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| Tamiya BMW M Roadster |
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| radio controlled kit review |
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| In 1999 when the Chicago Model & Hobby Show rolled around, venerable model giant Tamiya pulled me back into the world of Radio Control when they introduced the BMW M roadster kit in 1:10th scale. I had been out of the hobby for some fifteen years and although I've got plenty of things to occupy my time nowadays, the fun of putting together another kit was impossible to resist. So early in 2001, I caved. It's good to be back. |
| The hobby of Radio Control differs quite a bit from Radio Controlled toys. Most folks associate Radio Control with the toys found at Radio Shack. Those toys are fine for spinning around the linoleum kitchen floor, but they're often cheaply made, come pre-built, and have no user-replaceable parts in the event of a nasty spill into a wall. Virtually all of them use the 27MHz or 49MHz AM frequency. This is a frequency shared by other common household devices, so inevitably the toys are prone to interference. Want to race with one or more friends? Sorry, the radios often come out of the factory permanently tuned to the same frequency. You can find the 1:14th scale R/C toy Z3 roadster in an older BMW Accessories catalog or through a couple places online like AutoFinatics or Mungo. A 1:12th scale version has been found at the eToyBugs.com site. The pre-built out-of-the-box nature of these toys make them appropriate for kids from 7 to 14. Some of us "older kids" however crave more of a challenge. |
| Radio Control Hobby kits, like the one reviewed here, are leaps ahead in terms of sophistication, configuration, and upgradeability. These kits are assembled from the ground up like a static model kit, but instead of using glue to cement everything together, R/C kits only require a couple of tools like a screwdriver and pliers. Why go through this "trouble"? Unlike the toys, R/C kits feature real working suspension, shocks, differential, steering... things that make it mechanically closer to the real thing. Above all, it's just plain fun (and therapeutic for some) to breathe life into a hobby kit. |
| Even back in my R/C heydays of the mid-eighties, Tamiya was considered the juggernaut of static plastic models and Radio Control vehicles. Yes, there are plenty of other companies that manufacture R/C kits, but Tamiya continues to pay extra attention to realism in the models they produce. There aren't many other companies I know of that would have done the BMW M roadster justice in terms of attention to detail. |
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| The picture above shows the components necessary for a complete setup. Among the items, note the separate radio, batteries and charger. Separate components give you more freedom to pick and choose based on your features/ergonomics preferences or simply based on budget. |
 The Radio set shown here is a slick Futaba pistol-grip controller (transmitter). If you prefer the more traditional two-stick controller, those are available as well. Companies like Futaba, Airtronics, and JR are veteran manufacturers of radio kits. In addition to the controller, these kits are made up of a receiver and servo(s). The FCC has designated a set of frequencies devoted specifically for Radio Control use. Futaba has a chart illustrating the channels alotted for surface (cars/boats) and aircraft (planes/helicopters) models. When purchasing a Radio set, you get to decide which channel the radio will use. Both controller and receiver have a removeable crystal chip that determines it's frequency. In the unlikely chance that a buddy just bought a radio using the same channel as yours, just change the frequency crystal to any one of the other thirty surface channels available. (Channels 61 through 90) |
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| For those familiar with Tamiya, the M roadster kit (#58240) uses a M-04L chassis identical to the one from their Honda S2000 kit. Compared to other 1:10th scale R/C cars, those Tamiya kits that are based on the M-04L chassis are a smidge smaller... this makes sense since the roadster IS smaller than other cars in real life. The parts trees in the kit are molded of durable plastic. Other bags contain hardware, screws, retaining clips, gears, and rubber tires with a tread pattern. The assembly manual is illustrated in typical precision Tamiya fashion. The body like all other R/C cars, is vacuum-formed of clear polycarbonate plastic. It's designed to withstand the abuse of racing contact and road rash. |
| If you're one of those who admits to never reading manuals, this hobby isn't for you. While the Tamiya kits are straightforward, you'll be lost without following the illustrated steps. So let's see how one of these kits are built... |
Hand me that screwdriver, Cooter!
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