Tamiya RC Models - Tamiya, as well as building solar powered educational models, also built the first solar powered radio controlled car called the Solar Eagle SRC-6000. Based around a tough monocoque frame with integrated gearboxes, this compact 4WD chassis gives a thrilling drive whether you take it on road or flat dirt surfaces. It features a rear-mounted motor, with gear-driven rear wheels and a propeller shaft taking power to the front. Both front and rear gearboxes have differential gears. The battery pack location in the chassis center secures excellent balance, while 4-wheel independent double wishbone suspension employs friction dampers. Off-road capable M-05Ra chassis uprights and hub carriers are also included.
Tamiya RC Models
New Release The Mercedes-Benz G-Class' outstanding durability and off-road jeep performance have made it a firm favorite with consumers since its inception in 1979, its polished technology taken over and modernized with each generation to make it a top class SUV. This is an R/C model assembly kit of the G 320, a 2-door cabriolet produced between 1997 and 2001, and much sought-after thanks to its stylish looks and typically uncompromising G-Class performance. The body is reproduced in tough, lightweight polycarbonate, with separately molded side mirrors and metal plated grille-parts. information about the exciting new shaft-driven 4WD MF-01X chassis, which this model pairs with 7-spoke wheels and semi-pneumatic treaded tires for super performance whether on- or off-road.
Trucks and trailers (1/14 scale)
Tamiya produces 1/14 scale radio controlled trucks using ABS body shells. The trucks 540-size electric motor/3-speed transmission-combination is powerful enough to tow an adult behind the truck on a skateboard.
Available in the current truck range are the following rigs:
King Hauler (also available in a pre-painted black edition)
Globeliner
Mercedes-Benz 1838LS
Mercedes-Benz 1850L (distribution truck)
Volvo FH12 Globetrotter 420
Ford AeroMax (also available in a limited chrome edition)
Knight Hauler (also available in a limited chrome edition)
Scania R-series R 470 Highline (also available in a chrome edition and a pre-painted orange edition)
Scania R-series R 620 Highline
MAN TGX 18.540 XLX (also available in a pre-painted red edition)
MAN TGX 26.540 XLX
Mercedes-Benz Actros 1851 GigaSpace
Freightliner Cascadia Evolution
Grand Hauler
The truck range also includes some 2 axle trailers "North American style":
Flatbed trailer (the basic flat trailer)
Box trailer (closed cargo trailer)
Tank trailer (liquid transport)
Pole trailer (wood/tree transport)
Tamiya also offers 3 axle "Euro type" semi-trailers in their regular line-up.
European Type 3 Axle Reefer Semi Trailer
European Type 3 Axle 40 ft Intermodal container Semi-Trailer (with authentic "Maersk" container graphics)
In addition, sound and lighting options are available for the trucks and semi-trailers both from Tamiya and aftermarket manufacturers. Tamiya's original light- and soundkit is the "MFU", a plug-and-play module specifically designed for their line of trucks but unfortunately this unit is very old, inaccurate and clumsy compared to those available from aftermarket manufacturers such as the Servonaut brand from German Tematik.
Aftermarket manufacturers also offer a complete range of various convension kits, including hydraulic accessories, new cabs, cab alterations, add-on details, new lights of all kinds, sound as mentioned above, and all kinds of tailored accessories from which the user can change his truck into either a truck he's seen streetside or the truck of his dreams.
All around the world different clubs form to make "dioramas" that suits the 1/14-scale which they use as social gathering points and to challenge and admire other user's rigs and driving skills, and these clubs are rapidly expanding all the way from Asia through Europe to America with members of all ages.
Tanks (1/16 scale)
Tamiya's radio controlled tanks have options such as sound, light and optional parts to depict different variants.
M4 Sherman 105 mm
Leopard 1A4
Flugabwehrkanonenpanzer Gepard
German Tiger II, Production Turret
German Tiger II – Porsche Turret
Tiger I Early Production
M26 Pershing T26E3
Leopard 2A6
German Panther tank G
Jagdpanther
The Leopard A4 and Flakpanzer Gepard are no longer produced; updated versions of the others have some technical and cosmetic innovations over the original models. Also the non-multi function models of the Tigers and Sherman are not made any more.
The latest models (Full Option Kits) have full sound function, fire simulation (barrel moves when fired), the latest Full Option Tank (Leopard 2A6) has an upgrade part available, a barrel stabiliser which keeps the cannon level even with the tank moving.
Also there is a battle function unit for sale, so you can actually fight a tank battle with another Tamiya battle function equipped 1/16 tank.
These tanks utilize standard RC modules such as receivers, transmitters and servos that are same as those used in RC cars, trucks, boats, airplanes and helicopters.
Yachts (1/20 scale)
Tamiya produced a series of 1/20 scale which are highly realistic. These include:
Yamaha Round the World
Yamaha 40EX
36 Class R/C Racing Yacht Innovator
Track racing cars
The Mini 4WD and Dangun-Racer series are small (1/32 scale) single-motor (130-size) free-operating electric models designed to operate using two AA-sized batteries and run on a special deeply channeled track.
Static-display scale models
Tamiya held an arguable lead in the static plastic model market for many years and competed with other classic brands like Revell and Airfix, but recently Chinese makers such as Dragon (DML) and Trumpeter are offering fierce competition.
Military Vehicles (1/35)
The oldest category in Tamiya's export line has been the "Military Miniatures" series of 1:35 scale figures and vehicles. The series has focused on World War II military subjects, though a growing minority of kits in this line come from later periods. The collection of German vehicles is especially strong.
The products are characterized by striking full colour paintings on the boxtops. Tamiya moulds are generally quite clean and almost no flash is found on their products. It was Tamiya themselves that established the use of 1/35 scale for military models. The scale was the result of the design of their first tank kit, the motorized Panther tank, being designed just large enough to contain the motor assembly and battery pack.
In addition to vehicles themselves the category includes soldiers, weapons sets and scenery items (e.g., brick walls, signs, barricades) for use in dioramas.
In the 1990s Dragon (DML) kits used to be generally inferior to Tamiya. Dragon's quality has improved and they have elected to compete in the high quality end of the market offering photo etched parts, aluminum barrels, individual track links, and upwards of 500 parts. Another Chinese maker, Trumpeter is also competing from lower end of the market. Tamiya's kits use vinyl tracks but Tamiya's recent inclusion of two kinds of tracks (vinyl and molded plastic) suggest that Tamiya is following the trend set by other manufacturers. As Trumpeter's quality improves, Tamiya's static military lines are being pressured from both the high end and the low end.
Tamiya has found a niche market of 1/48 scale military miniatures, designed as a smaller alternative to the larger 1/35 kits. As the average Japanese house is smaller than those amongst other nations, smaller kits that can be neatly put into smaller kit boxes after assembly and stored away are proven to be more popular by necessity. Utilizing the specifications of their 1/35 kits, many parts in 1/48 scale kits are simply scaled-down versions of their 1/35 counterpart, with a notable exception of tracks being molded in plastic in 1/48, instead of somewhat less detailed vinyl tracks often seen in 1/35 kits. Early kits from this series featured metallic chassis, which served to add weight to the models of this smaller scale. Tamiya has put out an average of 1 new kit a month since the launch of the series as a way of blocking entry into the 1/48 scale market for Chinese makers. As of 2015, over 80 models are available from Tamiya in 1/48 scale, representing mainly the popular World War II tanks and vehicles. HobbyBoss, another Chinese maker, offers 1/48 tanks with full interior details for about the same price.
In the traditional 1/35 scale military miniature market Tamiya is offering innovations such as suspensions made to articulate using real springs. However these offerings are not substantial or unique enough to give Tamiya the clear dominance it once had in the static miniature market. More over many Chinese model makers offer numerous outstanding kits every year which pressures Tamiya's static 1/35 line. Because of their visibility as a leader Tamiya can highlight obscure vehicles that no other makers are willing to build. The Sturmtiger 38 cm, for example, was an obscure vehicle and only a handful of the massive mortar tanks were built in real life but Tamiya still introduced it to the market. Although numerous and powerful the Char B was not a very glamorous tank and no other major maker was willing to invest in it. In this role of supporting more obscure models Tamiya manages a wide ranging product line and so continues to lead the market.
RC Aircraft
Their line of static model aircraft, primarily in 1/48 scale, are widely considered to be state-of-the-art. The 1990s release of the Spitfire, for example, had great ease of construction and attention to detail with the new molds having very fine raised details.
Many of the same aircraft have been repeated in 1/72 scale to a similar standard, with a few subjects only available in this scale.[clarification needed] Within Japan the 1/72 scale line includes a large number of re-badged Italeri kits, which are priced significantly lower than Tamiya originals.
Tamiya is also one of the few manufacturers of 1/100 scale aircraft. Originally called the 'Minijet Series, consisting of jet fighters plus a B-52, it was terminated in the 1980s but revived in 2004 and renamed the Combat Jet Series.
Tamiya used to produce a few 1/32 scale kits.
In aircraft models Tamiya offers a few clear skinned kits showing interior parts of aircraft. A few motorized kits are available also which feature spinning props. Some kits even include sound effect modules. Tamiya's aircraft kits often include metal weights that prevent the aircraft from sitting on their tails. Compared to other kits such as Hasegawa, where the builder has to glue in bearings or fishing line weights, Tamiya's kits are convenient. Some kits produced recently can be made with detachable wingtips and landing gears. They also come in a box that can be turned into a raised box that could safely house the finished model after its completion. These gimmicks and often cleverly designed simpler construction help Tamiya stay on top of the miniature aircraft market.
As with many other Japanese model makers dealing with WWII weapons Tamiya also prefers to focus on Japanese weapons first, due to the considerable size of the Japanese domestic market: The 1/48 scale P-47 Thunderbolt, one of the most famous WWII fighters, has been produced only recently, while the Hellcat, an American naval fighter, is yet to be produced. The Japanese Zero fighter was the first to be produced in 1/48 scale and the first prop fighter added to the larger 1/32 scale in 2006 is once again the Japanese Zero.
Automobiles
They produce many model car kits including road cars, sports racing cars, World Rally Championship cars, and Formula One racing cars. Usually these are 1/24 scale although the Formula One kits are 1/20 scale. A few street, racing, and F1 kits are also produced in 1/12 scale including the Ferrari 641/2, McLaren Honda MP4/6, and Williams Renault FW14B.
The cars in the 1:20 Grand Prix Collection in order of manufacture are:
Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler - 20001
Team Lotus J.P.S Mk.III - 20004
Martini Porsche 935 Turbo - 20005
Wolf WR-1 Ford - 20006
Brabham BT46 Alfa Romeo - 20007
Porsche 935 Turbo - 20008
Toyota Celica LB Turbo Gr.5 - 20009
Ferrari F312T3 - 20010
Racing Pit Team - 20011
Ligier JS11 Ford - 20012
Fiat 131 Abarth Rally - 20013
Williams FW-07 - 20014
Fiat 131 Monte-Carlo Winner - 20015
Porsche 928S - 20016
Brabham BT50 BMW Turbo - 20017
Renault RE-30B Turbo - 20018
Williams FW-11 Honda - 20019
Lotus Honda 99T - 20020
Benetton Ford B188 - 20021
Ferrari F189 Early Version - 20023
Ferrari F189 Portuguese G.P. - 20024
Driver & Tech. Engineer Set - 20027
Leyton House CG901B - 20028
Braun Tyrrell Honda 020 - 20029
Lotus Type 102B - 20030
Tyre Changing Pit Crew - 20031
Jordan 191 - 20032
Lotus Ford 102D (Herbert) - 20033
Lotus Ford 102D (Hakkinen) - 20034
Benetton Ford B192 - 20036
Lotus 107 Ford - 20037
Lotus 107B Ford - 20038
Newman Haas K Mart Texaco Lola T93/00 Ford - 20040
Dick Simon Duracell Mobil 1 Sadia Lola T93/00 Ford - 20041
Tyrrell Yamaha 023 - 20042
Honda F1 RA272 - 20043
Ferrari F1-2001 - 20048
Brabham BT-46 Alfa Romeo (Clear Cowl) - 20050
Ferrari F2001 - 20052
Tyrrell P34 1977 Monaco GP - 20053
WilliamsF1 BMW FW24 - 20055
Full-View WilliamsF1 BMW FW24 Italian GP 2002 - 20056
Lotus 99T Honda - 20057
Tyrrell P34 Six Wheeler 1976 Japan GP (w/Photo-Etched Parts) - 20058
Ferrari F60 - 20059
Lotus Type 79 1978 - 20060
Motorsports Team Set (1970–1985) - 20063
Wolf WR1 1977 - 20064
Solar powered models
Tamiya has a history of making educational kits, made especially a few solar powered models, but they have made a rare foray into licensed anime merchandising with the Solaemon-Go. The solar powered car was based on the real World Solar Car competitor which is based on the popular Doraemon manga, published by Tamiya's publishing partner, Shogakukan.
RC Motorcycles
Tamiya has an extensive line of 1/12 scale street and Grand Prix racing motorcycles. A few 1/6 scale kits have also been made. In order of manufacture the 1/12 scale models are: (Manufacturer, model, Tamiya production number)
Yamaha YZR500 Grand Prix Racer – 14001 *
Yamaha RZ250 – 14002 *
Suzuki RGB500 Grand Prix Racer – 14003 *
Yamaha RZ350 – 14004 *
Yamaha Scooter Beluga 50 – 14005 *
Honda CB750F – 14006
Honda CB900F2 Bol d'Or – 14007 *
Honda CB1100R – 14008 *
Suzuki RGB500 Team Gallina – 14009 *
Suzuki GSX1100S Katana – 14010
Honda CR250R Motocrosser – 14011 *
Kawasaki KR1000F Endurance Racer – 14012 *
Suzuki RM250 Motocrosser – 14013 *
Honda RS1000 Endurance Racer – 14014 *
Suzuki GSX750S – 14015 *
Honda CX500 Turbo – 14016 *
Honda VT250F – 14017 *
Honda CR450R Motocrosser – 14018 *
Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica – 14019 *
Suzuki GSX750 Police Bike – 14020 *
Honda VF750F – 14021 *
Ducati 900 NCR Racer – 14022 *
Honda MVX250F – 14023 *
Suzuki RG250 Gamma – 14024 *
Ducati 900SS – 14025 *
Kenny Roberts & the Yamaha YZR500 – 14026 *
Jumping Driver – 14027 *
Kawasaki KR500 Grand Prix Racer – 14028 *
Suzuki RG250 Gamma Full Option – 14029 *
Honda VT250F Integra – 14030 *
Honda VF750F Fully Cowl – 14031 *
Honda NS500 Grand Prix Racer – 14032 *
Racing Rider – 14033 *
Suzuki GSX750S New Katana – 14034
Honda CBR400F – 14035
BMW K100 – 14036 *
Yamaha RZV500R – 14037
Yamaha YZR500 (OW70) – 14038 *
Honda CBR400F Endurance – 14039
Straight Run Rider – 14040 *
Starting Rider – 14041 *
Honda NS500 With Starting Rider – 14042 *
Yamaha YZR500 (OW70)& Straight Run Rider – 14043 *
Yamaha XV1000 Virago 14044
Kawasaki GPZ400R – 14045
KTM250 Motocrosser – 14046 *
Yamaha FZ250 Phazer – 14047 *
Yamaha SRX-6 – 14048
BMW R80 G/S '85 Paris Dakar Rally Winner – 14049 *
Honda NS500 With Racing Figure – 14050 *
KTM250MX With Motocross Rider – 14051 *
Yamaha XV1000 Virago With Touring Rider – 14052 *
Suzuki RG250 Gamma Walter Wolf Version – 14053 *
Honda NXR750 86 Paris Dakar Rally Winner – 14054 *
Honda NSR500 Grand Prix Racer – 14055 *
BMW R80 G/S With Paris Dakar Rider – 14056 *
Honda VFR750R – 14057
Yamaha FZR750R (0W01) – 14058
Honda NSR250 Repsol – 14059
Honda NR – 14060
Cup Noodle Honda NSR250 – 14061
Bimota Tesi 1D 906SR – 14062
Ducati 888 Superbike Racer – 14063*
Yamaha TZ250M (T Harada's 93 GP-2 Bike) – 14064
Suzuki GSX1100S Katana Custom Tuned – 14065
Honda CB750F Custom Tuned – 14066
'94 Yamaha TZ250M – 14067
Ducati 916 – 14068 *
Moto Guzzi V10 Centauro – 14069
Honda CDR1100XX Super Blackbird – 14070
Repsol Honda NSR500 '98 – 14071
Moviestar Honda Pons NSR500 '98 – 14072
Yamaha YZF-R1 – 14073
Yamaha YZF-R1 Taira Racing – 14074
Yamaha YZR500 (OW70) Taira Version – 14075
Red Bull Yamaha WCM YZR500 '99 – 14076
Repsol Honda '99 – 14077
Antena 3 Yamaha D'Antin YZR500 – 14078
Honda CBR1100XX Super Blackbird "With Me" – 14079 *
Yamaha XV1600 Road Star – 14080
Suzuki RGv Gamma (XR89) – 14081
Nastro Azzurzo Honda NSR500 – 14082
Telefónica Movistar Suzuki RGV '00 – 14083 *
Kawasaki Ninja ZX-12R – 14084
"Full View" Yamaha YZF-R1 Taira Racing – 14085 *
Tech 3 Yamaha YZR500 '01 – 14086
Honda Pons NSR500 '01 – 14087 *
Factory Yamaha YZR500 '01 – 14088
Telefónica Movistar Suzuki RGv Gamma '01 – 14089
Suzuki Hayabusa 1300 (GSX 1300R) – 14090
Antena 3 Yamaha D'Antin YZR500 '02 – 14091
Repsol Honda RC211V – 14092
Yoshimura Hayabusa X-1 – 14093
Telefónica Movistar Honda RC211V '03 – 14094
Team Honda Pons RC211V '03 – 14095
Repsol Honda RC211V '03 – 14096
Repsol Honda RC211V '03 Valencia – 14097
Yamaha YZR-M1 '04 (No.46/No.47) – 14098
Repsol Honda RC211V '03 – 14099
Yamaha YZR-M1 No.7/33 – 14100
NB: * = Discontinued from production.
Ships
Tamiya produces many naval ship models in 1/350 and 1/700 scale and in both full and waterline versions. Full versions offer full hulls whereas waterline versions have flat bottoms, representing only the portion seen above the waterline giving the impression that the ship is floating when placed on a surface, which is more convenient in creating dioramas. The majority of the kits in the 1/700 waterline series are WWII Imperial Japanese Navy ships but there are also kits of WWII ships from other countries such as Germany, Britain, and the United States. The 1/700 waterline series battleship U.S.S. Missouri is 386.5 mm (15.2 inches) long with 1/350 battleships twice as long. Other 1/350 ships include the Yamato, Musashi, Bismarck, Tirpitz, USS New Jersey, USS Enterprise, HMS Prince of Wales, and more recent additions mainly on WW2 Japanese warships such as the Tone, Mogami, Mikuma, Yukikaze, and I-400 submarine. In addition the series has a few modern vessels such as the vehicle transport ship Shimokita with a transparent deck to allow viewing of the loaded hovercrafts, tanks and trucks inside.
Tamiya Racing Factory
Tamiya and their racing team, Tamiya Racing Factory (TRF), have evolved into one of the most successful racing teams on the electric scene of worldwide R/C racing over the last few years. They are most famous for their work in the field of 1/10 scale electric touring car racing.
In 1999, at the request of many Tamiya enthusiasts, Tamiya started work on a car made purely for racing to replace their aging, gear-driven TA03R-TRF and TA03F David Jun Edition cars. The car that resulted was the TRF414X (built in very small numbers), which evolved into the TRF414M, and then to the more popular TRF414M2 (and the budget-oriented TA04 series), all employing the then-novel twin-belt drivetrain layout, with the center layshaft mounted above the motor. The TRF team's reputation shot up after the 3rd IFMAR ISTC world championships in Mogale City, South Africa, in 2002. The Thai driver Surikarn Chaidajsuriya shocked the world by winning the world championships driving a modified Tamiya TRF414M. The car he used was eventually released to the public as the TRF414M-World Championship Replica, of which only 1500 were built making it one of the more desirable Tamiya kits from the last 5 years.
Since 2002 the TRF division has continuously been growing with an expanded team in Japan and worldwide. In late 2002 Tamiya released their third shaft driven car called TB Evolution III (or TB Evo3) which won the YamaYama Cup in Japan two months later, with Satoshi Maezumi at the wheel. On the European scene the Dane Steen Graversen, along with Surikarn Chaidajsuriya and team manager Kiyokazu Suzuki, managed to join the A-main of the big LRP Masters race in Germany during April 2003. Surikarn then won both the 23T stock and the Modified classes in the Thailand International Touring Car championships (TITC) using an updated TB Evo3. Surikarn's Evo3 was eventually released to the public as the limited-edition TB Evo3 Surikarn Edition (SE) to commemorate the victory. It features red anodized aluminum components, new upper arm mounts, titanium turnbuckles and screws, delrin differential halves, a thicker 3 mm carbon chassis, and a new one-way carbon gear brace. The TB Evo3 SE was eventually replaced with the TB Evo4 in the first half of 2004. The Evo4 addressed the Evo3 owner's complaints about their car's bevel gear durability by incorporating a three-piece center shaft design, doing away with the Evo3's single-piece center shaft. The Evo4 was also equipped with Tamiya's lightweight reversible suspension set, incorporating smaller wheel bearings, stiffer material and reversible longer suspension arms which allows more cornering speed and more precise adjustment of the car's suspension characteristics.
The same year Tamiya discovered a new young star, a boy named Marc Rheinard from Germany. Rheinard debuted at the indoor race DHI Cup of 2004 with Tamiya's new belt driven car (designed in conjunction with Tech Racing) the TRF415. He and Steen Graversen finished 2nd and 3rd, proving the capability of this newly designed chassis. Two months later Rheinard won the LRP Masters world's best drivers. Things looked good for the upcoming 4th World Championships in Florida, USA. Few believed that Rheinard would actually win the world championships at the age of 17, but he did. Tamiya took their new and improved version of TRF415, the TRF415MS which stands for Maezumi Satoshi, one of the car's designers and a Tamiya factory driver. The new car had improved handling characteristics on asphalt through the adoption of a thinner chassis and the Evo4's lightweight reversible suspension. Rheinard took pole position and won two of the three A-mains. The other Tamiya driver in the top ten was former world champion Surikarn, driving the TB Evo4, who finished 9th.
After the 2004 World Championship Tamiya released the upgrade kit for the 415 containing the direct center pulley (as opposed to the center one-way included in the standard 415 and 415MS kits) and narrowed suspension mounts, further improving the 415 handling and acceleration. In early 2005 Tamiya released an updated version of the TB Evo4, called the TB Evo4MS. The Evo4MS was equipped with one-piece aluminium bulkheads (as opposed to the Evo4's 4-piece bulkhead), aluminium center brace and one-piece center shaft input cups (as opposed to plastic ones in the Evo4).
In July 2005 Tamiya further updated the TRF415MS by releasing the TRF415MSX. They released both as a conversion kit (for older 415s) and as a complete kit. The design featured a three-piece bulkhead for easy maintenance, a lowered and shortened upper deck that runs under the belt, and the removal of the middle decks all of which contributed to a lower center of gravity and an increased "tweak" resistance. Marc won the World's Warm-Up in April 2006 with a revised version of the MSX sporting a new set of lowered rear bulkheads, shock towers, and steering mechanism. Unfortunately he only placed 4th overall in the 5th IFMAR ISTC World Championships held in August 2006 in Collegno, Italy, but his car was eventually released to the public as the limited-edition, asphalt-racing TRF415MSX Marc Rheinard Edition (MRE) in August 2006. It incorporated new alternated (having more widely spaced teeth) pulleys, a new lightweight delrin solid front axle, new internal drive ratios (through the adoption of the new pulleys), and the new steering mechanism. In July 2006 Tamiya released the TB Evolution 5, their next-generation gear-driven touring car, replacing the Evo4 MS. The Evo5 did away with the Evo4's front main shaft input cup, using a CV joint instead (but retaining a rear input cup), and also incorporates the new short arms for the lightweight suspension, which further increased the cornering speed and helped sharpen the car's turn-in. It was also equipped with a new, more precise steering mechanism (seen also in the TRF415MSX MRE), and a lowered top deck. In November 2006 Tamiya ceased the production of the MRE and released the updated TRF415MSXX. This car returned to the standard front one-way differential (unlike the solid axle included in the MRE) and came with new thinner upper and lower decks (altering the chassis flex characteristics), and a new aluminum air scoop to help cool the motor.
RC Models - Radio Control Car Models Williams FW07 (CS), although not the first F1 car to be released, as well as being the second to use the CS (Competition Special) banner, further changes would be made with its release. As well as having the standard equipment found on all CS models the main chassis is single deck FRP rather than the single deck aluminium of early versions, the motor mount is a lighter pressed alloy instead of heavy cast alloy as well as front uprights of nylon instead of alloy and a rear motor pod of stamped metal plate instead of cast metal. Examples can fetch almost US $1000. The original Wild Willy kit was revised in 1985 to give it a slightly longer wheelbase leaving the earlier, shorter wheelbase version quite hard to find. Wild Willy 2 was released in 2000 utilizing a pre-assembled Wild Dagger gear box and tires from Lunch Box, but otherwise a wholly new mechanical design. Wild Willy 2 retained the Jeep body with only a few minor differences, such as horizontal front grill slits instead of the vertical slits of the original. There has also been a metallic edition of Wild Willy 2.
RC Models
The Subaru Brat was released in 1982. It was a two-wheel-drive off-road radio-controlled buggy that was both fast and much lighter than its predecessors. This model also marked a new balance between the use of metal and plastic components. The chassis of the Brat was used for the basis of the Frog, Black Foot and Monster Beetle.
The Frog, released in 1983, was an improvement on the previous year's Brat release. It featured an updated differential, ball bearings, oil shocks, and a lighter polycarbonate body. The Frog was very popular and marked the beginning of Tamiya's use of animal themes to draw inspiration for its vehicle designs and colours – an idea that proved extremely popular and which was continued through a number of kits. The Frog kit was also re-released in 2005, though with a few alterations such as more reliable dog bone type universal shafts and an Electronic Speed Controller. The Frog's lower price and weight (compared to the earlier Rough Rider), began the 1/10 scale offroad racing phenomenon. However, its role in racing was limited with the release the following year of the Team
Associated RC10.
The Grasshopper, released in 1984, was a two-wheel-drive off-road radio-controlled buggy. It was very rugged and featured a simple construction and was Tamiya's most affordable buggy. It featured a bathtub chassis holding a simple rigid axle in the rear and single wishbone front suspensions in the front. Its 380-sized motor meant it was among Tamiya's slower models at the time, though its lighter ABS plastic bathtub chassis helped put its speed only a little behind that of the earlier, heavier Special Racing Buggies. It was also much more economical on batteries and overall it was the ideal off-roader for the first-time hobbyist which also made it very popular. The Grasshopper kit was re-released in 2005 with a few alterations.
The Hornet, released in 1984, was a two-wheel drive off-road radio-controlled buggy which was quite fast and rugged. It shared most components with the Grasshopper, though it was faster and lighter due to a polycarbonate (lexan) body. It would go on to become one of the most popular R/C kits of all time and was re-released in December 2004 with a few alterations. There was also a sequel, the Super Hornet, which was released in 1994 and was still being manufactured exclusively for the Australian market until 2006, making it one of the longest running Tamiya kits in history.
The Hotshot, released in 1985, Tamiya's first four-wheel-drive off-road buggy. It broke new ground for Tamiya and also enthusiasts, and was the car to beat in 1/10-scale buggy racing when it was released. It featured four-wheel independent double-wishbone suspension, a unique mono-spring suspension that used only two springs for the entire four wheels. For its time, the car was light, rugged and upgradeable. In the years that followed parts of the Hotshot were evolved and reused in several other 4WD buggy models including the Hotshot 2 (which was identical aside from simpler direct rear suspension), the Boomerang, the Super Sabre and Tamiya's 10th Anniversary car, the Bigwig. In 2007 the Hotshot was re-released. An ESC is included instead of a mechanical speed controller and the body has a metal patch functioning as a heatsink to dissipate heat from the ESC, dog-bone shafts are simplified, hexa bolt and hexa cup universal for connecting front and rear gear boxes are discarded and a simpler dog-bone shaft is adapted. Because of ESC the original heatsinks on resistors for the mechanical speed controller are no longer necessary, but are included as dummies as they are unique to the Hotshot. Other parts and designs are identical. Unfortunately there remain some minor problems with Hotshot: bump steer, the front wishbones rubbing on the inside of the front wheels and the front spring's attachment point to the lower wishbones being weak.
The Bruiser 1/10-scale radio-controlled pickup truck, released in 1985, had a working three-speed transmission which could be shifted via radio control, a high-torque RS-750SH motor and an ultra-realistic Toyota Hilux body with sleeper cab and interior detail. The steel frame, leaf suspension, front and rear axle and steering were patterned after their full-sized counterparts. This complex model has since become one of the most collectible of all Tamiya R/C cars. It featured a mechanically shiftable 3-speed transmission, using a 3rd radio channel. It would run in 4x4 mode in the lowest gear only. No other RC car or truck of the time offered shiftable mechanical transmission making it highly realistic.
The original Blackfoot monster truck kit and its variations, first released in 1986, was credited with much of the hobby's growth. The Blackfoot line included the original Blackfoot, Super Blackfoot and King Blackfoot, all sharing the same ORV spaceframe chassis first used in Frog but featuring some improvements. The Blackfoot Extreme used the chassis from the Wild Dagger. The Blackfoot was a Ford F-150 despite its inspiration being drawn from the real Bigfoot monster truck which was a Ford F-250. The Monster Beetle, now a very collectable model, was nearly identical to the Blackfoot with the addition of gold wheels, oil filled shocks and of course the Volkswagen Beetle bodyshell.
Vanessa's Lunchbox, actually a 1/12-scale kit due to its monster truck design and short wheelbase, was released in 1987. It made use of the strong Grasshopper/Hornet gearbox and had an exceptionally detailed hard body shell of a Dodge van, heavily inspired by the real monster truck Rolin' Thunder. It was a "fun" vehicle, having poor stability and performing long wheelies, and in many respects was therefore similar to real monster trucks of the (then) future. This also made it one of the more popular models and it was re-released in 2005 with only minor modifications. A metallic gold edition followed in 2007. Midnight Pumpkin is a sister truck to the Lunchbox that used the same chassis, gearbox, suspension and tyres. It was also based on a real monster truck, Frankenstein, although the model was mostly black instead of the yellow worn by the real truck. In early 2006, a metallic chrome edition was released.
The Clod Buster 1/10-scale radio-controlled monster truck was released in 1987 as the first Tamiya R/C monster truck with two drive motors, four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering. Each of the front and rear axles were identical, and the motor is attached to the axle itself, making it a very simple design. This simple design allowed the axles to be used in modified vehicles. The Clod Buster spawned an aftermarket industry of its own which catered to those who wished to modify their models to "crawlers", specialized vehicles designed to climb steep and rugged surfaces. The Clod Buster has remained popular since its introduction and produced the Super Clod Buster. The Clod Buster was also released with a detailed semi truck body, as the Bullhead. The Clod Buster still has a large aftermarket following with many companies designing parts for rock crawling as well as trailer pulling and racing. The main reason for its contunied use is its ultra-strong gearboxes.
The Avante, released in 1988. This was a car specifically designed to return Tamiya to the forefront of R/C racing. Its unique design featured an FRP chassis, aluminium components everywhere and almost limitless adjustments. Unfortunately it was somewhat over engineered – The car was too heavy, too fragile, dynamically inept, and uncompetitive. However it is still a highly desirable model to a Tamiya collector because of the unique and uncompromising engineering that went into it.
The Egress is the follow-up to the Avante, with material that was advanced for the time. Unlike the Avante it has simplified suspension and a longer wheelbase arrangement that was seen in Vanquish/Avante2001. Avante drivetrain is carried forward except with balldiffs F/R and one-way bearing in the middle. Like the Avante it was a no expense is spared car, it even came with Platinum hi-cap dampers, a full set of blue-rubber-sealed bearings, graphite chassis plates and towers, alloy hardware and titanium screws.
The Astute was Tamiya's first attempt to build a serious 2WD competition car. The car came equipped with everything that was needed to make the car competitive including ball diff, ball-raced gearbox, oil-filled dampers at each corner, front anti-roll bar and an all adjustable suspension geometry. The unusual step of installing metal bushes in all suspension pivot points was taken, which reduces the amount of slop in the suspension due to flexing and slows down the rate of wear in these joints. Although fully adjustable this did add extra weight and complexity and it may be for these reasons that it was never very widely used on the racing scene. Jamie Booth did win the European championship in 1991 with a modified and simplified Astute with parts from Tamiya Madcap. Some of his modifications were later found on the Super Astute which addressed many of the faults of its predecessor.
The Nissan Skyline GT-R Nismo was a TA-01 chassis kit (packaged with an R32 GT-R body) released in 1991. The TA-01 chassis was derived from the Manta Ray buggy with shorter arms, narrower wheels and radial tires. This kit wasn't the first TA-01 kit (which was the Toyota Celica GT-Four Rally), nor was the TA-01 the first chassis to be designed to be fitted with a touring car body (as there had been body kits that were designed to fit into buggies). Due to its popularity this Skyline GT-R kit was credited for creating the touring car craze during the early 1990s as well as the chassis introducing the one-make low-cost racing known as the Tamiya Racing Championship.
The TR-15T was one of the first gas-powered stadium trucks to be released on the market. Unfortunately the TR-15T was not a commercial success and was discontinued quickly. Nowadays the car is one of the more collectible RC models commanding over $450 in a mint boxed unopened condition.
The Juggernaut was an attempt to create a true monster truck, bigger than any previously attempted in the R/C world. It featured 4×4 and four-wheel steering with a tire diameter of 6.5 inches (16.5 cm) and weighing one pound (0.45 kg) each. It remains as one of the biggest and failures in Tamiya's history. It featured two rigid axles but, unlike Clod Buster, two motors were located in the central gear box in tandem. From the central gear box two universal shafts connected to front and rear axles. Its massive weight of 4.5 kg, combined with low gear ratios necessary to provide enough torque to move the monster, would simply destroy the bevel gears in the axle in one run. Tamiya quickly revised many parts: The bevel gears in the axle received reinforcements of more bearings and lower gear ratios. Released in 1999 Juggernaut would have received a prominent feature in the 2000 Tamiya Catalog signaling that Tamiya was back in monster trucks after the 13 years since Clod Buster. Due to its catastrophic failure Juggernaut is not featured in any of the yearly catalogs at all. Instead the revised and re-colored Juggernaut 2 appears in the 2001 catalog along with the Mammoth, a Juggernaut 2 based Mammoth Dump truck. Juggernaut 2 and Mammoth both retained the complex link suspension and leaf springs that did not allow adequate articulation, giving them a very bouncy ride.
The TXT-1 (Tamiya Extreme Truck) 1/10 scale radio control monster truck was released in 2002. The axles and gears are almost entirely identical to Juggernaut 2, with slightly bigger diameter universal shafts. With TXT-1 Tamiya engineers shifted attention from simply building a massive monster truck to a very capable rock crawler. This truck, which is still in production, was designed as a factory response to aftermarket Clodbuster upgrades. Four wheel drive, and cantilever multi-link suspension allow for the axle articulation featured in third party kits such as the Clodzilla series. The new truck dispensed with the unreliable four wheel steering of Juggernaut 1 and 2's single under-powered servo sat in the center of the vehicle. Instead the TXT would mount one servo to steer the front wheels only. As an option the rear axle can also mount a servo allowing all 4 wheels to steer. Tamiya engineers attended USHRA monster truck events in order to improve the scale appearance of the TXT and duplicate full-size suspension designs. Having fixed all the Juggernaut's suspension problems and with improved chassis and steering it remains one of the most capable crawlers.
The TRF414 series radio-controlled cars was holder of the 2002–04 IFMAR ISTC 1/10-scale electric
touring car world champion title. The TRF414 was created in response to Tamiya's customer demands for a more adjustable and efficient touring car than the TA03. It was the first Tamiya touring car to depart from the previous gear-driven layouts used in the TA01/02 and TA03, instead employing two unequal-length belts to transmit the power to all four wheels with only one geared step. The TRF414M2 was a popular touring car due to its low cost relative to other cars in its class.
The TRF415 holder of the 2004–06 IFMAR ISTC 1/10-scale radio-controlled electric touring car world champion title.
The TA01/TA02 chassis series from the early-mid-1990s were sold with various body shells. The TA01 was based on Tamiya's Manta Ray buggy and was one of the first kits on the market to be sold with a realistic body coupled with a capable, easy-handling 4WD chassis. Some of these body shells are among the most realistic and detailed lexan bodies ever made by any manufacturer. Models worthy of note are the E30 BMW M3, W201 Mercedes 190E 2.5–16 Evolution-II, Ford Escort RS Cosworth and the Lancia Delta Integrale. Tamiya re-released the bodies recently, either sold separately or bundled with a TT-01 kit.
The TL-01/TL-01LA/TL-01B/TL-01RA chassis, released from the mid-'90s to the late '90s, was an innovative shaft-driven 4WD touring chassis with a narrow three-piece vertically sandwiched chassis design. Its characteristics include high durability and low cost, making it an excellent starting car for beginners. Like the TA01/TA02 it was released with many different rally, touring and sports car bodies and incorporated various minor modifications throughout its production run. Tamiya released the TL-01 with modified with long arms and buggy size wheels to as the TL-01B marketed as the Baja Champ and later Baja King buggies. The TL-01 remains one of the more popular Tamiya chassis today.
The TLT-1 is a small truck of about 1/15 scale. It is a scaled-down version of TXT-1. Light weight and TXT-1 style suspension system makes it a very capable little climber. It has quickly became widely known as one of the most versatile RC cars for projects for scale rock crawling, a hobby that is starting to make itself noticed by the general RC market. Like the Clod Buster, its axles are highly desirable.
Nitro Thunder is a 4×4 buggy powered by a .15 glow engine. It utilizes an off-road racing buggy chassis called NDF-01. Just as TNX has shown promise in racing circuits the NDF-01 is a smaller 1/10 sized off-road racer. Use of a resin tub chassis, instead of aluminum, and a frontal impact control system that absorbs shocks from a collision indicate that Nitro Thunder is built with young racers in mind. Adjustability of the suspension, rear exhaust and full ball bearings are features often found in models for experienced racers. Just as Kyosho offers scaled-down 1/10 buggy of their 1/8 buggies for inexperienced racers Nitro Thunder is Tamiya's entry into the 1/10 buggy market. Nitro Blaster is an identical buggy with different exterior.
The Ford F-350 High Lift, released in 2006, is a modernized version of the vintage three-speed trucks, such as the Bruiser and Mountaineer. A three-speed gearbox from the tractor trailer truck series mounts on steel chassis rails, with leaf springs and grease friction dampers supporting it on modified TLT axles. The truck is finished with a detailed hard body version of the Ford F-350, very similar to the earlier Juggernaut's body. It is a very capable crawler in its own right and a sister truck, with a Bruiser (Toyota Hilux) body was released in Dec 200, with a scale surf board as an accessory.
The TA05, released in spring 2005, is the replacement for the TRF414-derived TA04 line of touring cars. The chassis is a clean-sheet design featuring a twin-belt drivetrain utilizing two equal-length belts, a center-mounted motor and a low layshaft, resulting in a nearly 50/50 front–back weight distribution. The car is very popular with touring car racers due to its ease of set-up and its relatively low-maintenance drivetrain. Tamiya marketed the TA05 with various sports and racing car bodies and Tamiya also released the TA05-IFS (Inboard Front Suspension) along with the limited-edition TA05MS (Maezumi Satoshi), and the hopped-up TA05R (containing the most popular TA05 upgrades) in spring 2007. The IFS features an inboard front suspension with pushrod-activated laydown shocks (as opposed to standup shocks attached directly to the suspension arm), which is a first for a 1/10 scale electric mainstream touring car. The chassis can be bought with various low-slung bodies such as the Vemac RD350 body in Ebbro Team Nova's livery (who participated in the GT300 class in the 2007 JGTC), the GT500 Lexus SC430 (in various liveries), and the 2007 Raybrig NSX.
Tamtech
Tamtech, released in 1986, is a series of smaller radio controlled cars which can be quickly assembled and driven, powered by a 7.2v battery. The first two cars released were the Porsche 962 followed shortly by the Lancia LC2. Seven 1/24 cars have been released with the other five being: BMW GTP, Ford Mustang Probe, Ferrari Testarossa, Porsche 961 and Lamborghini Countach 5000QV. Tamiya turned next to 1/14 F1 cars releasing only three: Ferrari 643, Lotus 102B and McLaren MP4/6. Finally one 1/18 monster truck, Max Climber, was made before the Tamtech line was dropped in favor of the QD ready to run cars. In 1988 Tamiya released a scale model of the Porsche 962 using the Tamtech body, however accurate, many modelbuilders and enthusiasts of the Group C/IMSA GTP racer cited the rear bulk of the engine hatch is bigger than that of the full-sized counterpart. Much of the car's lack of real success was because the popularity of the large sized counterpart meant that there were very little demand for small-scale RC cars. The Tamtech cars would later influence other RC car manufacturers including Kyosho to build miniature RC cars, such as their own highly successful Mini-Z series and RadioShack's popular XMODS.
RC Gliders
Tamiya offers a couple of Radio Controlled gliders with wingspans around 6 ft. (2 metres). Peak Spirit has a foldable propeller that can be deployed when necessary. Alt Stream is an unpowered RC glider.
Quick Drive
The QD (Quick Drive) Series are 1:14 scale pre-built and simplified versions of Tamiya's 1/10 scale RC cars and trucks. This series was introduced in 1988 with the Thunder Shot QD aimed at bringing the joys of RC racing to children. The models were pre-assembled and supplied ready-to-run with radio gear, batteries and charger all included and featuring a two-speed gearbox. The range included versions of the Midnight Pumpkin, Manta Ray and Monster Beetle.
RC Jeep Adventures - Radio controlled (or R/C) cars are battery/gas-powered model cars or trucks that can be controlled from a distance using a specialized transmitter or remote. The term "R/C" has been used to mean both "remote controlled" and "radio controlled", where "remote controlled" includes vehicles that are connected to their controller by a wire, but common use of "R/C" today usually refers to vehicles controlled by a radio-frequency link. This article focuses on radio-controlled vehicles only.
RC Jeep Adventures
The first radio controlled car to be released by Tamiya was a Porsche 934 in 1976. Its body was based upon an existing 1/12 scale static kit that Tamiya had already been manufacturing, so the effect was that of a traditional static model kit with the added ability to be radio controlled – something Tamiya acknowledged, as all of their early kit boxes carried the wording "suitable for radio control". The Porsche 934 was a massive hit – selling over 100,000 units in its first year. The potential market for easy to assemble electric radio controlled model cars was clear and the 934 was soon followed by a kit of the Porsche 935. RC Jeep Adventures
Jeep is a brand of American automobiles that is a division of FCA US LLC (formerly Chrysler Group, LLC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The former Chrysler Corporation acquired the Jeep brand, along with the remaining assets of its owner American Motors, in 1987. The division is headquartered in Toledo, Ohio. Jeep's current product range consists solely of sport utility vehicles and off-road vehicles, but has also included pickup trucks in the past.
The original Jeep was the prototype Bantam BRC. Willys MB Jeeps went into production in 1941 specifically for the military, arguably making them the oldest four-wheel drive mass-production vehicles now known as SUVs. The Jeep became the primary light 4-wheel-drive vehicle of the United States Army and the Allies during World War II, as well as the postwar period. The term became common worldwide in the wake of the war. Doug Stewart notes:
"The spartan, cramped, and unstintingly functional jeep became the ubiquitous World War II four-wheeled personification of Yankee ingenuity and cocky, can-do determination."
The first civilian models were produced in 1945. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover. Many Jeep variants serving similar military and civilian roles have since been designed in other nations.
Bantam Reconnaissance Car
When it became obvious that the United States was eventually going to become involved in the war raging in Europe, the U.S. Army contacted 135 companies asking for working prototypes of a four-wheel-drive reconnaissance car. Only two companies responded to the request: American Bantam Car Company and Willys-Overland. The Army had set what seemed like an impossible deadline of 49 days to supply a working prototype. Willys asked for more time, but was refused. The bankrupt American Bantam Car Company had no engineering staff left on the payroll and solicited Karl Probst, a talented freelance designer from Detroit. After turning down Bantam's initial request, Probst responded to an Army request and commenced work, initially without salary, on July 17, 1940.
Probst laid out full plans for the Bantam prototype, known as the BRC or Bantam Reconnaissance Car, in just two days, working up a cost estimate the next. Bantam's bid was submitted, complete with blueprints, on July 22. While much of the vehicle could be assembled from off-the-shelf automotive parts, custom four-wheel drivetrain components were to be supplied by Spicer. The hand-built prototype was completed in Butler, Pennsylvania, and driven to Camp Holabird, Maryland, for Army testing September 21. The vehicle met all the Army's criteria except engine torque.
Willys MA and Ford GP
The Army felt that the Bantam company was too small to supply the number of vehicles it needed, so it supplied the Bantam design to Willys and Ford, who were encouraged to make their own changes and modifications. The resulting Ford "Pygmy" and Willys "Quad" prototypes looked very similar to the Bantam BRC prototype, and Spicer supplied very similar four-wheel drivetrain components to all three manufacturers.
Fifteen hundred of each of the three models (Bantam BRC-40, Ford GP, and Willys MA) were built and extensively field-tested. Delmar "Barney" Roos, Willys-Overland's chief engineer, made design changes to meet a revised weight specification (a maximum of 1,275 lb (578 kg), including oil and water). He was thus able to use the powerful but comparatively heavy Willys "Go Devil" engine, and win the initial production contract. The Willys version of the car would become the standardized Jeep design, designated the model MB and was built at their plant in Toledo, Ohio. The familiar pressed-metal Jeep grille was actually a Ford design feature and incorporated in the final design by the Army.
Since the War Department required a large number of vehicles to be manufactured in a relatively short time, Willys-Overland granted the United States Government a non-exclusive license to allow another company to manufacture vehicles using Willys' specifications. The Army chose Ford as the second supplier, building Jeeps to the Willys' design. Willys supplied Ford with a complete set of plans and specifications. American Bantam, the creators of the first Jeep, built approximately 2700 of them to the BRC-40 design, but then spent the rest of the war building heavy-duty trailers for the Army.
Origin of the name of Jeep
Many explanations of the origin of the word jeep have proven difficult to verify. The most widely held theory is that the military designation GP (for Government Purposes or General Purpose) was slurred into the word Jeep in the same way that the contemporary HMMWV (for High-Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle) has become known as the Humvee. Joe Frazer, Willys-Overland President from 1939 to 1944, claimed to have coined the word jeep by slurring the initials G.P. There are no contemporaneous uses of "GP" before later attempts to create a "backronym."
A more detailed view, popularized by R. Lee Ermey on his television series Mail Call, disputes this "slurred GP" origin, saying that the vehicle was designed for specific duties, and was never referred to as "General Purpose" and it is highly unlikely that the average jeep-driving GI would have been familiar with this designation. The Ford GPW abbreviation actually meant G for government use, P to designate its 80-inch (2,000 mm) wheelbase and W to indicate its Willys-Overland designed engine. Ermey suggests that soldiers at the time were so impressed with the new vehicles that they informally named it after Eugene the Jeep, a character in the Popeye comic strip and cartoons created by E. C. Segar, as early as mid-March 1936. Eugene the Jeep was Popeye's "jungle pet" and was "small, able to move between dimensions and could solve seemingly impossible problems."
The word jeep, however, was used as early as 1914 by US Army mechanics assigned to test new vehicles. In 1937, tractors which were supplied by Minneapolis Moline to the US Army were called jeeps. A precursor of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress was also referred to as the jeep.
Words of the Fighting Forces by Clinton A. Sanders, a dictionary of military slang, published in 1942, in the library at The Pentagon gives this definition:
Jeep: A four-wheel drive vehicle of one-half- to one-and-one-half-ton capacity for reconnaissance or other army duty. A term applied to the bantam-cars, and occasionally to other motor vehicles (U.S.A.) in the Air Corps, the Link Trainer; in the armored forces, the ½-ton command vehicle. Also referred to as "any small plane, helicopter, or gadget."
This definition is supported by the use of the term "jeep carrier" to refer to the Navy's small escort carriers. Early in 1941, Willys-Overland demonstrated the vehicle's off-road capability by having it drive up the steps of the United States Capitol, driven by Willys test driver Irving "Red" Haussman, who had recently heard soldiers at Fort Holabird calling it a "jeep." When asked by syndicated columnist Katharine Hillyer for the Washington Daily News (or by a bystander, according to another account) what it was called, Irving answered, "It's a jeep."
Katharine Hillyer's article was published nationally on February 19, 1941, and included a picture of the vehicle with the caption: LAWMAKERS TAKE A RIDE- With Senator Meade, of New York, at the wheel, and Representative Thomas, of New Jersey, sitting beside him, one of the Army's new scout cars, known as "jeeps" or "quads", climbs up the Capitol steps in a demonstration yesterday. Soldiers in the rear seat for gunners were unperturbed.
Although the term was also military slang for vehicles that were untried or untested, this exposure caused all other jeep references to fade, leaving the 4x4 with the name.
The original trademark brand-name application was filed in February 1943 by Willys-Overland. It is also used as a generic term as the lowercase "jeep" for vehicles inspired by the Jeep that are suitable for use on rough terrain.
Final production version Jeeps built by Willys-Overland were the Model MB, while those built by Ford were the Model GPW (G=government vehicle, P designated the 80" wheelbase, and W = the Willys engine design). There were subtle differences between the two. The versions produced by Ford had every component (including bolt heads) marked with an "F". Willys also followed the Ford pattern by stamping its name into some body parts, but stopped this in 1942. The cost per vehicle trended upwards as the war continued from the price under the first contract from Willys at US$648.74 (Ford's was $782.59 per unit).[20] Willys-Overland and Ford, under the direction of Charles E. Sorensen (Vice-President of Ford during World War II), produced about 640,000 Jeeps towards the war effort, which accounted for approximately 18% of all the wheeled military vehicles built in the U.S. during the war.
Jeeps were used by every service of the U.S. military. An average of 145 were supplied to every Army infantry regiment. Jeeps were used for many purposes, including cable laying, saw milling, as firefighting pumpers, field ambulances, tractors and, with suitable wheels, would even run on railway tracks. An amphibious jeep, the model GPA, or "seep" (Sea Jeep) was built for Ford in modest numbers but it could not be considered a huge success it was neither a good off-road vehicle nor a good boat. As part of the war effort, nearly 30% of all Jeep production was supplied to Great Britain and to the Soviet Red Army.
Post-war military Jeeps
The Jeep has been widely imitated around the world, including in France by Delahaye and by Hotchkiss et Cie (after 1954, Hotchkiss manufactured Jeeps under license from Willys), and in Japan by Mitsubishi Motors and Toyota. The utilitarian good looks of the original Jeep have been hailed by industrial designers and museum curators alike. The Museum of Modern Art described the Jeep as a masterpiece of functionalist design, and has periodically exhibited the Jeep as part of its collection. Ernie Pyle called the Jeep, along with the Coleman G.I. Pocket Stove, "the two most important pieces of noncombat equipment ever developed." Jeeps became even more famous following the war, as they became available on the surplus market. Some ads claimed to offer "Jeeps still in the factory crate." This legend persisted for decades, despite the fact that Jeeps were never shipped from the factory in crates (although Ford did "knock down" Jeeps for easier shipping, which may have perpetuated the myth).
The Jeepney is a unique type of taxi or bus created in the Philippines. The first Jeepneys were military-surplus MBs and GPWs, left behind in the war-ravaged country following World War II and Filipino independence. Jeepneys were built from Jeeps by lengthening and widening the rear "tub" of the vehicle, allowing them to carry more passengers. Over the years, Jeepneys have become the most ubiquitous symbol of the modern Philippines, even as they have been decorated in more elaborate and flamboyant styles by their owners. Most Jeepneys today are scratch-built by local manufacturers, using different powertrains. Some are even constructed from stainless steel. In the United States military, the Jeep has been supplanted by a number of vehicles (e.g. Ford's M151 MUTT) of which the latest is the Humvee.
After World War II, Jeep began to experiment with new designs, including a model that could drive under water. On February 1, 1950, contract N8ss-2660 was approved for 1,000 units "especially adapted for general reconnaissance or command communications" and "constructed for short period underwater operation such as encountered in landing and fording operations." The engine was modified with a snorkel system so that the engine could properly breathe under water.
In 1965, Jeep developed the M715 1.25-ton army truck, a militarized version of the civilian J-series Jeep truck, which served extensively in the Vietnam War. It had heavier full-floating axles and a foldable, vertical, flat windshield. Today, it serves other countries, and is still being produced by Kia under license.
The CJ ("Civilian Jeep") series began in 1945 with the CJ-2A, followed by the CJ-3B in 1953. These early Jeeps are commonly referred to as "flatfenders" because their front fenders were flat across the front, the same as their military precedents, the Willys MB and identical Ford GPW models. The CJ-4 exists only as a 1951 prototype, and is the "missing" link between the flat-fendered CJ-2A and CJ-3B and the round-fendered CJ-5 first introduced in 1955.
The Jeep brand
The brand has gone through many owners, starting with Willys, which produced the first Civilian Jeep (CJ) in 1945. As the only company that continually produced Jeep vehicles after the war, in June 1950 Willys-Overland was granted the privilege of owning the name "Jeep" as a registered trademark. Willys was sold to Kaiser Motors in 1953, which became Kaiser-Jeep in 1963. American Motors Corporation (AMC) purchased Kaiser's money-losing Jeep operations in 1970. The utility vehicles complemented AMC's passenger car business by sharing components, achieving volume efficiencies, as well as capitalizing on Jeep's international and government markets.
The French automaker Renault began investing in AMC in 1979. However, by 1987, the automobile markets had changed and even Renault itself was experiencing financial troubles. At the same time, Chrysler Corporation wanted to capture the Jeep brand, as well as other assets of AMC. Chrysler bought out AMC in 1987, shortly after the Jeep CJ-7 was replaced with the AMC-designed Jeep Wrangler or YJ. Chrysler merged with Daimler-Benz in 1998 to form DaimlerChrysler. Daimler Chrysler eventually sold most of their interest in Chrysler to a private equity company in 2007. Chrysler and the Jeep division operated under Chrysler Group LLC, until December 15, 2014, when the name was changed to FCA US LLC.
Jeeps have been built under licence by various manufacturers around the world, including Mahindra in India, EBRO in Spain, and several in South America. Mitsubishi built more than 30 different Jeep models in Japan between 1953 and 1998. Most of them were based on the CJ-3B model of the original Willys-Kaiser design.
Toledo, Ohio has been the headquarters of the Jeep brand since its inception, and the city has always been proud of this heritage. Although no longer produced in the same Toledo Complex as the World War II originals, two streets in the vicinity of the old plant are named Willys Parkway and Jeep Parkway. The Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Cherokee are built in the city currently, in separate facilities, not far from the site of the original Willys-Overland plant.
American Motors set up the first automobile-manufacturing joint venture in the People's Republic of China on January 15, 1984. The result was Beijing Jeep Corporation, Ltd., in partnership with Beijing Automobile Industry Corporation, to produce the Jeep Cherokee (XJ) in Beijing. Manufacture continued after Chrysler's buyout of AMC. This joint venture is now part of DaimlerChrysler and DaimlerChrysler China Invest Corporation. The original 1984 XJ model was updated and called the "Jeep 2500" toward the end of its production that ended after 2005.
A division of FCA US LLC, the most recent successor company to the Jeep brand, now holds trademark status on the name "Jeep" and the distinctive 7-slot front grille design. The original 9-slot grille associated with all World War II jeeps was designed by Ford for their GPW, and because it weighed less than the original "Slat Grille" of Willys (an arrangement of flat bars), was incorporated into the "standardized jeep" design.
The history of the HMMWV (Humvee) has ties with Jeep. In 1971, Jeep's Defense and Government Products Division was turned into AM General, a wholly owned subsidiary of American Motors Corporation, which also owned Jeep. In 1979, while still owned by American Motors, AM General began the first steps toward designing the Humvee. AM General also continued manufacturing the two-wheel-drive DJ, which Jeep created in 1953. The General Motors Hummer and Chrysler Jeep have been waging battle in U.S. courts over the right to use seven slots in their respective radiator grilles. Chrysler Jeep claims it has the exclusive rights to use the seven vertical slits since it is the sole remaining assignee of the various companies since Willys gave their postwar jeeps seven slots instead of Ford's nine-slot design for the Jeep.
Jeep Wrangler off-roading.
Jeep advertising has always emphasized the vehicle's off-road capabilities. Today, the Wrangler is one of the few remaining four-wheel-drive vehicles with solid front and rear axles. These axles are known for their durability, strength, and articulation. New Wranglers come with a Dana 44 rear differential and a Dana 30 front differential. The upgraded Rubicon model of the JK Wrangler is equipped with electronically activated locking differentials, Dana 44 axles front and rear with 4.10 gears, a 4:1 transfer case, electronic sway bar disconnect and heavy duty suspension.
Another benefit of solid axle vehicles is they tend to be easier and cheaper to "lift" with aftermarket suspension systems. This increases the distance between the axle and chassis of the vehicle. By increasing this distance, larger tires can be installed, which will increase the ground clearance, allowing it to traverse even larger and more difficult obstacles. In addition to higher ground clearance, many owners aim to increase suspension articulation or "flex" to give their Jeeps greatly improved off-road capabilities. Good suspension articulation keeps all four wheels in contact with the ground and maintains traction.
Useful features of the smaller Jeeps are their short wheelbases, narrow frames, and ample approach, breakover, and departure angles, allowing them to fit into places where full-size four-wheel drives have difficulty.
Lamborghini Countach LP500S (CS), the eighth car to be released by Tamiya (58008). Although released previously (58005) this model is the first to use the Competition Special tag, meaning that it is a hopped-up (Hop-up meaning more powerful or souped-up) version. The early models came equipped with the more powerful RS540 unit, as opposed to the standard RS380S, and sponge/diplo tyres, which were later adopted by competition cars of that size as opposed to rubber. It also featured a thicker chassis with different castmetal steering.
Can-Am Lola RM1, based on the T333 that Jacky Ickx used to win the reformatted Can Am series in 1979. This was Tamiya's further foray into building competition cars, hence the RM (Racing Master) tag that appeared on the box, the first of seven cars. The car did feature a few groundbreaking innovations that became common in other RC cars, these were the introduction of the first hop-up RC motor the Mabuchi Black RS-540SD, fully adjustable flex/tweak chassis (including adjustable castor & ackerman, bulletproof ballraced sealed rear diff.), over-engineered sophisticated stepless MSC with microswitch and braking, to use the BEC radiogear and to come fully ballraced. It was the first Tamiya car to be use a polycarbonate body shell rather than the heavier and fragile moulded ABS of the previous cars. This was soon followed by the release of the Datsun 280ZX RM Mk2, a model of the car driven by Paul Newman to win the SCCA CP title. A narrower redesigned version of the RM chassis with the same axle/drivetrain/steering components as the RM1, but minus the MSC, diff, bearings and RS-540SD Motor; all which can be fitted in as an option.
Tornado RM. Mk3, released two years after the first RM model, leading to an upsurge in the market for the 1/12 scale pan racers, which by then many companies including Associated, Schumacher, Delta, Kyosho and ABC had become involved in the market. As a result, Tamiya totally redesigned the RM's pan chassis reducing its weight by leaving out some of the less-used items that were offered in the RM1. Other adjustments were that the RM3 could accept the 7.2V stick packs and an uprated adjustable mechanical speed controller, known as the SuperChamp MSC. The RM3's steering arrangement had returned to the simpler setup with adjustable caster. The bodyshape would become common with RC cars throughout the decade. Tamiya's further evolution with the RM5/6 (Porsche 956 and Toyota 84C) would be another all new design featuring a stiffening top plate and a floating rear pod with a single spring.
The Porsche 959, released in 1986 was a 1/12 scale radio-controlled replica of the car that won the 1986 Paris Dakar Rally, and was one of the most complex and highly detailed R/C model kits ever made. It was soon followed by the Toyota Celica Gr.B, a replica of the Safari Rally winner, which shared the same chassis as the Porsche 959 but included a number of upgrades such as a third differential in the centre of the car and a much needed front anti-roll bar, making it an even more complex kit.
Cars are powered by various sources. Electric models are powered by small but powerful electric motors and rechargeable nickel-cadmium, nickel metal hydride, or lithium polymer cells. There are also brushed or brushless electric motors. Most fuel-powered models use glow plug engines, small internal combustion engines fueled by a special mixture of nitromethane, methanol, and oil (in most cases a blend of castor oil and synthetic oil). These are referred to as "nitro" cars. Recently, exceptionally large models have been introduced that are powered by small gasoline engines, similar to string trimmer motors, which use a mix of oil and gasoline. Electric cars are generally considered easier for the novice to work with compared to fuel-driven models, but can be equally as complex at the higher budget and skill levels.
In both of these categories, both on-road and off-road vehicles are available. Off-road models, which are built with fully functional off-road suspensions, and a wide tire selection, can be used on various types of terrain. On-road cars, with a much less robust suspension, are strictly limited to smooth, paved surfaces. In the past decade, advances in "on-road" vehicles have made their suspension as adjustable as many full scale race cars, today.
Toy-grade R/C cars are typically manufactured with a focus on design coupled with reducing production costs. Where as a hobby-grade car has separate electronic components that are individually replaceable if they fail, toy grade cars are typically made with components harder to find as spare parts and a single electronic circuit board integrated into the design of the vehicle. Although hobby-grade enthusiasts look down on toy-grade R/C cars, their maintenance is much easier than of the hobby-grade models since number of components is drastically smaller, and parts can be harvested at almost no cost from any R/C toy car of the similar size. Performance tends to depend on price, but with addition of hobby-grade type of batteries (LiPo) toy R/C cars can get up to 1/2 the speed of comparable hobby-grade car for 1/5 of the price. Stock toy-grade cars are equipped with weaker motors and are powered by alkaline or NiCad batteries which means their top speed is usually only 5-15 mph (8- 24 km/h). Cheaper ones lack any form of a suspension and the ones that do feature a suspension have very primitive or rudimentary designs. Steering is typically not proportional (with only three positions: straight, full left, and full right) and there is typically no proportional "throttle" either, with stopped and full power usually being the only options. With all the disadvantages, toy-grade R/C cars are a great intro to the hobby, especially for ages 5 – 10, and are cheap platform for modifications and tuning even for older enthusiasts.
RC Electric models
Electrically powered models utilize mechanical or electronic speed control units to adjust the amount of power delivered to the electric motor. The power delivered is proportional to the amount of throttle called for by the transmitter - the more you pull the trigger, the faster it goes. The voltage is "pulsed" using transistors to produce varying output with smooth transitions and greater efficiency. Electronic speed controllers use solid state components to regulate duty cycle, adjusting the power delivered to the electrical motor. In addition, most electronic speed controllers can use the electric motor as a magnetic brake, offering better control of the model than is possible with a mechanical speed control. Mechanical speed controllers use a network of resistors and switch between them by rotating a head with an electrode around a plate that has electrical contacts. Mechanical speed controllers are prone to being slow to react because they are actuated by servos, waste energy in the form of heat from the resistors, commonly become dirty and perform intermittently, and lack a dedicated braking ability. They appear only in vintage RC models, and are now essentially obsolete. Most electric cars up to recently used brushed motors but now many people are turning to brushless motors for their higher power output and because they require much less maintenance. They are rated either in relative turns or Kv. The Kv number tells how many RPM the motor will turn per volt, assuming no load and maximum efficiency. However, the ability of the system to put out power is dependent on the quality of the batteries used, wires and connectors supplying power. Due to their power, brushless motors are also used in bigger monster trucks and 1/8 nitro-powered buggies that have been converted to electric. High quality brushless systems can be much more powerful than nitro and can accomplish feats such as standing backflips when installed in a monster truck, most notably the HPI Savage Flux. Some 1/5 scale gas to electric conversions are in production but are uncommon due to high price. A new (2012) form of electric r/c racing is MAGracing. Small 1/32 scale cars and powered by rechargeable batteries and steering and speed are controlled by r/c. Extra steering guidance is provided by steel wires hidden in the track surface enabling more accurate steering than is attainable with free running r/c cars. Tracks can therefore be much narrower and smaller making the system suitable for 'in home' racing. Cars can be driven back onto the track after an 'off', using reverse if necessary, so that track marshals are not required.
RC Nitro powered models
Nitromethane nitro powered models utilize a single servo for throttle and braking control; rotation of the servo in one direction will cause the throttle on the carburetor to open, providing more air and fuel mixture to the internal combustion engine. Rotation of the servo in the other direction causes torque to be applied to a linkage and cam which causes friction with the braking material. The brake is commonly located on the driveshaft or spur gear in some cases and applies stopping power only to the driven wheels. Some models will also use an additional servo to control a transmission box, enabling the vehicle to drive in reverse.
Fuel engine sizes most often range between .12-.35 cubic inches. This is due to restrictions by the main sanctioning bodies for radio-controlled racing. Many "outlaw" engines are manufactured larger than these, mainly intended for vehicles which will not be used in sanctioned races and therefore do not need to comply with these regulations. Engine size is related to the class of car; 1/10 scale on and off road vehicles usually are equipped with .12-.18 cubic inch engines, with 1/8 scale vehicles using .21-.32 cubic inch engines. There are exceptions, with many Schumacher and Thunder Tiger/Team Associated RC models being good examples of unusually large engines coming as standard equipment on certain models.
Fuel-powered engines allow model cars to reach moderate speeds unmodified. Maximum power is generally achieved at medium to high speeds, and a slightly slower throttle response than electrically powered vehicles is to be expected due to clutching and lack of torque. Electric motors effectively produce instantaneous torque, whereas nitro engines, like full-sized gasoline engines, take time for the engine to spool up and for the clutch to engage. Nitro- (and fuel) powered cars may be refueled and returned to action in a few seconds, as opposed to electrics which require removal of the body shell and battery fasteners to replace a discharged battery. Nitro cars are cooled some by air, some by the oil mixed in with the fuel and may be run continuously with no need to take breaks for cooling down assuming they are properly tuned.
Nitro-powered cars operate like full-sized fuel vehicles more than their electric counterparts do, making use of a two stroke engine rather than an electric motor. The sound of the engine noise is a main selling points to nitro enthusiasts, even though brushless electric equivalents are generally faster and do not require special fuel. However, their exhaust contains unburned oil, which usually ends up coating the chassis. This, in turn, requires more cleaning than an electric-powered equivalent. Cleaning is usually achieved by the use of compressed air nozzles and solvents (such as denatured alcohol). Tuning a fuel-powered vehicle requires learning to maintain optimum performance and fuel economy, and to minimize engine wear and overheating, even in ready-to-run vehicles. Running a nitro-fuel motor without tuning or tuning improperly can hurt performance in rich conditions, and cause severe damage in lean conditions.
Because of their ability to be driven for longer periods of time and the use of burning fuel, mechanical wear in nitro vehicles is generally greater than in electric vehicles. In addition, the increased weight of fuel-powered vehicles generally lead to higher speed collisions, causing greater damage to the collided vehicles, and a greater degree of safety concerns needs to be taken into account. Maintenance such as cleaning of the air filter and general chassis cleaning, replacement of worn clutch parts, proper after-run lubrication (necessary for storage) and maintenance of other motor-related items such as glow plug replacement makes for a more frustrating experience for first time RC users. In addition, nitro motors typically require rebuilding or replacement after 2-8 gallons (7-30 liters) of fuel run through them, due to loss of compression, which can be accelerated by poor tuning and overheating. It is also possible to seriously damage the engines by over-revving them with no load or ingestion of dirt into the carburetor. As such, nitro-powered vehicles are by nature expensive to maintain.
RC Gasoline-powered models
Gasoline powered vehicles, also known as "fuelies" or "gassers", run on a mix of gasoline and oil. They cost much more (usually $800–$3000 RTR) than nitro and electric cars. They are also much bigger and therefore require much more space to run. They do not usually have as high top end speeds (compared to nitro and some electrics) but have lots of power and do not take a lot of fuel to run. Over time the cost of a gas-powered car can be less than some nitro-powered vehicles, because of the high cost of nitro fuel and buying new nitro engines to replace worn-out ones. In addition, gas-powered motors rarely if ever require tuning and have a very long lifespan. These gas-powered vehicles really pertain to the individual who is more interested in scale than imagination. These large scale models have been popular in Europe for over a decade and have recently become very popular in the US thanks to companies like HPI Racing and FG Modelsport producing affordable high quality models locally.
RC Accessories and Upgrades
All R/C models generally require the purchase of additional accessories. For electrical vehicles, battery packs and a suitable charger are needed to power the car and are seldom included. A soldering iron and supplies are often necessary to build high-performance battery packs or install upgraded electronics with low-resistance connectors. A Li-Polymer battery with a hard case is most popular for RC cars, with the most common voltages being 7.4 V or 11.1 V. For nitro-powered vehicles, a glow plug heater and fuel are needed to start the engine, as well as 4 AA size batteries, or a rechargeable 6-volt 5-cell battery pack to power the onboard electronics. Nitro vehicles also require a means of cranking the engine over, which can be achieved using a pullstart, starterbox, battery operated rotostart, or by an electric drill. Relatively expensive model fuel, spare glow-plugs, and after-run oil are also needed. Gasoline-powered vehicles require only a receiver battery pack and a means to start the engine, usually the included pullstart. Hobby-grade vehicles almost always require 8 AA size batteries to power the transmitter, though some can use rechargeable transmitter pack or simply rechargeable AAs.
A large industry of aftermarket manufacturers produce upgrade or hop-up parts for hobby-grade cars. Upgrades range from mere improvements to the longevity of R/C car parts, to all-out performance enhancements. A number of hobbyists create their own upgrades for sale via classifieds and online forums. Hobbyists choose to upgrade hobby-grade cars from plastic stock parts to aluminium parts to increase strength and the steering angle of the car.
"Ready-to-run" cars can be purchased, which leave the factory in a pre-tuned condition that affords for good racing performance without prior adjustment. However, as stated earlier, those vehicles should still be inspected for loose parts prior to operation as stated in many manuals. Alternatively, vehicles can be purchased that are either in kit form or are partially assembled, which are built and tuned by the owner prior to use, but most of the time, the owner will have to buy radio gear, and sometimes even an engine when they buy a kit.
RC Principle of operation
Radio-controlled cars use a common set of components for their control and operation. All cars require a transmitter, which has the joysticks for control, or in pistol grip form, a trigger for throttle and a wheel for turning, and a receiver which sits inside the car. The receiver changes the radio signal broadcast from the transmitter into suitable electrical control signals for the other components of the control system. Most radio systems utilize amplitude modulation for the radio signal and encode the control positions with pulse width modulation. Upgraded radio systems are available that use the more robust frequency modulation and pulse code modulation. Recently however, 2.4 GHz frequency radios have become the standard for hobby-grade R/C cars. The radio is wired up to either electronic speed controls or servomechanisms (shortened to "servo" in common usage) which perform actions such as throttle control, braking, steering, and on some cars, engaging either forward or reverse gears. Electronic speed controls and servos are commanded by the receiver through pulse width modulation; pulse duration sets either the amount of current that an electronic speed control allows to flow into the electric motor or sets the angle of the servo. On these models the servo is attached to at least the steering mechanism; rotation of the servo is mechanically changed into a force which steers the wheels on the model, generally through adjustable turnbuckle linkages. Servo savers are integrated into all steering linkages and some nitro throttle linkages. A servo saver is a flexible link between the servo and its linkage that protects the servo's internal gears from damage during impacts or stress.
RC History Racing Models
Several early commercially viable RC cars were available by mid-1966, produced by the Italian company El-Gi (Elettronica Giocattoli) from Reggio Emilia. Their first model, a 1:12 Ferrari 250LM was available in the UK in December 1966, through importers Motor Books and Accessories, St. Martins, London, and early in 1967 through Atkinson's model shop in Swansea. This model was followed by El-Gi's 1:10 Ferrari P4, first shown at the Milan Toy Fair in early 1968. R/C cars became possible around this time solely because of the development of 'proportional' radio control. Previously all radio was of the 'bang/bang' variety, i.e. steering was either left, center, or right and speed was either stop or go. This was usable for aircraft or boats but not for cars.
In the mid-late 1960s a British company, Mardave, based in Leicester, began to produce commercially viable RC Cars. Their first cars were nitro- or gas-powered cars sold in the local area in the early 1970s.
In the early 1970s several commercial products were created by small firms in the US. Most of these companies began as slot car companies and with the wane in popularity of that genre moved into the R/C field. Among these were Associated Electrics, Thorp, Dynamic, Taurus, Delta, and Scorpion. These early kits were 1/8 scale nitro-powered (then called gas) aluminum flat pan cars powered by a .21 or smaller engine. The bodies for these cars were made of polycarbonate (the most popular made of Lexan). The most popular engine was the K&B Veco McCoy. The primary sanctioning body for races for these cars was Remotely Operated Auto Racers (ROAR). In 1973-74, Jerobee, a company based in Washington State, created their 1/12 nitro car using a Cox .049 engine. Over 54,000 were sold "Ready to Run" W/Radio control system of which 25K were made by EK Product od Texas and the balance by JoMac when they bought the company from Rocket Research Corp . Several aftermarket companies created parts for this car including clear Lexan bodies, heat sinks, and larger fuel tanks. This scale evolved into 1/12 scale electric racing when Associated Electrics created the RC12E in 1976-77. Jerobee became Jomac and created their own electric kit called the Lightning 2000 that won the "ROAR" National Championships in 1981& 82 for 6-Cell Modified and 82 the 6-Cell Production classes. The Lightning 2000 was designed by Don McKay and Jon Congdon.
By the late 1970s, interests in 1/12 scale electric racing began to grow as 1/8 scale IC racers, the sole racing category at the time, needing to race throughout the winter as an alternative to their impractical IC cars began to race 1/12 cars, therefore a winter national series was developed. As a result, the series grew into popularity as a large number of scratchbuilt cars started to appear in these meetings. Again, electric r/c cars were enabled by one revolutionary development, that of the nicad rechargeable battery. Prior to the mid 70's,batteries were either heavy lead acid or expensive throw away dry cells. In 1976, the Japanese firm Tamiya, which was renowned for their intricately detailed plastic model kits, released a series of elegant and highly detailed, but mechanically simple electric on-road car models that were sold as "suitable for radio control". Although rather expensive to purchase, the kits and radio systems sold rapidly. Tamiya soon began to produce more purpose-built remote-controlled model cars, and were the first to release off-road buggies featuring real suspension systems. It was this progression toward the off-road class that brought about much of the hobby's popularity, as it meant radio-controlled cars were no longer restricted to bitumen and smooth surfaces, but could be driven virtually anywhere. The first true Tamiya off road vehicles were the Sand Scorcher and the Rough Rider, both released in 1979, and both based on realistic dune buggy designs. Tamiya continued to produce off road vehicles in increasing numbers, featuring working suspensions, more powerful motors, textured off-road rubber tires and various stylized "dune buggy" bodies. They also produced trucks, such as the Toyota HiLux Pickup, that featured realistic 3 speed gearboxes and leaf-spring suspension systems. All of these models were realistic, durable, easy to assemble, capable of being modified, and simple to repair. They were so popular that they could be credited with launching a boom in radio-controlled model cars in the early to mid 1980s, and provided the basis for today's radio-controlled car market. Popular Tamiya models included the Grasshopper and the Hornet dune buggies as well as the Blackfoot and Clodbuster monster truck models. The earliest Tamiya models, particularly the early off roaders, are now highly sought after by vintage R/C collectors and can fetch prices of up to US$3000 on internet auction sites if still in mint, unbuilt form. Acknowledging their continued popularity, several of the early kits have even been re-released by Tamiya during 2005–2007, with a few alterations.
A British firm, Schumacher Racing, was the first to develop an adjustable ball differential in 1980, which allowed nearly infinite tuning for various track conditions. At the time the majority of on-road cars had a solid axle, while off-road cars generally had a gear-type differential. Team Associated followed suit with the introduction of the RC100 1/8 scale gas on-road car, RC12 1/12 scale on-road electric car, and RC10 1/10 scale off-road electric racing buggy in 1984 (see below). Team Losi followed with the introduction of the JRX2 in 1988.
Modern developments in radio controlled racing
The successful RC Racing car, 'Schumacher S.S.T.2000' The image shows the car without body kit or battery pack installed to allow for a clearer view. Modified 1/8 scale buggy with upper body removed
In 1984, Associated Electrics, Inc. of Costa Mesa, California introduced the RC10 off-road electric racer; this model was a departure from 'Associated Electrics' regular line of nitromethane-powered on-road race cars. Designed as a high-grade radio controlled car, the chassis of the RC10 buggy was manufactured from anodised, aircraft-grade aluminium alloy. The shock absorbers were machined, oil-filled and completely tuneable; they were also produced from the same aluminium alloy. Suspension control arms were manufactured from high-impact nylon, as were the three-piece wheels.
Optional metal shielded ball bearings were sometimes incorporated in RC10 wheels and transmissions. The RC10 transmission contained an innovative differential featuring hardened steel rings pressed against balls - which made it almost infinitely adjustable for any track condition. The RC10 quickly became the dominant model in electric off-road racing.
In 1986, Schumacher Racing Products released their CAT (Competition All Terrain) vehicle, widely considered the best four wheel drive off-road "buggy" racer of the time. The CAT went on to win the 1987 off-road world championship. This car is credited for sparking an interest in four-wheel-drive electric off-road racing.
Gil Losi Jr., whose family ran the "Ranch Pit Shop R/C" racetrack in Pomona, California, turned his college studies toward engineering, primarily in the field of injection molded plastics, leading to his foundation of Team Losi. When the JRX-2, the first Team Losi buggy, was released, it initiated a rivalry with Team Associated that continues to this day. Team Losi went on to secure a number of achievements, which included the industry's first all-natural rubber tires, the first American-made four-wheel-drive racing buggy, and an entirely new class of cars, the 1/18-scale Mini-T off-road electrics.
Although Losi and Associated seemed to dominate much of the American market, Traxxas, (another American company, famous for the T-MAXX and the REVO 3.3), and Kyosho (from Japan), were also making competitive two-wheel-drive off-road racing models. Although Losi and Associated were close rivals in the USA, Schumacher off-road models continued to be popular amongst European hobbyists.
Electric and nitro cars have come a long way in terms of power. Electric cars have gone from non-rebuildable brushed motors and NiCad batteries to brushless motors and LiPo. Nitro cars have gone from small engines to huge .36-.80 engines that are used in big monster trucks.
Telemetry in R/C racing
In the last few years one-way telemetry system has also been applied in R/C racing car to get informations by car's sensors like
Engine RPM
Voltage
Temperatures
Throttle
Steering
The telemetry system is usually integrated in the radio transmitter that store the datas in a file. After that a computer analysis is possible by use some telemetry software.
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