Friday, October 18, 2013

Redcat Racing has a new MT coming out called the Terremoto its a 1/8th scale brushless monster truck

Well at this moment there are a few facts about this truck out and a few possible facts .

Yup here it is being displayed at the IHobby show in Chicago.

Soon some info was posted on Redcat's website stating that the truck should be released Oct.31.2013  
so at least we won't need to wait too long for this one to be available . Here is all the info listed on the website. 

The new Redcat Racing Terremoto is coming soon and it is Redcat's largest 1/8 scale vehicle to date.  

At just under 2 feet in length and a wheelbase of about 15", the Terremoto is huge!

Everything is included and ready to run right out of the box.  Fully assembled including KV2260 brushless motor with 80A waterproof ESC, dual 15KG metal gear steering servos, dual 7.4V 3200 mAh LIPO batteries, battery charger, painted lexan body and 2.4GHz radio.


Specifications
Motor Type
Electric Brushless KV 2260
Transmission
Forward and Reverse
Drive System
4 Wheel Drive
Length
550mm
Width
460mm
Height
240mm Without Body
Wheelbase
376mm
Ground Clearance
95mm Adjustable
Shocks
Qty 4 Big Bore Oil Filled Aluminum Adjustable
Speed Control
Waterproof 80A ESC
Battery
Qty. 2 - 7.4v 3200mAh 20c LIPO & Charger Included
Radio System
2.4GHz Radio System

So far no pictures of the chassis have been officially released but some pictures were posted on URC that seem to meet match several features of the truck and given the poster it seems these maybe from someone affiliated with Redcat or has access to the truck .

No matter the source the pictures. They show a promising chassis and design so lets hope this is it .








Sunday, October 6, 2013

Well redcat racing Tsunami 1/8 Scale Brushless 2WD Sand Buggy A competitor for the VATERRA Glamis Uno ?


Well Redcat Racing perked my interest today because of a post showing a few pics from the  Ihobby show in Chicago .  It contained 2 Vehicles I hadn't seen before A Monster truck that seems a bit bigger than the Earthquake trucks and a buggy so I started checking out their Website to if any info had been posted . Sadly no info on the MT but I did find the buggy . 

Tsunami 1/8 Scale Brushless 2WD Sand Buggy

Seems they have decided to make a buggy to compete with the Vaterra Glamis Uno and from several feet away and at first glance this buggy may appear to be a clone but in reality this buggy is pretty different once you really look at it .





 Specifications

Motor Type
Electric Brushless KV 2750
Transmission
Forward and Reverse
Drive System
2 Wheel Drive
Length
490mm
Width
310mm
Height
155mm
Dry Weight
5.5 LBS
Wheelbase
345mm
Ground Clearance
38mm
Shocks
Aluminum Body Oil Filled Pro Style
Speed Control
Brushless ESC
Battery
11.1v 30C 3000mAH LIPO
Radio System
2.4GHz Radio System




Since there are no body off shots and since the specs given are the bare minimum everythings up for debate till someone buys one and starts running it but given that this buggy's is running on 3s it most assuredly is faster than the Glamis as it comes with a 2S lipo but what happens when the Glamis has a 3S installed. Well this is pure speculation but I have the feeling the Glamis will still be out gunned as it is powered by a 4 pole 540 size 3300 kv motor and after seeing the extremely long canned motor in the Mirage I have my doubts that that the Glamis is packing something smaller than a 550 size motor . I will also speculate that like the Mirage this originally meant to accept a 4S battery as a upgrade to the system but given the problems associated with the 4s ESC this has also been downgraded to only a 3S compatible ESC. 

Update OCT.08.13
Got a response back confirming a few things I speculated about a few days before . So I copied and pasted it here for you.

Hello ,

-Yes the battery does load from the bottom of the chassis, similar to our Mirage and Twister vehicles.
-The ESC is a 60a splash resistant HobbyWing ESC that is also used in the Mirage, unfortunately the max voltage for the ESC is rated at 11.1v.
-On the motor, I will have to get back to you on that one, unfortunately I don't have the exact dimensions, and we don't have the motors in stock quite yet. I did buy one that I have been beating around, so I will see if I can pull mine apart and get you the dimensions on it.

Let me know what other questions you have, and I would be more than happy to help you out.


OCT.09.13
Parts have been listed on the site but not in stock yet http://www.redcatracing.com/Search#cv=TSUNAMI%20PRO This brings 2 things to light the motor is suppost to be a 540 size motor , it shares a few suspention parts with the Mirage, it has beadlock wheels, the gyro is a add on and not part of the transmitter, the transmission gears are plastic but if the description is right on the pinion they are at least mod 1 pitch, and the battery compartment looks large enough for a 4S power 2 me.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Am I the only one that doesn't think the (Vaterra Halix 4WD Monster Truck 1/10th RTR) is worth $429



Vaterra just announced their new monster truck . Of course the truck is 1/10th scale and 4wd and it has a brushless power system. To be blunt the only things that differentiate this truck from its competition are two acronyms  AVC and VTV . So what are these systems really well AVC is pretty much a gyro and a traction control system .I'm sure there are some people out there that like docile easy to drive RC's but to me these features are kind silly on a Monster Truck . So we have VTV left and it stands for Torque Vectoring Differential how VTV
stands for TVD I don't know but thats what they say. So here is the quote from there web page .
http://www.vaterrarc.com
The innovative VTV™ differential prevents wheel spin on loose surfaces when you're taking on corners or pounding the throttle. Its smooth actuation and consistent feel provide extra confidence over a variety of surface conditions. It is fully sealed and can be fine-tuned using different weights of silicone oil.

Pretty much I'm left with the feeling of "sealed differentials already do that " but to be honest there is the possibility of something new and innovative here and that the guy they paid to describe it laugh and ran away with the money they paid him in advance .

So what would impress me when this truck starts getting reviews. If the differential can actually compensate for varying terrain .

So lets look at what it has to compete against :

1: The Traxxas Stampede let's face it its probably the most popular 1/10 MT on the market ad for good reason .You can get parts just about anywhere and there is a substantial number of aftermarket parts for this platform. $387.99










 2: The HPI Bullet trucks have became very popular . Cant say it has huge aftermarket support but most shops can order replacement parts.$345.99















3: The Helion Invictus probably ranks lowest as it is a Hobby Town Exclusive and they are the only source for replacement parts but if you have one down the road that shouldn't be a problem. Currently there is little to no aftermarket support for the Invictus but Hobby Town does have a healthy list of upgrades for there truck. $289.99