Serpent S411
#436
Tech Champion
iTrader: (1)
Hello all,
Chris Kerswell and I both ran our S411's for the first time yesterday. Like you we found that going to heavier diff oil transformed the car. We got as far as 2000, but nobody had anything heavier at the track and we didn't have the parts to try 4 bevel gears. We are thinking along exactly the same lines as you.We're not sure that 2 gears with 2000 is equivalent to 4 gears with 1000, but we're pretty sure a 4 gear setup will result in a more viscous diff.
We think the kit chassis is a bit stiff so will be trying the 2mm and 2.25mm versions when we get them through. The wishbones also seem awfully soft; Chris has some stiffer ones coming to try.
The wheelbase is quite short; the current British champions Schumacher is 6mm longer than our car with a kit setup! We went 3mm longer on the rear wheelbase yesterday.
We agree on the springs, and feel that the front is too hard as well. Chris ran Hara greys and I started on hara blacks.
The driveshaft blades are very soft! In mod with a 4 turn motor they were lasting less than 2 runs. Harder ones are on the way but until then we've modified TC6 ones to fit and they seem fine.
Overall we have been very impressed with the quality of the car, but we have some work to do on setups to get it to a competitive level. This will be our testing target in the next couple of weeks.
Chris Kerswell and I both ran our S411's for the first time yesterday. Like you we found that going to heavier diff oil transformed the car. We got as far as 2000, but nobody had anything heavier at the track and we didn't have the parts to try 4 bevel gears. We are thinking along exactly the same lines as you.We're not sure that 2 gears with 2000 is equivalent to 4 gears with 1000, but we're pretty sure a 4 gear setup will result in a more viscous diff.
We think the kit chassis is a bit stiff so will be trying the 2mm and 2.25mm versions when we get them through. The wishbones also seem awfully soft; Chris has some stiffer ones coming to try.
The wheelbase is quite short; the current British champions Schumacher is 6mm longer than our car with a kit setup! We went 3mm longer on the rear wheelbase yesterday.
We agree on the springs, and feel that the front is too hard as well. Chris ran Hara greys and I started on hara blacks.
The driveshaft blades are very soft! In mod with a 4 turn motor they were lasting less than 2 runs. Harder ones are on the way but until then we've modified TC6 ones to fit and they seem fine.
Overall we have been very impressed with the quality of the car, but we have some work to do on setups to get it to a competitive level. This will be our testing target in the next couple of weeks.
I have played with flex a fair bit in the past and recentl and find more flex = slow lap times. I find that things like softer arms combined with a stiff chassis will give you a better platfom for ease of driving vs pace. I would be interested to hear your thoughts when you try different parts but for now I am looking to get the car smooth so I can make maximum use of its mamoth grip.
#437
S411 Parts
http://www.rabhobbies.com.au/estore/...p/cPath/62_397
As for the 12x6x4 bearings we have sold out but are receiving more in about 3 days.
Cheers
Ren
#438
Tech Master
iTrader: (72)
Well we had a club race at ripon speedway and scott kimbrow had his serpent s411 up and runing and with just a few minor roll center adjustments the car looked dialed !!! He set fast lap and tq in the 3rd round and broke them both in the main with a perfect run. He said the car was so easy to drive and thinks that with a few more run's on the car it will get faster !!
#439
Tech Lord
iTrader: (86)
Well we had a club race at ripon speedway and scott kimbrow had his serpent s411 up and runing and with just a few minor roll center adjustments the car looked dialed !!! He set fast lap and tq in the 3rd round and broke them both in the main with a perfect run. He said the car was so easy to drive and thinks that with a few more run's on the car it will get faster !!
Here is report from Scott K.
You know the old saying, "you never get a second chance to make a first impression"...... well let me tell you, the Serpent S411 made a big first impression!
I got the car on Thursday, and wanted to go run it on Saturday night at Ripon Speedway but wasn't sure I could get the car built and ready to run that quickly. The car was an awesome build. every part had a perfect finish, no reaming or dremeling anything! It went together so quickly and easily, I even had time to paint 2 bodies on Saturday before heading to the track!
I headed down to Ripon Speedway hoping to shake the car down, work the bugs out, and start getting it up to speed. I was in for a very pleasant surprise.
Right off the trailer, the car felt really good with just the default setup (included in the kit). I ran a few practice runs and the car shook out real nice. I made only a few minor adjustments (see attached setup sheet) and the car was dialed! Using Thunder Power batteries and 4.5 motor, along with the Protoform P37 body, I couldn't believe how good the car felt. Tons of steering but still very easy to drive. I let several people drive the car and they all had the same response....WOW.
I went on to TQ and win the main..... a very nice first impression indeed. Ripon is a small and very technical track, and the S411 was very comfortable on that track. I am looking forward to getting the car out to some other local tracks and see how the car responds on the bigger tracks as well...... stay tuned!
Scott Kimbrow
Team Serpent America
Last edited by OVA; 06-27-2011 at 09:29 PM.
#442
My car was actually great and I did not break a single part. Even my rear blades held up to 10 mod runs. I was quite impressed with the car for the first time on track and will work on some changes next time to see how the car responds.
#443
A full supply of spare parts should be en route to Serpent America now. We at Empire Racing will stock parts and be able to get parts to support the car. I plan to run it as much as time allows with my nitro schedule. If you need anything or have questions you can feel free to contact me at [email protected]
#444
Well we had a club race at ripon speedway and scott kimbrow had his serpent s411 up and runing and with just a few minor roll center adjustments the car looked dialed !!! He set fast lap and tq in the 3rd round and broke them both in the main with a perfect run. He said the car was so easy to drive and thinks that with a few more run's on the car it will get faster !!
#445
#446
#447
R/C Tech Elite Member
iTrader: (66)
A full supply of spare parts should be en route to Serpent America now. We at Empire Racing will stock parts and be able to get parts to support the car. I plan to run it as much as time allows with my nitro schedule. If you need anything or have questions you can feel free to contact me at [email protected]