Intro
Losi 8ight-T
Xray XT8
Hyper ST Pro
Hong Nor X1 CRT
Mugen MBX5-T
Kyosho ST-R
Revo Derived Truggy(RDT)
Conclusion

Revo Derived Truggy(RDT)

Overview

If the Losi brought something extra, the Ruggy brings something completely different because it’s been custom made by a man called Cabbie to bring some of the components of a Traxxas Revo into the truggy world. The main front and rear ends are Revo parts but upgraded with a full set of RPM arms and hub carriers, with the bulkheads severely cut down in size to match the chassis design. The front and rear diffs are from the Revo but the centre is a Kyosho unit fitted with a hardened gear and Kyosho dog bones connecting them. The fuel tank is from a HPI Hellfire, the wing mount a Hobao Hyper 7, the steering plate and bumpers are Hyper 8, the receiver box and steering posts from an Xray XB8, right back to the Revo in-board suspension on K-Factory rockers that altogether sit on a 4mm thick chassis that’s been carved from a 7075-T6 aluminium plate that’s been given a nine degree rake. The engine is also a custom effort; it’s a Picco .27ci with all sorts of work done to it, including an STS.30 carb that’s essential to allow enough air in to feed the modified crank, plus a bespoke 10-port liner that makes it rev like crazy and yet still creates more than enough torque.

matt's view

This has got me stumped, I don’t know whether to slag it off and say “what’s the point” or go round to the owner’s house and give him a big kiss and a cuddle. Take the shell off this thing and it really is a well made and cleverly designed hybrid. The chassis and a few other parts have been custom made as well as a whole host of parts from different trucks, even the Hellfire has contributed a fuel tank, although essentially the front and rear is a Revo and the middle is a custom Truggy. I’m sad to report it drives exactly how you would expect, it corners and jumps like a Revo and goes down straights like a truggy, my centre diff’d Revo drives exactly the same! So, what is the point? The slowest lap times of all just confirm that for racing you want any of the other kits because they are better, but wow what a piece of kit for down the park.

nobby's view

Straight line speed is absolutely ballistic, none of the other trucks could get anywhere near it in a drag race! Unfortunately, it was let down by the lack of a decent set-up as this was its debut on any kind of racetrack, so it was always going to be playing catch-up through the tight turns we have here. The design is incredibly clever and robust; again it suffered by having the only failure of the day when an RPM PBS unit spat a pivot ball out, but it was still the only truck that everyone got genuinely excited about driving, even our Gung Ho Pro! The engine is something very special, working art with unbelievable power all through the rev range. I could compare it to a lowly non-league team taking on a rich Premiership club in the FA Cup, and one that nearly produced a giant killing. Comments will be taken on board, changes will be made and I really believe that the RDT will be back fitter, stronger and far more competitive!

Gung Ho Pro says

Unbelievably good bit of engineering for a homemade project, the ported Picco 27 had amazing power and was easily the most powerful engine there on the day! Steering is reasonable but not as good as the CRT which ranked lowest among the “real truggies”.