Really nice review of an underrated rc. What is interesting is the fact that you have spent time, effort and expense in making custom parts for these models and have them for sale, but you are always honest enough to point out what of these custom mods the car needs and what it can do without, for different types of consumers. A mark of a true enthusiast.
Well I am glad you like them. For me, it is all about the car and what it is and can be. This is not a race car and for that mater, even a good car but is it is still a ball to drive and is all that is important.
Yeah i do not know what they were thinking by the stance of the car. I mean why was the back so high? There really was no reason other than to make it different than the Super Hornet.
That is a wonderful testament to *hopefully* not the last of the series! Surely, there will always be somebody, wanting to get back to basics. If what you say is true, I'm going to have to try to get at least one. Murph
Great vid. I built my RF years ago and spent ages messing about with oil filled shocks, different tyres etc. just to try and get it to "work". Never got anywhere with that so it went back in the wardrobe in disgrace. It wasn't until I remembered about it, extracted it from the bottom of the wardrobe and returned it to standard spec that I "got it". It's terrible but great all at the same time. A car with completely no pretensions and that's the way it should stay! You can't take yourself seriously when driving the RF... These kits are selling for about £50 in the UK at the moment and I keep being tempted to get a couple just to put them away for future builds.
A quick RF tip is that if you get annoyed by having to keep undoing three screws to undo the body and connect the battery, the rear two screws can be omitted by using a strip of velcro there to secure the body. It's how my bodyshell is attached and I've had no problem with it parting company from the chassis during bashing.
OH very nice Owen. I thought of some kind of body post installation but this body lives on the car. This is a good call if like you, you need access to the innards of the car. Thanks for that.
I'm not a calculator but me and my kids have gotten in to the hobby over the summer (lockdoun) have just ordered the rising fighter for my 8 year old think he is going to love it if not I will 😆
@@AMPROEngineering I've been enjoying mine ever since I bought the Ampro rear shock mounts and the transmission brace you gave me! Drive it so much it's already through multiple sets of tires
This is one of my favorite Tamiya buggies! I built one for my son so he can race against my grasshopper. He likes the Rising Fighter better because it’s much faster than the Grasshopper. The only issue I’ve been having is that the steering rods keep bending from crashing while driving too fast. I ordered some stronger parts but it’s going to take some modification in order to fit the off brand steering rods. I couldn’t find any hop up steering parts from Tamiya for this kit.
Sadly Tamiya never really made anything for this car. It really is a shame that they ignore their budget buggies so much as, like you say, they are a ball to drive!
The "lack" of rear suspension under acceleration is called anti-squat, it can be desirable under certain conditions. Did Tamiya want the solid axle articulation or the anti-squat, or a little of both?
That is correct but anti-squat works a little differently here. Usually, the rear end squats under acceleration. This is why cars with good (or even not terrible) rear suspension will rotate the arms a couple of degrees to combat this. They also normally have the motor mounted on the opposite side of the transmission. This disaster is not that way. This is just a result of making a car cheap and durable. I think tamiya wanted the articulation since the anti squat on this car negates the suspension thanks to the motors rotation, unlike other cars where the motors rotation causes squat. It is hard to apply the same knowledge we have of capable buggies to these old style solid axle cars. They kind of break the mold, lol.
Um, yes and no, respectfully. I understand your thought on motor rotation but.....for those that are unaware, perhaps you are, the height of instant center in relation to the chassis center of gravity determines squat, neutral, and anti-squat, not the direction of motor rotation. Instant center being the point where the converging lines of the rear suspension arms meet, in this case the chassis horns where the shocks mount as one and the other being the trans case used as one large lower control arm. Due to zero resistance in the vertical slip/pivot mount to the chassis, before the vehicle moves forward, the axle case rotates around the steel axle first, driving the pivot point up, causing a radical change in instant center, and in this chassis, shifts from a squat or neutral instant center to an anti-squat instant center. For this RWD chassis type, under acceleration, suspension compression is typically only desirable just before the loss of traction. Lock the pivot in the lower position and the anti-squat will turn to neutral, and if the pivot could be mounted even lower, you would get your "desired" squat , yet the motor rotates the same.
I see what you are talking about. To be honest, I have never once looked at a "Hornet" style car and thought of anti-squat. I am glad you have brought this up. When I was designed race car chassis (real, not RC), this was a major design application. For the hornet, the ability to stay right side up was always more important, haha! I did want to lower the brace as you suggested how ever due to the "rolling ridged rear axle" mounts (as Tamiya so eloquently described) this would have reduced the radial movement of the trans. Thank you so much for your input. I love when people like me are so interested in cars like this.
Great vid! Yeah, probably the last but never say never :-) Would love to see that 5th store jump experiment ;-) But yeah I agree. Looking forward upgrading and doing a new body for my RF when time comes. I’m not sure why you keep insisting that the gear box is from the Mad Fighter? I think the Mad Fighter got it’s gear box from the Fighter Buggy RX so technically both the Mad Fighter, Mad Bull and Rising Fighter got their transmission from the Fighter Buggy. I could be wrong. On the other hand I think the wing is taken directly off the Mad Fighter which makes it all the more interesting. It’s like a hybrid of a Mad Fighter and a Super Hornet. The rear is a Mad Fighter - the body and front is a Super Hornet. Love these videos! Thank you very much for taking your time to include this one in the ‘Awesome 5 Solid rear axle’ series :-)
1992, Tamiya Rookie Rabbit ,basically the Fighter Buggy RX, but 4 years older. It was the beginning for this gearbox. I wonder if the gearbox will properly hook up to a Grasshopper/Hornet...
Oh I didn't realize that. I think the reason I was focused on the Mad Fighter is that I wanted that clear gear box. I think that clear on is a MF only option?
Oh really? I was not aware of this. I need to look at that car close now. I do not think that this will fit on a GH or Hornet since the diameter of the trans mount is a larger diameter.
I do love the thing. I just think Tamiya totally missed out on the heritage of the car by not calling it GH3 or Hornet 3 or something like that. Sales would have been massive for that alone.
Thanks for the video. I hand LandFreeder special matte black, bought as my first ever hobby rc couple years back to use with my nephew. He’s 5 now and I want to get him something of his own, thinking either the RF, Grasshopper 1 or hornet. I’m thinking 380 motor so he can learn. What would you recommend, it’s mostly going to be run in his grandparents very big garden which mixture of short and long grass but very bumpy as ground is mostly clay and it breaks up like Grand Canyon in summer. We’re from uk.
Building my RF right now. Call it my lockdown mid life crisis. Any ideas on how to fix or prevent that chassis break? I can totally see the weakness there.
Hi there, great video man, i just got a bnib Rising Fighter for the princely sum of sixty bucks, i will probably get a few of you’re upgraded parts. I just got it for the craik,as we say here in Northern Ireland, oh it’s pronounced crack, lol 😂
The front wheels are Wild one, the rears are Ampro designs developed to match the fronts and fit the rising fighter. There is a link in the video description.
I just ordered a Grasshopper partly because the Grasshopper II did not have the lights, ruining the look. I am mainly into the hobby as a return (I am 64 years old) from an old AYK Boxer (transmission is lunched, looks great as wall art though). I want a good looking car with a body I can modify (not lexan) and the only real advantage the Grasshopper II offered was the rolling axle. Now I have a question. I know all of your Hornet front end modifications can be applied to the Grasshopper, but what is best for the rear of an original (re-release) Grasshopper?
Best thing to do with the original grasshopper rear end is to add all of the hornet parts to it. I offer a number of hornet rear end upgrades but they won't work unless you have the hornet sliders and shock components. This will then make it more similar to a grasshopper 2 And have the exact same or suspension as the Hornets. It's a good upgrade.
I checked out the adaptor it takes kyosho wheels to Tamiya car. I'm looking to go tamiya wheels to kyosho car. Like hornet wheels to scorpion vehicle. Yes.....get a scorpion! I love mine. Im just about done with my kyosho 2014 beetle re-release. I'll make a video on my channel about that one.
@@AMPROEngineering Ah that's a real shame.. I wanted to build a Super GH III with GH I shell using the RF Chassis as its a little more improved over the rest of the Hopper family. Would maybe the Hornet Shell fit?
Another question: I really would like to mount the front bumper of the Tamiya Super Hotshot on my RF, is there a chance that you could make a mount adapter for this? Here you can see the bumper: www.ebay.de/itm/TAMIYA-VINTAGE-SPARE-HOT-SHOT-BUMPER/113248459335?hash=item1a5e225a47:g:nXIAAOSw-09aMmmv
Ok the adapter is added to Shapeways. Sorry I never thought anyone would want it. As for the bumper, ill need to look. I have a HS so I can see what would be needed.
Hornet 3 i like it .. last of the old school yep.. name suits it .. the name that jumped into my head was "The Hornet EPIC" your right cha ching$$ tamiya missed.
Right! When these came out I didn’t look at them a single time until a few years later when someone had mentioned that it was just a super hornet with some upgrades
@@AMPROEngineering I understand now I mainly fly rc aircraft to be honest electric powered ones and the 2.4ghz has totally eliminated any electrical interference from the esc!😃👍
I love your tone of voice. Very soothing. Also your knowledge is amazing. Thanks for the vid.
Haha! Thank you! My Pleasure.
My 11 year old just finished building his. He loves it
That's just the best age for it!
Very interesting video. Thank you, I've just built a Rising Fighter, it is my 7th build since July, and I think it is my favourite!!!
Nice! I do love that car.
Really nice review of an underrated rc. What is interesting is the fact that you have spent time, effort and expense in making custom parts for these models and have them for sale, but you are always honest enough to point out what of these custom mods the car needs and what it can do without, for different types of consumers. A mark of a true enthusiast.
Well I am glad you like them. For me, it is all about the car and what it is and can be. This is not a race car and for that mater, even a good car but is it is still a ball to drive and is all that is important.
Looks way better the whay you set it up. Rear shock mounts and lights made the difference. I thought the same thing as you now you sold me on this.
Yeah i do not know what they were thinking by the stance of the car. I mean why was the back so high? There really was no reason other than to make it different than the Super Hornet.
That is a wonderful testament to *hopefully* not the last of the series! Surely, there will always be somebody, wanting to get back to basics.
If what you say is true, I'm going to have to try to get at least one.
Murph
Thanks, it is a neat car that's for sure.
Awesome video of the king of the underdog rcs! Love this car!✊🏼😎
Thanks for that!
AMPRO Engineering anytime, keep up the great work!👍🏼
Great vid. I built my RF years ago and spent ages messing about with oil filled shocks, different tyres etc. just to try and get it to "work". Never got anywhere with that so it went back in the wardrobe in disgrace. It wasn't until I remembered about it, extracted it from the bottom of the wardrobe and returned it to standard spec that I "got it". It's terrible but great all at the same time. A car with completely no pretensions and that's the way it should stay! You can't take yourself seriously when driving the RF...
These kits are selling for about £50 in the UK at the moment and I keep being tempted to get a couple just to put them away for future builds.
Exactly, they are so bad that they are good!
A quick RF tip is that if you get annoyed by having to keep undoing three screws to undo the body and connect the battery, the rear two screws can be omitted by using a strip of velcro there to secure the body. It's how my bodyshell is attached and I've had no problem with it parting company from the chassis during bashing.
OH very nice Owen. I thought of some kind of body post installation but this body lives on the car. This is a good call if like you, you need access to the innards of the car. Thanks for that.
I'm not a calculator but me and my kids have gotten in to the hobby over the summer (lockdoun) have just ordered the rising fighter for my 8 year old think he is going to love it if not I will 😆
Seriously, it is a great car and I am sure he will!
Great video series, thanks for posting :)
Any time!
This is probably one of my favorite buggies... Once upgraded with Ampro parts of course 😉
Glad to hear it. I always felt it was under appreciated.
@@AMPROEngineering I've been enjoying mine ever since I bought the Ampro rear shock mounts and the transmission brace you gave me! Drive it so much it's already through multiple sets of tires
This is one of my favorite Tamiya buggies! I built one for my son so he can race against my grasshopper. He likes the Rising Fighter better because it’s much faster than the Grasshopper. The only issue I’ve been having is that the steering rods keep bending from crashing while driving too fast. I ordered some stronger parts but it’s going to take some modification in order to fit the off brand steering rods. I couldn’t find any hop up steering parts from Tamiya for this kit.
Sadly Tamiya never really made anything for this car. It really is a shame that they ignore their budget buggies so much as, like you say, they are a ball to drive!
The "lack" of rear suspension under acceleration is called anti-squat, it can be desirable under certain conditions. Did Tamiya want the solid axle articulation or the anti-squat, or a little of both?
That is correct but anti-squat works a little differently here. Usually, the rear end squats under acceleration. This is why cars with good (or even not terrible) rear suspension will rotate the arms a couple of degrees to combat this. They also normally have the motor mounted on the opposite side of the transmission. This disaster is not that way. This is just a result of making a car cheap and durable. I think tamiya wanted the articulation since the anti squat on this car negates the suspension thanks to the motors rotation, unlike other cars where the motors rotation causes squat. It is hard to apply the same knowledge we have of capable buggies to these old style solid axle cars. They kind of break the mold, lol.
Um, yes and no, respectfully. I understand your thought on motor rotation but.....for those that are unaware, perhaps you are, the height of instant center in relation to the chassis center of gravity determines squat, neutral, and anti-squat, not the direction of motor rotation. Instant center being the point where the converging lines of the rear suspension arms meet, in this case the chassis horns where the shocks mount as one and the other being the trans case used as one large lower control arm.
Due to zero resistance in the vertical slip/pivot mount to the chassis, before the vehicle moves forward, the axle case rotates around the steel axle first, driving the pivot point up, causing a radical change in instant center, and in this chassis, shifts from a squat or neutral instant center to an anti-squat instant center. For this RWD chassis type, under acceleration, suspension compression is typically only desirable just before the loss of traction.
Lock the pivot in the lower position and the anti-squat will turn to neutral, and if the pivot could be mounted even lower, you would get your "desired" squat , yet the motor rotates the same.
I see what you are talking about. To be honest, I have never once looked at a "Hornet" style car and thought of anti-squat. I am glad you have brought this up. When I was designed race car chassis (real, not RC), this was a major design application. For the hornet, the ability to stay right side up was always more important, haha! I did want to lower the brace as you suggested how ever due to the "rolling ridged rear axle" mounts (as Tamiya so eloquently described) this would have reduced the radial movement of the trans. Thank you so much for your input. I love when people like me are so interested in cars like this.
Great vid! Yeah, probably the last but never say never :-) Would love to see that 5th store jump experiment ;-) But yeah I agree. Looking forward upgrading and doing a new body for my RF when time comes. I’m not sure why you keep insisting that the gear box is from the Mad Fighter? I think the Mad Fighter got it’s gear box from the Fighter Buggy RX so technically both the Mad Fighter, Mad Bull and Rising Fighter got their transmission from the Fighter Buggy. I could be wrong. On the other hand I think the wing is taken directly off the Mad Fighter which makes it all the more interesting. It’s like a hybrid of a Mad Fighter and a Super Hornet. The rear is a Mad Fighter - the body and front is a Super Hornet. Love these videos! Thank you very much for taking your time to include this one in the ‘Awesome 5 Solid rear axle’ series :-)
1992, Tamiya Rookie Rabbit ,basically the Fighter Buggy RX, but 4 years older.
It was the beginning for this gearbox.
I wonder if the gearbox will properly hook up to a Grasshopper/Hornet...
Oh I didn't realize that. I think the reason I was focused on the Mad Fighter is that I wanted that clear gear box. I think that clear on is a MF only option?
Oh really? I was not aware of this. I need to look at that car close now. I do not think that this will fit on a GH or Hornet since the diameter of the trans mount is a larger diameter.
Hmmm, time to fire up the ol CAD software...lol
Oh jeez...don't get me started! Man I need to finish the BF interior and the Sand Scorches chassis so bad!
Hear hear re the headlights missing on the Rising Fighter. Still good fun for a first car is the Rising Fighter for mine.
I do love the thing. I just think Tamiya totally missed out on the heritage of the car by not calling it GH3 or Hornet 3 or something like that. Sales would have been massive for that alone.
Thanks for the video. I hand LandFreeder special matte black, bought as my first ever hobby rc couple years back to use with my nephew.
He’s 5 now and I want to get him something of his own, thinking either the RF, Grasshopper 1 or hornet. I’m thinking 380 motor so he can learn.
What would you recommend, it’s mostly going to be run in his grandparents very big garden which mixture of short and long grass but very bumpy as ground is mostly clay and it breaks up like Grand Canyon in summer. We’re from uk.
I would get the hopper. It is the strongest of the bunch and the slower motor is key for someone learning.
Love these clear plastic rearaxles…
Me too!
@@AMPROEngineering please make repro clear parts!!! Thinking about gearcases....for the Hot Shot....
You can get nice hobbywing esc for brushed motors for about $20 on the bay.
I have seen that. I like my old school ESC's. I am currently looking for a Airtronics Champ.
Building my RF right now. Call it my lockdown mid life crisis. Any ideas on how to fix or prevent that chassis break? I can totally see the weakness there.
The chassis should be pretty strong assuming you are going to screw the body down. This chassis and body combination acts like a unibody.
Great video! Love it.
Thanks Eric!
Hi there, great video man, i just got a bnib Rising Fighter for the princely sum of sixty bucks, i will probably get a few of you’re upgraded parts. I just got it for the craik,as we say here in Northern Ireland, oh it’s pronounced crack, lol 😂
haha! Very good! It is a fun car.
Where did you buy the wheels? I like it so much.
The front wheels are Wild one, the rears are Ampro designs developed to match the fronts and fit the rising fighter. There is a link in the video description.
I just ordered a Grasshopper partly because the Grasshopper II did not have the lights, ruining the look. I am mainly into the hobby as a return (I am 64 years old) from an old AYK Boxer (transmission is lunched, looks great as wall art though). I want a good looking car with a body I can modify (not lexan) and the only real advantage the Grasshopper II offered was the rolling axle. Now I have a question. I know all of your Hornet front end modifications can be applied to the Grasshopper, but what is best for the rear of an original (re-release) Grasshopper?
Best thing to do with the original grasshopper rear end is to add all of the hornet parts to it. I offer a number of hornet rear end upgrades but they won't work unless you have the hornet sliders and shock components. This will then make it more similar to a grasshopper 2 And have the exact same or suspension as the Hornets. It's a good upgrade.
I checked out the adaptor it takes kyosho wheels to Tamiya car. I'm looking to go tamiya wheels to kyosho car. Like hornet wheels to scorpion vehicle. Yes.....get a scorpion! I love mine. Im just about done with my kyosho 2014 beetle re-release. I'll make a video on my channel about that one.
Oh duh! Sorry I misunderstood! I will need to look into that. It is a very good idea.
This makes me want to try a mad fighter.
They may be the last of the breed.
I’m considering getting one of these for my son; are replacement parts still readily available for this model?
Eh...I would steer clear. A better option is the Grasshopper as there are upgrades available and the replacement parts are easy to come by.
❤
Thank you!
Hi looking into getting this kit but i dont like the rising fighter shell. Would a grasshopper shell fit onto this chassis?
No the original GH shell wont fit. It is closer to the Grasshopper 2 but even that may need modifications at the rear.
@@AMPROEngineering Ah that's a real shame.. I wanted to build a Super GH III with GH I shell using the RF Chassis as its a little more improved over the rest of the Hopper family. Would maybe the Hornet Shell fit?
A GH2 shell might work. But still might need a little trimming to get it to fit. Try Google'ing it. There might be something there
Good for the price
Definitely what I paid for it. If you are going for nostalgia it’s a good price but if you want a good buggy can get way better for this price
Hi what paint did you use to paint the rising fighter body?
This is testors aerosol paint.
Bet you hope the city never fixes the sidewalk in front of your house.....lol
these hump is great spot for playing RC cars.
LOL! Never!
❤Klasse
Hah! Thanks!
I enjoy your videos, although every car with this chassis ends up converted to the enhanced version of the same cars lol
Thank you! Yes this is usually what happens with my cars, haha!
Wish I had my old kit, I'd definitely upgrade all of them with your suspension parts!
Nice video.. I never liked this one it just looked funny to me the whole rear suspension and big gap and wing so high up in the air.
I totally agree. This is why I did so much to this car to make it look better.
Hello, i cannot find the mounts for the Auxiliary Lamps in shapeways. could you please give me the link to them?
Another question: I really would like to mount the front bumper of the Tamiya Super Hotshot on my RF, is there a chance that you could make a mount adapter for this? Here you can see the bumper: www.ebay.de/itm/TAMIYA-VINTAGE-SPARE-HOT-SHOT-BUMPER/113248459335?hash=item1a5e225a47:g:nXIAAOSw-09aMmmv
Ok the adapter is added to Shapeways. Sorry I never thought anyone would want it. As for the bumper, ill need to look. I have a HS so I can see what would be needed.
Hornet 3 i like it .. last of the old school yep.. name suits it .. the name that jumped into my head was "The Hornet EPIC" your right cha ching$$ tamiya missed.
Right! When these came out I didn’t look at them a single time until a few years later when someone had mentioned that it was just a super hornet with some upgrades
like how your sidewalk has convenient built in jumps lol. Youre probably hopin that never gets fixed.
that is my neighbors and you are right! I hope it stays that way!
Is it waterproof
Oh not at all.
I spy, Trailbreaker!
Yeah that is one of the 3rd party masterpiece TB's. This one was for me, the best one.
Sadly, a lot of 3rd party TFs are better than Hasbro, and in some cases, Takara.
Yep, I think transformers where my gateway to Rc cars, then real car's. Have too many of them all!
I hear that. I really have no changed since I was a kid. All the stuff I loved then is the same as the stuff that I love now.
I will say that this Trailbreaker is a genuine masterpiece. It is made incredibly well. This one is BadCube OTS-11 Speed Bump.
Nice cars but may I ask why you're using such dated radio control equipment? The 2.4ghz are vastly superior for rc use😃
Oh that is an easy answer. All of my cars that get a lot of use have modern radios. The occasional use ones just get the free stuff I already have.
@@AMPROEngineering I understand now I mainly fly rc aircraft to be honest electric powered ones and the 2.4ghz has totally eliminated any electrical interference from the esc!😃👍
These are totally underrated, and they’re cheap too..
They seriously are. Tamiya did a crap job marketing it.
Come on Tamiya it's the third gen of these Hornet/Grasshopper like cars and some random guy is doing a better job with the suspension than you.
Right!?
How about a wheel adaptor from kyosho to Tamiya wheels. Check out my vintage buggies on my channel or Michigan vintage rc on facebook
Ill take a look. I did just make a Kyosho adapter a couple videos ago. Will that work?
It looks really cheap and sounds rattly. I still want to own one though.
Yes, it is. That is part of the charm of this thing.
Tamiya is a very bad ass rc but to much plastic
Depends on the car for sure. Entry level cars are all plastic but the higher end stuff has some nice alloys.
@@AMPROEngineering of course it is one hell of an RC