Arif

Shout me dude (your messaging on here seems disabled) - zero 7968 725 zero 99 Text or Whatsapp. Arif

Well actually a big piece of the puzzle that's missing is proper bodywork. It looks like Batman's Tumbler from behind, and so this is going to be the major cue. However, it's difficult finding anyone with the skills to pull off a decent look and customised to the vehicle itself. I might have to put a feeler out to Pinewood Studios or something! It will have a 'hump' where the cabin is, because of the height of the fuel tank - but if the thing is elongated and given a snout/overhang, there should be space enough to make the thing look good, rather than awkward and bulbous atop. Arif

On the melting bumper question - it's a good inch or so below the actual exit aperture, so is normally fine. However, on full throttle the nozzle does glow bright-red hot even in daylight, which if the vehicle was static would melt the bumper a bit with radiant heat alone - but if driven there's enough airflow to prevent this.

On the melting bumper question - it's a good inch or so below the actual exit aperture, so is normally fine. However, on full throttle it does glow bright-red hot even in daylight, which if the vehicle was static would melt the bumper a bit with radiant heat alone - but if driven there's enough airflow to prevent this.

Hey thanks buddy. Indeed not flat-out at all - the grass was freshly cut, & at full throttle it sucks to much of it up & blocks the screen (then flames out). It was prob 1/2 throttle at most, anywhere in that video. That's Wren's flagship engine - about £2500 in my day, these days £1800.

What 10kg of thrust 'looks' like...watch to end!

What 10kg of thrust 'looks' like...watch to end!

The above are for Babylon & Evssv

Ya micktaker! Here we go... (above)

Testing upload facility

For those interested, that black cap/nose thing is its starter motor. It'll spin the engine up to about 25,000/29,000rpm - whereafter the engine itself takes fully over ('fuel ramp'). That little glow-plug looking thing is exactly that, and has its own fuel supply - it vaporises the fuel for initial start-up. The fuel pipe going into the actual purple shroud is the main fuel supply that kicks in during fuel-ramp. It's all controlled by two main valves, which are in turn controlled by an ECU - called a FADEC - Full Authority Digital Engine Control. The latest Wren and Jetcat engines have all of this internalised - making for only one fuel supply line needed, a fully internal glow-plug, fully internal valves, fully internal EGT sensor, and brushless fuel pump and starter motor.

For me, and especially on-paper - it's an amazing combination. You have arguably one of the most respected RC car platforms on the planet (is my conclusion), converted to work with a form of propulsion that even to this day is essentially the most advanced combustion-based mechanical form of propulsion that mankind has invented, full stop. I see rockets as more 'devices' rather than machines, cos no moving parts. Jet engines have taken the traditional stages of combustion (suck-squeeze-bang-blow) and made them function axially - it's actually quite crazy. I'm totally with Evssv on this - in that even on a bench, these things are utterly fascinating to watch. Putting it on a vehicle, gives us just one more excuse to run them, without people thinking we're totally bonkers. This mini's engine will idle at about 50,000 rpm, and at full throttle will be about 160,000 rpm or more. From an engineering standpoint alone - it's one of the pinnacles of engineering feats!

1) Certainly, stunningly & beautifully executed 2) That brass tube running to the exhaust outflow is the Exhaust Gas Temp sensor - a key part of its internal start-up & running telemetry 3) You'll never see it driven in anger in real life, because of certain limitations - the start-up cycle will use up half of that fuel, & then once running, it'll likely flame out upon acceleration, as the little fuel left gets thrown to the back of the tank. This is unless it has some clever baffles built in 4) I'm not sure that the internals would put up with the heat of any notable run-time - it goes to about 500/600°C, which I'm not sure the shell is rated to! That chrome tube has to have a gap between the nozzle & where it starts - it's not pushed on or over at all; Even that exit-aperture in the body might struggle not to melt if running for 10mins or more I'm working on a video for mine - ugly as sin, but functional as hell (Maverick Blackout)

Neil buddy - get it! It's the dog's danglies - and I mean out of the box, essentially. I've been through a fair few different genres of RC, all well-known rigs - and have been impressed overall with the DBXL, and especially so given the price. The thing here is - I don't 'bash' the way most might (I'm 42) - and my relationship with it is as a 'scale vehicle' - i.e. you'd never jump a real desert buggy a hundred feet (= 20ft scaled-up). It's big enough to my mind to be treated as a 'vehicle', as opposed to a toy - and so I will end up skirmishing with it in woodland, mild jumps, and decent 'off-roading', wheelspinning about, etc - and for example running in and out of ditches. Basically the kind of stuff I'd do with a Landrover Defender/Bowler Wildcat - but faster. In that setting, I think it's simply fantastic and rugged - I've not hopped up anything notable on mine at all. It's even running the stock plastic servo arms. I was personally impressed that it came with Spektrum branded servos out of the box, and have equally had no need to upgrade them. I did find the dampers (what the young uns call shocks - but the springs absorb the shock) filled with too thick a fluid for my liking - but altering this was a case of setting it up for my liking (not 'fixing' anything). And with my off-roading antics, I needed maximum opposing axle articulation - and so removed my sway bars (anti-roll bars, in the 1:1 world). This thread 'covers' you for most scenarios and issues therefrom - but with my rather toned-down approach, much of it doesn't apply, and never will. Also - one thing I do which is controversial in the RC - is lubricating every single metal-on-metal interaction - from gears to drive-cups, and bearings where I can get to them. To my mind, it's just basic for longevity - and I have concluded that the phenomenon of thereby creating an abrasive 'grinding-paste' as the lubrication picks up dirt, is outweighed by the phenomenon of metal-to-metal interfaces liking lubrication!! I've for example in my Losi 5iveT - never had a drive cup or pin wear out (the infamous front one). I will confess to a slight bias here - I live in Northampton, and if you did this, we could 'bash' together! Arif

It is indeed - but there's nowt decent at all. I've literally had no-one who's in the hobby to bash with, to take the video while I'm driving it. The stuff you see on there already is me grappling with the remote and the phone-camera at the same time. Maybe Hyper can do so once I come to Leicester!

Definitely buddy! Leicester's up the road for me, & I'll often look to meet up with Dan (Norcoforever) from there (Kirby). I'll PM you with contact details, as I'm a bit of a Luddite & use text messaging/Whatsapp.

Compelled to chime in here with - *so* good that it gave me the confidence to make mine jet-powered. Super-stable when specifically set up to be so.

Hey buddy! That sounds right up my street! I've just been out & about in woodlands with lots of ditches (Thetford Forest, as it happens) - and this thing (the DBXL) is right at home doing what I call close-quarter skirmishing. So anything like a woodland meet/location sounds great. Do PM me with mobile number if that can work for you (or text me - number in first post), as I tend to find texting the best way to maintain contact - I only really come on here when thumb-twiddling.

Hi guys! Yup no worries - I'll make it a point to make it on some of those Sundays. It's the day allocated normally to visiting the in-law's, which we do weekly - so will juggle the diary with the Mrs and ensure that I can join in on some Sundays. Plus Bashfest, of course. Arif

Hi Collective! So I'm going down the non-Private Messaging route, as that's proving to be rather hit-&-miss in terms of finding those actually up for meeting. I don't do anything heavy duty - just general blatting about, mainly grass or woods for the DBXL. I'm not into 'air' as such, and am averse to doing stuff which will blatantly break the things! Hence no more high-speed antics in car parks. I have a Losi 5iveT, and a DBXL. The former I use in large short-grass fields, and the latter in woods or anywhere interesting for it - and am still discovering where it works best. I tend to end up full throttle a fair bit when running the 5ive, but the DBXL is used in a more considered manner for more technical stuff - e.g. negotiating logs or deep trenches where axle articulation is fully deployed. So side-slopes, too. I do also like to have it blatting about with wheels spinning - which in woods or a loose surface is fantastic fun. I'm often free in the weekdays with not too much notice. I don't do Facebook - so appreciate that this counts me out of a lot of things - but I really don't have brain-space for social media. I certainly will look to attend Bashfest - but really my main thing is to meet fellow and relatively local petrolheads, for ongoing contact and random bashing sessions! I consider anything caught by Junctions 16 through to 12 of the M1 as 'local'. Also, of a Saturday, I'm in Ruislip - and can travel then too. North London works well - but it seems the main session occurs early enough of a Sunday morning (not so workable for me). So there you have it - reaching out!! Arif (ZERO 7968 725 ZERO99 - text or Whatsapp any time)

Hi Collective! I have my jet-powered Maverick with me today, and am down this end. Please express any interest by replying here (or texting), if I should make the trip to Jubilee Park to take the jet car for a blat. This would be at about 20:00/21:00 - depending on when most might be able to attend. Would be good to meet fellow RC enthusiasts! I know that Sundays are the actual proper day for rendezvous at this particular location, however this is just in case anyone's free and bored enough to come see a jet car. Arif (Zero7968 725 zero99 - feel free to text any expressions of interest, as won't be here as much I am available by text)