It's ALWAYS racing season at my House. Yet another one of my passions....Slot Cars. I have been prepping the Suzuka Circuit for some visitors. It is 1/32nd scale and measures 23' x 8' and one lap is 60'. This is Model Road Racing at it's finest. Any Aerodrome Member is always welcome to race if you ever find yourself in Central Illinois.
Impressive track there Jim. And the Dorniers are going on my next order
Run for your life - there are stupid people everywhere!
So how many books are in your personal library?
. . . maybe a nano version of the game with tiny cards, stands and mats, say 11" x 17" . . . did I take my meds today????
Doesn't seem that long ago when the Waterline Series of 1/700 scale warships first came out, and we were happy if the planes included in the kits looked something like the real thing .
"FUD: Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt" (on how long the mini will survive).
Slot cars: Obsolete -- now we have this: https://anki.com/en-ca/overdrive/starter-kit .... (It's also going to consign _Car Wars Sixth Edition_ to the dustbin of history, but given what the marketroid running SJG these days has done to it....)
Slot Cars have been around since the 1930's (yep, the 1930's)and aren't going anywhere. The new technology robotic novelty cars are just that, a novelty. They don't much look like anything I have ever seen on a race track. For me it's driving a miniature 1962 Ferrari 250GTO or a Porsche 917, or a Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, or a Chaparral, or.....any other Classic race car for that matter. But I take auto racing pretty seriously. I wonder how many times you would have to re-boot one of those electronic computer controlled wonders?
We have a huge indoor (of course - course double pun points!) race course here in a big abandoned shopping plaza. They have electric go carts for the kids to drive on a big and winding track and all kids of model race car set ups including slot cars. Not as cool as yours though! There is even a slot car drag strip complete with lights and burning rubber - quite a sight. Next time I am there I will take some photos. The races have a monthly schedule of events including of course the R/C cars.
I immediately put the floor elves to work on a Search and Rescue mission, had to rush the curious dogs and their tongues out of the room. They successfully recovered the bits and set to work repairing the poor thing, now it has a "well worn look." I will be getting it a friend and update it with radial engines . . . when you have good elves, everything made can be remade . . . just don't put hot water in the china cups on the top shelf . . .
Anytime a digital or computer system is introduced to a product line it is EXPECTED that a memory loss or meltdown of one sort or another will occur that will require a re-start. This is a fact of life with any Computer controlled device, it happens all the time. The last thing I want to do is mess around with electronics when I could be racing. The digital tracks have a similar issue, I have seen it first hand. As far as converting to a 1/32nd scale body, this was already done about 10 years ago with an electronic slot-less system on a painted track that never caught on. It was cool though, you could make any track any size you wanted. The power source was in the car, not the track. As far as getting better at racing as these computer controlled cars claim, all you need to do that with any traditional slot car is just spend some time and race it. The control lies in the driver, not the car, just like real life. I have been slot car racing for over 45 years now and have seen a lot of concepts come and go and have spoken with various Manufactures through the years. Realistically, I don't see any advances in technology for this hobby that will retain anyone's interest more than the original style of slot car racing. If I were a betting man I sure would not bet that ANKI's system will be around 5 years from now, or at least popular enough to make a difference in the hobby. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's fun like a toy should be, but it will not change the face of or replace slot racing.
Jim I had a LOTUS slot car when I was younger (much). Never used it but had one just in case. Did run the old AROURA HGO scale cars. Had many fun time with them. Thanks for the memories.
What a splendid setup, Jim! Slot car racing at its finest - I did the HO scale stuff in my youth and enjoyed it a lot, but this is exponentially cooler!
I think you need to convert some 1/32 planes to 'drive' the track...
All the best,
Matt
Whilst digging through my old builds I ran across a few boxes of Albatros Va's I had made up stickers for, so with a little time on my hands after dinner . . .
Names of the pilots is long lost in my brain, but I know they are real since I made the stickers off of decals from my kit library . . . somewhere out there . . . in my hot garage, lurks the lost kits, but hey who really cares? I will dig them out this winter - in the mean time, every one can use a few more Albatrii
Having put the finishing touches on a bunch of 15mm Star Trek minis, I decided to start working on some of the 28s.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...6&l=e0988e9e33
I have also done some slotcarracing back in the days. I have a Scalextric-circuit but nothing as fancy as yours Jim
Impressive
Under all this is still my workbench isn't it?
A small distraction from the boxing and shipping fun!
My 1/700" Distraction, a pair of B-17C's and some seaplanes of the past . . . way cool in silver!
Love the TINY windows!
"Let's get small!"
And big! 1/48" Stearman tribute models for my father, yellow will become his crop duster, the white will get orange checkers and be a replica of his favorite aerobatic pilot, Sammy Mason . . . more on that later : )
wow! and i though my 1/300 b-17c was small!!!!
Nice track, Jim! Thought about slots, but just can't find the car I want... (A particular black Trans Am with a mind of its own.)
On the bench: rifle build going slow. Waiting for my dealer to tell me receiver's in so I can fill out paperwork and pick it up, Lower Part Kit in hand, buffer assembly in hand. $150 for assorted parts and a little more for some tools and the bottom half's done... then I have to budget the $300 or the top half, and another $300 for holosight, and then it's a matter of rounding up some ammo and getting out to a range to sight in.
Then trying to sort out the whole "Exactly WTF ARE the SGN108 and 201 sculpts for Sails anyway?!" flap, since whatever SGN201 "HMS Victory" is, it AIN'T HMS Victory...
Are you talking about the 1982 Pontiac Trans am with the funky red light between the headlights? I know Carrera makes the Smokey & the Bandit TA, but I have not seen KITT yet.....
I wish I knew you needed an AR, I have a PERFECT pre-ban A2 Colt......
Either KITT or his yellow-scannered older brother KARR... (Which can be just as simple as replace red lightbar w/yellow and paint everything below the body swage-line silver/gray--no official record on KARR's lighter bottom, to my eye it looks like a specific shade of silver from Testors--and when I start my fullsize build I plan to just chrome the entire lower half.)
Thought appreciated, but for me a big part of the *point* in this project is building it myself--the lower is a group-buy through a local Northwest gun-forum custom engraved with our site logo.
Very nice work.
I asked my associate about rebooting issues with ANKI Overdrive -- he says it's a non-issue.
ARs: One day I hope to have one with the selector labeled "OFF | ON | ORC".... >:)
And the very cool Martin Mariner PBM-5A!
Thanks FOZ![/QUOTE]
Interesting. I see that my PBM-5 wasn't the only one whose bow guns didn't survive shipping, despite the fact that Steve made them pretty thick. They're easy enough to replace, and my tail guns came through intact, but I'm starting to think that it'd be nice if Shapeways packed WSF as well as FUD prints in bubble wrap. My thanks to the designer as well--I'm quite pleased with the model, and the Mariner is a great complement to USN PBYs.
Mike
"Flying is learning to throw yourself at the ground and miss" Douglas Adams
"Wings of Glory won't skin your elbows and knees while practicing." OldGuy59
So Mrs Clipper left me this month for two men, well two grand babies, leaving me and the elves on our own . . .
Some close up to the carnage . . .
Then the finished batch, forgot to go to bed last night, so . . . trio of Rumpler GIII's
A pair of early birds, as Deperdussin due to find a home on a destroyer, and a Lohner B.VII
And who can resist a torpedo bomber? Fairy Compania . . .
Time SLIP! Yikes, Blohm and Voss BV-155 in the gun sights!
Back in TIME?! H.P. 50 Heyford, striking in GREEN green . . .
Trio of deadly craft . . . Do 217M-1, BV-155, and a Me 109G . . .
109 madness!
Night mission . . .
Do 18 trio, looking for water!
Definitely liking the prop disks! The there is early war . . .
The big brother Do-24 joins the service . . .
A bit of printing/design artifacts evident on this model . . .
Then there's the real reason for this thread! Martin Mariners! Yea!
Subs beware! Woops! I need some subs . . . .
Now, to rest, to dream . . . submarines . . . hmmmmmmmmm
Excellent work as usual David!
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