Limitless Talbot's fastest RC car project discussion

[Nineball]

Lots of speculation here... but there's one thing I've got to know: how much power can we actually put into an RC?

First of all, the world record is held by a streamliner with very low drag and a single motor. Just based on physics, I'd be going that route if I was doing it.

Now, talbot thinks he can brute-force his way to 200mph. Part of me says "sure, with enough power." But anyone who has looked into it knows how weight and aerodynamics factor in.

So my question is, where does the curve fall? At what point will weight no longer aid grip, but hurt speed? At what point will aerodynamics stop a motor from making more power? Could someone drop in a single 300kv motor from an electric scooter and run it on 32s? Would that still need a low-drag body?

It seems to me, so far as I've been in the hobby, that we have all the power we could ever need (if you can squeeze it into the chassis and under a body shell). Getting it to the pavement is the hard part.

 

[L3phturn]

Yeah, he's the idgaf about breaking s*** person that we all wish that we could be!
I think he also plays the roll of having a broad market comedic appeal which lets him pull people into a very niche type of video (videos for any hobby are niche pretty much by definition).
People outside the hobby watch him, buy a RC, bash it, break it and when it comes time to fix it will then, over the course of time, find other more informative youtubers, signup for forums, FB group, etc...
He plays a roll, every hobby has that kind of youtuber! (And they are always disliked by the more experienced people)
You need people like him in order for the hobby to grow and replace people that move over into other hobbies.

I rejoined the hobby this spring after 25 years away and KT’s videos we’re part of why I started looking up this new brand Is never heard of called Arrma.

 

[chrisexv6]

Lots of speculation here... but there's one thing I've got to know: how much power can we actually put into an RC?

First of all, the world record is held by a streamliner with very low drag and a single motor. Just based on physics, I'd be going that route if I was doing it.

Now, talbot thinks he can brute-force his way to 200mph. Part of me says "sure, with enough power." But anyone who has looked into it knows how weight and aerodynamics factor in.

So my question is, where does the curve fall? At what point will weight no longer aid grip, but hurt speed? At what point will aerodynamics stop a motor from making more power? Could someone drop in a single 300kv motor from an electric scooter and run it on 32s? Would that still need a low-drag body?

It seems to me, so far as I've been in the hobby, that we have all the power we could ever need (if you can squeeze it into the chassis and under a body shell). Getting it to the pavement is the hard part.

In the one "decent" run he had, he lifted the front end off the ground. Thats with like half the amount of "S" he can give it, and he was not at full throttle. It wasnt a "jab at the throttle" wheelie, it sure looked like legitimate aerodynamic lift.

So, even with the extra weight of the second motor in the front half of the car, it still lifted at no where near 200mph.

Aerodynamics is going to be the most important part. The willy nilly body cutting isnt going to cut (pun intended) it when trying to get to 200+mph.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Lots of speculation here... but there's one thing I've got to know: how much power can we actually put into an RC?

First of all, the world record is held by a streamliner with very low drag and a single motor. Just based on physics, I'd be going that route if I was doing it.

Now, talbot thinks he can brute-force his way to 200mph. Part of me says "sure, with enough power." But anyone who has looked into it knows how weight and aerodynamics factor in.

So my question is, where does the curve fall? At what point will weight no longer aid grip, but hurt speed? At what point will aerodynamics stop a motor from making more power? Could someone drop in a single 300kv motor from an electric scooter and run it on 32s? Would that still need a low-drag body?

It seems to me, so far as I've been in the hobby, that we have all the power we could ever need (if you can squeeze it into the chassis and under a body shell). Getting it to the pavement is the hard part.

In the one "decent" run he had, he lifted the front end off the ground. Thats with like half the amount of "S" he can give it, and he was not at full throttle. It wasnt a "jab at the throttle" wheelie, it sure looked like legitimate aerodynamic lift.

So, even with the extra weight of the second motor in the front half of the car, it still lifted at no where near 200mph.

Aerodynamics is going to be the most important part. The willy nilly body cutting isnt going to cut (pun intended) it when trying to get to 200+mph.

Aerodynamics is very much the key. This graphic is about some Tesla 1:1 cars but you can imagine how this curve keeps going to the point where the line is 100% vertical. There are some calculations related to the aerodynamic principles and it basically indicates that you need insane power levels to increase your speed. As alluded to there are so many limitations and throwing more power is only going to result in other issues like shredded drive shafts, wheels, tires etc....

Changing the aerodynamics of the car will reduce the arc on this curve and allow you to go significantly faster. Size matters also. This is why Nic Case had a very small car instead of a 1/8 or 1/7 scale. His car was only 7" wide

 

[Nineball]

Aerodynamics is very much the key. This graphic is about some Tesla 1:1 cars but you can imagine how this curve keeps going to the point where the line is 100% vertical. There are some calculations related to the aerodynamic principles and it basically indicates that you need insane power levels to increase your speed. As alluded to there are so many limitations and throwing more power is only going to result in other issues like shredded drive shafts, wheels, tires etc....

View attachment 100045

Changing the aerodynamics of the car will reduce the arc on this curve and allow you to go significantly faster. Size matters also. This is why Nic Case had a very small car instead of a 1/8 or 1/7 scale. His car was only 7" wide


View attachment 100044

Is this why the land speed record cars are not only jets without wings, but rely on other methods of propulsion?

Sounds to me like there is a limit to how fast a vehicle can go when you're driving the wheels. To go beyond a certain speed, you need exponential amounts of power, which takes something like rocket fuel. And then it's a different vehicle. It seems like we won't see much higher speeds until we can get better technology... batteries mostly.

 

[DoNoHarm]

Side note. I forget what land speed record vehicle it was, but it was one of those jet car things. Had a Maserati twin turbo 500 horsepower V8




As a fuel pump.

 

[Notorious J]

Yeah, he's the idgaf about breaking s*** person that we all wish that we could be!
I think he also plays the roll of having a broad market comedic appeal which lets him pull people into a very niche type of video (videos for any hobby are niche pretty much by definition).
People outside the hobby watch him, buy a RC, bash it, break it and when it comes time to fix it will then, over the course of time, find other more informative youtubers, signup for forums, FB group, etc...
He plays a roll, every hobby has that kind of youtuber! (And they are always disliked by the more experienced people)
You need people like him in order for the hobby to grow and replace people that move over into other hobbies.

Well said. Looking back to right before I got back in the hobby, I too was roped in by the likes of Kevin Talbot and Roman Atwood. It was totally by accident while doing research on some of my son's viewing habits. I had no idea how rc's had evolved, and was instantly smitten. Case in point, my first rc during my return was a Traxxas Slash VXL. It was only a while later that I discovered the likes of Thomas Petterson, Rc Dude 81, Rich Duperbash, and Bicketybam. That was when I turned the corner to Arrma. So YouTube influence had everything to do with my return, and inevitably, my choice in brand. And to be brutally honest, when I started my own YouTube channel, I had ambitions of becoming as popular as any and all of them. So regardless of whether I watch KT today or not, I owe him credit for getting me to where I am. He is a jester, a hooligan at times, and at moments, is even incorrigible, but to make as much money as he does in what is a very niche market, an idiot is not the right word to describe him. A goofball maybe, but not an idiot.

Footnote: I do not subscribe to his channel, but have occasionally checked to see what other antics he's been up to, especially since this thread was created. I'm soooooooo gullible.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Is this why the land speed record cars are not only jets without wings, but rely on other methods of propulsion?

Sounds to me like there is a limit to how fast a vehicle can go when you're driving the wheels. To go beyond a certain speed, you need exponential amounts of power, which takes something like rocket fuel. And then it's a different vehicle. It seems like we won't see much higher speeds until we can get better technology... batteries mostly.

Tires and motors certainly have their limits
With RC cars Rubber tires like GRP have excellent grip, but blow out at speeds in the 120 to 155 mph range. People switch to foams, which have likely 1/2 the traction and longevity issues. Foam tires need more downforce which translates to additional drag... It is a vicious circle. The RC speed world is in desperate need of a good tire solution.

The worlds fastest RC car is rocket powered at 210 mph. Using a drag rail like he did improves the aerodynamics even further.
It is on the front of the Rossa UK page

Tim Smith was able to take a 2wd dragster in to the 170's I believe, but with foams and breaking traction, the car crashed more often than not.

RC speed above 150mph becomes an engineering challenge, and a frustrating one. Being difficult is what makes it interesting enough to capture my attention

 

[LibertyMKiii]

Talbot has a challenger! This video really illustrates how much crashing goes on. SpeedRunning is not for the light of heat or pocketbook.

 

[Mr.Duke]

Bump for updates

Anyone know if he made it out of the 80’s yet?

 

[Rigcheck]

Bump for updates

Anyone know if he made it out of the 80’s yet?

The 1980s? Lol

 

[suchtragedy]

I don't think he's even made it out of a parking lot yet. I believe he's still waiting for his more expensive ESCs to replace the ZTWs he smoked.

 

[jondilly1974]

Bump for updates

Anyone know if he made it out of the 80’s yet?

It’s smoked an ESC and that’s about it. He’s just spent $2000 on MGM ESCs. I’m curious to see what $10k can buy.

 

[KiTris ExtremeRC]

It’s smoked an ESC and that’s about it. He’s just spent $2000 on MGM ESCs. I’m curious to see what $10k can buy.

12 or even 15s with 3200kv is not going to end well. Will be interesting to see if the ESC just cuts out or goes up in flames. The XLX already has problems with 2700kv on 6s.

 

[LibertyMKiii]

12 or even 15s with 3200kv is not going to end well. Will be interesting to see if the ESC just cuts out or goes up in flames. The XLX already has problems with 2700kv on 6s.

Hopefully he is wise enough to start with 6s, check data logs and temps, then work up from there.
I am not sure where 4 large 6s batteries would fit in there (dual 12s) with the space that large MGM ESCs occupy.

 

[Rcproponent]

Honestly I think it’s mostly for click bait... his YouTube views will pay for anything he wants to do in any of his videos so... he’s got nothing to lose.

I watch it and lately find myself saying “WHAT!?” To a lot of the stuff he shows.... it’s still entertaining and I’ll still watch it ... but it’s mostly just entertainment value at this point... haha waffle waffle waffle...

 

[jlorenzen]

Hopefully he is wise enough to start with 6s, check data logs and temps, then work up from there.

Haha you're funny guy, I like you ?

 

[suchtragedy]

He did a video update today and it appears he's starting to rethink a few things and making a few smarter choices. He still finds ways to justify a click bait thumbnail, though ?

 

[Rcproponent]

He did a video update today and it appears he's starting to rethink a few things and making a few smarter choices. He still finds ways to justify a click bait thumbnail, though ?

Just watched it, your right. A lot more convincing that he’s actually trying now.. looked more like play before but he means business now haha

 

[jondilly1974]

I can’t wait to see him run it. ??