RC Icons: The Sand Scorcher

An Original Tamiya Sand Scorcher

Sometimes a product transcends what it was originally intended for. Certain moments and technologies just change things forever. Inanimate objects can become heroes and timeless icons. The Sand Scorcher from Tamiya is one of those products. It was released in 1979 and the RC world changed forever. Without the Sand Scorcher, RC cars today would be very different and probably much less popular. The Sand Scorcher changed people’s perceptions of what an RC car could be and spawned a new class of RC vehicle built for off-road racing.

2010 Tamiya Sand Scorcher Remake

Until the release of the Sand Scorcher, RC racing was done exclusively on tracks. RC cars of the time did not have working suspension, and the hobby was loosely associated with slot car racing in the early days. The Sand Scorcher introduced new technologies that would allow off-road RC racing to become a reality. The popularity of off-road racing skyrocketed and it is now the most popular class of RC racing. This also dramatically increased the popularity of RC racing as a whole.

The Sand Scorcher was a 1:10 scale RC car, the sixteenth model made by Tamiya. Some of the revolutionary features included working suspension modeled on that of the Volkswagen Beetle, shared parts with the Rough Rider, another early off-road model, mostly metal components and a waterproof case for the on board electronics that made driving through water possible. Even today, only top of the line off-road beasts have waterproofed electronics. The Sand Scorcher also had metal, oil-filled shock absorbers, ribbed front tires and paddle-type rear tires and a chassis constructed of a fiberglass plate with metal supports.

The Sand Scorcher’s influence was so great that original models fetch prices of up to $5000 at auction. The Sand Scorcher was also featured in the Australian cult film Malcolm about a man who robs banks and also enjoys his hobbies. In the film he uses a Sand Scorcher with a gun and camera attached to rob a bank. Tamiya even commissioned a full sized version of the Sand Scorcher to be built in 2010. The impressive final product was an exact replica of the Sand Scorcher, down to the recognizable tires and the iconic sticker job.

The popularity of the Sand Scorcher is so great that last year Tamiya decided to produce a 30 year anniversary edition. The re-release was almost identical to the original Sand Scorcher but contained a modern electronic speed control instead of the mechanical one used in the original, and a few more die-cast parts. The re-release coincided with re-releases of two other classic Tamiya models, the Rough Rider and Buggy Champ, the latter of which shares its chassis with the Sand Scorcher.

The Sand Scorcher has a pedigree of the type usually reserved for actual, full sized cars. It revitalized RC racing, spawned an entirely new type of off-road RC racing, starred in an Australian film, was made into a giant and dominated competitions. Without this vehicle, the entire world of RC racing would look incredibly different. So pay your respects and raise your glasses, to an RC car that did more in the last 30 years than most people do in their entire lives. 

Make sure to come and visit HobbyTron.com to see all of our exciting RC Buggies.

Early History of RC Cars

Every important thing to ever come out of the country Wales has come from a little coastal town called Swansea. Dylan Thomas, who inspired countless individuals with his poetry in the early 1900’s came from Swansea. Catherine Zeta-Jones, the incredibly attractive Hollywood star, is also from Swansea. Howard Marx, who was at one point the biggest hashish smuggler in the world and had his life turned into a major motion picture is from Swansea as well. And in 1967, in a model shop in Swansea, one of the first ever remote control cars was on sale. It came from an Italian company called Elettronica Giocattoli, and it was a 1:12 scale model of a Ferrari 250 LM.

Ferrari 250 LM

The model was popular enough for a second one to be produced, this time a 1:10 scale replica of the Ferrari P4. It was shown at the Milan Fair in 1968. The world of RC cars was about to begin. The next major company was a British one named Mardave. They still produce RC cars made in the UK to this day. A race was held at Berk Hampsted in 1971 and their model won. The next year in Leicester they built the world’s first permanent RC racing track. The early 70’s would see numerous small American companies enter the fray as well, and it seemed as if RC cars were on the map. At the time, the scene was dominated by 1:8 scale nitro cars.

In 1974 a company by the name of Jerobee developed a 1:12 scale nitro car. Soon other companies started developing parts for it and it became extremely popular. It was a major influence in the creation of a 1:12 scale racing circuit, which eventually became very popular. It was also at this point that individuals began building their own cars from scratch. RC racing had remained relatively the same for its ten or so year existence, but that would all change in 1976 when the Japanese company Tamiya decided to try their hand at the world of RC.

Traxxas Jato 3.3 Nitro Truck

Tamiya Corporation is a well-known Japanese manufacturer that sprung up directly after WWII. At the time, they were known for their highly detailed models of cars, boats and various other things. They produced a run of RC cars that looked incredible and were well designed but did not exactly possess high performance. Nevertheless, they were popular and sold out quickly. Then in 1979 they released the Sand Scorcher and the Rough Rider, the two first RC vehicles designed for off-road use. They were based on the buggy design and were the first RC cars to feature real working suspension. They began manufacturing trucks as well, and produced the first vehicles with realistic 3-speed transmissions.

Redcat Racing Lightning STR 1:10 Nitro Car

The popularity of the Tamiya models skyrocketed and they can be credited as being responsible for creating the RC car market. RC racing would see a boom in the 80’s as people began racing both on and off-road. During this time tires became more realistic, motors became bigger, components became more durable and RC monster trucks were born. Many of the Tamiya models from this time are now considered vintage and fetch thousands of dollars at auction. However, a British company was about to make the largest change to RC cars since working suspension and off-road rubber tires.

Traxxas Mustang Boss VXL 1:16 Scale Electric Car

Schumacher Racing Products is a company that started in 1980 in Northampton. For the first year they manufactured only components for other RC cars, but the next year they would produce their first car as well. Their gift to the world of RC racing is the ball differential. Ball differentials use small ball bearings instead of bevel gears and allow for a lot more adjustability. Before the creation of the ball differential, drivers simply did not have many options for field adjustability. Ball differentials allowed a massive number of tuning options for different track conditions.

HPI Racing 1:5 Scale Baja 5B V2.0 Gas Buggy

Other companies would start producing their own models with ball differentials and it quickly became the standard. Schumacher continues to produce RC cars today, and they have won a great many Championships in all manner of classes and categories. Without the dedication of companies like Schumacher and Tamiya, RC racing today would look very different indeed. As the 80’s progressed, RC cars would continue to improve both technologically and ascetically. The modern era of RC racing was about to begin… 

Now there are numerous companies that build RC cars for our enjoyment. Traxxas, HPI and Redcat Racing name just a few of the top of the line companies that keep this hobby at the cutting edge. So come on down or log on to HobbyTron.com and pick up an RC car that you will enjoy for years to come today.

Alphonse Pénaud: Father of the Model Airplane

Alphonse Pénaud is a name many people may not have heard, but also a name that everyone involved in RC aircraft should recognize and respect. His time on earth was short, he was born in Paris in 1850 and committed suicide in 1880 at the age of 30. But during that short time, he shook the scientific world and changed everyone’s perspective of what mankind was capable of. He did it all with a simple tool – a controllable model airplane. Yes, Alphonse Pénaud is the father of model airplanes, and model helicopters as well. Of course, back when he was making them no full-sized airplanes had ever been produced. His work would be an inspiration for the next generation of scientists and engineers, and eventually help to create a human flying machine.

Pénaud built many models, but his principle concern was the “Planophore”. The Planophore was a small model aircraft with a wingspan of only about one and a half feet. It was powered by a rubber band and resembled a modern day balsa wood airplane kit. Two major versions were produced, one with a standard tractor propeller located in front of the plane, and another with a push propeller located in the rear. He would continue to improve his Planophore for the duration of his life, adding weights and making the models more aerodynamically sound. He even invented wing washout to solve one of its problems, a feature that would later be seen on full sized modern aircraft.

P40 Warhawk Balsa Wood Nitro Airplane

The Planophore was the first model of its type and Pénaud travelled around demonstrating its flight capabilities. It was endorsed by the Société Française de Navigation Aérienne, a recently formed French society for aeronautical navigation. Pénaud developed other flying models as well. His first ever model (even before the Planophore) was a basic helicopter design that he had built by a watchmaker to exacting specifications. It even had gold plated propeller blades. Imagine how much your co-axial would cost with gold plated blades. He tried his hand at ornithopters as well, producing a model that was able to travel up to 15 meters. While this was impressive, it paled in comparison to the 60 meter flight distance of the Planophore. Later he would try different helicopter designs as well as further refining and experimenting with his Planophore design.

C-17 Global Master 6CH Electric Airplane

Pénaud was not only a designer but published many studies as well. He was a strong advocate of the internal combustion engine despite steam and electric engines being the preferred technology of the time. Many of his studies revolved around aerodynamics, drag and weight. He put forth revolutionary ideas of how to overcome the problems of flight that would become even more relevant years later during the production of full sized aircraft. He also revived the work of many former scientists and published this as well.

F-16 Fighter Jet 4CH Electric Airplane

Perhaps Pénaud’s most revolutionary design was the two passenger amphibious plane that he developed in conjunction with Paul Gauchot. This design was incredible for many reasons. First of all, it was amphibious with waterproof components and the ability to land on sea. It also had retractable landing gear, electronically controlled elevators, an air pressure indicator, bank indicator, anemometer, a windshield and even the possibility of being launched by a catapult. It was way ahead of its time and many of its features are still seen on aircraft today. The invention was registered in 1876. Three years later Pénaud would attend a meeting of the Société Française de Navigation Aérienne, where he realized the society would provide no more financial backing. Pénaud then returned home, placed all of his original blueprints in a small coffin, and shot himself.

Mini Infrared Thunder Fighter Ed Hardy Special Edition 2CH  Airplane

Although the man was dead, his ideas would continue to live on and drastically shape the future of mankind. Years later two boys in America would be given one of Pénaud’s helicopter toys by their father, and it would inspire them to new heights. These boys were named Orville and Wilbur Wright, and they would later study Pénaud’s diagrams and papers, and cite him as a major inspiration, before creating the machine that would provide the world’s first ever human flight. Today our functioning model airplanes, whether powered by the new powerful brushless electric motors or internal combustion engines, are based on full-sized airplanes. Many of them even come ready to fly because we can’t figure out how they go together. Alphonse Pénaud imagined, designed and produced model airplanes on which full-sized airplanes were based. Think about that.

For a large selection of fun RC Airplanes come check us out at HobbyTron.com. 

History of Airsoft

Electric Airsoft Rifles

Airsoft is a relatively new sport that only began gaining popularity in the Western world in the 1990’s. It was originally developed in Japan and first became popular there, China, and Korea. America has played an important part in Airsoft development as well, and the sport is now immensely popular here. The history of Airsoft is a complicated one that isn’t explored often enough. Until the late 80's early 90’s, virtually no one in the West knew anything about Airsoft unless they had been or knew someone that had been to Asia and witnessed games over there. The internet was instrumental in the growth of Airsoft, as its invention allowed the earliest fans of Airsoft in America and Europe to purchase replicas for the first time. But to fully understand the history of Airsoft, we must travel back to a time well before the internet changed the world. We must travel to a decade of excellent music and horrendous fashion choices, the groovy 1960’s.

Since the 1960’s it has been illegal in Japan for any civilian to own firearms. They say necessity is the mother of invention, and Airsoft is proof of that. The Japanese market needed something they could use for target shooting, as various shooting sports already existed in Japan at the time of the firearms ban. It is also important to note that Japan has a penchant for plastic models, be they replicas of vehicles, firearms, or giant laser-shooting robots. It is not surprising, then, that high quality gun replicas were quickly introduced. These early replicas were extremely detailed and collectable. They were similar to blank-firing guns and even had full-auto capabilities. They did not, however, fire projectiles. At the same time in America, Daisy Outdoor Products (makers of the famous Red Ryder BB gun) began introducing a handgun series that fired small, round pellets encased in shells, similar to modern Airsoft revolvers. The pellets were fired at low power and did not go very far, and these guns were referred to as “soft-air” guns. Back in Japan, this technology was influential in the creation of what were essentially modern Airsoft guns, with both springers and gas-powered replicas becoming available in a variety of models by the mid 80’s. Many of the models had high metal content and were much more powerful than the Daisy “soft-air” guns. This is when the sport of Airsoft was born, having been made possible by the advent of well made, non-lethal, projectile-firing replica firearms. Until this point, Airsoft replicas had mostly been used for target shooting and collecting.

Airsoft Sniper Rifles

While all this development was happening in Asia, in America the sport of paintball had been created by a bunch of people messing about with guns originally meant for marking utility companies’ power poles. Paintball guns would follow a trend that emphasized functionality over realism. This, coupled with the family friendly image that paintball strived hard for in the early days, meant that paintball gun manufacturers steered away from realistic-looking firearms. It wasn’t until recent years that realistic paintball guns even became available beyond the scope of a very small niche market. This would later be important as Airsoft began to spread to the Western world, because by the 80’s and 90’s paintball was already popular in America and many European countries. Paintball is more popular than Airsoft in these countries, but as the sports are (arguably) quite similar, paintball’s success invariably helped the assimilation of Airsoft in to Western culture. Airsoft also benefitted from the family friendly image paintball had successfully created for itself. Although Airsoft is associated more with MilSim (Military Simulation), the public’s general acceptance of a sport that involved shooting at each other was almost certainly beneficial.

By the late 80’s and early 90’s both paintball and Japanese model kits had become popular in America and Europe. In the 90’s, Tokyo Marui created the first ever Automatic Electric Gun. AEGs helped Airsoft’s popularity immensely because, among other things, they were cheaper to manufacture, used no gas, and were more reliable. They became so popular that gas guns dropped out of favor and many manufacturers went out of business. However Tokyo Marui, along with some competitors, started developing more effective gas systems and began producing gas-powered guns that did not require an external tank for the gas (like those featured on modern paintball guns). Hop up systems were also invented at this time. By the mid to late 90’s AEGs were available in both America and Europe, and Airsoft really took off.

G&G Airsoft Guns

Today Airsoft is rapidly growing in popularity all over the world. Still extremely popular in Asia, Airsoft is now firmly cemented in America, Europe (especially the UK and Italy), Canada, and other countries around the world. There are professionally run fields everywhere, and the number of these fields is almost certainly dwarfed by the number of makeshift fields that kids and adults have built for themselves and their friends. There are a large number of manufactures making high quality Airsoft replicas, and they are even frequently used in films and on television. Today even Walmart sells Airsoft guns. They are terrible so don’t buy them, but it really says something about the popularity our little sport has gained in the last couple of decades.  So the next time you fire an Airsoft gun, remember that without overbearing Japanese gun control laws it wouldn’t even exist. So grab a gun from HobbyTron and I will see you on the field.