My return to racing- GT12 Class- Schumacher Atom 2

[PraetoR]

It's been 17 years (2005) since I last raced an RC, in any official capacity. Year before that since I last raced a full season.

This was in the 1/10 Scale Touring Class, stock motors.

 

I've been itching to give it another go, but touring car racing is all-but dead. No-where does it! Well, that's hyperbole, but it's not too far from fact!

 

So, I've had to turn to the popular GT12 class. 12th scale, RWD, floating pod rear suspension, 1s, 13.5t sensored brushless.

A country mile from the 1/10 scale, 4WD, independent suspension, 7.2v 6-cell ni-mh, 27t brushed stock, that I'm used to.

Or, used to be used to!

 

So, I've bought a Schumacher Atom 2, carbon-fibre version. Although, I'm sticking with the standard steel chassis, unless my car comes-in over the 950g minimum weight limit. But, somehow, I doubt it will. Fully expecting to have to add more weight to it.

 

I've also got myself a SkyRC Ares Pro V2 SPEC 13.5t motor and 2x LRP Graphene Ultra LCG  1s lipos, 120C. Still need to get a servo, ESC & radio gear. Plus a few more chassis-adjustment parts.

Bodyshell has been done for a couple of years! I wanted to get into this previously, but didn't have the funds.

 

Anyway, this is how far we've come:

 

 

 

Loooooooovely carbon fibre! Goes together very nice.

 

 

Unfortunately... this is where the build stops! The parts bag for Step 4 is missing. I'll phone Tay Models tomorrow, and get Schumacher to send me the parts. 

Annoying, but such is life.

 

 

PROPERLY excited to get back into it, though. No idea how well I'll take to these zippy, little things. I'll be treating this thread as a diary, for those interested.

 

Cheers!

[PraetoR]

Alun from Tay Models managed to ring Schumacher and get them to post the missing bits directly to me. They arrived the next day (today), so that's certainly good service.

However, it would have been nice to have been given a wee token gesture, like some free stickers, for the inconvenience.  Alas, no such luck. Oh well.

 

It meant I could continue 

 

The rear pod meets the chassis.

 

Rear suspension assembled, so pod is now floating. The three tubes, that look like smooth turnbuckles, are the shocks. They are ribbed, inside; the ribs are coated with shock oil, which causes resistance, which itself causes damping. You can just see the rear right spring , between the steel chassis and the carbon crossmember. To someone who is used to touring cars, this is a WEIRD setup!!

 

Front suspension & bumper mount fitted, with some steering components in-place. It's starting to look a bit like a racing car!

Although, it kinda looks more like a space ship.

 

 

And this is as far as I can go, today. Still awaiting some components, including the servo. Once the servo arrives, I can continue the build.

 

 

Apart from the hiccup with part 4 parts being missing, I've really enjoyed what I've done.

Liking it! 

 

Edited February 4, 2022 by PraetoR

[Shergar]

Those dampers are different! Do they  damp effectively or will you need to run it to find out?

[PraetoR]

12 hours ago, Shergar said:

Those dampers are different! Do they  damp effectively or will you need to run it to find out?

They feel good, actually. They properly work. Difficult to get them to damp to exactly the same degree, though.

 

The first run will be very interesting!

[PraetoR]

Servo arrived and fitted.

I was slightly concerned, as the bumper mount should have been carbon fibre, with this version. However, this kit included a larger, S2 (black composite) bumper mount, which was stated as being "optional" offering "better protection" and was "recommended".

 

Well... thanks  for that, but as the c/f is missing from my kit, it's hardly "optional" now, is it??

 

I mean, it's fine, as I'd probably have gone for the option with better protection... except that it then races the servo mount by about 4mm, which means the servo sits higher and raises the CoG. The kit doesn't come with shorter servo posts, in order to keep the servo in the same spot. Furthermore, this also raises where the long, rear-floating-pod damper connects to the front of the chassis; potentially changing the rear suspension geometry.

 

But, having said all that... it didn't actually matter, as you will see.

 

 

The rear axle and diff assembly. This was slightly fiddly, but the result is super smooth! It's absolutely amazing. Dead chuffed. 

Note the optional spacer. This is to widen the track; I'm sticking with the kit settings, for now.

 

 

Front bumper and bodyshell posts fitted. Now it's starting to look like an RC car!

 

 

Very pretty SkyRC Ares Pro V2 Spec-class, 13.5t sensored motor. Looks lovely!

 

 

The motor looks absolutely MASSIVE in this wee chassis! Reminds me of the time Clarkson put a v8 in a beach buggy! 

 

I've fitted a 20t pinion... no idea what everyone else will be running. Pure guesswork!

 

 

Lipo fits perfectly. This would be the chassis complete; only I also bought a top-deck conversion kit. Apparently, it increases corner speed (more rigidity). Unfortunately,  I didn't realise that would require I disassemble the front of the car!

If I'd known, I would have fitted it mid-build.

 

 

This is how it now sits. Note; the front bumper mount is now carbon fibre. The top deck kit includes a different c/f mount, which is required for this conversion. So neither the "optional" S2 mount, nor the standard (missing) mount, would have worked.

 

Yes, it's impossible to miss the fact that one of the c/f braces is not connected... I can't find the required 2mm spacer!!!

 

I dropped some bits on the carpet... but I've hunted and hunted. I've moved the furniture, I've used a torch, I've scoured every square-inch of my living room. I CANNOT find it!! 

Either it's properly lost, or it was never in the kit (probably the former). Either way... I've ordered some! They'll be here in-time for the first run.

 

Got the ESC. Still waiting the radio gear.

 

Getting excited!!

[Stormbringer]

Im really interested how you get on with racing this 

[PraetoR]

Thanks. I think it might be a baptism of fire! 

[Stormbringer]

It maybe but with your previous racing youl have an idea what to do to be more competitive 

[PraetoR]

5 minutes ago, Stormbringer said:

It maybe but with your previous racing youl have an idea what to do to be more competitive 

Here's hoping!!

[Stormbringer]

It will all come back after a few races mate 

[PraetoR]

The wee spacers arrived, so I could finally finish the chassis. I LOVE the way this thing looks! It's all lightweight, compact, purposeful, free from excess and made from exotic carbon fibre; exactly what a race car should be. 

 

 

With the battery fitted, you can really see how compact the whole thing is. Imagine adding an ESC and receiver! Proper race car. I think it's great!

 

 

Still awaiting radio gear and SkyRC corner weight system. Then I'll go to the club and pick-up the control wheels & tyres. I'm going to try and get this thing right against the minimum weight limit. 

Edited February 13, 2022 by PraetoR

[Stormbringer]

Coming on really well mate 

[PraetoR]

1 hour ago, Stormbringer said:

Coming on really well mate 

Cheers. I think it'll be a bit of a flying machine.

[PraetoR]

Today I went into the club, to pick up some wheels & tyres and to meet a few people. Was a nice set-up, with friendly people. Track was pretty good.

 

They're quick! Took me by surprise, quite honestly.

 

Anyway, she's now sitting on wheels & tyres and is yet one step closer. 

 

 

Drooooooool!!

 

Found out I'll need to buy bigger pinions, as I discovered the collection I bought were all a bit too small! I was going roughly on what the TCs used to use. Oh well! 

 

[PraetoR]

Small bit of progress. Managed to solder-up the ESC wires (motor and battery connectors).

 

REALLY struggled with this! First of all, it turned out my old, crap soldering iron wasn't up to the job and when I got a new iron I realised I wasn't much good, either! 

 

Anyway, there are no neat solder joints to be had... only big blobs. Still, quantity has a quality all of its own!

 

 

 

 

At least the wiring is neat!

 

I'd hoped to have tested it, but ModelHobby, on top of being glacial-slow, also sent me the wrong radio gear! 😔

 

Really hoping to have it done by Friday.

Edited March 1, 2022 by PraetoR

[PraetoR]

She's all wired-up and working! Radio gear FINALLY arrived today (ordered it on 4th February).

 

It's the same Futaba T2HR system I have on my Losi XXX-S touring car. Nice and ergonomic, with the ability to set the throttle stick back, giving more throw, allowing for greater control.

 

 

 

Haven't yet tidied the wiring, nor stuck-down the receiver. This is because I have the SkyRC corner weight system and intend on getting the weight distribution as perfect as possible.

 

At the moment, it's currently balanced 52/48 split, left to right; and 46/54, front to back. A pretty good starting point and I've got a little bit of wiggle room, by adding weight in the right place(s).

 

 

 

Speaking of weight; without the body shell (I've not cut holes, yet... and scared to start!), it's only about 36g underweight. Once the shell is on, it won't take much to get to that 950g minimum weight limit. Pretty good!

[Stormbringer]

Looks really smart mate 

[PraetoR]

Thank you! 

[Shergar]

What shell is going on? Aerodynamic or sonthing that looks like a car 😉

[PraetoR]

12 hours ago, Shergar said:

What shell is going on? Aerodynamic or sonthing that looks like a car 😉

 

A Porsche 911 GT3 R in a classic Castrol race livery... I'd say that classifies as a car 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Stormbringer]

Definately qualifies as a car 

[PraetoR]

There's a fair few people here with fake mid-engine supercar designs. Shergar wouldn't like that! 😅

[Stormbringer]

Lol mate 

[Shergar]

Looks the bollocks! Stuttgart Supra eh 😎

 

I can remember when touring cars and race buggies looked like touring cars and race buggies because I’m old 🤣

[PraetoR]

OK, Gentlemen... last night I went to my first BRCA race meeting since 2005.

My first with brushless power, my first with lipo batteries, my first with a RWD car and my first with a 1/12 scale.

 

On the way there, I had quite a cool realisation; one that had a pleasing circularity to it:

 

I first raced in 2002, sporting a red Alfa Romeo 156 bodyshell. I thought the Alfa 156 was just the coolest, sleekest looking saloon car out there and I loved it.

And here I was, many years later, getting back into racing, driving there in a REAL, red Alfa Romeo 156... which was built in 2002!

 

Ha! 

 

Anyway, I got there and started to get set-up.

 

 

 

The track looked pretty cool.

 

 

 

One thing (out of the many) I had to deal with (which I have never experienced, before), was tyre additive. That wasn't legal in the old, stock, TC class. I was advised to put tyre additive all-over the rear tyres, about 40 mins before the start of the race, so I did that.

The fronts only get some around the inside edge, about 10 mins before race start. OK, noted!

 

RACE 1

I was a little late getting to the grid, on my very first race! I was frantically trying to get the (very snug) battery in, the body on and the clips in. I also had to quickly try and dry the rear tyres, as you're supposed to do that, just before the race.

I dabbed them dry(ish), put the car down and ran to the stage... with about 30 seconds to spare.

 

Tried to drive to the back of the grid (started last, obviously... I have no BRCA/club rating, by this point), and the car just pirouetted on the spot! Tried again... and again... but it was no use! The car would just do doughnuts!

After a few worrying seconds, it started to go vaguely where I wanted it to. I was worried, I thought I had majorly messed-up something during building! However, it turns out I just hadn't dried the rear tyres, enough! They were still too wet and slippery!

 

The Club Secretary/Chairman/Jedi/whatever asked if I wanted to do a lap, but I didn't want to hold-up the start of the race, so I just said "No, no, it's OK... I'll just wobble around at the back, until my tyres warm up."

 

I was car 5. The first 3 races are qualifying heats. They are timed and the cars move-away in a staggered order... 

Beep 1... Beep 2... Beep 3 etc.

So I set off last. A few seconds behind the car in fourth.

 

Straight away, I could feel that the car was extremely twitchy, but surprisingly sure-footed and would change direction rapidly, without breaking loose. I fully expected to have to fight it... but it was nothing like that. Straight away, despite the twitchy front-end, it was right with me, responding amazingly-well to every input!

 

Me, however... I was as stiff as a board! I was sooooo tense! Every input I made was sharp, erratic and a bit messy. I needed to relax! The car was clearly up to it. I needed to calm down and get into a rhythm.

 

Very quickly, something amazing happened... I overtook someone!!

Then another!

Then ANOTHER!

By about lap 3, or 4... I thought "I must be in about second! This is great!" I had no idea which car was ahead, or behind. They are such fast, zippy, little things. I didn't know who was who!

 

Then, at the one-minute mark... the computer-robot voice chimed in:

"Race order after one minute... Car 5 (etc)"

 

WAIT! That's impossible! I'm car 5!!

 

I was winning! And I kept winning. I lapped everyone... multiple times.

My little car was going great. It would change direction like a house fly, carve through other cars (while lapping them), and leave them in the dust. What a machine!

 

It also struck me that my car was silent! It was easily the quietest car there. I thought that was a good thing! I thought that was a sign I'd done a good job of building it. I would later come to realise I thought wrong!

 

Anyway, I only went and won, first time out, after 17 years!! 

 

I had finished 3 laps ahead of the next guy and with the fastest lap! I couldn't believe it.

 

 

Back at the bench, I removed my bodyshell and realised I'd made a fateful error... I hasn't brought a brush with me.

I ALWAYS brought a brush!

Look at the state of my nice, new Atom 2!!

 

 

 

After marshalling for the next heat (them's the rules!), I decided to reduce my front tow-in, to try and calm the car down, just a little. I like a darty front end, but that level of twitchiness was just a little too knife-edge.

I also had raise the bodyshell, as it was occasionally rubbing on full-lean.

 

Then I went through the process of tyre additive, again.

 

 

RACE 2

I wasn't as rushed, getting to race 2. I put the car down on the track, went up to the stage, applied the throttle, and watched as my car did pirouettes, again! A few more dance routines later, I lined-up on the grid.

I went away first, this time.

 

The car was better. It didn't change direction quite as violently, but it was way more controllable and still blistering through the twisty stuff. I'm, frankly, amazed at how well these things drive; considering the lack of 4wd, independent double-wishbone suspension and proper shocks.

 

I was way more relaxed than before, but still a little tense. Too tense to really enjoy myself, even though I was driving pretty well.

Although, I was starting to get into a bit of a flow.

 

Still, my car was the quietest. Still, I thought that was a good thing.

 

I drove better in race 2; I won comfortably, with my fastest lap being over a second quicker than in race 1. I also managed 1 more lap than before.

I was really beginning to enjoy this. 

 

 

 

But NOW look at my car!

 

 

 

 

After marshalling duties were done, I returned to my table, but decided to leave the car setup alone. It was driving great and had a lot more to give. I just needed to work on my rhythm, get more consistent and make less mistakes. I could also be more aggressive through the corners than I was currently being. All with practice and experience, I suppose.

 

 

RACE 3

After doing my customary doughnutting, while trying to go forwards, I lined up on a the grid and, once again, led away from the start.

 

Now, I was relaxed. The car had proven itself. I hadn't let it down. I was getting into the flow of it.

I was also getting slightly better at lapping other cars. Previously, there had been several miscommunications, leading to a few bumps and crashes. That still happened, but less frequently. This race went very smoothly.

 

I did my most laps, to date. 28. Two more than last time and with an even faster fastest lap.

That made it 3 from 3! 

 

 

 

Dammit! Someone find me a brush!! 

 

 

 

 

So, the night was going great. I was enjoying myself, immensely!

The people were very friendly, offering advice and congratulations. Some came over, just to compliment the Porsche body shell. It was really good.

 

So, Finals time! You get placed in your final, based on your fastest Qualifying-Race performance. I was clearly ready to move up from the race I was currently in.

 

I qualified last in the B Final.

Last.

Which meant, I was the lowest position of everyone not in my qualifying race!

 

That was surprising, although I wasn't actually disappointed; I had no expectations. But surprising, yes. Surprising, because some of the guys in the race above mine were really quite fond of the walls and were making more mistakes than I was.

 

Anyway, that was OK, I was in the B Final, on my first outing. I was happy.

 

 

FINAL

After pleasing the crowd with some more totally-deliberate doughnuts, I lined-up in last.

 

This was a proper grid. There's a countdown, then we all go at once. This is a race, not a qualifying round. Position matters; not time.

The guy in 5th, one position ahead of me, was pretty old. He obviously didn't have the best reflexes; I easily got the jump on him, off the line. I was clearly ahead, by the time he set off.

 

However, it became IMMEDIATELY obvious... I was in trouble.

 

He caught me by turn 1!! His car was MUCH faster!!

 

EVERYONE'S car was much faster!!

 

I got ahead of one guy, after he crashed, but that didn't last long. He overtook me and disappeared.

Everyone disappeared! I found myself being consistently lapped. I made sure I got well out of people's way.

 

My car was not driving anywhere-near as hard out of the corners as any of the others and neither did it have the top-end. Anytime I ended up on the long straight, alongside someone, my little car would get mullered.

 

I would say I drove better in the final, than I had all night. I certainly made less mistakes. However, having to constantly move aside for someone made it impossible to get into a comfortable rhythm and I lost a lot of time.

I ended up doing less laps than I had in race 3, albeit with my fastest lap of the night.

 

I finished 5th, having started 6th, but only because someone retired.

 

 

 

I was still smiling, though. I'd had a really fun night and drove well. I was pleased.

 

 

So, what was it? Why is my car so slow??

 

Well... remember I mentioned that my car was so quiet? Quietest in the club. A sign of a well-built car, right??

 

OK, so, first of all... I used to judge my gearing, by listening to the RPM of my touring car down the long straight and seeing when/if it hit peak RPM. Adjust so it maxed-out, just at the end of the straight.

I couldn't do that, here. My little car made no noise!

 

Although, I was told that my pinion size of 27t sounded about right. Gearing may not have been perfect, but it was probably pretty good. Motor and ESC temps were fine, even though I haven't fitted any fans.

 

Another thing; everyone else's car (in the A & B Finals) made a distinct whine. What was that a sign of?

A guy asked me:

 

"Have you adjusted your motor timing?"

 

WHAT?? No, I haven't adjusted my motor timing! This is the stock class! Stock means stock! You can't adjust stuff like that!

 

Actually... that was the old, stock, Touring Car class rules! In stock GT12... it turns out, you can adjust motor timing!

 

AND APPARENTLY... timing-adjusted motors are LOUDER and MAKE A WHINING NOISE!!

 

Well no damn wonder my car was slower than everyone else's!!!! 

 

 

I have much to learn. 

 

Anyway, what a fun night. Really enjoyed it. My little Schumacher Atom 2 is great, I love it. Can't wait to go back.

 

I have no idea what I'm doing with regards to motor timing adjustment, though!

I also need a new charger; mine doesn't like 1s lipos, apparently.

 

Anyway, I leave you with my favourite photo of the night:

 

 

A battle-scarred race car. LOVE IT!!

 

Cheers!

 

EDIT: Just found the video of the B Final. I made several mistakes, but not too bad.

You can clearly see the speed deficit, though!

 

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by PraetoR