Destiny have announced the signing of up and coming Japanese drivers Shin and Jin Sawada. At 17 years old, Jin already made several A-mains at the Japanese Nationals while 12 years old Shin already showed some very impressive speed and results. The first big race for the two was the recent AOC finale at Yatabe arena where Jin achieved a fine third place after the qualifiers.
Team Losi Racing have introduced the Dirt laydown transmission conversion kit for the TLR 22 3.0 2WD buggy. The chassis and gearbox conversion moves the motor forward which greatly improves corner speed and consistency on higher grip tracks. The updated weight bias is around 39 percent front and 61 percent rear, giving the car more corner speed and stability. Optimised for clay and dirt surfaces and ride heights between 22mm to 24mm, the laydown conversion kit includes the Dirt laydown transmission and utilises the standard rear hubs. The parts were used by the TLR race team during this season, culminating in Dakotah Phend capturing the 2016 ROAR National Championship in 2WD Buggy. Designed as a complete conversion kit, no additional parts or modifications are needed to convert an existing 22 3.0.
Muchmore have introduced the Fleta M8.1 Black 180A brushless speed controller for 1/8th scale applications. The 6S LiPo-compatible ESC measures a compact 44.8x45x23.2mm and it is housed in a machined and black anodised aluminium case with Flow-Max design for maximised cooling. The triple power capacitor ensure high power output and a linear throttle feeling while the included ultra high RPM fan is protected by an aluminium guard. The controller comes with the new M8 V2.0 firmware that is adjustable using the optional Fleta Super High Response programming card. The speedo is usable with sensored and sensorless 2 to 6-pole motors and it will hit stores soon.
3DRC have introduced a new shorter version of their Fan Booster cooling fan mount. Designed for most 30mm fan units, the mount incorporates a shorter air channel that guides the air towards the motor can for improved heat dissipation. The updated shorter design not only allows to mount the unit in more crowded environments, but it also improves cooling efficiency over the standard version at the same time. The 3-D-printed part is available through 3DRC’s Shapeway store.
Source: 3DRC [shapeways.com]
Nemo Racing have released first information on the forthcoming Bullitt B221 3.5cc nitro off-road engine. The power plant builds on the proven B220 engine and is meant to produce improved bottom end and mid range power, it will feature a super smooth power curve and increased mileage. The Japan-engineered engine will hit stores by end of December.
The driver market is in full swing these days and the latest pilot to swap teams is Italy’s Dario Balestri. The long-time Capricorn factory driver, multiple European Champion and Worlds A-finalist will teamed up with Creation Model and will be campaign Infinity’s 1/8th and 1/10th nitro on-road cars while helping with future developments. Dario says:
It’s a great pleasure for me to be chosen as part of Infinity “dream team”; I join a group of friendly and dedicated guys that shares my same passion for r/c world. I wanna express my gratitude to Kenji San that believes in my skills giving me this opportunity. I’m so excited to start this new chapter of my professional career and I will do my best to help the entire staff to realize the best products for the customers. See you at the track!
Source: Creation Model [creationmodel.net]
MIP have introduced the limited edition Black hex driver set. It includes tool that sport the proven MIP handles and tool tips but they come in a stealthy black design over the standard translucent honey-colour appearance. The set contains 1.5mm, 2.0mm, 2.5mm and 3.0mm hex drivers and it becomes available by mid-December.
Source: MIP [miponline.com]
Coming from Yokomo and made for the YD-2 series of drift cars is a solid axle set. Sporting the standard gear diff case the set includes a solid inner block that couples the outdrives to create a solid axle setup with makes for a more aggressive drift while increasing traction at the same time. Using the axle also makes for quicker transitions on high-grip surfaces. The axle set is usable with the YD-2 and YD-2 Plus kits.
