Links | Tamiya F1 McLaren

In 1995, I got a McLaren MP4/6 F1 radio-controlled (R/C) 1/10th scale (402 x 200 mm) car (Tamiya). Tamiya launched the car on 10 March 1992; it was based on the (now obsolete) F102 chassis (see here for an overview of all chassis types), with a rear ball-bearing differential, a single rear damper suspension for smoother cornering, and two small front spring suspensions. The car orginally came with spunge tyres, and a Lexan body casing covering the chassis. The current came from 7.2 V NiCd battery packs, feeding into a TK-S03 servo for steering and an Acoms AT-5 electronic speed controller that moderated the current to the electric engine (standard 540 type). The transmitter was a Graupner standard D4-SSM40 JR 40 MHz remote control unit (2 channels). Nice detail, the driver sitting in the car is the famous yellow-helmet-wearing Ayrton Senna, also known as God's right foot.

In the years following, several modifications were made, such as an aluminium front body mount, larger snap pins, an aluminium differential joint set for the steel rear axle, a hi-torque servo saver, a rear aluminium motor mount to dissipate the engine's heat, complete ball-bearings on all axles, new 70T 0.6 spur, 93T/104T 0.4 spur, 19T 0.6, 20T/21T 0.4, 24T/25T 0.4, 24T/25T 0.6, and 48T/49T 0.4 pinion gears, and optional packers on the front suspension to increase the frontal driving height. The underplate hovers approximately 3-5 mm above the ground (depending on the tyres used).

Depending on the gearing, tyres, motor, and weight of the car, it has currently achieved a maximum road speed of 83 km/h (~ 52 mph). In order to stabilise the car's behaviour and steering at such high speed, the use of a gyroscope was necessary, combined with a smooth launch control system, as it was not out-of- the-box designed for these conditions. However, beyond that speed, the car becomes very unstable due to the tyres wobbling and/or ballooning.

The car is now equipped with an F104 rear pod with heat sinks, differential, and carbon rear axle, a tension adjustable damper, a sturdy rear wing, a voltage sensor, a gyroscope, a launch controller, a GNSS-tracker, an 11- channel receiver, chassis lighting, a brushless digital servo, adjustable steering turnbuckles, a performant ESC.



 

From 2022 to 2025, the car was again updated after 30 years:

  • Battery upgrades
    • It now works with NiMH and LiPo batteries (3000 mAh and 4600 mAh at 7.2 V NiMH, and 4200 mAh at 8.4 V LiPo), for which the height of the central upper deck was increased in order to fit larger batteries.
    • All Tamiya-style battery connectors were also replaced with IC3 ones (capable of handling 60 A continous current). They have been treated with silicone for smoother (dis)connecting.
    • The LiPo batteries are charged inside a Bat-Safe (manual) for added fire safety.
    • In order to monitor the state of the LiPo battery, the car was equipped with a FlySky FS-CVT01 voltage sensor that sends telemetry back to the transmitter for real-time monitoring; this sensor was afterwards removed as the FS-R11P receiver already provides this functionality.

Quick navigation:

Original box kit and initial setup Jump to top of page

                 

Initial testing and repairs (before upgrades) Jump to top of page

                                                         

Final upgrades Jump to top of page

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Posing shots Jump to top of page

                                                                                                 

Videos Jump to top of page

Workbench and indoor

Outdoor (day time)

Outdoor (night time)

First-person view