Radio Control Blog
Rally cars are amazing. If you boil it down, they’re basically suped up cars you would see on the road. And they can jump!
There’s a small but loyal group of rally R/C enthusiasts that have seen a number of RC rally cars come and go over the years. For me it began with the HPI RS4 Rally, originally released in 1998. [Read more…]
In the winter it can be hard to get out and play all of the time. We built some chained tires to tackle the snow. Unfortunately, January 2019 has been more ice than snow, and the polar vortex kept us inside for over a week. But we can still have fun driving RC inside. So how do we get these high speed vehicles from wrecking everything in the house? Training mode & drift tires!
[Read more…]Installing a Rustler bumper upside-down on a 2wd Slash is a popular option for creating an on-road or rally style bumper cheaply and easily. Many people that have customized their Slashes for drag racing, rallying, or top-speed runs are already doing this. I got the idea from the Traxxas Slash Modified group on facebook – one of the most helpful (and positive) resources out there. I wanted to document the steps and parts I used to do create mine for a rally car conversion.
Here’s a quick tip on lettering even the smallest tire sidewalls. I essentially used the technique in this video, but with some extra techniques to work on a 1/10 scale on-road tire:
When I first registered MeatballRacing.com in 2006, I had an idea to write a post called “Ban the Stratus” – here’s an excerpt:
For a while the Dodge Stratus seemed to be the body of choice for 1/10th scale radio controlled touring cars. It is the body that every company makes that all R/C racing sanctioning bodies approve of. While many racers have recently sought alternatives, I will not be happy until the Stratus is gone entirely.
To quote one rulebook: “Bodies used in ROAR-sanctioned events must resemble vehicles used in full scale racing for the type of event being conducted.” But you’re more likely to be hit by a Stratus in a car crash than you would see one on an actual race track. If everyone’s going use the Status body, why not paint them faded Chrysler burgundy and require torn cloth interiors, as they’re seen in full scale?
There are several other sedans that could be approved by racing bodies that are actual race cars, why not them? Admittedly, I must give props to those racers who have already switched to the Mazda6 body, which can be seen in the Speed World Challenge Touring Car series.
Bleh, I’m glad it’s gone! That’s why I like the Vintage Trans-Am (VTA) and USGT racing series. I want to see race cars like this:
My daughter is left handed and she also loves to drive R/C cars with dad and her brother. To make sure she has a good experience, she needs the appropriate tool – a proper left handed RC transmitter. I’ve seen several lefties use standard right-handed transmitters. They hold the grip in their right hand to work the trigger, and the steering wheel faces away, so they reach around the front to work the steering with their left hand.
My left-handed daughter instinctively did just this with a normal transmitter (Tx). Even at only 5 years old, her brain told her to steer with her dominant hand. While it works for many, it’s unfortunate. Left-handed transmitters are not widely available for people entering the hobby, so they try to make it work with a right-handed Tx. By the time they can afford a model that can be converted to left-handed, they’ve already gotten used to contorting themselves, so what should seem natural feels strange.
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