'Factory Team' RC10R5 1/10th Electric Pan Car - CML Distribution

RC10R5
By keith robertson
grand tourer
‘Factory Team’ RC10R5 1/10th Electric Pan Car
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PRO 10 REVIVED!
World GT. Sounds great doesn’t it, but what is it This is an
emerging class and invokes thoughts of fast, powerful and classy
cars – but will they be able to live up to the billing RRCi builds and
tests the new Associated RC10R5 to find out.
Not so long ago a class known as ‘Pro-10’ was the pinnacle of
tarmac electric racing around the World with Britain nurturing
European Champions such as Andy Moore and David Spashett (who
was also World Champ). During the late ‘80s and ‘90s it was raced
alongside the old ‘wide’ touring cars (based on buggy designs) until
the revolution that brought about the ‘Scale Saloons’ we now know
as 1/10th touring cars. The popularity of scale saloons rocketed,
unfortunately at the expense of the other two classes. But now, as
with many things in this sport it has been reborn, in the guise of
‘World GT’.
Associated were involved with Pro-10 and won one of their 22
World Championships with Mike Swauger in 1996 so they know what
they’re doing. The Pro-10 design has been refined by narrowing the
track from 235 mm to 200 m, dropping from 6-cell to 4-cell and
creating some wonderful Sports car shells to top them off with. All of
which creates an impressive scale appearance.
The ‘R5’ range of cars has seen a change in philosophy at
Associated away from the ‘T-bar’ design to the ‘pivot-ball link’ style
we see here. This allows the cells to sit more central in the car for
better weight distribution whilst allowing more set-up options. With
the RC10R5 essentially the bigger brother of the latest 12th circuit
car released earlier this year, the RC12R5, they share many of the
same components although there are of course some necessary
differences.
As with other recent Associated releases this kit is to ‘Factory
Team’ specification so there are no ‘hop-ups’ needed – it’s all in the
box!
The build of the 10R5 is similar to its smaller brother the 12R5, and
we always recommend that you make sure to read the instructions
carefully and pay attention to the detail in the pictures (advice you
should follow for any kit build). One handy point is just inside the
back is a 1:1 chart of all the hardware used during the build, if you
can’t instantly spot the correct screw size amongst the pile on your
bench, just measure them up and you can be sure you get it right.
All the carbon parts, good
quality and well cut
First on the list of design innovations are the shock absorbers.
Since being released the ‘through-shaft’ design incorporated by
Associated has been praised and I can see why. They are easy to
build (much easier than the previous micro shock used on pan cars)
and it is easy to build them with no perceptible air trapped within, for
much better dampening consistency. The centre shock and the side
shock are similar in build but not the same, so pay attention and be
careful not to tighten the ball-end cap too much as it can deform.
The spring used on the centre shock can actually be changed for one
of the option parts available without removing the shock from the
car – just loosen a simple grub screw and voilà!
Next we pick up the chassis. As with any carbon fibre chassis it is
important to file the edges, and I prefer to seal with glue to protect
against delaminating during any accidents. Take note when doing
the cell slots and check your batteries as you do it to make sure you
get them as low as you can without risking any damage by having
them hang below the level of the chassis. The new pivot-ball links
are then fitted to the chassis and it is worth taking some time here to
make sure you don’t clamp these too much as it will restrict the free
movement of the car’s rear end.
The front suspension is all new for the R5 cars but follows the same
principles as the previous all-conquering ‘Dynamic-strut’ design.
When threading the upper turnbuckle into the ball-ends and upper
wishbones it is vital to make sure they go in straight. It sounds
simple, but once you have the car complete remember to check your
caster just to be certain. This can be done easily by using a camber
gauge placed up against the kingpin from the front – they should of
course measure the same on both sides.
A big plus on the front-end are the new threaded axles, a pleasure
to see and a big improvement over the e-clip used on the older cars.
When assembled, if the kingpins feel tight apply a little diff grease
to the point where they slide into the ball on the lower wishbone, to
help keep things smooth.
When fitting the completed front suspension onto the chassis
you actually have the tuning option of a different wheelbase.
Unfortunately the instructions don’t mention this, or the effect it
will have on the handling, so I mounted them in the middle holes for
starters.
The latest ‘thrushock’.
Nice and
simple to build
You can see the end of the shock
shaft as it slides through the ball end
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RC10R5
The front mount for the centre shock is a nice little piece of kit. It
has a carbon plate that gives the option to change the angle of the
shock, giving a subtle adjustment in handling, and instead of a push
fit for the aerial tube there is a grub screw to secure it in place for
extra peace of mind.
The rear axle design has been around for a few years now, and
there is a reason for that. It works, and it works well! You don’t need
to apply loads of lube to the diff balls, just a small amount onto
each ball, and make sure to get the diff setting correct. Adjust it as
explained in the instructions, something I have been doing for years
and find it spot on.
The rear pod has plenty of room to slide in any motor without
dismantling the car in any way and is even ‘balance-optimised’ for
brushless motors.
The rest of the build is straight forward and the car slots together
well. There is minimal flash to remove from the mouldings and I found
the tolerances to be good.
With the car build completed it was time to fit the radio gear. For
motive power, I already had some SMC Ener-G 4600 cells from my
12th racing built-in 4-cell configuration (and cell tape to secure
them) so that part was easy and there is plenty of space on the chassis
so pretty much any receiver will fit.
With brushless being ‘where it’s at’ just now, I got my grubby mitts
on the tried and tested Novak GTB system (with a 13.5T motor for
starters). Fitting it was a breeze; just make sure that all the wires that
attach to the motor do not hinder the pod movement in any way.
Move the pod forwards, backwards and side-to-side to make sure it
can move freely. If it binds in any way, re-do the wiring until it is free,
otherwise it will adversely affect the handling.
The only downside was that a ‘standard’ size servo is too big for
the provided servo posts and of course the mounting holes in the
chassis. I went to check on the Associated website as to why this
might be, and it appears they see the market for the 10R5 coming
primarily from those already racing 12th so have tailored the car
to take equipment used in 12th circuit (which use a smaller servo).
Perhaps I see it as strange because the Pro-10’s we used to race had
a standard size servo in them and that’s simply what I was expecting. I
would recommend something with reasonable speed to maximise the
grip levels the car will produce and all the well known manufacturers
make suitable sized servos so have a look and choose your weapon.
When fitting the chosen servo there are spacers to adjust how far
forward it sits, so you can adjust the amount of Ackerman gained
during steering, but to start with set the steering turnbuckles straight
(i.e. in line with each other).
As personal transponders are high on everyone’s shopping list, they
have been catered for with a specific place to fit it on the car. The
carbon plate between the two front bulkheads has some mounting
holes in just the right place to mount your PT where you need it, at
the front!
The shell used for this review was a Corvette C6-R GT, one of a
new batch of designs being pioneered by Protoform for this class.
The side springs rest on the side ball joints
Combined with another fantastic TelsShells paintjob, putting his
personal slant on my usual colour scheme it really looks the part.
Check out those fades, thanks Terry!
All that was left now was a set of boots to provide the grip. CML
kindly supplied me with a set of Jaco ‘Lilac’ trued and glued tyres.
These were used at the recent race meeting in Las Vegas as a control
tyre so I knew they would be just fine, and they come on the ‘blingest’
wheels I have ever seen, a carbon effect print makes them look
absolutely TOP! An issue did arise upon fitting the wheels however
– they gave too much ride height (I don’t think that has even been
a problem with a pan car before…) I changed the rear axle height
adjusters to lower the axle as far as possible and added some more
shims under the front bulkheads to bring the ride height down to 7
mm, still a couple of mm higher than I would have liked but with the
weekend rapidly approaching I didn’t have the chance to true the
tyres down any.
For a track test I took the 10R5 to the friendly Swindon RCMCC.
Having just moved indoors for the winter and with Primafelt GT carpet to
race on, this was the perfect opportunity to see just what this little baby
could do. A quick shakedown checked the steering was straight and that
the diff didn’t slip, then with the turning circles set we were ready to go.
I played it safe with the additive, applying Jack-the-Gripper to the rear
tyres for 15 minutes and to just over half of the front tyres for 10 minutes.
The timing and amount of front additive used is a major tuning point
of a pan-car and comes down to track surface and tyre compounds
chosen.
It was apparent during practice that racing against touring cars
using 13.5t motors and 7.4 V 2-cell LiPo batteries, the 10R5 didn’t
have quite enough zip with its 13.5t motor and 4.8 V 4-cell NiMH for
me. Although the car is lighter than a tourer, the extra voltage they
carried definitely helped them, and to be honest I’m a bit of a speed
freak and wanted more, more, MORE!
So I changed motor to a 10.5Tt, this was the logical choice and
proved to be spot on. Making an educated guess on gearing I went
with 60 mmpr, which with the new tyres is a 30T pinion on the kit 96T
spur. The car felt slightly over-geared for the track layout but now I
definitely had the edge on speed over the tourers. The chaps I was
racing with were very accommodating to this strange beast amongst
them so thanks go to them.
The first run proper started nice and easy, as I was afraid of
damaging that lovely shell, but I soon got into a good groove as
the car proved easy to drive and well behaved, albeit with some
high speed understeer. For the next couple of runs I didn’t change
anything other than to turn the brakes up as there were a couple of
hairpins with fast entries that I REALLY needed to slow the car down
for. Running a brushless system in such a light car as the R5 with very
little rolling resistance, it took me a while to get the hang of braking,
but when I got it right the car was definitely sharper and lapped
quicker.
For the final run I applied a bit of my 12th scale experience and
moved the cells to the front which I find gives the car a more
The built rear end clearly shows the side damping
shock, and note the chamfered, CA sealed edges to the
cell slots
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New front threaded axles are
firmly held in place with a screw
Front carbon plate showing the choice of wheelbase mounting
holes. Note the three point Personal Transponder mount, right
at the front
No problems wiring in a brushless motor; just
make sure the wires don’t compromise the
movement of the pod
From underneath you choose
your wheelbase by relocating the
front suspension
Keep it simple – the RC10R5
steering arrangement
All ready to go, with plenty of room
for the radio gear
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RC10R5
QUICK SPEC
Back on track. Another stunning paint job
from Telsshells with the carbon effect Jaco
wheels looks just awesome!
consistent feel throughout the whole corner, and
so it proved to be. It is a simple change that only
takes a few seconds, just a case of moving two
plastic blocks that are mounted in the cell slots. This
change combined with the stabilising of the carpet
grip levels left me feeling much more confident that
I wasn’t going to splatter the ‘Vette all over the hall
wall. It could bite me if I was too aggressive into a
tight corner but I could now drive smooth and hard
for the complete run. The ride height I’d set didn’t
cause an issue, even so it was noticeable how sharp
the car was through the change of direction in
chicanes and S-bends, a definite advantage of the
link-car chassis design.
The Associated RC10R5 both looks and
feels right on track, the huge wing keeping
it planted
There are proposals to create an official BRCA
class for a World GT class and by the time you
read this the AGM will have taken place so fingers
crossed! Even after this short test I feel the RC10R5
will definitely be able to cut the proverbial mustard
in competition, and the great thing is it’s so simple
to use, maintain and tune compared to a 4WD
touring car, that having it just for fun makes even
more sense!
Associated have proven time and time again that
they don’t have to re-invent the wheel to make
successful and popular cars, and with the RC10R5
they have done it again. Pro - 10 is BACK! RRCi
Class: 1/10th Electric Circuit
Type: Self-assembly Chassis Kit
Manufacturer: Associated Electric
Price: £199.99 RRP
Required AND
Recommended
Motor: Novak 10.5 SS
ESC: Novak GTB
Cells: SMC Ener-G 4600 NiMH
Charger: Robitronic Overloader 2
Tyres: Jaco Lilac
Bodyshell: Protoform Corvette C6-R
Paint: TelsShells
Radio: KO Universe/Spektrum
Receiver: Spektrum Micro
Servo: KO 947
Dislikes
Lack of set-up information
No thrust race for the differential
Likes
Quality of components
Super smooth shocks
Easy to adjust
Part commonality with RC12R5
CONTACT
CML Distribution, Tel: 01527 575349 or
visit www.cmldistribution.co.uk
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