One more video, done 1/2 hour later, still a beginner but getting better.
I have to say that driving these dnanos is lots fun and challenging in the good way. I feel like I am learning how to drive and getting better which is satisfying. It is definitely possible to drive at these scales. The track width is 22.5cm on the wider parts and 17.5cm on the narrower parts (actually 16cm at some points).
This could be initial enthusiasm but I think Kyosho has product here that could go in a new direction in the rc world, realistic driving in hometracks.
I have some easy suggestions for Kyosho to make this easier to achieve. Motors with less rpm and more torque, wider steering and the transmitter (controller) with 3 special pre-assign curves for hometracks. As it is see below and later posts for more detail comments .
Is rallying possible? Well here at this stage I think is quite difficult because the cars are not engineered that way. The biggest
obstacle is the maximum degree the wheels can turn, it is not enough for tight hairpins. It is possible that one could do some fancy
forced sliding, but that would be raising the bar maybe a bit too high (I will try to see what can be done). The motor also seems to not have enough torque for big climbs, but maybe with change of gears one can address that. Rallying with large radius curves that is possible, I do know know yet about controlled sliding.
What about Le Mans style driving? Totally doable. I am curious to do a race, I think with many cars on a track this wide it could get messy, but I am just speculating. It would be essential that all the drivers are good and know the track, this is not friendly to beginners.
Two cars with drivers like me (beginner but focused) it would be a
blast after 1-2 hours of getting acquainted with the track. This is raising the driving experience a few notches above slot racing.
More comments later.
QUOTE (diegu @ 23 Jan 2011, 14:36)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Rallyp,
that's outstanding! I read your statement saying you would give the dNano cars a try on a "slot-like" course. I waited with anticipation for the announced thread
So now here you are with two vids already. I see a lot of thoughts have gone into that. Nice layout and well done. I agree on the the challenges yosee, but I think they should be manageable.
It would be great if your tests and developments show, this was possible. My son does drive 1:10 RC cars in competitions which is lots of fun to him. So we once tried (cheap) 1:43 RC cars on our Ninco track (track width including shoulders: 30 cm). This was quite a no-go as the steering was too aggressive and we did not manage to control the cars as we should....
I would assume the Kyosho cars are much better and I see you really did some nice laps. I am looking forward how this emerges.
Keep the posts coming, it's just great.
Thanks,
Diegu
Thanks, Diegu. I also once got a tiny rc car from toys r us but there isn't any possible comparision in terms of control, with dnano cars you have progressive
throtle and better steering (even more so if one gets a transmitter with adaptable curves). About being possible to do rc racing on 30cm wide
tracks I am certain that it is since even for the rc speed people there is a track from RCP that is 30cm wide. For me those tracks leave me cold, totally abstract, no nuances and the cars drive in them like a a rat in a labirynth. I have seen that RCP has now 45degree curves so maybe one could create a bit more interesting tracks but 30cm wide plus edges then you can't do interesting tracks on small spaces. My track is as said above 22.5cm or 17.5cm wide and still totally drivable at lower speeds (these will be the spped where one can actually have fine control of the car).
QUOTE (Lloyd.L @ 23 Jan 2011, 15:48)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Oh dear rallyP, you have definitely put the cat among the pigeons with those videos, I am only grateful for the two main drawbacks that prevent me filling in the slots on Little Monte and going this route.
1/ The cost, these are seriously out of my price range.
2/ I cant see that it would be possible to slide the tail out to negotiate very tight, and narrow, hairpin bends.
One other negative is that I would miss my recently found friends in the slot hobby and on the forums! I do see the possibility of Dnano rallying from what you have shown here.
Regards, Lloyd
I hear you Loyd, on the slot friends, it seems to be a much more interesting crowd (more diverse). You have the right intuition about rallying, as it is now it
difficult not clear if not possible.
Pricewise, well what you see in the videos cost me $240 (140$ car plus Starter pack 100$(transmitter, battery for car and charger)). It is expensive but not crazy expensive, unless you want to have a huge collection of cars with chassis, then yes. For the bodies you could potentially put the ones you make with resin.
Maybe I am lucky that pure rallying is difficult to achieve but the other driving is not, then I will have slots for rallying and dnano for circuit racing. I plan to do, not now maybe in May, a larger track with mild elevations, maybe a track in the spirit of the Tour de France, country road driving (the mix of rally and circuit racing).
QUOTE (loosesalute @ 23 Jan 2011, 16:18)
<{POST_SNAPBACK}>Fantastic post RallyP..always nice to see something different..have I seen similar in ho/oo scale, or did I dream that?
Cheers
Kev
Thanks, Kev. It is a lot of fun. I feel that this might work quite well. I need to just see how it keeps evolving.