High Detail Hailwood Racer by Tamiya!

[Dave Toups]

Just recieved my kit from HLJ last week. I ordered the base kit along with all of the accessories. In my opinion, this might be the best vehicle kit Tamiya has ever done. I have the old 1/9 Protar version of the RC166 and this one blows it away! In many ways it seems to be more detailed than some of Tamiya's 1/6 scale kits. The detail kits are simply amazing too. They even furnish plastic jigs to hold the wheels and chain while assembling them. I can't wait to get started on mine!

Here is photo a friend took of his kit:

There are more photos of the contents at this link:http://public.fotki.com/davetoups/mo.../tamiya-rc166/

[CrateCruncher]

Build Thread, Build Thread, Build Thread!

Dave, I also have the Protar kit and agree some of the details are a little soft or missing altogether. Thanks for sharing your first impressions of the new Tamiya version. How much metal/hardware is in the base kit?

I like that this is 1/12 too! It will fit in nicely with the Gunze RC110.

[Macio4ever]

Agree, agree! I have received mine - it is awesome kit and awesome PE goodies.

[jano11]

Originally Posted by Macio4ever

Agree, agree! I have received mine - it is awesome kit and awesome PE goodies.

That's all fine, but

[Froride1]

I received mine with the detail kits yesterday. I have two kits I need to finish before I start this one.

I found this thread on Escale models. Pictures of the kit and detail sets.
http://www.escalemodels.com/forums/i...showtopic=6414

[flhansen]

Hi

I am in progress - sorry no pics.

The engine is really a multipiece affair but through very clever engineering most parts can be built together in stages that will receive its final colour with added detail painting. Generally there is two colours - a 'silver' where I have been using Finishers 'fine silver' that looks the part and dries fast. That is the colour of the cylinder area that will be built up with individual fins. No big lump - but several layers of fins upon each other and it looks faboulous. The other main colours used is a mix of titanum cold and red brown. I don't think it looks totally right so I added a fine layer of Alclad 'smoke' to darken it up. Next on the agenda is the velocity stacks and fuel injection where the main body says flat brown? Doesn't sound right to me, but I have no pics of the 1:1 bike from that area. The fine presentation pictures included with the instructions don't give much away apart from being a brownish colour.

The chain is a masterpiece of engineering by Tamiya - but certainly for the experienced modeller only. The entire chain is built in a jig where you start with inserting a lot of small rollers in the jig. You will need some sort of magnification as the parts are TINY!. On top of that two sections of chainlinks are placed. These are fitted to a runner section that hold them in the right place. No need for individual placement of links thankfully. These two sections will represent the inner link and outerlink. Through the holes in the links and through the rollers you will now place the same amount of rivets as you have placed rollers earlier.

When this is done - takes time! - you will mount a blanking plate on the jig that will hold the parts together and then you will turn the assembly upside-down. Remowing the bottom blanking plate of the jig - carefully - and you will now enter the tricky bit!

Again a line of chainlinks will be placed over the rollers and rivets. It is important that the rivets are visually through all the holes in the links, because now you will enter the tricky bit of mounting the final links that keeps it all together. No soldering, no gluing here! In three links at a time you will now lock it all together. These special links has a gap in the bottom that fits into a tiny slot on each rivet. But you will only get one shot. If a rivet is not completely through it will damage the link ever so slighty so it won't hold the assembly together... :-( Therefore it is a very good idea to check the fit of each of these links before disassembling the jig! If I should do this step again I'd recommend to mount these lock links individually to have a better feel for them.

If this has been made succesfully you will now have a nice moving chain - if not you will find that a chain is not stronger than its weakest link! If it breaks it is very cumbersome to assemble it again. You will somehow have to mount it in the jig again - it is virtually impossible to handle links, rollers, rivets 'on the loose'...!

Luckily Tamiya have supplied more parts than you will use for the chain. Rollers, rivets, links and locklinks are supplied with 'reserves'. Some will be 'eaten' by the carpet monster.

I'll recommend a clean working area with nothing else on the table, and the modeller using very fine tweezers and some sort of magnification. Either mounted on your forehead or a lamp with a magnifier insert. You will need it! Lean over the table, so parts won't be able to drop onto the floor and start 'chaining'!

If you think the chain was difficult then go to the wheels with individual spokes...

Best regards

Flemming

[CrateCruncher]

Hobby Design recently announced they're intent on doing their own high detail enhancements. Photo-etch cooling fins, clutch plates, drivechain etc. Even comes with rivet heads.


Here's a link to some HLJ pics:
http://www.hlj.com/product/HYDHD02-0069