AI Desert Racer RC Vehicle part 4

 The HPI Savage XL chassis recieved a few slight modifications. 

Mainly the custom electric motor mount combined with a small platform for the ESC (electronic Speed Control). A custom aluminium plate was added where the original nitro motor mount plate used to sit to hold the battery. The motor is mounted quite high where it has plenty of room under the high body.

Old Savages used to have 8 long skinny shocks 2 in each corner whereas these days they have a single large bore shock per wheel. Because my custom body weighs considerably more than a thin piece of vac-formed lexan I combined both a skinny old school shock and a big bore shock on each corner which gives me about the right amount of droop in the suspension. It would also be possible to add two big bore shocks to carry even more weight.

Weathering consisted of an oil wash followed by dry brushing with acrylic white paint. The oil wash was layed on and then wiped off in the direction I wanted to leave streaks. Hand painted chipping was then applied to the edges of panels using a grey colour. I also painted the wheels yellow and weathered them with a thin wash of brownish blackTamiya paint.

Finally here is the completed model.

The stats for this model are;

1/12 scale

680mm (nearly 27 inches) long

430mm wide

I have reached my average of two completed models per year. Both the completions the previous one being the Light Attack Vehicle, have been RC vehicles and I will take both to WASMEx (Western Australian Scale Model Exhibition) this year in early August.