[Scuderia_Turini]

Cheers Dr_C, the crown gears look quite big in your photo.
Thanks for doing the counting.

Leo

[Scuderia_Turini]

I am  waiting for Scalextric to release one with a Harvey Frost recovery crane/winch system, hopefully 

Yeah that would be nice. I'm not too keen on the "Poppy Red" version but Jadlam price is good.

Leo

[Gpa113]

Hi Leo,

The poppy red version looks OK, the next variant due is a Shaun the Sheep blue model!!

Had a good look at it at Gaydon, and it's actually better than the first impression. 


The four wheel drive system is very clever, and something different to the usual four wheel drive set ups on slot cars. 

Pip

[Scuderia_Turini]

Hello Pip,
I sincerely hope that Hornby are making good profits from the TV-Themed cars so that the Scalextric brand is healthy financially.

Having worked with several Marketing Managers, I have always been baffled by their strategies. 

Leo

[Gpa113]

Hello Leo,

Yes, wouldn't it be interesting to see the costs of producing, say an ordinary historic race car, including all licensing fees and tooling etc.   Then comparing that to a model which requires specific licensing fees,  film, TV, cartoon etc.  Be really interested to see what the final profit margin would be, then compared further by actual sales achieved for the individual models. 

I did note that the iconic 1960'S Batmobile,  from the TV series we all remember from our younger days, has recently been re issued.  Very rare that Hornby Scalextric actually go back and re issue a model, especially one first released not that long ago.   

I have purchased a number of the film/TV models of late. Blues Brothers, FAB 1, 60's Batmobile,  New York Checker Taxi.
I think they are great, and if they go to  so much trouble to produce them, and I like the way they look, I'll give them a go.

Pip

[rallyhub]

I'm a little concerned about the bearings of the connecting shafts directly in the bottom plate, without nylon bushings.
Will they last long?

Hub

[Scuderia_Turini]

Hello Hub,

I think that the vast majority of these Land Rovers will only see light usage.  Some may suffer from wear on the plastic but long after the warranty has expired...

Leo

[rallyhub]

Hello Leo,

I first discovered the absence of nylon bushings on the front axle of their O-ring 4WD Puma Rally1.

It is true that the front axle is loaded less than the rear axle, but due to the O-ring tension, a radial force will always be exerted on the bores of the base plate.
This is in contrast to the Subaru 555 and Ford Escort WRC, which are correctly equipped with nylon bearings on both axles. Well done Scalextric.

In my opinion the construction in the Land Rover is even more daring than in the Puma due to the open bearing holes of the connecting shafts in the bottom plate.
The connecting shafts in the Land Rover are fully loaded and serve to transmit the power to the front and rear axles.
They are mounted in a partially open holes in the bottom plate, which means there is a chance they will plop out due to the gear forces and/or wear on the bores.

Note: Removing the front connecting shaft will result in increased forces on the rear connecting shaft.

I think Scalextric shouldn't go this way.
You can expect and accept this with cheap slot cars from toy brands like Artin (scale 1:43), but not from a renowned slot car manufacturer such as Scalextric.

Hub

[Scuderia_Turini]

Cheers Hub, That is a worrying trend. O-ring bands will certainly put some stress on the plastic so I would have thought that nylon bushes would be necessary.
Pumas are like to get lots of action.
As you say, at the Scalextric price-point one would expect better.

Leo

[Dr_C]

I see the fire service red Land Rovers have now arrived. So a nice opportunity to create a racing pair.

Meanwhile, if the lack of nylon bearings on the intermediate drive shafts does lead to premature wear, then maybe I would consider a 3DP chassis upgrade in due course ;)

c

(edited to make the second paragraph read a bit better)