HOBBY
OUTLOOK YOUR HOOK-UP TO THE HOBBY WORLD | JUNE 2013
PLUS...
We review two new vehicles from Vaterra, the Kalahari Desert Raider and the '69 Camaro RS V100-S
HELION
INVICTUS10MT
REVIEW Helion unleashes its first 1/10 scale brushless 4x4 monster truck
outlook Editor-in-Chief Bryce Wergin brycew@hobbytown.com Design Frank Wandersee Writers Jamee Everson Dave Nolte Craig Trachten Ken Versaw Frank Wandersee Bryce Wergin Steve Willis Special Thanks Cowcatcher Magazine Horizon Hobby David Kump
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Hello Hobbyists, Welcome back! The summer quarter is here—school is out, the days are hot, the grills are fired up and the R/C fanatics have charged their batteries and are ready to take to the track (or sky). I’m incredibly excited about this quarter’s issue of Hobby Outlook. I think that pound for pound (or page for page), it’s the most impressive lineup of product we’ve ever reviewed. We’ve got tons of new, exciting, and innovative stuff this time around from the world of Radio Control, as well as gaming and railroading. The latest release from Helion, the Invictus 10MT, is the beauty you see tearing up the cover, and this thing has created some believers since its release this spring. It’s wowed us here at HobbyTown as well, as many of us have taken more than our fair share of “test” runs. Check out Jamee’s review of the Invictus on page 8. We’ve also got a 2-part review that gives you a taste of Horizon’s new Vaterra R/C line. I feel like saying these things are sleek is the understatement of the century. Check out the photos from our test runs and tell me they don’t look like real, full-size cars on your first glance. Read those reviews starting on page 14. And don’t think we would ever forget the gamers out there. Dave Nolte covers multiple options for cooperative games this quarter in his Gaming Corner column. Now you can get your game on with your sibling who always seems to slap the board off the table and storm out of the room—and actually finish! No fights, no yelling, no “YOU ALWAYS GET LUCKY CARD DRAWS” or anything like that. Just some good, cooperative fun. I hope you enjoy this issue of Hobby Outlook, and that it gets you excited about our hobbies and where their future is headed. Happy reading, and keep your eyes open for Hobby Outlook again next quarter. Hobby on, and we’ll see you in September! Bryce Wergin Editor-in-Chief
4
outlook
Index
outlook
8
Summer 2013
INVICTUS 10MT REVIEW We review the newest creation from Helion
IN THIS ISSUE COVER STORY 08 Helion Invictus 10MT Review The newest 1/10 monster truck from Helion EXCLUSIVES 14 Editor's Pick: Vaterra 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS Review We give our impressions on Vaterra's first on-road offering. 20 Vaterra Kalahari Review We find out how well the 1/14 desert raider from Vaterra performs. 30 2013 NMC People's Choice Award Interview We interview the winner of the National Model Contest's People's Choice Award. REGULARS 6 Hobbies in the News Lincoln Logs world record attempt 32 Gaming Corner Pandemic & Shadows over Camelot 24 Craig’s Pick ParkZone Apprentice 15E 39 HTUniversity Slinky Science Electro Magnetix
14 Vaterra 1969
EDITOR'S PICK Camaro review
GAMING CORNER
32 Pandemic
& Shadows over Camelot
K
OUTLOO
HOBBY
CH 2013 RLD | MAR HOBBY WO P TO THE
K-U YOUR HOO
Subscribe
Free Hobby News! t 00 CX if VOLVE 3
rEViEw
E
300 logy's new ce Flight Techno Innovative with Collision Avoidan size coaxial . echnology
... endless in pLusome s are review The outc Builder- See the Kingdom Gaming Corner. in this issue's
outlook
5
Hobbies in the News
HOBBIES IN THE NEWS Lincoln Logs have been a part of the American childhood for decades. What better way to teach children to be creative and build something while simultaneously giving some insight to our country’s history and the background of one of our most notable presidents? Although many kids have traded the bucket of Lincoln Logs for the gaming controller, the product remains a staple of our culture. This spring, a world record was attempted and achieved in the city that also bears the name of our 16th president. On April 13, 2013 in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, a group of University of Nebraska- Lincoln architecture students and architects form DLR, a local architecture group, built the tallest structure ever created from Lincoln Logs, and also set the record for most Lincoln Logs in a structure in the process. The tower was modeled after the Nebraska State Capitol, located just a few blocks from the Lincoln Children’s Museum where the log structure was constructed. 6
outlook
This event was promoted for weeks, and was a part of a campaign to brand Lincoln as a great place to live, work and play, and also celebrated the Children’s Museum’s new retro and vintage toys exhibit. The log capitol stands at 12 foot 4 inches high, and is composed of 10,036 Lincoln Logs, which beat the old record of a 10 foot 11 inch structure created in Ottawa, Illinois that used 2,995 Lincoln Logs. It remains standing in the museum’s atrium, and will be on display until September (as long as it continues standing). Lincoln’s structure took just a little over six hours to complete, and during construction the museum was open to the community to watch the build and explore the educational games and activities the museum has to offer. Architects and students carefully placed each log, knowing that a structure of this size required careful attention to stay standing and grow taller. “If one piece is off, it makes it off-kilter,”
Hobbies in the News
said Nate White, a student architect at the event. Spectators watched all morning and afternoon as the workers carefully balanced on ladders, placing each log more carefully and steadily than the last. The tower’s base was located on the basement floor, and climbed up past the first floor balcony before its completion. Getting their hands on over 10,000 Lincoln Logs was no easy feat; the logs were acquired through donations and a combination of purchases from HobbyTown USAŽ and eBay. Guests could purchase Lincoln Logs to write their name on and donate to the base of the structure through the
Lincoln Chamber of Commerce, who sponsored the event, or purchase them the morning of the event. The proceeds were donated to Habitat for Humanity. This event and structure show what is possible with enough planning and precision, and also reveals to us the incredible things that are possible when people work together with a goal in mind. It also reminds us that there is plenty of fun to be had without a screen, and setting a new world record can often be a by-product of a project meant to promote fun. outlook
7
Review
8
outlook
Review
W E I V RE
outlook
9
Review
10
By Jamee Everson For the latest issue of Hobby Outlook, I was fortunate enough to be tasked with doing a review of the new Helion Invictus 10MT. At the time this review was written, the Invictus had been on the market for close to two months and I had received a demo version of the truck a month prior to its release. So not only will I be able to give you my initial impressions, but also some long-term feedback as I've taken the truck through all of its paces. The Helion Invictus is a 10th scale, four wheel drive brushless-powered Ready-To-Run monster truck priced at $289.99. It is controlled
with the Helion 3.1 HRS 2.4 ghz radio. The truck is powered by a 45 amp electronic speed control and 3500 kv brushless motor from Radient. The Radient Reaktor brushless system gets its power from a 9.6v 1800mah NiMh battery. Upon my first glance the battery seemed kind of suspect, but I was pleasantly surprised by its performance. The extra voltage gives the truck plenty of speed and torque. Surprisingly enough, I was able to get close to 10 minutes of heavy on-and-off-road bashing outside the office. The first run was conducted outside of the office which consists of a lot of concrete,
The Invictus is powered by a 3500kv brushless motor and can run up to a 3S LiPo battery.
The Invictus has a raised chassis to allow for a higher ground clearance.
outlook
Review
outlook
11
Review
curbs and large field of dirt and weeds, making a great area for the first run. With the stock battery strapped in, I took it out The first thing and ripped up and down that came to mind the parking lot, going over running the LiPo the curbs and into the field, was that the Invictus not losing any speed is stupid fast. whatsoever. The truck took everything I threw at it. The Chevron-style tires gripped all the different terrain well. The high ground clearance of the chassis made going over the curbs and through the field easy. I was able to get close to ten minutes of run time out of the stock 9.6 volt NiMh, which again was quite a surprise. With the first run out of the way, it was time to strap in a 3s LiPo to see what kind of speed this truck had in it. Before I ran the truck with the LiPo, I switched out the battery plug on the esc to a high amperage connector per the instruction manual. The first thing that came to mind running the lipo was that the Invictus is stupid fast. Not only does it totally rip in top end speed, but you can barely keep the front wheels on the ground. The truck has so much power, it just wants to wheelie like crazy. The Invictus definitely holds its own against any of 12
outlook
the competition in its class. Now that I had tried the stock battery and an aftermarket battery, I wanted to test the durability of the Invictus. Sure, I flipped here and there, and maybe rolled it a time or two, but I needed to really test this truck's durability. That is where I called on my 10-year-old son, Barrett, and his friend, Jaxson. I charged up a 3s LiPo battery, gave them the truck and let them have some fun. Needless to say, they weren’t easy on it—just what I wanted. I witnessed the truck being driven straight into the curb at full throttle. Launching up into the air, sometimes it would land on its wheels and sometimes it would go tumbling. They would take turns running the truck through the front lawn, making abrupt maneuvers to send it into violent cartwheels. This type of driving behavior went on for the life of the battery. I would like to say the truck came out of the experiment without any broken parts, but such was not the case. There was a high-speed collision between the Invictus and a parked car that did not end well. However, it was nothing serious. Just a broken a-arm that was easily fixed, and back on the road they went. The Helion Invictus MT might be the best value in the 10th scale R/C truck line. For $289.99 you get a brushless four wheel drive ready to run truck with a 9.6 volt battery. How the guys at Helion did this, I don’t know. This truck has it all: speed, power, and durability—everything you ask for in a monster truck.
Review
HELION INVICTUS 10MT SCALE: 1/10 LENGTH: 422mm (16.61in) WIDTH: 337mm (13.27in) HEIGHT: 196mm (7.72in) WHEELBASE: 275mm (10.83in) WEIGHT: 2645g (5.83lb) MOTOR: 3500 kV Radient Reaktor 2 Pole Brushless, Sensorless BATTERY: 1,800 mAh 9.6V 8 Cell NiMH with Tamiya-style plug CHARGER: AC wall-type trickle for 8-cell NiMH RADIO: 2.4Ghz 3-Channel w/ D/R, EPA, REV, FS DRIVETRAIN: 4WD, 4x4 SUSPENSION: Four wheel Independent
outlook
13
EDITOR’S PICK
Review
Horizon's new Vaterra V100-S 1969 Chevrolet Camaro RS brings a whole new meaning to scale realism.
14
outlook
Review
outlook
15
Review
VATERRA V100-S
1969 CHEVROLET CAMARO RS
REVIEW
By Frank Wandersee The R/C hobby is deceptively diverse. On the surface it seems as if it’s split into a few categories. Some people strictly fly, whether in the form of helicopters or planes, some people strictly drive, and some people focus their efforts on the maritime side of surface R/C. It’s when you break down the three major categories into their subgroups that things begin to get interesting. R/C land has always been about racing or bashing. As the hobby has evolved, we have seen bodies begin to look more realistic—more scale. Short Course racing trucks have seen a surge in popularity with their semi-scale looks and off-road prowess. The on-road side of R/C land has had a fascination with scale realism for a long time, offering a wide assortment of body shells modeled after their real world counterparts. The trend has certainly gained momentum with the R/C drift movement as well. More and more people are looking for an on-road car offering scale realism to bolster their imagination while driving. When Horizon first announced their new brand, Vaterra, it was clear with their on-road offering that they were looking to attract those fans of realistic on-road R/C. Vaterra’s 1/10 scale V100-S line offers different body styles (and rim styles) that showcase incredible attention to 16
outlook
detail for an out of the box car. When I saw the 1969 Camaro RS version, I knew they were on to something special and had to check it out. It seems cliché to start off a review talking about how good the packaging is, but I have to anyway. Vaterra came out of the gates with its A-game, creating some truly Apple-quality packaging. The box isn’t just the standard rectangle. Instead, one of the corners is sheared off, leaving an elegant angle to showcase the brand name. It’s clear after opening the box that Vaterra really prides itself on attention to detail. Inside the main box lies a thin box attached to the underside of the car, acting as a platform. Not content to just ship the car covered in plastic, the car is protected by a piece of cardboard with high quality images printed on it that extends over the roof of the car and attaches to the box below it. The kit comes Ready-To-Run with everything needed to get the car up and running (yes, even the 4 AA batteries required to operate the Transmitter). The box acting as the platform for the car contains a Spektrum DX2E transmitter, 4 AA batteries, hex wrenches, t-wrench, different servo horns, instructions and a wall charger. The kit even includes an extra part allowing you to move the location of the front 2 body posts closer
Review
outlook
17
Review
to the center of the car. This definitely comes in handy if you decide to want to create a custom body shell from a different company like Tamiya or Yokomo and you don’t have enough room for the front bumper, or want to move the body holes away from the front of the hood. Also included is a sheet of small decals to add even more realism if you’re looking for it (396 and Camaro badging, front and rear side reflectors, and door handles). The Spektrum DX2E transmitter feels great. It doesn’t feel like a cheap RTR transmitter. The grip is rubberized and comfortable. The 2.4GHz 2-channel transmitter comes with throttle and steering trim dials and servo reversing switches. Range with this system was great too. For it to lose reception, I had to have the car out much farther than I would be comfortable driving it under normal circumstances. Once I was able to pull the car out and take a good look at it, the body was just as impressive as it looked in the pictures. The Camaro body was one of the most realistic bodies I’ve seen, and it even looked better than some of my Tamiya drift bodies I’ve made in the past. The body is actually two pieces (the rear is separate) and has attached chrome bumpers. The black rims give the Camaro a new-age muscle look complete with scale brake rotors and calipers (which look incredible). The only drawback is that 18
outlook
a body that looks this good doesn’t come with light buckets to install LEDs in. The clips on this car can be tough to pull out of the posts, especially in the front where the hood cowl seems to get in the way. An easy fix to stop the pins from scraping the cowl, is to grab a set of pliers and bend the end of the clip up. This allows easier removal of the clip and will keep the Lexan hood cowl from getting scratched up while driving. Once the body was off, I was able to give the chassis a closer look. The V100-S is an incredibly well-built chassis. The parts are all plastic, but they’re thick, rigid and feel very highquality. Vaterra did some unique things as well. For instance, the motor has a cover on it with some intakes to cool it down. It looks great, but I’m not sure if that cover will increase temps under more aggressive gearing, or if you swap out to a brushed setup. Another unique part of this car is that the rear wheels are actually wider than the front, giving the Camaro a more authentic look and giving it some extra stability. One thing to make note of is that the chassis doesn’t have a ton of adjustment options like other on-road cars may have, but that’s understandable considering this is not a car marketed towards racers. If you’re looking for a car that’s super competitive on the track, the
Review
Vaterra probably isn’t for you, however, as a street-driver/drifter and a car you will occasionally take out on a track for fun, this thing is brilliant. The plastic parts of the car are rigid and flexible enough to survive normal impacts, and cheap enough to replace if you have a particularly nasty collision. Driving the Camaro in the stock configuration was a blast. It’s incredibly responsive and the servo doesn’t have a hard time finding center like some other RTRs tend to do. The tire compound also has just the right amount of bite on the pavement. It connects when you’re accelerating in a straight line, but also allows you to break traction if you want to slide the back end around or pull some cookies. The 1800mAh Ni-MH 6-cell battery battery does an admiral job of powering the car, but I definitely recommend picking up a 2-Cell LiPo battery for this car. I also decided to test out the drifting capabilities of the car, so I installed some of my HPI drift tires/wheels on the V100-S and took it back out. The thing handles great with a set of hard compound drift tires, and looks great doing it. This car is perfect for people who want to get into
some driveway drifting and want those scale looks to go along with it. As Vaterras foray into realistic 1/10 scale on-road, the V100-S succeeds by offering truly unique scale features for an RTR at an affordable price. If you’re looking for a Ready-To-Run vehicle that you can use for both drifting and street driving while showing off incredible scale realism, the Vaterra V100-S is the car for you.
VATERRA 1969 CAMARO SCALE: 1/10 LENGTH: 14.85 in (371mm) WIDTH: 7.76 in (194mm) with 30mm rear tires HEIGHT: 4.41 in (112mm) GROUND CLEARANCE: 0.25in (6mm) WHEELBASE: 10.25 in (256mm) WEIGHT: 3.75 lbs (1.70kg) MOTOR: Brushed 540 BATTERY: 1800mAh Ni-MH 6-cell flat w/EC3™ connector CHARGER: 2A Ni-MH AC peak charger RADIO: Spektrum™ DX2E 2-channel DRIVETRAIN: 4WD shaft drive SUSPENSION: Independent
outlook
19
Review
OFF THE BEATEN PATH: VATERRA
KALAHARI
REVIEW
Who wants to stay on the road all the time? The Vaterra Kalahari gives an off-road option to the high-end, scale realists out there.
20
outlook
Review
outlook
21
Review
By Frank Wandersee Horizon Hobby’s new Vaterra brand is one of the most interesting newcomers available due to its focus on scale realism. In addition to a healthy onroad collection, Vaterra also boasts an impressive offroad/rally lineup. They have the Glamis, a 1/8 scale Buggy, the Twin Hammers, a 1/10 scale Rock Racer, the Kemora, a 1/14 scale Rallycross, and the Kalahari 1/14 scale Desert Raider. The people at Vaterra know that they need variety when introducing a new brand. With their on-road and off-road selection, they’ve certainly tried to hit many different subsections of R/C. When it comes to R/C, scale realism is something I really enjoy, so I was pleased when I got the opportunity to test Vaterra’s new Kalahari. The Kalahari is a 1/14 scale 4WD Desert Raider. It shares the same platform as the Kemora, only differing in a few parts such as the bumpers and body shell. It comes Ready-To-Run, powered by a 380 brushless Dynamite 4500Kv motor. As with the other Vaterra products, the Kalahari comes housed in a strikingly beautiful, 22
outlook
uniquely-shaped box. The transmitter, batteries, and charger all come packed snug, with the Kalahari attached to a separate platform of cardboard—all covered with gorgeous Kalahari desert-raiding artwork. Even though the Kalahari body shell isn’t a licensed manufacturer body, it is inspired by the highly modified SUVs that are engineered for long distance, off-road desert races like the Dakar Rally. The body comes detailed with an attached spoiler and transparent windows that showcase the chassis cover, which is modeled with a scale driver. The only gripe I had with the body was that the rear body pins are pretty difficult to remove because the rear spoiler tends to get in the way. It’s not impossible, but you definitely need to set the car down and exert some effort. Fortunately, the body pins that come with the car are angled so it’s not as tough as it could be if they were flat. The Kalahari chassis is compact and incredibly sturdy. It utilizes plastic pieces that feel thick and strong. Spring dampening seemed
Review
right around where it needed to be and there was plenty of ground clearance. The kit comes with a 7.2V 1200Mah 6 cell NiMh, but Vaterra also sells an optional 3-Cell LiPo if you feel the need for speed. The stock battery tray is a tight fit, so make sure to check dimensions of your battery if you decide to upgrade to an aftermarket LiPo battery. With the stock battery, the car hits about 25mph (more than enough for your everyday offroad bashing), and with the optional 3-Cell Lipo, the car can propel itself to 45mph. Ray Robinson, a product manager at Vaterra, even managed to squeeze out 51mph with a few optional parts. It just goes to show that this particular car can handle a wide range of setups to suit whatever type of driving style you may be feeling on a particular day. The car, even with its stock setup, was incredibly fun to drive. Its 1/14 scale size kept it dashing and quick. The 4WD drivetrain allowed it to power through turns in the dirt without spinning out. I was surprised with how easy this thing was to drive flat-out on the gravel and dirt surface I was driving on. Many smaller scale vehicles tend to suffer from poor stability at high speeds due to their reduced wheelbase, but the Kalahari performed above my expectations at speed and in turns. The suspension helped the car plant itself after coming down from jumps. The NiMH battery is powerful enough to keep the car moving at a decent clip, but a LiPo battery really wakes it up. So if you’re an experienced R/C fan who enjoys driving vehicles at their limit, make sure you pick up the 3S LiPo straight away.
The Kalahari is a great component to Vaterra’s launch lineup. It’s 1/14 scale size offers more options in driving settings, and it’s 4WD chassis allows it to adapt to different driving styles and situations. If one day you want to tear it up in the dirt and the next day you want to do speed runs down your street, the Kalahari is perfect for the job. The car handles surprisingly well and looks great doing it.
VATERRA KALAHARI SCALE: 1/10 LENGTH: 13.18 in (335mm) WIDTH: 7.08 in (180mm) HEIGHT: 4.57 in (116mm) GROUND CLEARANCE: 0.91 in (23mm) WHEELBASE: 8.27 in (210mm) WEIGHT: 2.12 lbs (0.96Kg) MOTOR: 380 Non-Sensored Brushless BATTERY: 7.2V 1200Mah 6 cell NiMh CHARGER: NiMH AC Peak Charger 110V-240V 2A RADIO: Spektrum DX2L DRIVETRAIN: 4WD SUSPENSION: 4 wheel independent
outlook
23
PARKZONE APPRENTICE 15E REVIEW
24
outlook
Review
The ParkZone Apprentice 15E lets beginner pilots fly worry-free with the brand new SAFE system.
outlook
25
By Craig Trachten HobbyTown USA® New Milford, CT When one wants to know what the next new innovation in our great hobby will be, they have only to watch Horizon Hobby’s website. I’m not talking about those items that are “specialty,” or the ones that we have to mortgage our lungs for; I’m talking about the “New” that the masses can enjoy. Horizon Hobby has introduced the AS3X, a 3 axis stabilization system that has revolutionized Micro flying. Next came their AR635 receiver with the AS3X system for larger electrics. The R/C gurus at Horizon have now come up with the “SAFE” (Sensor Assisted Flight Envelope) system. The Apprentice S 15e is one of the 2 aircraft introduced with this system included. More about this later—now on to the aircraft! The Apprentice has been around for a while and has proven itself to be a top-shelf primary trainer. It also has enough get-up-andgo so one can have some fun ringing her out as you get comfortable with your flying ability. In a nutshell; you will not be out-growing this aircraft fast. The new Apprentice with SAFE doesn’t raise 26
outlook
the bar as far as what she will do; it lowers the anxiety level for the apprentice pilot (beginner aviators, not the aircraft). Other than the receiver, the new bird looks just like the original. It comes packed tight and rattle-proof in a styro tray typical of all ParkZone aircraft. It is RTF, so everything that is needed is in the box. Read the documentation before you start putting things together. It is an easy build and will probably take longer to charge the battery than put her together. Attaching the nose wheel will probably be the most time-consuming at 5 minutes. The spinner, propeller, and cowl have to be removed before it can be installed. A hobby knife will be needed to slit the graphics sticker so the cowl can be removed. A single set-screw will hold the nose wheel in place. Re-attach the cowl, prop and spinner. The vertical stab slides through the horizontal stab and then the fuselage. The assembly is held in place with 2 screws through the bottom of the fuse. Attach the pushrods, then on to the wing. The wing halves slide together and 2-sided tape holds them in place. The front and rear wing covers are also held in place with 2-sided tape. The wing covers serve 2 purposes.
Review
First, they prevent the wing’s hold-down rubber bands from digging into the wing. Second, they aid in keeping the two halves together. What is missing from the documentation is you have to attach the aileron push rods to the ailerons. This is done just like the elevator and rudder push rods. A little more about the SAFE system— there are 3 flight modes: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. You can switch modes from the transmitter via the 3 position, channel 5 toggle switch that is on the included DX5 transmitter. Optional set-up instructions are included if you choose to fly with any other Spektrum DX transmitter. In beginner mode, no matter how much the sticks are moved, banks, climbs, and dives are limited to be very gentile. This gives the student pilot plenty time to think of what to do next. In intermediate mode, the control surface deflections are increased but still limited. In advanced mode, you are in complete control. In all modes PANIC mode is operational. What is PANIC mode? Glad you asked. No matter what flight mode or where your sticks are, when you pull the trainer switch, all flight inputs are disabled and the aircraft will immediately come to a straight and level flight attitude. Let your sticks go back to neutral, let go of the trainer switch, continue on your merry way through the sky. How is that for anxiety relief? Hearing, "Ooops," then crunch will be all but eliminated at the field. The AS3X stabilization system is also activated full time. As it happened, a visitor was at the field with his 9-year-old son. What better test then a youngster with no flying experience? Dad said he was pretty good at taking instructions, so what the heck, I went for it and let him fly. I stood behind Ryan (youngster’s name) so I could not only give him instruction, but put my hands on the sticks when necessary. I told Ryan to slowly advance the throttle and touch nothing else. The Apprentice climbed out all by itself. At altitude, I told him to throttle back and move the right stick in the direction of the shoulder I touch. After a few circuits, I introduced pulling back on the right stick (elevator) just a bit as you move the stick to the right or left. Not wanting to push my luck or ruin a very positive experience for Ryan,
I elected to take care of landing. I lined up with the runway, controlled descent with throttle, and flared just before touchdown. Talk about a Kodak moment! I think the smile is still on Ryan’s face. I then flew the Apprentice to test the intermediate and advanced modes. On intermediate mode, the aircraft was more maneuverable but still tame enough to give you a bit of think time. On Advanced mode; PIC (pilot-in-control). You have full control to do what you want. All control surfaces have full deflection. You now have a great flying top-wing sport plane with panic control. I have always believed that the Phoenix-4 flight Sim was the single best training tool. After flying the Apprentice with the SAFE system, I would have no problem recommending this aircraft to those, 9-90, that want to jump right in our great hobby and get into the air NOW. Even with Sim time, the Apprentice S 15e can’t be beat as your first aircraft. Have fun, fly safe- with SAFE Craig
PARKZONE APPRENTICE 15E WINGSPAN: 58 in (1475mm) LENGTH: 37 in (940mm) WING AREA: 525 sq in (33.7 sq dm) FLYING WEIGHT: 40–45 oz (1135–1275 g) MOTOR SIZE: 15-size brushless outrunner (installed) SERVOS: 4 servos (installed) PROP SIZE: 11 x 8 electric (installed) SPEED CONTROL: 30A Brushless Pro SB Brushless ESC (installed) BATTERY: 3200mAh 3S 11.1V 15C Li-Po CHARGER: 3S Balancing Li-Po Battery Charger (EFLC3010) (included) RADIO: Spektrum DX5e 2.4GHz (included)
outlook
27
2013 NATIONAL M
WINNER'S 2012 National Model Contest Results Twice a year, HobbyTown USA® hosts its National Model Contest. This is a call for all scale perfectionists, precision painters, fromscratch builders and careful gluers to show us their best work. HobbyTown USA® stores all over the nation participate in the contest where modelers bring their submissions into the store to be scored. Winners in multiple categories from each store are then entered into the national contest to see who takes the prize.
In addition to this, our People’s Choice Award takes place on our HobbyTown USA® Headquarters Facebook Page. Users submit photos and descriptions of their favorite models through our contests tab, and other fans of our page vote on their favorites. Keep your eyes open for our 2014 National Model Contests, the first of which will take place this Spring. Congrats to our 2013 National Model Contest winners from all categories in 2013!
Best of Show
Chris Soltis- "Running the Guantlet" 1/144 scale diorama HobbyTown USA® of Fairfield, CT 28
outlook
MODEL CONTEST
S CIRCLE Best of Paint
Ron Leishman- "T-45 Ghosthawk" HobbyTown USA速- Pioneer Woods in Lincoln, NE
Best Junior
Jarred White- "Sherman 105mm Howitzer in Winter Camo" HobbyTown USA速- Easton, MD outlook
29
People's Champion: David Kump- "Black Swan Pirate Ship"
30
outlook
By Bryce Wergin As hobbyists, we know the importance of detail. Whether we’re selecting and installing custom parts for an R/C vehicle or trying for the fourth time to get the scale just right on our train display, we know that the subtlest of details will be the ones noticed first by onlookers. HobbyTown USA®’s People’s Choice Award is the perfect place to see this notion in practice, as modelers from all over the country spend hours tediously building and decorating their work, followed by selecting the most flattering photographs they can and kissing their good luck charms that their time spent perfecting their model will be noticed by the voting community. If you’ve ever participated in or followed the People’s Choice Award, you know that certain models stand out above the rest in the competition. Browsing through photos, many make you say “meh,” or “oh cool,” but there are always those few that make you double-take and say “WOW.” These models often end up finishing in our top ten, jumping from place to place in the rankings as voters struggle to decide which is their favorite. This year, after weeks of a turbulent run in the top 10, the model that finally finished first was the "Black Swan Pirate Ship" by Washington native David Kump. “I began working on the Black Swan on May 20th, 2012 and finished her up on October 7th,” Kump says. “Estimating about 5 hours a week, I’d say I spent about 120 hours on it during that time. It was a challenging build in a lot of ways, because it was only my third model ship and it is a very complex kit with many parts and intricate rigging.” Looking at the photos, it’s obvious the rigging of the ship was no simple task. “The lines are very, very complex, and the way I approached it was to take it one step at a time and
make sure I understood how each line would fit with the others before proceeding. That’s a great way to look at modeling in general, I think. Just take it one step at a time!” David Kump blew voters away with his ship, but it’s clear this isn’t his first model. “Like most people, I have things to do besides working on kits all day, but I like to allow myself a certain amount of time to pursue creative hobbies… I generally give myself a couple hours a few nights a week. It really depends on what Im working on at the time. If I had to guess how many kits I’ve built, it’s probably around 30. I’ve mostly done race cars, with a few muscle cars and motorcycles and a few aircraft, but now I’m building sailing ships mostly,” he says. Kump also stayed humble through this experience, talking about another model that he enjoyed in the contest. “I really enjoyed Bill Finstad’s BattleStar Galactica Viper! He did a great job with the weathering. Well done, Bill!” (Check out this and the rest of the top 10 HERE) As an experienced modeler, Kump had a few words of advice for those newer to the hobby. “Anyone who is starting out in modeling should be ready to learn new things and to keep trying to test their skills. And be patient! Probably one of the best pieces of advice I can offer would be to treat every step like it’s the only step… it’s easy to get anxious to finish the kit and give less attention to the little details. When I’m building a car kit, I’ll spend an afternoon painting the brake discs just right and treat them like a kit of their own. When the car is finished, you can look at it and see every one of the little details. They all add to the overall look and experience of the kit and give you a sense of pride.” outlook
31
PA N D E M I C and
S H A D O W S OV E R
C A ME LOT board games
By: Dave Nolte There are many reasons we enjoy board games: The friendly (or not so friendly) competition, the chance to build or own something we don’t have the opportunity to in the “real” world, applying some tactical or strategic thought, participating in adventures or battles or mysteries; but most of all, it’s about the chances they give us to have some face time with family and friends, sharing a laugh or cheer (or groan). One of the only real drawbacks to playing the average board game 32
outlook
is that one player will win and everyone else loses. But a growing segment of the board game spectrum aims to change that. Cooperative Games have been increasing in popularity over the last several years. With a cooperative game, instead of an every-manfor-him/herself dynamic with one winner and the rest of the table losing, all of the players work together to achieve a common goal. Either defeating a common enemy or achieving a single or set of objectives, all of the players have a chance to win the game together. Of course, this also means that all players can lose together, but even in such a circumstance, the experience is shared amongst all of the players. Here are some examples of popular cooperative games and what they are all about. Pandemic by Z-Man games has a tagline on the box: “Can You Save Humanity?” The game is played on a map of the world, with 48 cities that players move their pawns between in order to combat disease outbreaks. There are four different diseases that can appear in
Review
various parts of the world, and the players work together to cure them or perish (lose) together. In a turn, a player can move their pawn between cities, remove “disease Cooperative cubes” which represent Games have curing infected population, been increasing in build research stations that popularity over the facilitate movement last several years. and finding cures, and with enough of the right resources, a player can actually find a cure for one of the diseases on the board. Each player assumes one of several specific roles in the game. This particular aspect is common to many of the cooperative games. There is a scientist that can more easily find cures for diseases, a researcher
who gives their resources to other players to make movement and finding cures more efficient, and a dispatcher who can move other players on his turn to more efficiently prepare them for the upcoming actions or information exchange. After taking actions, two new cities are drawn from the Infection Deck, and new disease cubes are placed. The real trouble occurs when a city with 3 cubes should receive a 4th, and instead experiences an “outbreak,” which spreads new cubes to all surrounding cities. Players need to use their abiliites in a coordinated fasion to have a chance to cure all of the diseases before the 8th outbreak occurs and everyone loses. In some games, everything will seem to be going great and victory is at hand, then two quick epidemic cards will come up and the diseases will take over in an instant. Everyone needs to work together and play their role on the team in order to save humanity. Shadows Over Camelot by Days of Wonder is similar to Pandemic in a few ways, but stands alone as its own cooperative gaming experience. All players take the role of one of the Knights of the Round table in an attempt to save Camelot from encroaching evils, armies and despairs. A familiar cast of characters, including Arthur, Gawain and Galahad, are chosen by the players, and represented by miniature figures placed on a board representing Camelot and its immediate surroundings. Players are also given their own individual quest boards. Each player has a card describing the special power his or her knight possesses, the game turn sequence, and what action options are available. The knights have to complete a variety of quests, attempting to keep the forces of evil from overrunning the kingdom. Your knight can try to defeat the Black Knight or the Dragon. You can outlook
33
Review
search fro Excalibur, try to rescue Lancelot, and, of course, seek the Holy Grail. There is also the ongoing battle against marauding Picts and Saxons, trying to capture Camelot itself. The players will have to coordinate their efforts and abilities to accomplish the quests, and each failure brings the forces of evil closer to their ultimate victory over the forces of good. You might all go after the Grail together, which greatly increasese the chances of finding it, but leaves Camelot undefended from the Picts and Saxons. If all stay to fight marauders, the Grail can be lost to Despair, as every turn, cards are drawn that advance the causes of evil, and you don’t know which task will come up. As with Pandemic, the cooperation and best use of individual skills is paramount to having a chance for all player to be victorious. An interesting mechanic that can added to Shadows Over Camelot by experienced players is the Traitor. At the beginning of the game, cards are dealt to all players, and one player MAY be a Traitor, secretly attempting to assist the forces of evil. That player then tries to thwart the efforts of the others, but tries to avoid being called out as such for as long as possible to increase their ability to defeat the other knights. If evil wins in this case, the Traitor actually does become “the Winner” of the game! There is an expansion for Pandemic called “On the Brink” that introduces a Bio-Terrorist, very similar to this Traitor. The Camelot expansion “Merlin’s Company” adds an increased role for Merlin in the game, and adds additional challenges for experienced players. With both games, victory can be quite a challenge to achieve for new players. Everyone needs to maximize their abilities, cooperate fully, and sacrifice for the good of the team in order for the table as a whole to have a victorious outing.
34
outlook
OTHER GAMES TO TRY Here are some other Cooperative Games you can try: Battlestar Galactica: From the TV program, players try to keep the human forces alive against the Cylon menace. One or more players may BE secret Cylons, creating suspicion and tension. Of Mice and Mystics: A force of defenders have been reduced to mice by sorcery, and must work together to defend their castle from attack. Legendary and Sentinels of the Multiverse: Both are deck-building games where players represent superheroes trying to defeat the villains. Legendary is set in the Marvel ™ universe, and Sentinels has its own set of characters. Betrayal at House on the Hill: A horror genre game, where players enter a haunted house, and together must defeat the zombies/ghosts/ monsters that are present, before one player betrays the others to the enemy. Castle Panic: This game is great for the younger set, and players are defending a castle beset on all sides by attackers. You try to keep the attackers at bay, and defeat them before they destroy the walls to the castle and players lose.
outlook
35
Bachmann DDA40X, an Impresive Performer
By Steve Willis contributing writer of Cowcatcher Magazine Union Pacific has never been accused of doing things on a small scale. Well known for its heavy traffic traversed the vast expanses of the American West, the railroad was a pioneer in developing massive motive power to run at speed across the plains of Nebraska and the deserts of Nevada and California. At the same time, UP wanted a locomotive that could conquer the grueling grades of Sherman Hill in Wyoming and Cajon Pass in California. In the days of steam, this resulted in UP designing the first Challenger 4-6-6-4 as well as the unique Big Boy 4-8-8-4. UP employed a fleet of massive gas turbine locomotives in the 1950s and 1960s for the same purpose. As the 1960s progressed, the gas turbines were retired and UP sought a diesel locomotive that could develop 5000 horsepower or greater in a single unit. Technology of the time required the placement of two prime movers on an extra-long frame to generate the necessary horsepower, a concept ElectroMotive pioneered with its E series passenger diesels. The result was EMDs DD35A and B, General Electric’s U50 and U50C, Alco’s C855, and the ultimate culmination of the project the DDA40X Rated at 6600 horsepower, the DDA40X uses two 3,300 horsepower EMD 645 engines. 36
outlook
Nicknamed “Centennials”or “Big Jacks”, the locomotive remains the most powerful singleunit diesel locomotive ever built. The first unit, No. 6900, was delivered in April 1969, in time to participate in the centennial of the driving of the gold spike at promontory Point and the completion of the transcontinental railroad. The remaining 46 units were delivered between June 1969 and September 1971. Our HO-scale sample produced by Bachmann Trains, part of the company’s DCC Sound Value Locomotive line, matches the massive appearance of its prototype. Paint appears smoothly applied, and the model is decorated for No. 6900. The paint scheme appears consistent with UP paint schemes from the 1980s. The locomotive is equipped the EZ Mate plastic couplers. Handrails are a tad thick, but were much thinner than expected. Grab irons are molded on. The only thing that detracted from the appearance of the model was large slots in the front and rear pilots where the prototype has solid pilots. This is somewhat reminiscent of older models and allows trucks and couplers to swing on tight model curves. While I am sure the locomotive will negotiate very sharp curves, be prepared for it to look awkward in the process. Bachmann’s locomotive comes equipped with DCC and sound. On DCC, the locomotive goes through a startup phase, and then idles with the characteristic sound of twin EMD prime
movers. F1 controls the bell, F2 a long horn, F3 a short horn, F4 activates the rotating beacon on the cab roof. F5 lights the number boards, F6 dims the headlights, F8 mutes the sound and F0 turns the headlights on and off. The sound is a little loud, but the volume can be turned down. To test the locomotive, we retired to my 1956-era Colorado Southwestern. The layout operates with CVP Easy DCC and has 30-inch radius curves and 2 percent grades. As mentioned above, this is a big locomotive. In the land of steam and F units, this engine is a monster. Lacking a unit grain train or intermodal cars, which didn’t exist in 1956, I did the best thing to test the locomotive’s brute strength. No. 6900 was coupled to the Lumber Special, Train 88, a train heavy with forest products which had just arrived at Valley Junction Yard at the end of the last operating session. This is normally one of the heaviest trains on the railroad and tests the mettle of three F7s as it slowly climbs eastbound to the Continental Divide. The train length was the maximum a set of Fs could handle without a helper; 18 cars. The engine smoothly accelerated the train to the speed limit after clearing Valley Junction and maintained its speed through the relatively level track passing through Alta Vista and Bozman. East of Bozman, the Centennial dug in for the battle to the summit, along stretch of grade with numerous reverse curves. The engine nearly lost its footing twice, both times with the train hanging
downgrade around double S curves. With a little throttle adjustment, the Centennial regained momentum and crested the 150 foot log grade without trouble - all to the accompaniment of roaring twin diesels. Cool! What an impressive performance. Bachmann should take a bow, because the DDA40X is a winner. A half dozen Spectrum steam locomotives are in service on the CSW and they aren’t in jeopardy of losing their spot on the roster. But the Centennial would certainly cause me to give other locomotives in the line a second look. So, too, would be the modern-day UP HiRail equipment truck with crane that Bachmann recently introduced in HO scale. The die-cast truck is DCC-equipped for speed, direction and lighting, the truck, which is equipped with metal wheels and bogies, features a manually-operated crane that swivels 360 degrees and operating headlights and brake lights. The truck is equipped with a 28-speed step decoder that is factory-programmed to address button No. 3 on NMRA-compliant DCC systems. Bachmann’s DCC On Board offers total lighting control, with constant directional lighting and a dimming function. Steve Willis is a contributing writer for Cowcatcher Magazine. He models the steam-to-diesel transition era on the Colorado Southwestern at his home in Flower Mound, Texas.
outlook
37
R U O Y E V L TH I W O E V C E
N E I R E P X E E C T N H A G D I FLI O V A N
O I S I Y L G L O L CO O N H C E T
SHOP NOW AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT
WWW.HOBBYTOWN.COM
HTUniversity Interview
SLINK Y SCIENCE ELEC TRO M AGNE TIX Ken Versaw studies the power of magnetism with the help of a qualified scientist in this issue’s HTUniveristy. By Ken Versaw
It was a seemingly innocent question that led me to this review. My curious 11 year old approached me with a couple of kitchen magnets and asked me “How do magnets … work?” While it seems like a simple enough query, when you break it down it becomes complex very quickly. Never one to miss an opportunity for enlightenment, we hopped in the car and headed down to our local HobbyTown® in search of an answer, and returned home with the Slinky Science Electro Magnetix Mini Kit. This kit is a no-nonsense study of magnetism and how it relates to electrical currents. The kit comes with all the materials needed to explore the 30 different activities included in the instruction booklet. You start off making a compass and progress all the way to a simple electric motor. Along the way you conduct various experiments and games that show the power of magnets, and the effects of electricity on magnetic fields. While Slinky did a very nice job of including everything you need in the kit, we did run into something that potential home scientists should be aware of. Attached to the battery holder are two wires that are stripped at the ends so they can be attached to the copper wire to produce the magnetic fields. The stripped ends are fairly small and the wire is thin so you have to be careful when attaching and twisting
them not to rip them. Also, the kit does include fairly powerful and small magnets so if you have young children in the home you need to be very careful with the materials. In conclusion, Slinky has created a science kit that explores the power of magnetism in fun and educational ways. Everything you need is included in the kit, which is a huge plus. The materials are all snap-together and the instructions are straightforward and easy to understand. The activities do a nice job of demonstrating the properties of magnetism. This kit comes highly recommended by me and my burgeoning scientist.
outlook
39
Find the HobbyTown USA速 location nearest to you. With over 150 franchises nationwide, you can find us just about anywhere.
s
40
outlook
Store Locator
CT
outlook
41
COMING SOON