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 care 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, 20T/21T 0.4, 22T/23T 0.6, 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 can currently achieve about 80 km/h (~ 48 mph). In order to stabilise the car's behaviour and steering at such high speed, the use of a gyroscope was necessary as it was not out-of-the-box designed for these conditions.

 

As of 2022, the car was again updated after 25 years:

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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