Radiostyrd Racing: 2011

fredag 23 december 2011

XRAY har precis presenterat sin nya XB9 1/89 Buggy - den första leveransen beräknas komma hem till Sverige i slutet av Januari eller Februari 2012!

Artikelnummer: 47350007 (Priset är inte 100% klart än)

First info - Click HERE.

Savoya om första testen av XB9.

Här nedan är den officiella press-releaseen från XRAY:

Juraj Hudy and the XRAY Engineering and Racing Teams have conceptualized and built the all-new XB9 platform based on long-term experience and achievements. The XB9 is all-new, featuring innovative XRAY Multi-Flex™ adjustment, superior weight balance and weight distribution, easy chassis flex setting for traction and stability adjustment, and more forgiving and easy-to-control handling. Long-term tested by Team and regular drivers in all conditions, the innovative design focuses all the way down to the smallest details to increase performance, handling, and reliability. All-new shocks feature completely redesigned parts which were real-world track tested as well as using special simulation equipment for extreme overload.

With Car of the Year award, Viewers Choice award, and countless wins and victories at racetracks around the world including European Championship title, XRAY presents the all-new XB9. All made in Europe.

All-new features:

All-new XB9 platform
Innovative XRAY Multi-Flex™ setting
All-new and improved weight balance and weight distribution
Easy chassis flex setting for traction and stability adjustment
More forgiving and easy-to-control handling
Long-term tested by team and regular drivers in all standard conditions
Focus on smallest details to increase performance, handling, and reliability
All-new shocks with completely redesigned parts were long-term tested at tracks and using special simulation equipment for extreme overload
New drivetrain parts for increased performance, weight balance, traction, and reliability

All-new parts:

New narrower chassis is more flexible in longitudinal direction and stiffer in lateral direction
New chassis flex adjustment
New radio box plate with batteries relocated to front
New side guards with Multi-Flex™ adjustment offer improved side protection against dirt and protection of the fuel tank
New high-downforce body with side guides and improved engine cooling
New rear wing with increased side stability and increased downforce
New rear wing was specifically designed to work with the new body
New more reliable central drivetrain with larger outdrives and new central drive shafts with 3mm pins
New drive shaft locking rings prevent the driveshaft from coming apart
New drive shaft rubber covers protect the CVD drive shafts from dirt
New front & rear drivetrain ratios feature 12T pinion gear and 40T diff gear
New 13T clutchbell and central diff 46T spur gear
New front & rear lowered shocktowers with one-line optimized shock positions
New big-bore, long-stroke shock construction featuring all-new shock parts
New increased shock stroke for increased suspension downtravel
New reinforced shock ball-joints and shock balls with increased movement
New hardcoated shock bodies with black coating
New lower shock nut with shock shaft centering
New shock collar for increased suspension downtravel
New ultra-precise 6-, 8- and 10-hole shock pistons with different hole diameters
New longer shock shafts
New ultra-fine shock protective rubbers with new construction and mounting
New rear uprights with dual holes for short and long arm mounting
New rear suspension arm gives possibility to adjust the length of the arm depending on the track conditions
New optimized shock positions on front & rear suspension arms
New front suspension arms allow mounting of 5° king-pin steering block without needing to use offset wheel adapters
New steering plate with 3 different Ackermann positions
New improved, higher-precision servo saver
New front brace
New lightweight drivetrain parts
New updated rear wing holders
New body mounting via 1 front and 2 rear body mounts
New sealing between body and side guards uses Velcro tape to prevent dirt getting to the chassis
New central differential mounts

Details of all new parts:

New chassis:  New narrow, straight chassis is more flexible in longitudinal direction yet is stiffer in lateral direction. CNC-machined from Swiss 7075 T6 aluminum, hardcoated for durability and long life.
  XRAY Multi-Flex™:  XRAY Multi-Flex™ has been now applied to off-road, giving super-easy chassis flex adjustment for traction and stability adjustment. An exclusive XRAY innovation.  
Radio plate:  All-new radio plate design incorporates a new compact composite radio box. Batteries are now located to front for better balance. Clean and smooth 1-piece plate design. 
 Side guards:  Tough composite side guards give improved side protection, fits perfectly to chassis to seal against dirt, and protects the fuel tank. Features integrated Multi-Flex™ adjustment.
 High-downforce body:  New-concept high-downforce body is designed to work with the new high-downforce wing for incredible handling. Features integrated side guides and gives improved engine cooling.
 High-downforce wing:  All-new high-downforce wing is designed to work with the new high-downforce body for incredible handling and increased stability. Molded from special, tough composite material.
 Drivetrain:  Improved drivetrain parts give increased reliability and efficiency along with lower mass. Made from world-renown HUDY Spring Steel™ and extra-hardened for superior performance and ultra-long lifespan.

Drivetrain efficiency:  All-new drivetrain ratio gives increased efficiency and improved performance. Features the following gearing
40T front diff gear
40T rear diff gear
12T front pinion
12T rear pinion
13T clutchbell
46T central diff

 Reliable central driveshafts:  All-new central drive shaft design gives increased reliability. The larger and stronger outdrives feature protective rubber boots, thick 3mm pins, and a protective locking ring. Made from extra-hardened HUDY Spring Steel™.
Shock towers:  All-new shock tower design with one-line shock positions give optimized mounting positions. Lightweight but extra-thick graphite material.
Shock Absorbers:  With all-new parts and construction, these big-bore, long-stroke shocks offer increased downtravel and increased reliability and performance.  
All-new shock parts:  All new shock parts include new hardcoated shock bodies, reinforced ball-joints, shock balls with increased movement. New lower shock nut gives superior shock shaft centering. Ultra-precise shock pistons feature 6-, 8- and 10-hole shock pistons. The new longer shock shafts and new shock collar combine to give increased downtravel. New ultra-fine shock protective rubbers give superior sealing against dirt.  
Increased downtravel:  Increased shock stroke and new shock collars give more suspension downtravel for improved jumping.
New rear uprights:  New design, lightweight design rear uprights feature dual holes and allow for short and long arm mounting. The 3 upper roll centers give superior adjustment possibilities.
New rear suspension arms:  New-design rear suspension arms allow for arm length adjustment, optimized geometry, and give easier set-up depending on track conditions. Extra-strong exclusive composite mixture.
  Optimized shock positions:  New, optimized shock positions on front & rear arms gives preset geometry, and allow for easy set-up.
   New front suspension arm:  Newly-designed and optimized geometry front suspension arm allows fitting of 5° king-pin steering block without need for offset wheel adapters. Made from extra-strong, exclusive composite mixture.  
New steering plate:  All-new steering plate design features 3 different Ackermann positions. Easy to set-up and gives optimized geometry. Made from CNC-machined high-grade graphite material.
 New servo saver:  New design servo saver has been updated to fit the new chassis layout. Offers improved reliability, higher-precision steering, and optimized geometry. Very easy to set up.
 New front brace:  New front brace design for new chassis layout. Strong yet flexible, it provides the right amount of flex.
Improved body mounting:  Improved design for mounting the new high-downforce body, features 2 rear body mounts and 1 front body mount. Provides increased body stability.
 New rear wing holder:  Updated rear wing holders are strongly constructed and offer different wing mounting positions. Made from special XRAY-developed composite material.   
Body sealing:  New side guards feature areas for Velcro tape to form a perfect seal between side guards and body to prevent dirt from getting into the chassis.   
New central diff stands:  Newly-designed central differential stands are higher to fit new larger center spur gears, and give easy access to the diff.

XRAY XB9 General specs:

Premium high-competition off-road buggy
Efficient Zero Kingpin suspension
Lightweight & strong composite steering blocks with molded-in steel bushings
Well-proven suspension parts and geometry
Ultra-low CG, all parts centralized in chassis
Optimized front/rear and left/right weight balance for perfect jumping
Pure racing design, highest performance, ultra-durable parts
Ultra-lightweight, high-tensile transmission parts hand-made from special world-renowned top-secret self-developed HUDY Spring Steel™
Drivetrain includes 22 high-speed rubber-sealed bearings for maximum efficiency and speed
Ultra-precision front/rear and center diffs with HUDY Spring Steel™ outdrives
Pinions, spurs, crown gears and clutchbell manufactured by HUDY
Steel brake disks for ultra-efficient, fade-free braking
High-grip brake pads
Exclusive adjustable turnbuckles from Swiss 7075 T6
Small profile steering blocks with molded-in steel bushings and ultra-light caster blocks
Ultra-strong inboard & outboard suspension pivot pins
Front & rear anti-roll bars
Centralized engine positioning
Gearboxes with Labyrinth Dust Covers™
Clutchbell with oversized ball-bearings
Super-low profile foam air filter with redesigned rubber elbow
Larger-capacity fuel tank with capacity-adjustment inserts
Fuel line holders mounted directly on fuel tank
Fuel tank pressure cap with 1-piece profiled seal for perfect fitment
XRAY Premium Shock Oils for perfect consistency
Winner's pedigree - European Champion, countless National and Championship titles, Multiple Car-of-the-Year awards

torsdag 22 december 2011

PROTOform 20 år

PROTOform is celebrating 20 years of Race Body Development and we wanted to share the good news with you. Here is a write up from Master Mold Maker Dale Epp.

It was early in 1991 that a casual phone conversation with (then stranger) Mike Ogle, the art director at RC Car Model magazine sent my life into an all new direction. I had already begun reading RC Car Action avidly as I was trying to figure out just how to get involved in the exciting world of rc cars.

Mike explained that he was an rc drag racer and he really needed a better “funny car” body to race with. Upon hearing this I immediately started fashioning a new pattern in hopes of meeting his needs. A month later I red labeled him a couple PROTOform Dodge Stealth funny car bodies and within 3 days he had used one of them to set a new world record as well as score a victory at the "IEDA WORLDS” in Colton CA. Needless to say this was very encouraging. NASCAR type racing was a large part of the rc on-road scene back then so I knew I needed to try my hand in that venue, a place where aerodynamics played a huge factor. A few months later (a very young) Mike Boylan used our first ever PROTOform oval body to lap the Domingues Hills velodrome at over 77 MPH (average) to become the fastest NASCAR bodied rc oval racer ever.
At this point in time I made the decision that I was “all in” on a new career change. As a lifelong car racing enthusiast, I'd already spent years hot rodding and customizing full size cars for myself and friends, so it seemed like a natural "fit" for me. I'd just need to learn how to do things in a smaller scale. So I frantically prepared eight more body styles in preparation for PROTOform’s official company debut. Yes, it seems like yesterday, but twenty years ago, in Nov of 1991, my wife and I nervously set up a homemade trade show display at the (then) huge RCCTA show in Chicago in hopes that there was some niche I could fill in this new and exciting world of rc car racing.

Well, the next couple years could be summed up in one word: tumultuous. Long and tedious "coffee fueled" days and slim profits made me wonder at times if PROTOform would survive long term. Our NASCAR style bodies were really making a mark in the USA based oval racing scene, but then in 1994 an interesting and crucial thing happened. RC racing legend and mega champion Masami Hirosaka used an off-the-hobbyshop-wall PROTOform racebody to win the IFMAR On-Road WORLDS in Germany. American Jon Orr put a second one on the podium to boot! That day, PROTOform's horizon's expanded immensely.

The next year saw an exciting new chapter in PROTOform’s developement as we merged with the fine folks at Pro-Line Racing in southern California. Working with Todd Mattson, Tim Clark and the entire Pro-Line team has been an exciting and rewarding time to say the least. The rc racing world has seen the benefits of this move as well. PROTOform race bodies have now been used by the winners at 15 different IFMAR On-Road WORLDS Championships, as well as being used at every conceivable national and regional title winner around the globe including those of EFRA, ROAR, FAMAR, FEMCA, and the BRCA . It’s been gratifying to personally witness the PROTOform brand become the body of choice by competitors at the Reedy Race of Champions, the International Indoor Championships in Las Vegas, the Snowbirds Nationals in Orlando, and the US Indoor Champs in Cleveland. In the amazing European Touring Car Series, PROTOform race bodies have been on every podium.

Without a doubt, the best part of this 20 year journey has been the privilege of meeting so many great people! To the many team racers I’ve met and worked with, and have consistently made me look better than I actually am (with their amazing skills on the track and in the pits) – THANKS! To the dealers, distributors and race organizers – you’ve also added something to my life that is priceless. It’s so nice to be able to call so many of you “friend”.

At this time I’d like to say a huge “THANK YOU” to all the racers and enthusiasts out there that have used our racebodies over the last two decades.

I recognise that without your support, none of this would be possible. I'd also like to express my heartfelt gratitude to my wife Katie, to Pro-Line Racing, to our team drivers, and all our dealers, for the contributions you made toward PROTOform’s success over these last 20 years.

I’d also like to wish everyone a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a blessed NEW YEAR!

Dale Epp, PROTOform

XRAY X12 vinner i Eskilstuna!

Team Xray X12 wins in Eskilstuna Sweden 2011-12-10

The 3rd race of the Middle Swedish Electric car Cup, the largest indoor series in Sweden, was run in Eskilstuna, the track is permanent and the layout had been up for a while so many drivers had practiced on it before the race. Because of that and the fact that I hadn’t tested my new XRAY X12 car I decided to go there on Friday evening for some installation runs and test different speed controller settings on my Novak Kinetic with 13.5 motor which is the 1:12 class in MSEC. The track is not that big and did not look particular hard to drive but it was quite bumpy which could make it challenging.

The start setup I used was, 2.5° reactive caster with 1mm shim behind the a-arm, with 0.020 front springs, in the damper I used 700cst oil and the gold spring, in the side tubes I used 6000cst oil and the silver springs was used as side springs. The tires I started with were double pink in the front and magenta in the rear.

The car felt really good but I needed more steering in the hairpin like corners so I switched the side springs to sm 0.020 (softer) and that gave the car some more turn in. But my main thing to test was the settings in the speed controller so I played around with the timing on the motor and in the esc. When I looked at my lap times they were dropping but after 3 packs I was .5 seconds from the best lap times which was a bit worrying since I thought the car was excellent and the speed felt ok, I didn’t know what the grip level was so I decided to pack up and wait for race day and see what the competition could do.

After the first practice I noticed that I could more or less keep up with the rest but I was a bit behind so I got some inputs on esc settings from my friend Staffan Karlsson who had been testing a lot at the track, I made some small changes and also since the grip level had come up quite a lot since my last run on Friday I changed tires to yellow in the rear but kept the double pinks in the front.

The second practice went really well and I could now compare the lap times which were in the same tenth as the top four, around 8.1second. This showed 2 things, the grip was better on Saturday and my car was good so I was a bit more relaxed when the qualification started!

Since the grip was picking up more and more I decided to try a different front tire so I went for lilac instead of dbl pinks. At the warm up I felt that I was missing front grip, wrong tire choice…the start went off and I immediately lost some places but after a minute or two I noticed that I was gaining on the cars in front of me again and in the end I was 3rd. It was not completely wrong tire choice but the high-grip line was too narrow so I decided to go back to dbl pink in the front with no other change to the car, I also went up on the gearing from 63mm to 64mm. This was good enough for making the fastest round of the day by half a lap!
The car was excellent and the speed was excellent and my driving was actually really good!

It was really close on lap times though, the top 5 was on the same tenth besides Mackan Göransson also driving an Xray X12 who had the fastest laptime 7.9, more than a tenth quicker than the rest of us but some small mistakes kept him from TQing. Since my car was really good the only things I changed for the last qualification was making new tires so that I could break them in for the finals, I also geared up another 1.5mm.

At the start I immediately got a gap down to the rest of the field and the car was so easy to drive! At the 4 minute mark the speaker said that the best lap was 8.3 which were disappointing since it felt like it was going so well…. I was leading the round the whole time so I was satisfied with not losing my TQ spot. When the heat was over I looked at the timesheet and was surprised, I was still TQ but now a lap better than everyone else and I also had the fastest lap of 7.8sec.

This felt really great! The car was super easy to drive but also super-fast and the speed were really good!

Going in to the finals it was decided that there would be only 8 cars in them, this was a good decision because the racing would be better with less cars on the quite small track.

I felt that only one thing could mess it up in the finals for me and that was myself... and I did in the first final. After the first minute I went on a curb and slammed in the outside barrier, this lost me time so that Max Rosén could get close, unfortunately he tried to make a pass that took us both out so we had to start from the back. We did catch the rest but then it was my turn to take Max out with a too bold try to pass so we each lost a place and I ended up 5th. The good thing though was that Mackan with the other Xray won the final quite comfortably from 3rd starting position.

Going in to the second final I tried to relax and just enjoy the fact that the car was so fun to drive, I got a gap and fell in to a good rhythm and kept making the gap bigger. In the end I didn’t want to mess things up so I backed off a bit and kept my lead to the goal by half a lap from the steadily improving Magnus Hedlund, who always seems to find something extra for the finals. Mackan was less fortunate this time and had a big accident just after a couple of laps which sent him back to last place by 3 laps, he drove really fast but was too far behind to catch up to anyone.

The third final was about the same as the second, I got a good start and found a good rhythm, and again, the car and speed was super! Despite losing some time getting hit when I was lapping a car I made the fastest final of the day and won by more than a half a lap and I never felt any pressure from behind. Mackan was doing really good until the last minute when he got hit lapping a backmarker which dropped him down, but fortunately it was enough for him to still end up on the podium in 3rd place making it 2 Xrays in the top 3!

In the end I noticed that I hadn’t change anything on the car during the day, I just tried different tires and made small adjustments on my esc/motor settings that in the end was close to what Charlie Suangka from Novak had tipped me to do. Since I didn’t need to make any big changes during the day it was relaxing and I could really enjoy driving the car which in the end helped me win the race.

Results: