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Jul 2018
8:13am, 19 Jul 2018
28,937 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
I toyed with "Fetch Modelling" but did wonder what silliness that might throw up. So I went with being specific, not even thinking that Mobility Scooters might be the result.
Never underestimate the power of Fetchland to subvert !    etc.
And you can't change thread titles...! 
G
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Jul 2018
11:23am, 19 Jul 2018
23,179 posts
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DocMoye
I think my sons RC car is 1/10th. It’s currently on its annual holiday to the beaches of Norfolk
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Jul 2018
11:29am, 19 Jul 2018
28,942 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Aha, a real, actual model reference. Thank you Doc. And I won't be offended that it's a reference to your kid!
It's interesting that while most of the club members that I have met are 40 or 50 something blokes, there are a few kids, one 17 year old (son of a dad who races and the son has been at it for a while now - part of the reason I joined is I know his mum from running club - small world, and a running reference in there!  ).
So, no Fetchies actually into it. Same as when I tried to start a paragliding / gliding / flying thread. Nope. Tumbleweed. Oh well!
Anyone into sailing (sailing dinghy racing, also a sport! Actually I know one Fetchie who is/ was to quite a high standard, or his kids are - cabletow, used to be a very regular contributor to Fetch). G
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Jul 2018
11:37am, 19 Jul 2018
416 posts
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Claypole
Ah yes, was really into this as a kid.
Competed locally and nationally in a league that was organised by Tamiya and then went onto use a Schumacher Cat competing for a local club, which going back about 30 yrs was a car that was really ahead of its time.
Limited slip diffs, anti-squat suspension.....jeepers all clever stuff.
I can imagine that battery tech has moved on a lot since I competed - I know that brushless motors are available now -cool stuff.
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Jul 2018
11:46am, 19 Jul 2018
23,181 posts
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DocMoye
Son changed his batteries last year. The new ones a sooo much better.
( hubby sails....likes to race but bigger boats than dinghy)
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Jul 2018
12:55pm, 19 Jul 2018
28,943 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Doc, yes, batteries make a big difference (apparently, I'm just starting, so this is all hearsay from me!). I have sailed bigger boats (up to a 72ft ketch round west coast of Scotland) but racing was in dinghies - I guess biggest was 15ft or so. That's another one where technology has moved on - the asymmetrics like the RS 400 800 etc. wow!
Claypole, this is where I was coming from: Tamiya (e.g. Hornet) in the 80s. I wasn't racing, but had a couple of different cars and just bashed about with pals. Thought I'd buy myself one as a wee present for memory sake. Then I looked at what people were racing now - ofcor! Brushless motors, electronic speed controllers, lithium polymer batteries, 2.7GHz transmitter - faster, longer lasting, more reliable, no interference, far more tuneable. And the options - carbon fibre, aluminium, different tyre compounds etc. Amazing.
Schumacher are still one of the top brands. Tamiya less so for racing - it's X-ray, Losi, Kyosho, Schumacher, Yokomo etc. You thinking about getting back into it? G
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Jul 2018
1:41pm, 19 Jul 2018
5,288 posts
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larkim
A few years ago had a cracking little 1/18th buggy - Maverick Atom, think that was a sub-brand of HPI. Speedwise it was the RC car I'd always wanted as a kid, so was great to be able to get that for my son who would have been 13 or so at the time.
The problem was durability - cracking wishbones, dampers, steering arms, battery issues etc. All fixable, which was good, but we didn't half get through some parts!
Our local community centre has some carpet racing 1/10 model clubs, and I've been in the building when they are racing in the past - they are insanely fast, look a real challenge to handle unless your reactions are like lightning.
Enjoy the new hobby HG!
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Jul 2018
2:25pm, 19 Jul 2018
28,944 posts
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HappyG(rrr)
Ironically larks, racing these things on a purpose built track seems to break fewer things on the cars than just bashing around outside. The jumps are set to sensible height, there is plenty of run off outside the corners if you make a mistake, the apex and edges are soft (no walls or kerbs). I've seen remarkably few breakages. A couple of bent wings, easily fixable, popped out wishbones (too short screw stripped from plastic etc.) rather than broken. And batteries, speed controllers, motors etc. the expensive bits aren't breaking at all.
Partly too that the guys racing are wanting to keep the car *on* the track (rubber side down, as they say!) rather than trying to do crazy tricks or jumps or go as fast as you can, which is probably the temptation if just mucking about.
To get a quicker lap time, go slower, is the mantra. A lot of these guys won't hit top speed except on a single straight. The rest of the course is all slowing down for corners, lining up for jumps etc.
There are some amazing 1/18th and even 1/24 little cars around. We had a 1/5th nitro at our track last week. Now that was a big beast! 1/8th, 1/10 or 1/12th seems like a good compromise to me - big enough to have some realism in how it handles and looks, but small enough to drive in a small area.
Ooh, have you heard of Rally Cross by the way? You know how real rally stages aren't in a circuit, they are point to point. Well, how can you do that if you are remote controlling it? Answer: you have to run along behind it! Given that they do 50mph, I'm not quite sure how, but I imagine that they have very technical sections and the course turns back on itself a lot. But the drivers still have to run with trainers on to keep up with their car. A perfect hybrid combo hobby / sport! G
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Jul 2018
3:12pm, 19 Jul 2018
417 posts
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Claypole
Tempted HappyG... I am tempted.
I am really out of touch with some of those brands you mention.
Probably won't splash out due to time constraints but find myself looking at the detailed specs of some of the models online that are out now - they look more like high end 1/10 scale rally cars to me!
Yes I remember the hornet - a mate of mine had one - great fun
Thought I was the bees knees when I got a 'Boomerang' just as it was 4WD but if I remember rightly it was less fun that the hornet that you could drift about on sand and gravel - wot a laugh!
Ah yeah larkim - bought 2 of those for my kids
We had a right laugh with them but had the same issues
Currently they are are both somewhere in my garage - one with busted front wishbones, the other with slipping diffs!
Must admit I found it harder to get them to track in a straight line than the 1/10 models
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Jul 2018
3:57pm, 19 Jul 2018
23,184 posts
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DocMoye
My sons is a hornet. He’s friend managed to drive it into the sea last year ..... significant work had to be done to get it going again. But the replacement parts basically amounted to an upgrade .... so he’s happy.
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