM E-STATION BC6 Charge it—charge it all!

My eyes light up any time I see a charger capable of charging nearly any battery type on the planet. Working for a product-test magazine means we have more batteries of various sizes, connections and cell types than you could imagine. Chargers with built-in power supplies are even more valuable to us. When I spied Bantam’s E-Station BC6 charger at the Chicago iHobby tradeshow, I knew it would be a charger I’d want to test. It can just about do it all.

BY STEPHEN BESS>

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FEATURES OVERVIEWhnical data

lyquest, and Power, Flight Power, Po ). ion Hyper

tec Let’s dispense with the ntam lists as Ba at wh re’s He ay. right aw TESTING cs: wall, and you’re the BC6’s tech spe Plug the BC6 into the D LC it ckl .Ba ..... ..... ..... -line backlit LCD ..... two ..... ic, ..... Display greeted with a bas C C/D ....A ..... ..... ..... business. Select Voltage .................... that gets right down to uilt-In ....B ..... ..... ..... g.. current, and cin Lithium balan the battery type, charge .......50 watts ..... ..... the BC6 ..... r... and we nt, po wa e Charg charge type you tts wa ..5 ..... ..... ..... ..... er a quick voltage Discharge............ springs into action aft .1-15 cells ..... ..... ..... ..... ed with a very ..... nal Mh NiCad/Ni check. Inputs are sig ..................1-6S ..... ..... !, and the charger Fe EP /Li BE Po /Li ter pu ion Liaudible com ps am 0 -5. 0.1 ..... ..... ..... tively easily. Charge current gets off and running rela .0.1 to 1.0A ..... ..... ..... tery type, ..... bat t ..... rec e.. cor Discharg Inputting the .........Up to five ameters did par er oth and e, tag Cycles........................... charge vol p to five ....U ..... ..... gh the ..... hou ry. Alt mo Battery me require some patience. ..................960g under..... to y ..... eas ..... ..... are ..... es t elv igh We menus thems m 40m 20x 0x1 nus does ..16 me ..... the ..... h Dimensions ..... stand, navigating throug ting the sul con and e ctic require a little pra es tur fea re uld mo , you sho The BC6 charger has instruction manual. Yes ef product test, so ction manual, but tru ins the d rea than I can fit into a bri ays alw BC6 will perform nus and inputting suffice it to say that the navigating between me a of ask ld cou you ’t quite as easy on just about any action the data we wanted isn ing to anc bal to g rgin e other popular cha som dis h charger, from the BC6 as it is wit BC6’s built-in The hang of the . the ling cyc get you and g ce chargin chargers. On re mo t bu e, tur fea ough them at thr gre flip power supply is a menus, however, you’ll with the sed res imp are we ly ily. important quickly and eas er for the BC6 simply BC6’s built-in cell balanc On the charging front, e littl a re we We . ies ter it produces fully bat it— LiPo/LiFe/Li-ion does what you ask of 6’s limited BC the ditioned bater con cov dis and to ed anc surprised charged, bal five at out xes n’t experima did ich We charge current, wh tery packs every time. LiPo city we feel apa h-c did hig nor s k, ay’ pea tod e amps. With ence a single fals to 0 600 When the ed. into rcharg and NiMh packs well that any battery was ove p -am five ks ited pac lim o 6’s LiP BC ty 8000 range, the charging higher capaci nd more time waiting ever, we did have to rate means you’ll spe above 5000mAh, how re mo er oth h wit l wil like for a full charge on a charge than you wait longer than we’d of this e sid flip The ited charge currs. lim rge powerful cha due to the five-amp ugh time, the eno BC6 would be en the giv t for tha h is wis m y proble rent. Our onl in y ter bat any rge t ren limit up to ten BC6 will indeed cha to bump its charge cur to 15 cells, up ll -ce one w you to charge m allo fro l uld your arsena amps, which wo k at 1C. or up to a 6S pack. up to a 10,000mAh pac rger itself, the In addition to the cha r cord, prewe po BC6 includes an AC field charging, for s clip or gat wired DC alli and an interds, lea alligator clip charging o offers addials m nta Ba nal cell balancer. ing adapter boards tional optional balanc possible (Thunder y for every style batter

CONCLUSION

t balance connecter you need is the correc its AC power capafor your battery type), of battery and ge ran e wid bility, and its ity. Unless you’re cell type charging abl LiPo battery powred we into ultra high po likely serve your ered RC’s, the BC6 can needs perfectly. Part Number: ECHBC6 Street Price: $169

RC’ers out For the vast majority of r ideal charger you there, the BC6 can be could throw at you g hin ryt and charge eve ply r sup . We’re huge it…all without a powe in cell balancer (all iltbu fans of the BC6’s

www.fantamag.com

THE FINAL CALL

s it all, in a comHits: The BC6 charge package, so it pact, AC/DC powered r depending rge cha could be your last ds. nee upon your current, relaMisses: Limited charge fusing menus. con htly tively pricey, slig for every RC’er, Final Call: A charger high-power a except those into ultr applications.

SOURCES

sold by RC Bantam, Distributed and xridge Fo 4 330 ., Inc y, sor Acces • 18 336 Circle, Tampa, FL om y.c sor ces www.rcac • 109 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

HOW TO:

SAUCE YOUR TIRES Sauce...mmmm, that sounds good

If you ask a hundred on-road racers what’s the best way to “sauce” tires, you’d get two hundred different answers. That’s right, there is no one magical way to apply tire additive. But there are a few basic guidelines you should follow to get the most out of your tires. Most of these preparation and application guidelines work the same for both carpet and asphalt tracks.

BY STEPHEN SOHL>

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RUBBER TIRES: 15 to 20 minutes before your race 1. Clean tires thoroughly with motor spray, nitro cleaner, Simple Green, denatured alcohol, or even lighter fluid. 2. Prepare tires with a conditioner. Apply a good coating of Trinity Tire Tweak, Muchmore Blue Sap or Simple Green concentrate. Let it set for a few minutes and wipe it off. 3. Now apply your favorite rubber tire additive and let it set for ten to 15 minutes. Some racers use tire warmers to soak the additive further into the rubber and bring the tires up to operated temps quicker. 4. Wipe off excess additive just prior to putting you car down on the track. Take a lap or make some tight circles to make sure the tire surface is free of any extra additive. 5. After your race, clean tires again and set them aside for the next race. I usually store my rubber tires in a zip-lock bag to ensure “freshness.”

FOAM TIRES: 10 to 15 minutes before your race 1. Clean tires thoroughly with motor spray, nitro cleaner, Simple Green, denatured alcohol, or lighter fluid. Allow to air dry for a few minutes. 2. Now apply your favorite foam tire additive and let it set for five to ten minutes. For freshly trued tries, I like to add a second application and let it set for a few minutes. 3. Wipe off excess additive just prior to putting you car down on the track. Take a lap or make some tight circles to make sure the tire surface is free of any extra additive. 4. After your race, clean tires again and set aside for the next race. I usually allow my foam tires to air dry for a few days after a race. This works for pizza, too.

One of the most overlooked considerations with applying tire additives is where you put it on the tire. Coat half of the tire, say just the inside half, and you’ll get a very different-handling car than if you would have coated the whole tire. A good example is foam touring car tires on carpet that only need approximately 50 percent or less of the front tires sauced to get a

decent handling car. Try different percentages across the tire to gain the handling characteristic you desire. Obviously, different tire compounds, tire additive brands and track conditions will also play a huge role in determining your car’s performance and handling. In addition, carpet and indoor asphalt tracks usu-

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ally have a preference/requirement for which additives may be used at their facility, so check with them first before you go out and buy some. And I bet someone at that track has already done a ton of legwork for you and can suggest which combinations work the best. All you have to do is ask. Now, can someone pass the “gravy”? @ • 111 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

FIRST LOOK AQUACRAFT ALLIGATOR TOURS AIRBOAT YE-E-E HA-A-A-W!!!

Now before y’all go hootin’ and hollerin’ about this article, I just gotta tell y’all—this here RC Alligator Tours boat is cooler than a well digger’s rear-end in January. I was born ’n’ raised in the deep South, and although I now park my truck in California, I’m a proud Southerner, so I done figured I’d write this here article the way most of my family that I love and respect so dang much would have writ it. Southern accent and all. Seein’ as how this Aquacraft Alligator Tours nitro boat is modeled after all them big airboats that’re all over tarnation in Florida, I felt it’d give this here review a more authentic feel. Don’t mean no offense now, so don’t be takin’ none. BY STYEPHEN BESS>

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www w.ffantamag.com

• 113 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

FIRST LOOK AQUACRAFT ALLIGATOR TOURS AIRBOAT

FEATURES This Aquacraft Alligator Tours swamp boat is fully ready-to-run, meaning you ain’t got no buildin’ to do ’cept decalin’ the hull and poppin’ in some batteries and fuel. It’s done built already with a

SuperTigre G35 airplane engine installed with a 9 by 6 pusher prop. You’ll also find a pre-installed 27MHz AM “Tactic” radio stuffed in there, and a vertically mounted engine muffler that looks like one a ’dem smudge pots.

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www.fa antama ag.com

The boat ain’t got no propeller or rudder on its underside just like them real swamp boats, so it won’t get hung up on no moss or debris of no sorts. The swamp boat is prepainted with a real nice silver paint job, and then you decal it your own self.

THE FINAL CALL

water-skiin’ squirrel, Highs: Cooler than a ’. funner’n catfish noodlin t that dang engine bu rt, hea Lows: Bless its rter—not endorsed don’t got no electric sta by Bill Dance. t family gatherin’ on The Final Call: The nex the same when you the lake won’t never be ng. alo bring this sucker

There’s even real scale-lookin’ detailed driver and passenger bench seats, and a wood boat stand that also doubles as a tote for carryin’ it to the lake. I tell you what, when this here boat’s all done up and decaled, in my humble opinion it looks finer than frog’s hair split six ways.

PERFORMANCE TESTING Findin’ an unfrozen lake during the winter is usually tougher than fightin’ a one-eared alley cat, but thankfully here in Southern California we have us some good weather. I fired up the Super Tigre G35 engine usin’ that blasted handstarter (I was wishin’ for one them ’lectric starters…) and got on with the break-in. Guess what, them airplane engines really don’t require no break-in, so I was off to the lake jus’bout right away. Fire that sucker up, and the Alligator Tours swamp boat settles down into an idle that’s all nice and friendly. It’s an easy tunin’ engine, partly because of that ten percent airplane fuel we used, which is good ’cause you won’t NEVER want to swim out to get a boat if the engine dies. Always use a RC retrieval boat or a real boat, or you’ll be worse off than a rubber-nosed woodpecker in a petrified forest. Anyway, as I was sayin’, the Alligator Tours boat idles good, and at half and full throttle that .32 engine hollers like a stuck hog. Because the Alligator Tours boat ain’t got no under-water propeller or rudder, the bottom of the boat is slicker’n greased lightnin’, lettin’ it skid easy over rocks, lily pads and stringy moss without gettin’ caught up in it. These here little strakes on the bottom of the boat keep it goin’ where you want without slowin’ anything down, too. Two air rudders behind that big 9 by 6 pusher propeller steers the boat, and you won’t have no trouble turnin’ the Alligator Tours boat any which way you want. Its steerin’ is really good, but you don’t want to get too big for your britches. You can almost turn the swamp boat on a dime, or at least on one of my grandpappy’s

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1899 silver dollars, but steer too much too fast and you might flip it, ’cause it’s top-heavy. The Alligator Tours boat has some punch on it, too. You pull the trigger, and it shoots away like one them Roman Candles on the Fourth of July. It’s not too fast for youngin’s to drive, but it’s not so slow that you’ll get bored, neither. Speed ain’t it’s thang, though; just cruisin’ and blastin’ around the pond is where it’s at home. Run time’s purty good; we averaged ’bout ten-minutes per the 180cc tank. Some’a the test lakes we runned at have lotsa moss and leaves that have got all caught up in our previous test boats’ rudders ’n’ propellers, but the Aquacraft swamp boat just skims over all that like a tenth-grader readin’ Cliff’s Notes. Basically you can drive this boat anywhich way you want without gettin’ all hateful about the debris, makin’ this swamp boat as useful as the real thing. By the end of the day, we had us a group of onlookers at the lake ten-deep, and I was answerin’ so many questions about this boat I was busier than a stump-tailed cow in fly time. People just couldn’t believe how real the boat looked and wanted to know where I had done bought it.

CONCLUSION Aquacraft’s Alligator Tours boat’s better than snuff, and aint’ half as dusty. It ain’t no racin’ boat, but it ain’t no sailboat neither. It’s got some speed, it steers good, and dag-blast-it, you can drive it on just about any lake anywhere so it’s ideal for beginners who may still be a little wet behind the ears. You get everthing you need ’cept a hand-starter and fuel in the box, and it ain’t gonna cost you no fortune. Want to have lotsa fun out at the lake this summer, no matter what sorta lake you have, whether there’s lily pads or moss or tree branches in it? This Aquacraft Alligator Tours boat is for you. @

• 115 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

HOW TO:

SUBMIT A READER’S RIG Spill Czech is you’re Frend! BY JASON YU >We

get tons of Reader’s Rigs submissions every month and we get such a big kick out of seeing everyone’s cars and random creations. It’s a cool feeling knowing that so many of you value our opinions on the products and cars we review here, and then seeing them in the hands of happy owners. So keep them coming! But we’re noticing that some of you are forgetting a few small things when you submit your rides. So here’s a simple how-to to help make sure you get your cars in the magazine and that you’re getting your free Zinio subscription. t you think a cool photo spot tha car. Take the time to find r mber to you is me d Re s. nee oto you ph l The first thin nt it, and get some coo wa you ere wh car the would be scenic. Set ic look. carr to give it a realist r board, curl it up shoot at the level of the ver color you like) poste ate wh (or ite wh use o als can photos. Monster for you t fer, bes If you pre tte side tends to work ma The t. tha ugh to on ot so be sure to have eno against a wall, and sho r boards to shoot on, ste po a ple cou a ad trucks may kne shooting. shoot on when you’re

STEP 1. TOOLBOX • Your car • Digital camera • Computer al). • Camera phone (option e? Tak is Th ll Wi ng Lo How d. As long as you nee

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STEP 2. Upload the photoes you took onto your computer. Dont worry about printing them out. Your going to be using your e-mail program in a minute. Yup, we’re gonna to get all hi tech with this!

STEP 3.

e imformasion ount and right up som Open up your e-mail acc v’e done to you des gra up us what kind of about your car(s) Tell k a bac story on e info about urself or it. May be include a littl e!1 hobbie. Be creativ how you gots into the e and address so include your fool nam too ber Also remem dy. up if you win a new bo we know who to hook

STEP 4. when you finished with your E-mail, attach the photos you took earlier to the email. Their should be an “attach file” option in the email where if you click on that you can chose which photos too include be sure too sent teh full resolution photos the files might . be large but the better the quality of photo we get of your car teh better it will look in thee mag. LOL

STEP 5. WOnce you have evrything typed in and all ur photos attached, send the email to rccar@hi-torque.com and tidle the E mail “Readers’ Rigs.”

STEP 6. Look out fur yore car inthe upcomming Reeders Rigs.

CONCLUSION Sending in a Readers’ Rigs is not hard to due , expecially sence most of you already seam to no what too do already. We love seeing all your cars n reading abou them when we get teh emails. Keep sending in your rigs and wheell be sure to get you in the mag! @

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• 117 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

PRODUCT TEST NOVAK SENTRY DATA LOGGER F1 technology for RC

Most RC’ers are fans of full-scale motor sports as well; this hobby has always served as an affordable, exciting, accessible (and safe!) alternative to racing life-size cars and trucks. Auto racing enthusiasts don’t always agree which is the most exciting form of motorized competition, but they all share a mutual respect for Formula 1. More specifically, the technology used to create and tune the asphalt-shredding, landlocked fighter jets is rather mind-boggling. RC electronics giant Novak Electronics clearly looked to Formula 1 for inspiration when making the new Sentry Data Logger. BY AARON WALDRON>

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F1 teams have used on-board telemetry systems for years. By arming cars with temperature-monitoring probes, rpm-measuring devices, and multi-axis accelerometers to record G-forces, engineers can access so many personal, intimate bits of information about each lap on the track that Big Brother-fearing conspiracy theorists would be utterly disgusted.

FEATURES OVERVIEW The Sentry Data Logger logs data. More specifically, the impressively small unit relies on sensors to record motor rpm, temperature of up to seven different components, battery voltage and current, and throttle and steering inputs. Each of these small sensors is removable and all can be configured differently for any car. A built-in accelerometer records G-forces on two different axes to demonstrate how well your car is gripping the track and show you what your car went through when you slammed into the wall at the end of the straightaway. Poor car. After completing a run, the included USB cable allows the logged data stored in the Sentry to be transferred to a laptop or PC that has the included Sentry software installed. This versatile program is definitely the highlight of the Sentry program, with an incredible amount of options. Once downloaded, you can view graphs and spreadsheets of the information gathered by each sensor in the car. You can even replay each run in real time to visualize how the car is acting on the track, via a screen that displays several dashboardlike gauges. The Sentry software also has a Summary page, which displays the minimum, average, and maximum values gathered by each sensor. Whew!

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â&#x20AC;˘ 119 â&#x20AC;˘ APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

PRODUCT TEST NOVAK SENTRY DATA LOGGER TESTING The small size of the Sentry unit itself makes it easy to find room in any chassis, but the wires required for each sensor requires some attention to install neatly, especially in nitro vehicles and 4WD cars and trucks with plenty of spinning drivetrain parts. Naturally, I stuck the Sentry system in my Traxxas Slash as an intended

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exercise in irony. After a few runs at Hot Rod, I headed home to upload the data onto my Windows desktop. As expected, none of the measured values flew off the charts. The relatively low speeds and docile nature of the Slash meant that the G-force measurements were quite modest compared to what you will find in other cars, like a 1/8-scale offroad or modified touring car. On a smaller

scale, however, the graphs still represented the same fluctuations in each value that would exist regardless of the chassis used. By far the most interesting data, in my opinion, was the recording of throttle and steering positions throughout the course of the run. The low traction levels of the Slash’s tires on Hot Rod’s watered track surface made for very entertaining graphs, especially when our ad guy realized that

THE FINAL CALL

d results from Hits: Incredibly detaile y. remarkable technolog install in your Misses: More wires to car. next level. Final Call: This is truly

his slow reflexes are the reason he canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t keep up. The current and voltage recordings can be very useful when determining gear ratios. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s interesting to see how both graphs correspond with each other and with the throttle position monitor. Again, while not magnified in the Slash, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s easy to see how gearing changes would affect current draw when accelerating out of a corner. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only one thing I wish the Sentry did differently; the measurements are recorded based on overall time during the run. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to see the Sentry system combined with a lapcounting transponder, not only to count lap times but also to show the data of each sensor in relation to each lap. This way, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have a better idea of where the car is on the track while reviewing data, and slow laps (such as crashes and pit stops) would be easy to pick out of the lot.

CONCLUSION I can imagine that manufacturers will be buying these systems to give to their engineers for testing new cars and products. And after getting a chance to see how adjustments on the car affected the measurements recorded by the Sentry, I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprised to see these data loggers installed in plenty of cars at big events and local club races alike. @ Part Number: #2000 (Sentry Data Logger)/#2010 (Pro version) Price: $130/$165

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For subscription questions and address changes, please call:

1-800-767-0345 or e-mail: wanda@hi-torque.com

or mail to: Hi-Torque Publications Attn: Circulation Dept. P.O. Box 957 Valencia, CA 91380-9057

Please provide a recent mailing address with all correspondence

SOURCES

. 18910 Teller Novak Electronics Inc 12 â&#x20AC;˘ (949) 833926 CA Avenue, Irvine, ak.com 8873 â&#x20AC;˘ www.teamnov

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â&#x20AC;˘ 121 â&#x20AC;˘ APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

PRODUCT TEST

HOBBY GEAR ACCESSORIES Oh, the possibilities. BY JASON YU>Involved in scale crawlers? Well, other than the size of your truck, what is it that makes it so scale? The tires? The body? Probably not much else. Interestingly enough, there is a new line of random accessories that will add that extra bit of scale flair to your truck and really set off the “attention to detail” meter. Hobby Gear, a division of 1/24scale plastic and die-cast model makers Phoenix Toys, now has a collection of everyday accessories to outfit your scale crawler.

Features Overview Hobby Gear has an impressive list of accessories including a Jerry can, a propane tank, a fire extinguisher, a jack, an Igloo drink cooler, a beer keg, a pick axe, a felling axe, an entrenching shovel, a rifle, and various-length bungee cords. Suffice it to say, it’s an interesting mix of “everyday” items. Hobby Gear has several different packages available, with varying combinations of the listed items. So if you only need a gas can and a rifle, well, they’ve got you covered!

Testing We strapped Hobby Gear’s accessories to nearly every 1/10-scale vehicle (and some non-vehicles) we have around the office, including the new Alligator Tours swamp buggy we just got. The bungee cords work like a charm. There’s not a lot to say about the accessories other than “they looked good” and “they are amusingly scale.” Instead, we’ll supply a photo montage and let you see for yourself.

Conclusion After placing the accessories on our cars, it’s fun to see just how attention to detail makes everything that much cooler. Hobby Gears’ accessories are a fantastic way to decorate your scale crawler with scale party necessities and scale murder weapons. We certainly had fun with them. In fact, now we’re just waiting on the scale chainsaw and wood chipper set. Price: $15/set

SOURCES

6th Ave. City of Phoenix Toys, 657 S. 6) 333-8857 • (62 Industry, CA 91746 • • 06 -81 fax (626) 333 www.phoenixtoys.com

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INSIDE ON-ROAD WITH STEPHEN SOHL THAT NEW-CAR FEEL The best way to get your new on-road car ready for a day of racing is to ask one of the local “fast guys” for their setup. Yes, this will get your car in a good place, but it will also require you to race like the “fast guy.” That’s most likely not going to happen at first. So what to do? Go back to the basics! The factory (stock) setup provided with your car kit was put in there for a good reason—because it works. These settings have been tested and refined to allow you to learn and get a feel for your car. Then try different settings and be able to judge them for yourself. Different driving styles demand different settings. Use these basic guidelines when building and preparing your car for racing: • Build and set up your car to factory settings. • Choose the most stable and consistent tires for the track conditions. • Take as many laps as necessary to get a basic feel for the car; record what the car is doing and what handling characteristic you want to achieve.

• Refer to setup guides like the XXX-Main Touring Car Chassis Setup Guide or XRay Set-Up Book (comes with T2 kits) to determine what changes to make. • Only do one change per practice session. Too many changes can easily tune you out of the ballpark. • Ask other racers running your car what they have tried and experienced. • Once you get a good feeling for your car, probably two days of racing/practicing, then ask the “fast guys” about their setup. And again, only make one adjustment at a time. These are truly the very basics to getting your new car up to speed. Seat-time is the only thing that is going to really make a difference. I know you hear it all the time, but I’ll say it again, “practice, practice and more practice” will make any car better, especially a new car.

INSIDE STUFF ec Competition StockSp LRP SPX Brushless Speed-Control— om www.teamassociated.c d the SPX “StockSpec” ase rele ly LRP recent ller specifically proelectronic speed contro ing. This automatic rac ” grammed for “stock ilar edo is visually very sim brushless/brushed spe asts four bo t bu ) fan ns (sa s to the other LRP model increased motor perfor stock racing profiles, nt to wa you if t, Bu . are dw mance and updated har you p kee four profiles to race modified, it still has nt. going as fast as you wa r— MRT PTX Transponde om rt.c -m eam www.t logy out Model Racing Techno ved all sol lly fina of the U.K. has encies end dep ive lus exc of our al on AMB-branded person their g atin cre by ers transpond Brc3 com/AM Brc AM of line n ow The PTX patible transponders. ibly red inc are ers transpond proof and small, fuel-proof, water to 20 IDs allow users to have 10 ID per ned Clo m/ sto Cu one and transponder.

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Grand MotorSports Sport 1500 MaH Sport 1800 MaH Sport 3000 MaH NiMH Foam Tire Inserts-Clodbuster -Bullhead -Clodzilla Kits Aftershock Nitro Rail Dragster..529.99 -3 Battery Special-2 Battery Pack Special- For Monster -TXT-1 Aftershock Nitro Funny Car........519.99 Only... $29.99 Only.... $39.99 Only........ $46.99 R/C Trucks..$15.99 -T-Maxx Aftershock Nitro Pro Stock/Mod.499.99 -3 Battery Special-

TAMIYA

Thunder Tiger

Trucks 1/10 F-1 Uno Nitro Ready-To-Run..199.99 Ford F-150 4x4 Kit..........129.99 Ducati EP Motor Bike RTR....299.99 Lunch Box Kit......................99.99 TXT-1 Monster Truck...355.99 Ducati Nitro Motor Bike RTR..339.99 Ford F-350 High-Lift...399.99 1/10 DT-10 RTR Truck.........239.99 Toyota High-Lift.............399.99 1/8 EB4 Racing Buggy.........289.99 Toyota Land Cruiser Kit..339.99 1/8 EB4 S3 Racing Buggy....399.99 Mercedes Unimog 406 Kit..349.99 Wild Willy 2 Kit...............139.99 1/8 ST-1 Stadium Truck RTR..399.99

Hummer 4WD RTR.........199.99 Blackfoot Extreme Kit.....129.99 Twin Detonator 4WD.......129.99 Dual Hunter 4WD Kit.....164.99 Super Clod Buster 4WD...199.99 Subaru Brat Kit................149.99 Midnight Pumpkin Metallic..109.99 Mitshubishi Pajero Kit....169.99

KYOSHO 1/8 MP 7.5 Sport Ready-To-Run.....399.99 Rock Force 4WD Crawler Kit..399.99

TEAM LOSI

TRAXXAS

1/8 8ight Buggy RTR w/427 Engine & DX2 Radio ..559.99 1/8 8ight-T Truggy RTR w/427 Engine & DX2 Radio ..619.99 8ight 2.0 Race Roller.....549.99 8ight-T 2.0 Race Roller..619.99 8ight Buggy Kit..............499.99 8ight Buggy Race Roller..519.99 8ight-T Truggy Race Roller.549.99

T-Maxx 2.5 Monster Truck..369.99 3.3 T-Maxx Monster Truck..399.99 E-Maxx 4WD Electric..........329.99 E-Revo 4WD Ready-To-Run.......439.99 Slash Race Truck Ready-To-Run..199.99 Bandit Buggy RTR w/XL-5 ESC..159.99 Bandit Buggy w/VXL Brushless....274.99 O.S. Engines O.S. .30VG(P)-ES Roto Start.239.99 4 -Tec 4WD Sedan RTR........164.99 O.S. .21RG-X Pull Start..........129.99 O.S. .21V-Spec Non Pull.........288.99 Rustler RTR w/XL-5 ESC...........169.99 O.S. .21VZ-R Non Pull Start...219.99 Rustler RTR w/VXL Brushless.......284.99 O.S. .21TM/Revo or Maxx...259.99 O.S. .12CV-R Non-Pull Start...99.99 Stampede RTR w/XL-5 ESC.......174.99 O.S. .12CV-RX w/Pull Start.....118.99 Stampede RTR w/VXL Brushless....289.99 Axial Rock Crawlers 3.3 Nitro 4-Tec Sedan RTR......359.99 AX10 Scorpion Kit..229.99 Nitro Sport w/.15 & Radio................219.99 AX10 Scorpion Nitro Rustler w/Radio & 2.5 Engine.289.99 Ready-To-Run.....269.99 Nitro Stampede Ready-To-Run...269.99 AX10 Scorpion Orange ARTR.....249.99 3.3 Nitro Jato Ready-To-Run......399.99 3.3 Nitro Slayer Ready-To-Run..449.99 Axial Engines AX041 .32 Spec 1s Green..189.99 Revo 2008 Platinum Edition..649.99 AX0330 .28RR Green.......149.99 AX001 .28 Spec 1s Green..129.99 3.3 Revo 4WD Race Truck.....469.99

Mini Z On Road Sedans.......109.99 Mini-Z Monster Truck...........129.99 Bizzard DF-300 GP Version...299.99 Blizzard DF-300 EP Version..229.99 Cars Mobil 1 SC....TA05..............149.99 Nitro Blizzard Kit................249.99 Rover Mini Cooper Kit.......94.99 AKA 1/8 Buggy Tires & Rims In Stock NOW - Call BMW Mini Cooper RTR...169.99 For EZ Start or Roto Start Systems BMW Mini Cooper Kit.......94.99 Battery & Charger Upgrade...32.99 Enzo Ferrari.........TT-01.......89.99 Airtronics Radios Futaba Radios Buggies Ofna Racing Grasshopper Kit..................89.99 Attack 2ER Stick w/2 Servos...45.99 Blazer Sport w/Servos........54.99 1/8 Dominator w/o Engine.......299.99 Hornet Kit............................99.99 Attack 2DR Stick w/2 Servos...45.99 MX3 FM Synth w/Servos..179.99 The Frog Kit......................139.99 Mag Sport w/2 Servos........52.99 M-11 3Ch. FM Tx & Rx...289.99 1/8 Ultra GTP RTR..............359.99 Hot Shot 4WD Kit..........179.99 Mag Sport w/ESC...............83.99 Spectrum Radio Systems 1/8 Ultra LX 1 Comp RTR..299.99 Gravel Hound 4WD Kit.....105.99 2PL 2Ch. AM w/2 Servos......79.99 DX2 Pistol Radio.......169.99 Hyper 8.5 Pro Race Buggy....429.99 Boomerang 4WD Kit......169.99 DX3 Pistol Radio.......249.99 1/8 Jammin' X1CRT RTR....539.99 Avante Mk II 4WD Kit......154.99 2PL 2Ch. AM w/ESC...........94.99 DX3S Pistol Radio.....249.99 1/8 Jammin' X1CRT Pro......589.99 2PL 2Ch. FM w/2 Servos.....94.99 HPI 3PM FASST 2.4GHz.....179.99 DX3R Pistol Radios...319.99 1/8 Hyper ST RTR Truggy....499.99 JR Radios 1/8 Ofna 9.5 Ready To Run...399.99 Nitro Savage XL 5.9 RTR..569.99 3PM-FM w/2 Servos..........129.99 Nitro Savage X 4.6 RTR....429.99 3PM-FS Synth Tx & Rx......159.99 XR2i 2Ch. AM...............89.99 1/8 Ofna 9.5 Violator RTR....399.99 Nitro Savage X SS Kit....369.99 3PK Super FM Tx & Rx........299.99 XS3 3Ch. FM Synth..109.99 1/8 Ofna Jammin' X1 RTR...469.99 3Ch. FM Synthesized 1/8 Hellfire RTR Truck.........579.99 3PK FASST 2.4GHs Tx & Rx...389.99 Z-1 Radio Tx & Rx.........239.99 1/8 Hyper 7 RTR................419.99 Baja 5B SS Buggy Kit......879.99 4PK FASST 2.4GHs Tx & Rx...489.99 1/8 Ofna Ravager 4.6 RTR....359.99 Baja 5B Buggy RTR........949.99 Futaba FM Receiver..........49.99 #110 ReactNomadio Tx & Rx Set...........259.99 Ofna Hyper .21Pull Start......119.99 Baja 5T RTR Truck .....1349.99 Futaba AM Tx/Rx Crystals......9.99 Ofna Picco .28 Pull Start......199.99 Hitec Radios EVO Nitro RTR Sedan......319.99 Transmitter Antenna.............3.99 Aggressor AM Pistol.......49.99 Ofna Force .32 Pull Start......149.99 Nitro MT 2 RTR w/Radio...319.99 Futaba S3003 Servos......10.00 Aggressor FM Pistol....89.99 Picco Maxx .26 Pull Start....189.99 Firestorm 10T RTR.......259.99 Futaba 2ch. AM Receiver...16.99 Aggressor SRX FM......99.99 E-Firestorm RTR..............179.99 Mag Sport Tx Only...........14.99 Lynx 3D FM Transmitter Only TEAM ASSOCIATED E-Firestorm Flux RTR......299.99 Attack Stick Tx Only......1.99 w/Spectra Module....129.99 Monster GT 8.0 Ready-To-Run Willy King Truck No Radio..145.99 -Novak Brushless Systems- Electronic Speed Controls with Radio & Engine.......519.99 Willy King 4WD RTR......209.99 #3024 HV Pro 4.5 System....269.99 MGT 4.60 SE Ready-To-Run..399.99 HV Pro 5.5 System....269.99 Novak XRS w/Reverse.........49.99 SC8 1/8th Short Course Truck.....679.99 Grand MotorSports #3025 #3026 HV Pro 6.5 System....269.99 Novak GTS Pro Sport....79.99 Nitro TC3 Ready-To-Run...299.99 Competition Electric Dragsters #3027 HV Pro 7.5 System....269.99 Novak Rooster 12T ESC..84.99 Nitro TC3 Factory Team Kit.......329.99 Motor..................239.99 Novak Rooster Crawler ESC. 84.99 Funny Car Kit............199.99 GTB w/Velocity Novak GTX Racing ESC..149.99 RC10GT2 RTR w/.15 Pull Start...279.99 -Battery ChargersRail Dragster Kit.....199.99 Standard 15 min. AC/DC Charger..26.99 Novak Super Duty XR..145.99 RC10GT2 Factory Team Kit......274.99 15 min. AC/DC Charger.....32.99 LRP AI Bullet ESC w/Reverse..89.99 RC 18T, 18MT or 18B.........159.99 Pro Stock Kit..............199.99 Deluxe Peak 2 AC/DC Peak Chargr.41.99 LRP AI Pro ESC w/Reverse....69.99 RC 18R Sedans RTR............169.99 Pro Mod Kit............199.99 Vision Super Brain 960 Peak Charger......49.99 Super Brain 977 Peak Charger...95.99 LRP AI Super ESC w/Reverse...59.99 TC4 Ready-To-Run Car.......239.99 -Competition on a BudgetBrain 989 Peak Charger....145.99 LRP Quantum Reverse ......79.99 TC5 Factory Team Kit.........329.99 DragSPEC Kits...99.99 Super LRP Pulsar 3 DC Charger...........159.99 LRP Quantum Pro w/Reverse...139.99 CEI Turbo 35 GFX.........389.99 LRP Quantum Competition 3..159.99 RC10 B4 Team Buggy............159.99 Radio Control Batmobiles DuraTrax IntelliPeak Chargers Traxxas XL-1 ESC............39.99 RC10 B4 RTR Buggy..........219.99 From The Original Batman Movie! DTXP4100 Pulse Charger...............54.99 Traxxas XL-5 ESC............59.99 RC10 B4 Factory Team Kit..........219.99 Assembled DTXP4120 Deluxe Pulse Charger.....69.99 Traxxas XL-10 ESC..........59.99 RC10 T4 Team Truck...........179.99 Without Radio Only.....99.99 DTXP4130 Digital Pulse Charger.....89.99 Futaba MC230 ESC.........49.99 RC10 T4 Ready-To-Run.......229.99 DTXP4150 Twin Pulse Charger....72.99 Ready-To-Run w/Radio....Wow!....159.99 DTXP4170 Ice Charger.................119.99 Futaba MC330 ESC.........64.99 RC10 T4 Factory Team Kit..........229.99 Shipping & Handling: $9.99 Up To 10 lbs (2nd Day Air, 3 Day Select, Overweight & Foreign Orders Are Extra). C.O.D.'s Add $7.99 Extra. Minimum C.O.D. Order $50.00 & Must Be Paid With Money Order Only. We Accept Visa, Mastercard, Amex & Discover. Mail In Money Orders Shipped Without Delay; Personal Checks Allow 14 Days Before Shipping. APO, FPO Actual Postage Plus $9.99. Prices & Availability Subject To Change Without Notice. All Merchandise Covered By Manufacturer's Warranty Only! Returns Are Subject To 15% Restocking Fee & No Refunds On Shipping & Handling Fees. Send Mail Orders To: R/C Car Kings 1307 East Highway 13, Burnsville, MN 55337

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INSIDE ON-ROAD

RC TOOL TIME My on-road workshop is mildly obsessive and rather tame compared to some of the pics I’ve seen online, but we’ll use it to help you set up your own workshop. A good RC workshop needs plenty of lighting, a sturdy workbench, and tightknit, indoor/outdoor carpeting. Ever drop small parts on hardwood or concrete floors? They can bounce yards away, in any direction. At least on carpet, with plenty of light, they seem to stay fairly close and can be easily retrieved. Also find yourself a comfortable chair with height adjustability to make your marathon building or wrenching sessions more relaxing and less taxing on your body.

Your at-track pit space and workshop space are primarily the same. You can use the same tools, pit towel and equipment at either place if you properly prepare for it. Or you can do what I’ve done, and collect three sets of equipment: one for electric racing, one for nitro racing, and one for the workshop. Plastic fishing tackle containers work great for keeping them all separate. Many other shelves, cabinets and storage containers are used for my cars, spare parts, tires, etc., but depending on your needs, Home Depot and Lowe’s offer numerous low cost ideas for making your workshop a better place to work and store your RC stuff.

JUST MY TWO CENTS— RC has been slowly migrating its way from analog technology to digital. It has only been recently that most on-road racers have embraced certain technological advancements such as 2.4 GHz transmitters, brushless motors and lithium-polymer batteries. This only skims the surface of the digital RC world. The next pit tool you will eventually be purchasing will be a laptop…for electric and nitro racing. Everything from ESC profiles to fuel injection mapping to full telemetry data will be available to you during and after each run. I can’t wait! And for those of you who are reluctant to embrace these technologies, you’re going to be again at a disadvantage…just like when you said cell phones are just a fad. I’m just saying, “change is good.” If we stop our technological evolution now, the RC industry will end up like fossil fuels, waiting for its inevitable death. @

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FROM THE GRID David Jun Hometown..........Mission Viejo, California Years racing..........................................15 On-road classes ........1/10-Scale Electric Touring Car Sponsors ...........Tamiya America, Futaba, Reedy, LRP, Pro-Line Racing David Jun is one of those mutli-national champions focused on the better good of the RC industry. He has been working in R&D, development and testing for Tamiya America for many years now. His natural interests in design has landed him in front of a CAD system helping to make better products for all RC enthusiasts, on- or off-road. Even with his 1/10 Touring Car racing class in decline, with the economy closing a lot of hobby shops and manufacturers struggling, he believes that “it will work itself out” and on-road racing will again be on top. It won’t happen overnight, but he also believes that when the economy slows, lower-cost hobbies like RC racing will become more popular. David is going to take this positive attitude forward into 2009 and maybe race a little less, but work a lot harder to develop better and more cost-effective RC products. And when he’s not in front of the CAD system, I’m sure he’s out carving some twisties or trails on one of his motorcycles…in my opinion and David’s, it’s the best stress relief available.

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EXTRA PICS NOT SO FUNNY NOW, IS IT?!

It feels MAN, like... A LOS I’M GO I OD!!! XX4!

Hey John-at-Kyosho, EXTRA PICS JUST PWN3D YOU!1!

“Yeah, hello!?! Customer service?! How do I lean this thing out?”

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“If you love something you MUST set it free. Now fly away!”

me The Asian of Notre Da No matter how fast you run the ugly, lumbering creature always catches its prey.

This is what Waldo’s face looks like after some of his pick-up lines.

Research suggesting facial skin loses its elasticity after the ag e of 40...confirmed.

We enjoyed John’s skills BEFORE he was run over. Now hiring graphic designer.

Quite possibly the ve worst pictures we’ k ec ever published! Ch at out Jason’s blog r www.rc-car.com fo an explanation.

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• 129 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

EXTRA PICS S! I MADE THOSE! SEE THOSE PUDDLE VE WATERING!!! LO I FRICKIN’

We MIGHT w anna take Jo off the hose hn ...

YOU SHALL NOT PASS! Isthisgonnahurt? touchingme!?! Itlookslikeitsgonnahurtwhyareyou • 130 •

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ilable from ome colors are now ava Real florescent and chr Be sure to ps! wra r custom decals and Upgrade for all of you even can You . info re mo website for check out Upgrade's ets and she o logo decals on your log order RC Car magazine c.com wraps. www.upgrade-r

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MAXAMPS

off? How about an Don’t have a LiPo cut s Doohan alarms are alarm? New MaxAmp , and four-cell LiPos eeavailable for two-, thr mps.com ($20 each). www.maxa

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facsystems from the Novak Three new brushless the is re the rs, fte dri r rs. Fo tory cater to specific use and 5). For monster trucks $26 67, #30 rt (Pa dr Sly #3025, rt (Pa Pro re is the HV buggy conversions, the there er, rac b clu al loc the for $260, not shown). And sure Be ). wn 38, $140, not sho is the Havoc (Part #30 . more info to visit Novak’s site for com ak. nov eam w.t ww

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• 133 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

VINTAGE RC

NIKKO SOLAR CAR RARA II

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Well, I bet you never thought you would be reading about a Nikko in this magazine! This month I thought that I would have a look at one of the more significant “toy grade” manufacturers and one of their more obscure models. In 1991, Toyota revealed the first solarpowered car to carry a license plate, enabling it to be driven on public roads. The car was called the RARA II. Nikko followed quickly with their version of the car the same year. Not only was the model actually quite faithful in scale and appearance (1/12 scale), it was also solar powered. This was Japan’s very first fully proportional, full function solar-powered vehicle. This was quite an achievement, given the relative “freshness” of the emerging technology.

DARRYN JOHNSON>

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• 135 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

VINTAGE RC

NIKKO SOLAR CAR RARA II

A LITTLE RAY OF SUNSHINE… Now before you dismiss this month’s article, have a look at the standard features of the car, and also remember that the RARA II is indeed a fully functional, digitally proportional model. The vehicle is powered by the sun, using solar panels to recharge the on-board batteries! Here are some of the features of the Nikko RARA II: • Proportional forward/reverse and steering • Solar-powered system with onboard batteries • High and low gear ratios • Differential gearing • BEC power system • Front and rear independent suspension • Custom low friction wheels and tires • On-board charger! (solar panels) Controlling the RARA II is as simple as any other two-channel model. The fully proportional controls for both steering and throttle make it a pleasure to drive. The best thing about this car is that you only need a sunny day to enjoy your car! While there is a wall charger supplied with the kit, you only need one hour of bright sunlight to fully charge the on-board battery packs. This charge will last approximately 15 minutes. If you are driving in the sunlight, your run time is only restricted by the

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amount of hours in the day. If you are running in a restricted space, the RARA II has a “low” gear ratio that can be activated by a mechanical switch on the underside of the car. The top speed in this low mode will not set any land speed records; however, it will give you plenty of driving fun. The “high” speed gearing is another story—with speed that would impress any young modeler. Handling is a little surprising, too. The differential certainly makes for a very acceptable turning circle—especially as the model is relatively long with a narrow track. The RARA II happily drives over small obstacles as well, as the unit has suspension on all four wheels. The thin wheels and tires add to the efficiency of the model as well. The coolest part about the car, though, is the solar panels and their ability to charge the on-board batteries. The manual states that the best time to charge is between noon and 2 p.m. They obviously had not experienced an Australian summer! I reckon that it would be charged in half that time here in Australia. Even on an

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• 137 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

VINTAGE RC

NIKKO SOLAR CAR RARA II overcast day, some charge is possible. This is truly a great little system.

WHAT’S IT WORTH? I haven’t ever seen one of these come up on any auction sites; I haven’t been looking, though. I paid approximately $80 for this one NIB, nearly four years ago when I bought out an old hobby store. I would expect that the same would ring true now; however, given the rarity of these sorts of models I would be very surprised if they did not fetch a whole lot more than that. I haven’t seen used examples, so the old “it’s worth what you are prepared to pay” rings as true as always. I am guessing that there were never any spares produced for this model, so I would say asking a lot of questions and checking the functionality of the car would be wise.

CONCLUSION It takes many different types of people to collect and run RC cars. Some like competi-

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tion-only vehicles, others scale-like models. Some like the more toy orientated models like this one. Let’s be honest here—I would guess that more than 60 percent of people’s original passion for RC comes from one of these more simple models from manufacturers like Nikko, Tandy, Radio Shack, etc. What ignites our passion for this hobby as children always stays with us. I know people who only collect models from companies like these.

A healthy respect for where we have come from in this hobby doesn’t hurt us. There is no shame in having something in your collection that is a little obscure and different. All of the innovations and different ideas that have been manufactured by different companies over the years make our hobby what it is today. @ Thanks for reading, Cheers till next month Darryn Johnson

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ETC...

THE CASE PROTEK IS HARD ON anded Protek batteries has exp

of A-Main Hobbies’ line Power” hardee different “Supreme once again, offering thr ch pack is Ea s. icle veh e 1/10-scal case 2S LiPo packs for -wired with a pre of black plastic and is protected with a case g. plu e four-pin balanc Deans Ultra plug and s.com bie hob ain am e: Sourc

P TALK! TRAXXAS GETS A PEver the past few years, Traxxas has

“O (Official Press Release) g outside-thements toward developin est inv ve ssi to the been making ma er off we the incredible products been industry exposure for has ry ust ind recently, the hobby fans coming hobby industry. Most ing rac ad -ro off of s of thousand exposed to hundreds person and on -road racing action in off se our rt-c sho to see en approached by Wh C. NB s on Speed and nationwide broadcast iting opportunity to we recognized an exc Pep Boys Auto Parts, g plan to expose the oin part of Traxxas’ ong as m the h wit r tne par products to a by-class radio controlled hobby industry and hob 8, 200 select Traxxas Beginning December much wider audience. p Boys Auto Parts Pe at le s will be availab radio controlled model stores across the p Boys currently has 562 Stores nationwide. Pe country.

ed versions of ry three specially packag Pep Boys stores will car will include a 12Slash. These versions Rustler, Stampede, and -cell battery pack. six a mid-grade 3000mAh and r rge cha ll wa r hou support parts and ry a limited selection of Pep Boys will also car placement in the ct will have prominent accessories. The produ sumers about con new e that educates stores along with signag offering product supPep Boys will not be hobby-class models. l be allowed. Inside used merchandise wil port, and no returns of ct purchasers to dire t tha s are bold notice the product packaging s representatives can or web, so that Traxxa Traxxas via the phone m for support. Also the by store closest to hob the find m the p hel aining line of catalog covering the rem included is a full-color hobby store. The al available from their loc Traxxas product that is ing.” inn beg the Pep Boys is only vehicle purchased at Source: traxxas.com

HPI’S BIG (AND SMALL) NEWS HPI Racing has tons of new stuff, like fully licensed Monster Jam bodies Bounty Hunter, Scarlet Bandit, and Iron Outlaw, along with a complete rock crawler conversion kit for the Wheelie King, and an update to the Euro-champion 1/12-scale rocket, called the 12X. Source: hpiracing.com

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KYOSHO RACES INTO THE DESERT Kyosho joins the trend of releasing realistic closed-course off-road racers with their DRT, or Desert Race Truck. The 1/10-scale, .18-powered, 4WD stadium truck is based on the DBX/DST platform and features a wide truck-style body for fender-rubbing action. Source: kyoshoamerica.com

ALE! ggy and Truggy TEKIN GOES BIG SC ed specifically for the growing 1/8-scale Electric Bu ameters in a ign ustable par Tekin’s new RX8 is des 8 features plenty of adj -line of ESC’s, the RX RS the on sed Ba s. classe chassis. easy installation into any very small case size for Source: teamtekin.com

EXPERIMENT JAMMIN’S SECOND the X2-CR buggy, Winner of the 2008

ase Jammin’ is set to rele National Champion ling to the former ROAR sib and s orld -W Pre IFMAR owners the ability to version kit to allow X1 X2-CRT truck and a con tures changes to suss. The new buggy fea rd update their existing car , and includes Lunsfo out a revised chassis lay and try me geo n sio pen s. Pro-Line Revolver tire titanium turnbuckles and m .co cts Source: jamminprodu

AKA BECOMES…AKA (Official Press Release) “We would like to formally announce the formation of AKA Products, Inc. Once a brand of Kyosho Corporation of America, AKA has now been split off to its own company to further build on the early success of their products. The team at AKA Products, Inc. still remains Mark Pavidis, Gil Losi, Jr. and Joel Johnson. In addition we would

like to welcome Gil Losi, Sr. to the management team. His years of experience and success in the hobby industry will further add to the already explosive growth of the AKA brand. We will follow up in the next week or so with our contact information after we get settled into our new building.” Source: raceaka.com

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• 141 • APRIL 2009 R/C CAR

ALABAMA 100 S. COLONIAL DR. #1000 HOBBYTOWN USA 5915-101A TRUSSVILLE CROSSING HOBBYTOWN USA 930 OLD MONROVIA RD. NW #4 HOBBYTOWN USA RC HI TECH RACEWAY 3303 MERIDIAN ST. ALASKA HOBBYCRAFT. 800 E. DIMOND BLVD., #136 ARKANSAS HOBBYTOWN USA 9101 W. MARKHAM STE #18 1415-A HWY. 71 ST. HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA 1200 S.E. 14TH ST. #18 LAKE AREA RADIO SHACK 1001 HWY. 25 B NORTH MARKS HOBBY SHOP 2516-G CANTRELL RD. ARIZONA COMPETITION HOBBIES 3930 W. COSTCO DR. 12008 N. 32 ST. FRANK’S HOBBY HOUSE HOBBY ACTION 705 E. GUADALUPE RD. HOBBYTOWN USA 1817 E. BASELINE RD. HOBBYTOWN USA 3700 E. SPEEDWAY HOBBYTOWN USA 8664 E. SHEA BLVD. #42 SCOTTSDALE R/C RACEWAY 3023 N. SCOTTSDALE RD. CALIFORNIA A MAIN HOBBIES 424 OTTERSON DR. #160 4871 WEST STATE ST. AIRLAND HOBBIES BEE GEE HOBBIES 234 GOLF CLUB RD. BUSY BEE HOBBY SHOP INC. 461 W. HIGHLAND AVE. COVINA HOBBY SHOP 140 N. CITRUS DELTA R/C RACE&HOBBY 1201 W 10th ST. E & H HOBBY ENTRPRSES 2372 BUTTE HOUSE RD. ELITE HOBBY SHOP 606 SHOPPERS LN. EXTREME MOTOSPORTS 2750 JEFFERSON FAST TRACK HOBBIES 7635 AUBURN BLVD. #B FOOTHILL HOBBIES 973 W. FOOTHILL BLVD. FRANCISCIAN HOBBIES 1920-A OCEAN AVE. GEAR BOX MODEL 2166 ORANGETHORPE AVE. GIZMO’S HOBBY 2010 WEST BURBANK BLVD. GOLD COUNTRY RC 1234 D BROADWAY HIGH DESERT HOBBIES 790 W. AVENUE Q #B HOBBY CENTRAL 13461 COMMUNITY RD. HOBBY CITY 148 BROWNS VALLEY PKWY. HOBBY MASTERS 3737 MEADOW VIEW DR. #E HOBBY PEOPLE 18475 PACIFIC ST. HOBBYTOWN 2085 MONTIEL RD. #105 HOBBYTOWN USA 171 N. McDOWELL BLVD. HOBBYTOWN USA 638 BLOSSOM HILL RD HOBBYTOWN USA 27470 JEFFERSON AVE #1A HOBBYTOWN USA 2221 N.TRACY BLVD. HOBBYTOWN USA 4420-A TREAT BLVD. HOBBYTOWN USA 3071 W. BULLARD AV. #107 HOBBY TOWN USA 39152 FREMONT HUB. HOBBYTOWN USA 351 MAGNOLIA AV. #101 HOBBIES UNLIMITED 937 MANOR BLVD. HOBBY WAREHOUSE 4105 EAST SOUTH ST. 25845 SAN FERNANDO RD. #21 HOT ROD HOBBIES JAKES PERFORMANCE HOBBY 6650 COMMERCE BLVD. #21 KIT & CABOODLE 425 SAN PABLO AVE. MARTY’S HOBBIES 1728 N. MOORPARK RD. MASSIE’S HOBBY HOUSE 9564 E. LAS TUNAS MODESTO HOBBIES 401 BANGS AVE. H NOR CAL HOBBIES 30600 UNION CITY BLVD. PACIFIC COAST HOBBIES 1747 PACIFIC COAST HWY. PARADISE HOBBIES 491 PEARSON RD. PEAGSUS HOBBIES 5515 MORENO ST. R/C COUNTRY HOBBIES 6011 FOLSOM BLVD. SAVAGE MOTORSPORTS 948 MAIN ST. SHELTON HOBBIES 2130 TRADE ZONE BLVD. SONOMA R/C HOBBIES 20091 BROADWAY SRS & HOBBIES 407 FRONT ST. T & T HOBBY 905 19th ST. THE BIKE PALACE 1600 S. PACIFIC AVE. #B THE HOBBY PLACE 10549 W. PICO BLVD. ULIMATE HOBBIES 1536 E. KATELLA AVE. COLORADO AMERICAN PASTIMES 1015 W. 29th ST. 5934 URBAN COURT JNC HOBBYTOWN USA 9120 WADSWORTH BLVD. HOBBYTOWN USA 1935 MAIN ST. MHOR R/C RACEWAY 15540 E. BATAVIA DR. HIGH DESERT RACEPLACE & R/C HOBBIES 2892 NORTH AVENUE #C MHOR R/C RACEWA Y 12559 E. KENTUCKY AVE. CONNECTICUT DANBURY HOBBY CENTER 366 MAIN ST. 229 UNIVERSAL DR. N. HOBBYTOWN USA THE HOBBY SHOP 1717 FOXON RD. RT 80 TIME MACHINE HOBBY LLC 71 HILLIARD ST. RC MADNESS TRACK & HOBBY 640 ENFIELD DELAWARE G-FORCE HOBBIES INC. 1626 W. NEWPORT PIKE FLORIDA ARTS HOBBY SHOP 1475 ATLANTIC BLVD. 5719 NORTH “W” ST. BOBE’S HOBBY HOUSE BOB’S HOBBY CENTER 7333 LAKE UNDERHILL RD. COLONIAL PHOTO & HOBBY 634 N. MILLS AVE. COMPU HOBBIES 2653 N.W. 79TH AVE. CROWN HOBBIES 7439 S.W. 24TH ST. FELIX HOBBY 13394 W. DIXIE HWY. G & C HOBBIES 1228 HYPOLUXO RD. GRAND PRIX OF FT. PRC. FORT PIERCE HIGH FLY HOBBIES 3184 S. RIDGEWOOD AVE. HOBBYTOWN USA 4335 WEST NEW HAVE AVE.

Alabaster Birmingham Huntsville Huntsville

35007 25235 35806 35811

205-403-9978 205-655-9022 256-489-5242 256-539-1347

Anchorage

99515

907-349-5815

Little Rock Fort Smith Bentonville Heber Springs Little Rock

72205 72901 72712 72543 72202

501-223-5155 479-649-9229 479-271-2525 501-362-5050 501-296-9956

Tucson Phoenix Tempe Gilbert Tucson Scottsdale Scottsdale

85741 85028 85283 85233 85716 85260 85251

520-297-8162 602-992-3495 480-829-1226 480-837-7674 520-882-8888 480-348-7825 480-945-2186

Chico Ontario Pleasant Hill San Bernardino Covina Antioch Yuba City Covina Napa Citrus Heights San Luis Obispo San Francisco Fullerton Burbank Placerville Palmdale Poway Vacaville Redding Fountain Valley San Marcos Petaluma San Jose Temecula Tracy Concord Fresno Fremont Corona San Leandro Lakewood Saugus

95928 530-894-0797 91762 909-591-1200 94523 925-798-5133 92405 909-886-2669 91724 626-331-1910 94509 925-778-2965 95993 530-751-0225 91723 626-858-8999 94558 707-251-9876 95610 916-725-1722 93405 805-544-8697 94127 415-584-3919 92831 714-992-9185 91506 818-842-8200 95667 530-622-2312 93551 661-267-6877 92064 858-513-0373 95688 707-449-1010 96002 530-365-6900 92708 714-964-8846 92069 760-739-0672 94954 707-762-2176 95123 408-229-1972 92590 951-699-7492 95376 209-221-6391 94521 925-685-3802 93711 559-435-3342 94535 510-796-2744 92879 909-272-4020 94579 510-351-7112 90712 562-531-8383 91350 661-255-2404

Rohnert Park Albany Thousand Oaks Temple City Modesto Union City Lomita Paradise Montclair Sacramento Ramona San Jose Sonoma Salinas Bakersfield San Pedro Los Angeles Orange

94928 94706 91360 91780 95356 94587 90717 95969 91763 95819 92065 95131 95476 93901 93301 90731 90064 92867

707-586-3375 510-524-9942 805-497-3664 626-285-7111 209-529-7310 510-324-5700 310-530-7127 530-877-6447 909-982-6507 916-731-5868 760-788-7733 408-946-3801 707-938-9765 831-424-4044 661-323-7504 310-832-1966 310-441-0075 714-538-3111

Pueblo Arvada Westminster Longmont Aurora

81008 80004 80021 80501 80011

719-406-6789 720-275-3300 303-431-0482 970-226-3900 303-343-0151

Grand Junction Aurora

81501 80012

970-255-1499 303-343-0151

Danbury North Haven N. Branford Manchester Enfield

06810 06473 06471 06040 06082

203-743-9052 203-234-9642 203-481-4067 860-646-0610 860-741-6501

Stanton

19804

302-995-9035

Neptune Beach Pensacola Orlando Orlando Miami Miami North Miami Lantana Fort Pierce South Daytona West Melbourne

32266 32505 32822 32803 33122 33155 33161 33462 34945 32119 32904

904-246-0601 850-433-2187 407-277-1248 407-841-1485 786-845-8705 305-264-3964 305-895-5362 561-547-3812 772-473-2130 386-763-4447 321-574-0951

HOBBYTOWN USA 1626 UNIVERSITY BLVD. W HOBBY NUT INC. 12679 DIXIE HWY. HOBBYTOWN USA 11727 N. DALE MABRY HOBBYTOWN USA 1391 E. LaFAYETTE ST. HOBBYTOWN USA 2464 W. BRANDON BLVD. HOBBYTOWN USA 1462 W. GRANADA BLVD. #210 HOBBYTOWN USA 3615 S. FLORIDA AV. #1030 HYPER HOBBIES 11373 SW 211 ST. #12 JACKS HOBBIES 1720 N.W. 4th AVE. #101 JR HOBBY 4153 W.VINE ST. LEMON BAY HOBBIES 3835 TAMIAMI TRAIL MACHINE’S R/C HOBBIES 1878 UNIVERSITY PKWY. PHIL’S HOBBY SHOP 6050 PARK BLVD. QUALITY AIRCRAFT&RC 6839 S US HIGHWAY 1 RACING HOBBIES 10722 WILES RD. SOUTHEAST RC HOBBIES 1901 WEST COPANS SPACE COAST HOBBIES 2135 PALM BAY RD. NE #1 SUPERIOR HOBBIES 1478 E. SEMORAN BLVD. GEORGIA ANTHONY’S VICTORY LANE 129 EAST HWY. 80 BIG BOY TOYS HOBBY SHOP 5035 MT. ZION PARKWAY 6889 PEACHTREE INDUST. #H HOBBY MART HOBBYTOWN USA 800 E. BARRETT PKWY HOBBYTOWN USA 3360 SATELLITE BLVD. #14 HOBBYTOWN USA 723 GLYNN ISLES HAWAII THE HOBBY COMPANY 98-1005 MOANALUA RD. IOWA BOX KAR HOBBIES T&C CTR 3649 FIRST AVE. SE EXTREME RC 5547 WESTMINSTER DR. EXTREME RC 202 GILBERT RD. HOBBY HAVEN 2575 86th ST. HOBBYTOWN USA 11107 PLUM DR. HOBBYTOWN USA 901 E. KIMBERLY RD. OUTBACK HOBBIES 709 EVANS ST. IDAHO DAPCO HOBBIES 131 EVANS LN. 3317 N. COLE RD. HOBBYTOWN USA THE TOY SHOP 837 POLELINE RD. ILLINOIS AL’S HOBBY SHOP INC. 121 ADDISON, BOX 449 180 SOUTH SEMINARY ST. DEPOT HOBBY SHOP HOBBYTOWN USA 15870 S. LaGRANGE RD. HOBBYTOWN USA 3627 EAST MAIN ST. HOBBYTOWN USA 3782 N. ALPINE RD. HOBBYTOWN USA 247 W. GOLF RD. HOBBYTOWN USA 15 CRYSTAL LAKE PLAZA HOBBYTOWN USA, Oak Mill Mall 7900 N. MILWAUKEE AVE. LEISURE HOURS HOBBIES 2712 N. PLAINFIELD RD. PAT’S HOBBIES & CRAFTS INC. 5730 W. 95th ST. SPRINGFIELD HAMMERS HOBBIES 2448 S 10th ST. REMOTE CONTROL HOBBIES1550 N. ROUTE 59 #170 214 S. LAKE OF THE WOODS RD. THE RC SHACK TRACK AND HARBOR HOBBIES 1225 SHERIDAN RD. #H THUNDER ROAD HOBBIES 6411 61st ST. VENTURE HOBBIES 23 HUNTINGTON LN. INDIANA BE COMICS & KARDS & 130 W. VAN BUREN ST. ROCKETS & HOBBIES BIG BOY HOBBIES 8893 PENDLETON PIKE G & G HOBBIES 105 E. MAIN ST. GRANGER HOBBY STOP 12131 STATE RD. 23 # L HOBBYTOWN USA 6336 E. 82ND ST. HOBBYTOWN USA 1519 US HIGHWAY 41 HOBBYTOWN USA 7765 SOUTH US 31 JOE’S HOBBY BARN 1950 E. SPRINGHILL DR. LINVILLE SIGNS & HOBBIES 471 N. HUNTERSVILLE RD. MAPLE CITY HOBBIES 102 SOUTH MAIN PHILS HOBBY SHOP 1722 LAKE AVE. PHIL’S HOBBY SHOP 3112 N. CLINTON P & T HOBBIES & RACEWAY 2412 N. POORFARM RD. TOYS FOREVER MODELS & HOBBIES 311 S. WALNUT KANSAS HOBBY HAVEN 10560 METCALF 8113 E. KELLOGG #200 HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA 9270 METCALF R/C HOBBIES 115 W. 7TH KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS HOBBIES 274 LAMPTON LN. 12615 SHELBYVILLE RD. HOBBYTOWN USA McDONALD’S MOTOR CYCLE REPAIR 40 STRONG BRANCH RD. SLICK HOBBIES 8591 HIGHWAY 27 X-TREME HOBBIES 1003A BURLEW BLVD. LOUISIANA FASTOYZ 1511 CARNATION AVE. 4529 LEE ST. HARE’S ART & HOBBY HOBBIES X-TREME 1605 BENTON RD. #B HOBBY HUT 5029 VETERANS BLVD. HOBBYTOWN USA 707 TRENTON ST. MARYLAND DOUG’S HOBBY 24404 THREE NOTCH RD. EXTREME HOBBIES & GIFTS 9033 LIBERTY RD. RT. 26 GPA HOBBIES 2431 CROFTON LANE #6 HOBBIE GUYZ LLC MIDDLE RIVER HOBBIES 136 CARROLL ISLAND RD. HOBBYTOWN USA 919-C NORTH EAST ST. HOBBYTOWN USA 6714-D GOVERNOR RITC HOBBYTOWN USA 8223 ELLIOT RD. #11

Jacksonville South Miami Tampa Tallahassee Brandon Ormond Beach Lakeland Miami Ocala Kissimmee Port Charlotte Sarasota Pinellas Park Port Saint Lucie Coral Springs Pompano Beach Palm Bay Casselberry

32217 33156 33618 32301 33511 32174 33803 33189 34475 34741 33952 34243 33781 34952 33076 33064 32905 32707

904-737-7092 305-235-9584 813-964-5447 850-671-2030 813-655-6366 386-672-5441 863-644-0197 305-253-1303 352-351-2224 407-944-4913 941-625-5524 941-360-9270 727-545-1251 772-460-2844 954-346-2226 954-978-6050 321-722-3696 407-834-9299

Pooler 31322 Stockbridge 30281 Peachtree Corners30092 Kennesaw 30144 Duluth 30096 Brunswick 31525

912-748-0847 770-507-6288 770-840-8495 770-426-8800 770-418-0850 912-265-3100

Aiea

96701

808-487-2473

Cedar Rapids Cedar Falls Evansdale Urbandale Urbandale Davenport Sloan

52402 50613 50707 50322 50322 52807 51055

319-362-1291 319-234-6000 319-234-6000 515-276-8785 515-278-9060 563-355-2071 712-253-0087

Chubbuck Boise Twin Falls

83202 83704 83301

208-233-8163 208-376-1942 208-734-2725

Elmhurst Galesburg Orland Park St. Charles Rockford Schaumburg Crystal Lake Niles Joliet Oak Lawn

60126 61401 60462 60174 61114 60195 60014 60714 60435 60453

630-832-4908 309-342-9323 708-349-8697 630-587-1256 815-282-0727 847-490-0900 815-444-1515 847-470-9577 815-439-1477 708-424-6131

Springfield Naperville Mahomet

62703 60563 61853

217-523-0265 630-753-9433 217-853-0470

Winthrop Harbor 60096 Moline 61265 Wheeling 60090

847-246-1762 309-762-5295 847-537-8669

Columbia City

46725

260-248-8020

Indianapolis Griffith Granger Indianapolis Schererville Indianapolis Terre Haute Batesville Goshen Ft.Wayne Ft.Wayne Bedford

46226 46319 46530 46250 46375 46227 47802 47006 46526 46805 46805 47421

317-898-6284 219-924-6686 574-243-2390 317-845-4106 219-864-1944 317-882-3175 812-299-5773 812-932-0415 574-534-9661 260-424-0065 219-471-1340 812-849-6666

Muncie

47305

765-288-6505

Overland Park Wichita Overland Park Junction City

66212 67207 66212 66441

913-381-3111 316-683-7222 913-649-7979 785-238-1877

Columbia Louisville

42728 40243

270-384-9131 502-254-5755

Liberty Burnside Owensboro

42539 42519 42303

606-787-7560 606-561-0343 270-683-4693

Metairie Alexandria Bossier City Metairie West Monroe

70001 71302 71111 70006 71291

504-782-4569 318-443-2755 318-741-5501 504-885-0804 318-998-3518

Hollywood Randalls Town Crofton

20636 301-373-6674 21133 410-922-3534 21114 301-858-0004

Middle River Frederick Glen Burnie Easton

21220 21701 21061 21601

410-335-0707 301-694-7395 410-590-4950 410-820-9308

TO HAVE YOUR SHOP LISTED HERE CALL: 1-800-767-0345. ATTENTION: YOU MUST SELL R/C CAR MAGAZINE TO BE IN THE SHOP LISTING.

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sponsored by: CREATING FUN SINCE '86 HOLY’S HOBBY 301 TRUSLOW RD. Chestertown 21620 Cockeysville 21030 HUNT VALLEY HOBBIES 10824 YORK RD. MASSACHUSETTS BARN SPEED HOBBIES 109 CENTER ST. Lee 01238 167 CORPORATION RD. Hyannis 02601 CENTERLINE HOBBIES HOBBY FEVER 279 BOSTON RD. Billerica 01862 HOG HEAVEN HOBBIES 494 MAIN ST. Fiskdale 01518 OUT OF CONTROL RACING 859 W. BOYLSTON ST. Worcester 01606 XTREME HOBBY WORKS 223 WORCESTER RD. Natick 01760 MICHIGAN DIRT BURNER RACING 3250 OLD FARM LANE #6 Commerce 48390 3537 FORT ST. Wyandotte 48192 FST HOBBY SHOP GREAT ESCAPES MOTORSPORTS 136 N. US 31 S. Traverse City 49684 HOBBYTOWN USA 12821 S. SAGINAW Grand Blanc 48439 HOBBY-SPORTS.COM 9782 PORTAGE RD. Portage 49002 KECK HARDWARE & HOBBY 2132 WEST RD. Trenton 48183 Sterling Heights 48314 LARRY’S PERFORMANCE R/C’S 42246 MOUND RD. NAKIN HARDWARE & HOBBY 35101 FORD RD. Westland 48185 MID-MICHIGAN COIN & HOBBY 156 W. VIENNA Clio 48420 P & D HOBBY SHOP 31280 GROESBECK HWY Fraser 48026 RIDER’S HOBBY SHOP 22789 NORTHLINE RD. Taylor 48180 RIDER’S HOBBIES 2061 S. LINDEN RD. Flint 48532 RIDER’S HOBBY SHOP 2055 28TH ST S.E. #12 Grand Rapids 49508 RIDER’S HOBBY SHOP 3140 CARPENTER RD. Ypsilanti 48197 ROGER’S HOBBY CENTER 5620 STATE Saginaw 48603 MINNESOTA BAKERS HOBBY 2738 WEST DIVISION ST. St Cloud 56301 7916 BROOKLYN BLVD. Minneapolis 55445 HOBBY TOWN USA HUB HOBBY CENTER 82 MINNESOTA AVE. Saint Paul 55117 HUB HOBBY CENTER 6410 PENN AVE. S Minneapolis 55423 R.C. CAR KINGS 1307 EAST HWY 13 Burnsville 55337 MISSOURI CHECKERED FLAG HOBBIES 4491 LeMAY FERRY RD. St. Louis 63129 6265 N. OAK TRAFFIC WAY Kansas City 64118 HOBBYTOWN USA 3906 PEACHTREE DRIVE, #C Columbia 65203 HOBBYTOWN USA 4418 GRETNA RD. Branson 65616 HOBBYTOWN USA MARK TWAIN HOBBY CTR 2793 WEST CLAY ST. Saint Charles 63301 XTREME R/C HOBBIES/COL 414 MISSOURI BLVD. Scott City 63780 MISSISSIPPI HOBBYTOWN USA 350 RIDGE WAY Flowood 39232 5182 OLD HIGHWAY 11, STE. #3 Hattiesburg 39402 HUB CITY HOBBY 1139 OLD FANNIN RD. #H Brandon 39047 NITRO TOYS & HOBBIES MONTANA NORTHLAND HOBBIES INC. 1325 HWY 2 WEST Kalispell 59901 114 S. LOGAN ST. Terry 59349 PRAIRIE UNIQUE Missoula 59801 THE TREASURE CHEST 1612 BENTON AV. NEBRASKA HOBBYTOWN USA EASTPORT200 N. 66th ST. #220 Lincoln 68505 HOBBYTOWN USA 10020 SCOTT CIRCLE Omaha 68122 HOBBYTOWN USA 3404 WEST 13th ST. Grand Island 68803 HOBBYTOWN USA 3120 PINE LAKE RD. #N Lincoln 68516 NEW HAMPSHIRE 106 RACE PARK 743 CLOUGH MILL RD. Pembroke 03275 Nashua 03060 90 WEST PEARL ST. HOBBY ETC. INC. NEW JERSEY BOB’S HOBBIES & CRAFTS 67 S. BROADWAY Pitman 08071 CRISPY CRITTERS HOBBY SHOP 157 UNION BLVD. Totowa 07512 CRUIZIN WITH RC’S 10 FRANKLIN TWPK Waldwick 07463 D&K HOBBIES 116 BARCLAY FARMS SHP CTR. Cherry Hill 08034 HOBBYTOWN USA UNIT 15-C RT 206 Hampton Plaza Newton 07860 HOBBY WORKSHOPS 510 WEST KINGS HWY Mount Ephraim 08059 JACKSON HOBBY SHOP 2275 W. COUNTY LINE RD. Jackson 08527 JO JO’S RACING COLLECTIBLES 1826 RT 35 NORTH South Amboy 08879 KENVIL HOBBIES 590 RT #46 Kenvil 07847 TECH TOYS 370 RT 46 W. Parsippany 07054 THE HOBBY SHOP 2716 ROUTE 37 E Toms River 08753 TRENTON R/C LLC 905-B LIBERTY ST. Trenton 08611 Teaneck 07766 WIDE WORLD OF HOBBIES 974 TEANECK RD. NEW MEXICO BIG BOYS TOYS 1735 JUAN TABO N.E. Albuquerque 87112 2801 EUBANK N.E., UNIT P Albuquerque 87112 HOBBIES N’ STUFF 2225-J WYOMING BLVD. N.E. Albuquerque 87112 HOBBY PROZ NEVADA CUTTING EDGE INDOOR R/C 2640 W. BROOKS Las Vegas 89032 C Z HOBBIES 1402 NEVADA HWY. #C Boulder City 89005 DANSEY’S INDOOR R/C HOBBIES 4252 EAST CHARLESTON BLVD. Las Vegas 89104 HOBBYTOWN USA 5085 W. SAHARA AVE. #134 Las Vegas 89146 NEW YORK BIG APPLE HOBBIES 17169 46th AVE. Flushing 11358 BROWNIES PRO/SPORT HOBBY 124 BENNETT ST. Staten Island 10302 COMPETITION HOBBY SUP 1006 LOUDON RD. Cohoes 12047 CRAFT WLD/ACTION HOBB 509 W 3rd ST. Jamestown 14701 ELMSFORD HOBBIES 129 E MAIN ST. Elmsford 10523 GALAXY HOBBY & GIFT 1711 CUDABACK AVE. Niagara Falls 14303 GJ’S HOBBIES 103 WASHINGTON AVE. Endicott 13760 HOBBYTOWN USA 3332 SHERIDAN DR. Amherst 14226 HOBBYTOWN USA 1814 CENTRAL AVE. Albany 12205 HURRICANE HOBBIES 2425 MIDDLE COUNTRY RD. Centereach 11720 MW HOBBY & CRAFT 12019 E. MAIN ST. Wolcott 14590 NYC HOBBIES 65-62 MYRTLE AVE. Glendale 11385 PERFORMANCE HOBBIES 15 WEST MAIN ST. Webster 14580 RACING CITY HOBBIES 110 MAIN ST. South Glens Falls 12803 RMC HOBBIES 2485 ROCHESTER RD. BLDG. 1 Canandaigua 14424 THE HOBBY HOUSE 2378 LYELL AVE. Rochester 14606 WALT’S HOBBY 2 DWIGHT PARK DR. Syracuse 13209 WILLIS HOBBIES 300 WILLIS AVE. Mineola 11501 XTREME HOBBIES 1815 D DEER PARK AVE. Deer Park` 11729 XTREME HOBBIES 52 S. MAIN ST. Pearl River 10965

410-778-5528 410-666-1098 413-243-2651 508-771-1244 978-649-2221 508-347-9350 508-853-3363 508-315-3999 248-926-1140 734-285-9093 231-943-9800 810-695-9088 616-323-3686 734-676-2282 586-997-4840 734-722-5700 810-564-2646 586-296-6116 734-287-7405 810-720-2500 616-247-9933 734-971-6116 989-790-0080 320-252-0460 612-424-6052 651-490-1675 612-866-9575 952-895-9643 314-892-5353 816-459-9590 573-817-0698 417-334-8374 636-946-2816 573-264-3363 601-919-8697 601-264-1040 601-992-1353 406-257-1808 406-635-5598 406-549-7992 402-434-5056 402-498-8888 308-382-3451 402-434-5040 603-224-7223 603-883-4919 856-589-1777 973-790-3800 201-445-8080 856-795-9005 973-300-9799 856-931-2400 732-364-3334 732-553-0200 973-584-1188 973-227-7012 732-270-6590 609-394-0101 201-862-9393 505-298-1023 505-293-1217 505-332-3797 702-222-3343 702-293-5715 702-453-7223 702-889-9554 718-460-5671 718-727-2194 518-786-3622 718-484-1780 914-592-0600 905-848-3368 607-754-3003 716-833-7700 518-435-9961 631-737-3157 315-594-2609 718-366-6262 585-872-4990 518-792-7272 585-394-1210 585-429-6280 315-453-2291 516-746-3944 631-254-9873 845-735-1914

NORTH CAROLINA ANDERSON R4/C 1004 BALL PARK RD. Thomas 27360 336-476-6917 7020 REAMES RD. #A Charlotte 28216 888-722-2778 CAROLINAS RC FUN/FUNKY TOYS & HOBBY 111 S MARKET ST. #J Madison 27025 336-427-8697 HAYES HOBBY HOUSE 809 ELM ST. Fayetteville 28303 910-485-2337 HIGH SPEED HOBBIES 2510 SOUTH HWY. 29 China Grove 28023 704-855-2940 HOBBY BARN 101 S. JEFFERSON AVE. West Jefferson 28694 336-846-2276 HOBBYTOWN USA 1410 WESTOVER TERR. #100-B Greensboro 27408 336-373-1021 HOBBY TOWN USA 8332 PINEVILLE MATHEWS RD. Charlotte 28226 704-544-2303 K/C HOBBY INC 10948-G NORTH MAIN ST. Archdale 27263 336-434-3482 KING R/C 614 S. MAIN ST. King 27021 336-983-3969 THE ANTIQUE BARN 2810 FOREST HILLS RD. Wilson 27893 252-237-6778 ZNZ HOBBIES 972 TALBERT BLVD. Lexington 27292 336-249-6127 NORTH DAKOTA AEROPORT HOBBY SHOPPE 2112 N. BROADWAY Minot 58703 701-838-1658 2650 32nd A SOUTH #C Grnad Forks 58201 701-775-9400 HOBBYTOWN USA OHIO AERO TECH HOBBIES 902 N. MAIN ST. North Canton 44720 330-499-1300 17606 ST. RT 213 Irondale 43932 330-532-1783 BROWN’S HOBBY SHOP DAD’S TOY SHOP 123 W. AUGLAIZE Wapakoneta 45895 419-738-2007 GRANDVIEW HOBBIES 1460 W. 5th AVE. Columbus 43212 614-486-3532 HAVE FU N HOBBIES 3182 WARREN SHARON RD. Vienna 44473 330-856-6275 HOBBY STOP WEST 1210 W. SYLVANIA AV. Toledo 43612 419-471-1108 HOBBYTOWN USA 8000 PLAZA BLVD. STE #9 Mentor 44060 440-946-5588 HOBBYTOWN USA 1574 SPRING MEADOWS DR. Holland 43528 419-867-9490 HOBBYTOWN USA 14785 PEARL RD. Strongsville 44136 440-846-1770 HOBBYTOWN USA 101 E. ALEX BELL RD. #142 Centerville 45459 937-291-8522 HURRICANE HOBBIES 8911 SOUTH OLD STATE RD. Lewis Center 43035 614-848-4386 OHIO MOTO SPORTS 6166 STATE ROUTE 139 Lucasville 45658 740-456-4704 RC PRO SHOP 67 STAR DR. Chillicothe 45601 740-774-6229 R/C HOBBY SHOP 754 N. COURT ST. Medina 44256 330-723-0255 ROFFEE HOBBY SHOP 254 WEST MAIN ST. Byesville 43723 740-685-8586 SLATER’S INC. 1141 N. MEMORIAL DR. Lancaster 43130 740-654-2204 STRONGSVILLE HOBBY SHOP 13325 PROSPECT RD. Strongsville 44149 440-572-0430 THE HOBBY SHOP 153 N. SPRINGBORO PIKE Miamisburg 45449 937-4366161 OKLAHOMA ACTION HOBBIES 4955 S. MEMORIAL DR. Tulsa 74145 918-663-8998 6216 BRECKENRIDGE Enid 73701 580-554-9400 ENID R/C SPEEDWAY HOBBYTOWN USA 2272 WEST MAIN ST Norman 73069 405-292-5850 74133 918-307-2000 HOBBYTOWN USA 7166 S. MEMORIAL Tulsa OREGON BARGIN BIN 1941 N.E. STEPHENS Roseburg 97470 541-673-8266 BIG DAD’S RACEWAY & HOBBY 11779 S.E. HWY. 212 #200 Clackamas 97015 503-723-2820 COTTAGE GROVE YAMAHA 120 PALMER ST. Cottage Grove 97424 541-942-3335 HOBBY HABIT 411 FIR LaGrande 97850 800-963-9602 HOMETOWN HOBBIES 8041 S.E. McLOUGHLIN BLVD. Portland 97202 503-473-8654 25699 SOUTH WEST ARGYLE Ave. Wilsonville 97070 503-685-7333 HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA 9353 S.E. 82nd AVE. Happy Valley 97086 503-652-5899 ISLAND HOBBIES 1224 JANZTEN BEACH CTR Portland 97217 503-285-3917 OREGON TRAIL HOBBIES & GIFTS 272 S. OREGON ST. Ontario 97914 541-889-3747 TAMMIES HOBBIES 12024 S.W. CANYON RD. Beaverton 97005 503-644-4535 RADIO CONTROL PLUS 1685 25th ST. Salem 97302 503-364-9188 R/C ADDICTION 830 S. FRONT ST. Central Point 97502 541-665-2700 REMOTE CONTROL HOBBIES 2155 N.E. BURNSIDE RD. Gresham 97030 503-666-7001 TONY’S HOBBY & VIDEO 84109 HWY. 11 Milton Freewater 97862 541-938-0218 TRUMP’S HOBBIES 2401 N.W. KINGS BLVD. Corvallis 97330 541-753-7540 PENNSYLVANIA A.B. CHARLES HOBBY SHOP 1635 McFARLAND RD. Pittsburgh 15216 412-516-1615 1236 E. LINCOLN HWY Langhorne 19047 215-757-9750 ACTION HOBBY AMERICAN HOBBY CENTER 2668 BRODHEAD RD. Aliquippa 15001 724-378-3930 BUMPS AND JUMPS RC SPEEDWAY & HOBBIES 643 OLD YORK RD. Etters 17319 717-932-3000 HI POWER HOBBIES 64 DUCHESS ST. Reedsville 17084 717-667-4629 Cranberry Twnshp 16066 724-779-2000 HOBBY EXPRESS INC. 1713 ROUTE 228 #L 1 HOBBYTOWN USA 3835 UNION DEPOSIT RD. Harrisburg 17109 717-558-0345 Springfield 19064 610-544-7007 HOBBYTOWN USA 150 E. BALTIMORE PIKE HOBBYTOWN USA 1108 PARK MANOR BLVD. Pittsburgh 15205 412-788-1000 HOBBYTOWN USA 12F WINGCO LN. Reading 19605 610-916-4477 HOBBYTOWN USA 1502 WEST CHESTER PIKE West Chester 19382 610-696-9049 HOBBY HUT 609 TROOPER RD. Audubon 19403 610-635-1062 HOBBYS N’ STUFF 119-A W. CRAWFORD AVE. Connellsville 15425 724-628-0228 HOBBY UNIVERSE 4427 WEST RIDGE RD. Erie 16506 811-424-6229 IRON HORSE HOBBY HOUSE 60 SOURTH SIXTH ST. Reading 19602 610-373-6927 J.C. R/C HOBBIES 13 YORK RD. Warminster 18974 215-672-5200 J & D WHISTLE STOP 106 E. BROAD ST. Quakertown 18951 215-538-0501 KRANZEL’S R/C RACEWAY & HBBOIES 415-B BOLSER AVE. Lemoyne 17043 717-737-7223 MARSHALL’S HILLTOP HOBB. 55 ALTOONA FARMS LN. Honesdale 18431 570-729-7458 RACEWAY HOBBIES 103 DUTCH HOLLOW RD. Smithton 15479 724-872-3225 SOUTH CAROLINA BANDITS HOBBIES & MODELS 273 AUCTION AVE. Darlington 29532 843-393-3333 D & S HOBBIES 1265 CELEBRATION BLVD. Florence 29501 843-383-0017 ED’S HOBBY SHOP 704 MAIN ST. Myrtle Beach 29577 843-448-8685 HOBBY & GARDEN CTR. 1710 BYPASS 72 N.E. Greenwood 29649 864-223-2109 4148 CALHOUN MEMORIAL HWY. Easley 29640 864-295-1209 HOBBY CONNECTION HOBBY STOP 939 S. ANDERSON RD. Rock Hill 29730 803-327-4121 HOBBYTOWN USA 101 VERDAE BLVD. #350 Greenville 29607 864-627-9633 SOUTH DAKOTA HOBBYTOWN USA 1007 W. 41st ST. Sioux Falls 57105 605-339-6613 TENNESSEE COOKEVILLE RCWY/HOBBY 880 W. JACKSON ST. #A Cookeville 38501 931-526-6017 2884 WOLFCREEK PARKWAY Memphis 38133 901-213-2682 HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA 634 NORTHGATE MALL Chattanooga 37415 423-877-9885 HOBBYTOWN USA 11364 PARKSIDE DR. Knoxville 37934 865-690-1099 HOBBYTOWN USA 2244 N ROAN ST #101 Johnson City 37601 423-610-1010 HOBBYTOWN USA 536 N.THOMPSON LN. #J Murfreesboro 37129 615-890-6777 MARYVILLE RC RACEWAY 3521 CALDERWOOD HWY. Maryville 37801 865-856-6919 MID SOUTH HOBBIES 733 N.WHITE STATION RD. Memphis 38122 901-682-9402 SPEEDZONE PERFORMANCE RC 2704 EAST AJ HWY. Morristown 37814 423-317-9733 RC COMPOUND 870 OAKRIDGE TURNPIKE Oakridge 37830 865-483-0484

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sponsored by: TEXAS AERO HOBBIES AMARILLO HOBBY HOUSE BIG MIKE’S HOBBIES & TOYS GERBERS R/C GUADALUPE HOBBY CENTER LARRY’S HOBBIES HOBBY TIME HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA INDY RC WORLD M & M HOBBY CENTER MIKE’S HOBBY SHOP MIKE’S HOBBIES R/C WHEELS AND PROPS ROY’S HOBBY SHOP T & T R/C CARS TEAM VALADEZ HOBBIES THE RC HOBBY SHOP VICTORIA HOBBY SHOP VICTORY R/C VICTORY R/C UTAH HOBBYTOWN USA VERMONT MIKES HOBBIES RC TOY BOX HOBBIES VIRGINIA AWESOME RC & HOBBIES CROSSROADS HOBBIES & CRAFTS DRCW RACEWAY HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBY HANGER SPDWAY RACEWORLD, INC WASHINGTON FANTASY WORLD HOBBIES GALAXY HOBBY HOBBY OUTLET HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBYTOWN USA ISLAND HOBBIES J & S R/C HOBBIES PLUS MIKE’S R/C WORLD NW NITRO RC HOBBIES TACOMA R/C RACEWAY THE CLOVERLEAF ULTIMATE HOBBIES REMOTE CONTROL HOBBIES WISCONSIN CHIPPEWA RC HOBBY DIRT HEAVEN HOBBY & RACEWAY FOCUS INC. GALAXY SCIENCE & HOBBY CENTER GARY’S HOBBY CENTER GREENFIELD NEWS & HOBBY HOBBY DEPOT HOBBY JUNCTION HOBBYTOWN USA HOBBY TOWN USA HOBBY CENTER HOBBYTOWN USA JOHN’S HOBBIES PHIL’S HOBBY & CRAFTS R/C PERFORMANCE & HOBBIES S&N’s TRACKSIDE HOBBIES THE HOBBY CONNECTION WEST VIRGINIA DW REED HOBBY STOP FULTON’S HOBBY SHOP INC. OUTLAW MOTORSPORTS HOBBYTOWN USA WEST VIRGINIA HOBBY & CRAFT PUERTO RICO HI SPEED C. RACEWAY RACER’S HOBBY CANADA HOBBY GUYS PM HOBBY CRAFT

2305 S HWY. 121 #110 4127 W. 34th 2157 GILMER RD. 4250 FIVE POINTS RD. #6 200 SIDNEY BAKER S. #5 156-F, FM 1960 EAST 201 WESTGATE PKWY. #H 4566 S. BROADWAY 4211 S. LaMAR BLVD. #A-4 2500 W. PARMER LN. #80 4116 S. COOPER ST. 1201 AUSTIN HWY #102 1079 W. ROUND RD. #700 2020 SATURN RD. 6703 CHIMNEY ROCK 1201 N. I 35 E. 21768 E. KNOX DR. 3446 WEST LOOP 289 1309 N. NORWOOD DR. 3420 AVENUE K 6130 MONTANA #204 13835 S.W. FREEWAY 5211 JOHN STOCKBAUER DR. 11030 KINGSPOINT RD. #4B 4609 RED BLUFF RD.

Lewisville Amarillo Longview Corpus Christi Kerrville Houston Amarillo Tyler Austin Austin Arlington San Antonio Lewisville Garland Bellaire Carrollton Porter Lubbock Hurst Plano El Paso Sugar Land Victoria Houston Pasadena

75067 79109 75604 78410 78028 77073 79121 75703 78704 78727 76015 78209 75067 75041 77401 75006 77365 79407 76053 75074 79925 77478 77904 77075 77503

972-315-1854 806-355-2921 903-297-7814 361-241-6544 830-895-5654 281-443-7373 806-352-9660 903-509-3000 512-440-7877 512-246-8904 817-557-2225 210-829-8697 214-488-0980 972-271-4844 713-661-7137 972-242-4930 281-577-8250 806-797-9964 817-268-0210 972-633-2470 915-775-1482 281-265-4844 361-575-4194 713-944-3278 281-542-7223

582 E. UNIVERSITY PRKY.

Orem

84097

801-224-3577

162 NORTH MAIN ST. 2176 PORTLAND ST., #2

Rutland St. Johnsbury

05701 05819

802-775-0059 802-748-1030

261-106 GARRISONVILLE RD. 1104 W. MAIN ST. 1828 S. MILITARY HWY. 195 SEMINOLE CT 12480 DILLINGHAM SQ. 4000 VIRGINIA BEACH BLVD. #196 14014-D SULLYFIELD CIRCLE 219 WEEMS LN.

Stafford Salem Chesapeake Charlottsville Lake Ridge Virginia Beach Chantilly Winchester

22554 24153 23320 22901 22192 23452 20151 22601

540-657-1314 540-387-3414 757-361-6681 434-244-6000 703-590-9890 757-306-4760 703-631-8820 540-723-8811

1909 S. 72nd ST. #A-12 19332 60th AVENUE W. 1700 MILE HILL DR. #100B 9324 N. DIVISION 1130 SE EVERETT MALL WAY #F 16421-A CLEVELAND ST 13503 SE MILL PLAIN BLVD. #C-6 10305 STATE AVE. 3360 AIRPORT DR. 412 E. MAIN ST. 4802 S. ADAMS ST. 4110 MAIN ST. 131 E. MAIN ST. 14041 NE WOODINVILLE-DUVALL RD.

Tacoma Lynnwood Port Orchard Spokane Everett Redmond Vancouver Marysville Bellingham Puyallup Tacoma Union Gap Auburn Woodinville

98408 98036 98366 99218 98208 98052 98684 98271 98225 98372 98409 98903 98002 98072

253-473-6223 425-670-0454 360-874-0971 509-465-3267 425-355-8086 425-558-0312 360-891-5572 360-653-8838 360-733-3662 253-841-4639 253-565-1935 509-453-8959 253-939-2515 425-482-4328

33 W. SPRING ST. 6028 COUNTY RD. K 75 S. MAIN ST. 1607 N. RICHMOND ST. 3701 DURAND AVE. 6815 W. LAYTON AVE. 1524 E. SUMNER ST. 1729 STEPHENSON ST. 1959 WISCONSIN AVE. 2730 HERTIAGE DR. 18177 GULF FREEWAY 2767 S. ONEIDA ST. 54 N. MAIN ST. 409 W. MAIN ST. 4702 E. BROADWAY 3635 N. 124th ST. 503 S. GRAND AVE.

Chippewa Falls New Franken Fond Du Lac Appleton Racine Greenfield Hartford Marinette Grafton Delafield Webster Green Bay Hartford Wautoma Madison Brookfield Rothschild

54729 54229 54935 54911 53405 53220 53027 54143 53024 53018 77598 54303 53027 54982 53716 53005 54474

715-723-4421 920-866-9096 920-922-5999 920-730-9220 262-554-8884 414-281-1800 262-670-6242 715-732-6333 262-377-6666 262-646-5755 281-488-8697 920-490-9996 262-673-7454 920-787-7232 608-222-8846 262-783-4699 715-355-4100

142 W. MAIN ST 3301 CHAPLINE ST. 3833 EARL L CORE 720 NITRO MARKET PLACE 12 PUTNAM VILLAGE SHOP CTR.

Bridgeport Wheeling Morgantown Cross Lanes Teays Valley

26330 26003 26508 25313 25569

304-842-2742 304-233-5355 304-284-0480 304-776-7259 304-757-6474

422 SAN CALUDIO AVE. 873 SAN PATRICIO AVE.

San Juan San Juan

00926 00921

787-283-0198 787-783-9150

#1, 222-16 AVE. N.E. 2020 B 32ND AVE. N.E.

CALGARY CALGARY

Alberta Alberta

T2E 1J8 403-230-8821 T2E 6T4 403-291-2733

TO HAVE YOUR SHOP LISTED HERE CALL: 1-800-767-0345. ATTENTION: YOU MUST SELL R/C CAR MAGAZINE TO BE IN THE SHOP LISTING.

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MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS DIRECTORY MANUFACTURERS & DISTRIBUTORS DIRECTORY Airtronics distributed by Global Hobby Distributors 18480 Bandilier Circle Fountain Valley, CA 92708 phone (800) 854-8471 www.airtronics.net Associated Electrics, Inc. 3585 Cadillac Ave. Costa Mesa, CA 92626 Ph: (714) 850-9342 Fax: (714) 850-1744 www.teamassociated.com Blue Thunder Fuel distributed by Horizon Hobby Distributors, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61821 PH: (217) 355-9511 Byron Originals, Inc. P.O. Box 279 Ida Grove, IA 51445 phone (712) 364-3165 fax (712) 364-3901 www.byronfuels.com Castle Creations 235 S. Kansas Ave. Olathe, KS 66061 Ph: 913.3906939 Fax: 913.3906164 www.castlecreations.com DuraTrax distributed by Great Planes Model Distributors 2904 Research Rd. Champaign, IL 61826-9021 phone (217) 398-6300 fax (217) 398-0008 www.duratrax.com Dynamite distributed by Horizon Hobby Distributors, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61821 phone (217) 355-9511 www.dynamiterc.com Futaba distributed by Great Planes Model Distributors 2904 Research Rd. Champaign, IL 61826-9021 phone (217) 398-6300 fax (217) 398-0008 www.futaba-rc.com Great Planes Model Distributors 2904 Research Rd. Champaign, IL 61826-9021 phone (217) 398-6300 fax (217) 398-0008 www.greatplanes.com Hakko 28920 Avenue Williams Valencia CA 91355 Ph: 800.88-HAKKO Fax: 661.294.0096 www.hakkousa.com Hitec 12115 Paine St. Poway, CA 92064 phone (858) 748-6948 fax (858) 748-1767 www.hitecrcd.com

Hot Bodies 70 Icon Street Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 phone (949) 753-1099 fax (949) 753-1098 www.hotbodiesonline.com HPI Racing 70 Icon Street Foothill Ranch, CA 92610 phone (949) 753-1099 fax (949) 753-1098 www.hpiracing.com Hudy Special Products Distributed be Hudy USA RC America 167 Turtle Creek Blvd, Suite C Dallas, TX 75207 PH: 800.519.7221 Fax: 214.744.2401 www.hudy.net Integy Technologies, Inc. 1140 Centre Dr. #E City of Industry, CA 91789 phone (909) 444-2766 fax (909) 627-4132 www.integy.com JR Racing distributed by Horizon Hobby Distributors, Inc. 4105 Fieldstone Rd. Champaign, IL 61821 phone (217) 355-9511 www.jrradios.com KO Propo USA, Inc. 1602 S. Western Ave, Suite 308 Gardena, CA 90247 (310) 532-9355 fax (310) 532-9354 www.kopropo.com Kyosho America 20322 Valencia Circle Lake Forest, CA 92630-8158 phone (949) 454-8854 fax (949) 454-8881 www.kyoshoamerica.com LRP distributed by Associated Electrics, Inc. 3585 Cadillac Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626 phone (714) 850-9342 fax (714) 850-1744 www.lrp.cc/en/ Max Amps 14420 W. Charles Rd. Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026 Ph: 888.654.4450 www.maxamps.com MIP 830 W. Golden Grove Way Covina, CA 91722 phone (626) 339-9007 fax (626) 966-2901 www.miponline.com MRC 80 Newfield Ave. Edison, NJ 08818 ph: (732) 225-2100 fax (732) 225-0091 www.modelrc.com

Mugen Seiki Racing Ltd. 20914 Bake Pkwy., Suite 106 Lake Forest, CA 92630 (949) 707-5607 fax (949) 707-5614 www.mugenracing.com New Era Models P.O. Box 7378 Nashua, NH 03060 (603) 888-4453 www.neweramodels.com Novak Electronics, Inc. 17032 Armstrong Ave. Irvine, CA 92614 Ph: (949) 833-8873 fax (949) 833-1631 www.teamnovak.com Novarossi Distributed by Fusion Motorsportsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; 28382 Meadow Ct. Highland CA 92346-5045 Ph: 909.862.4000 Fax:909.862.4004 www.fusionmotorsports.com O.S. Engines distributed in the U.S. by Great Planes Model Distributors 2904 Research Rd. Champaign, IL 61826-9021 phone (217) 398-6300 fax (217) 398-0008 www.osengines.com OFNA Racing 7 Vanderbuilt Irvine, CA 92618 (949) 586-2910 www.ofna.com Parma/PSE 13927 Progress Pkwy. North Royalton, OH 44133 (440) 237-8650 www.parmapse.com Pro-Line P.O. Box 456 Beaumont, CA 92223 (909) 849-9781 www.pro-lineracing.com PROTOform Race Bodies P.O. Box 456 Beaumont, CA 92223 (909) 849-9781 http://www.pro-lineracing.com/tprotoform.aspx RJ Speed www.rjspeed.com Robinson Racing Products 4968 Meadow View Dr. Mariposa, CA 95338 Ph: (209) 966-2465 fax: (209) 966-5937 www.robinsonracing.com Robitronic Distributed by SK Motion 385 S. Lemon Ave. #E238 Walnut, CA 91789 Ph: 949.849.9781 Fax: 949.266.5936 www.robitronic.com RPM 14978 Sierra Bonita Ln. Chino, CA 91710 Ph: (909) 393-0366 fax: (909) 393-0465 www.rpmrcproducts.com

Schumacher USA, Inc. 6302 Benjamin Rd. Suite 404, Tampa, FL 33634 phone (813) 889-9691 fax (813) 889-9593 http://www.racingcars.com/usa/main.asp Serpent USA 2830 NW 79 Ave. Miami, FL 33122 phone (305) 639-9665 fax (305) 639-9658 www.serpent.com Sidewinder Performance Racing Fuel produced by Morgan Fuels P.O. Box 311201 Enterprise, AL 36331 phone (334) 347-3525 www.morganfuel.com Tamiya America, Inc. 2 Orion Aliso Viejo, CA 92656-4200 phone (949) 362-2240 fax (949) 362-2250 www.tamiya.com Team Losi, Inc. 4710 E. Guasti Rd. Ontario, CA (909) 390-9595 www.losi.com Team Orion 20322 Valencia Circle Lake Forest, CA 92630-8158 phone (949) 454-8854 fax (949) 454-8881 www.teamorion.com Traxxas 1100 Klein Rd. Plano, TX 75074 phone (972) 265-8000 fax (972) 265-8011 www.traxxas.com Trinity Products, Inc. 36 Meridian Rd. Edison, NJ 08820 Ph: (732) 635-1600 Fax: (732) 635-1640 www.trinityinc.com Venom Racing phone (800) 705-0620 fax (208) 762-2520 www.venom-group.com W. S. Deans Co. 7628 Jackson St. Paramount, CA 90723 phone (562) 634-9401 fax (562) 634-9403 www.wsdeans.com Xray Distributed by Xray USA RC America 167 Turtle Creek Blvd, Suite C Dallas, TX 75207 PH: 800.519.7221 Fax: 214.744.2401 www.teamxray.com XTM distributed by Global Hobby Distributors 18480 Bandilier Circle Fountain Valley, CA 92708 phone (800) 854-8471 xtm.globalhobby.com

To be added to this directory please contact Charles Charron at (661) 295-1910 ease co

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TRUGGY PERFORMANCE PERFECTED

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