Tamiya
Durga DB01
1/10th Scale 4WD Buggy
By
Tony Arnold – StampedeProject.com
RC CAR Sept 2008
In
the Hindu religion, “Durga” is the beautiful ten-armed demon
fighting goddess. In Tamiya-land, the Durga is a TRF501X inspired, belt
driven, four armed, 1/10th scale, buggy with centralized mass
engineering and a slippery look, that can put the hurt on evil
challengers everywhere. For
those that are new to 4WD 10/th scale kits, think of a smaller, more
nimble, faster, electric 8th scale buggy and you have the
right idea.
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Cool
Features
TRF501X based design for under $200
Enclosed drivetrain keeps junk out of the drivetrain.
Centralized mass chassis engineering
Proven dual belt system provide smooth power
Integrated bulkheads make assembly & maintenance simpler
New body and wing included
Wheels, tires, body, and Stock 540 motor are included.
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Kit
Features
Overview
We all know of the championship winning $800+ Tamiya TRF501X chassis,
however if you not “Mr. Big Bucks” you can still take advantage of
Tamiya’s R&D in the affordable $295 Durga kit.
The Durga features impressive competition level
performance that
can swap quite a few parts with the TRF501X, such as all the highly
adjustable 4-sheel double wishbone suspension components, shocks, and
diffs. The Durga may not be all carbon fiber’ed out, but Tamiya
reports that the chassis can be actually faster on rough un-groomed
tracks than the super responsive TRF501X due to more chassis flex. Go
figure, everyone is starting to introduce tuned flex chassis and the
Durga is already there.
This kit is typical Tamiya high quality with detailed instructions
included for an easy bolt together and race chassis. The
only assembly note is being aware that Tamiya’s very hard and durable
ABS plastic parts won’t tap like nylon, either be super careful
initially tapping in the screws or use a standard 3mm tap to pre-thread
the holes. Paint the body
and drop in electrics and you are ready to hit the track with a smooth
running belt driven race ready buggy in less than a couple nights.
Suspension
The kit supplied standard
plastic shocks sealed perfectly and can be easily tuned by changing oil
weights and with the supplied pre-load spacers. The shocks provided
smooth chassis control and handled the abuse thrown at the chassis.
Tamiya provided plenty of shock placement options and tuners will
be happy caster is also tunable with supplied shims.
Drivetrain
Belt drive systems are super smooth, reliable, and relatively problem
free “if” they are sealed and the Durga’s sealed belt design
assures 100% drivetrain coverage. The
good news is there isn’t the tiniest gap for dirt to enter the
drivetrain, however the bad is that gear changes require the removal of
the quad-screw secured center drivetrain cover – not exactly fast or
easy. The front and rear
differentials are typical ball diffs that provide plenty of tuning
adjustment and mount in standard clockable mounts to adjust belt
tension. The center fixed spur gear drive assembly will handle most
brushed motors without causing damage to the drivetrain, however an
optional slipper assembly is available and recomended for higher power
brushless setups.
Steering
The Durga uses a standard effective servo linked drag link style setup.
This steering design provides plenty of steering precision and
keeps the CG low with a TC style lay down servo location.
I was impressed with how tight the steering was and tracked with
nominal bump-steer, however part of that may have been due to the
torquey HiTec MG535 servo assuring directional changes.
Chassis
The chassis is a tub style design that has pre-defined spaces for a
6-cell pack, transponder, RX, ESC, Servo, and motor.
Although the battery tray has molded in ribs for old school NiMh
packs and adjustable battery hold down bar, I would have preferred the
NiMh ribs be omitted so mainstream LiPo packs could sit low and flat.
No plastic motor mounts here, Tamiya engineered a sturdy cast
aluminum motor mount to limit chassis flex, provide a motor heatsink,
and provide a strong mount for brushless systems.
Only one clip need be removed from the battery bar for speedy battery
changes.
RTR & Added Gear
Tamiya included a stock class motor with this kit, but for this level of
kit, electrics are not expected. Tamiya
supplied a nice set of medium compound tires and black out wheels that
will get you rolling. I used a MaxAmps 7.4V LiPo pack and a tiny but powerful Tekin FX-R ESC to power the included
stock motor. A HiTec servo
handled steering duties and a re-branded StampedeProject RX unit negated
yet another trip to the hobby shop to finish the article. The decals
that cover 90% of the supplied body and every color seam are great.
Stick with the simple stock red and black paint job and the decals do
all the cool fades for a great looking body.
Performance
Testing
As my first 4WD 1/10th scale buggy, I was blown away with how
the Durga pulled through corners on the track with impressive control.
Having driven a friend’s TRF501X, and drooled over all that carbon
fiber, the Durga’s performance is so close that it’s a steal for
$195. For bashers and racers the 4WD setup and handling made it able to
take on everything from dirt, to short grass, to streets, launched
flatly from jumps and carved through corners with good neutral steering.
Had I spent more time on tuning the diffs and shocks, it would have run
even better. Competitors will definitely want the optional front one-way
diff for added control.
Although
not fast, the stock brushed motor, Tekin FX ESC, and MaxAmps pack pushed
the chassis to 22MPH. Even with old school brushed power, the handling
and performance of the Durga was a blast on small tight technical
tracks. Pair the Durga with
a good brushless system and it becomes an outstanding point and shoot
vehicle for unlimited/mod 1/10th scale class where races are
high speeds with long jumps and fast turns.
What We Liked
Tamiya typically isn’t know for affordable kits, however the Durga
changes the playing field a bit with a quality kit loaded with tuning
options, all at a steal of a price.
Excellent chassis geometry even allowed me to make laps in record
time – well at least breaking my own records.
Slip on goodies from the TRF501X and you can get scarily close to
the class leading performance for only a little extra cash.
This kit is begging for brushless with a chassis that can
definitely handle super high speeds.
What
We Would Change
No complaints with performance, however some grips with kit details.
The battery tray has molded in cell ribs that may require Dremel
work removal for some LiPo packs. The shaft of the stock motor isn’t
long enough to mount the larger supplied pinion, a real bummer, because
the stock motor wasn’t breaking a sweat and the larger pinion should
have pushed the Durga over 30MPH.
This thing is begging for one of those new Tekin R1 or RS brushless
systems, however I would stick with a 4000-6000Kv range as any faster is
simply going to be completely un-controlable.
Conclusion
If you want a hot performing chassis at a great price that will rip with
brushless power, the Durga is well worth a look, especially in a sea of
$500+ competitors. The Durga
is a durable ready-to-assemble kit that provides loads of tuning options
that nearly matches touring car adjustment flexibility. Little gripes
aside, the Durga provides a solid performing race ready chassis that
offers the prospective competitor a competent platform for 4WD 1/10th
scale racing. The Durga is
yet another great chassis for the basher or racer that is sure to
rekindle 1/0th scale electric racing.
SPECS
Vehicle:
4WD Buggy
Type: 1/10th Scale Electric
Street Price: $195
Class Rivals: CEN ATX2, Hot Bodies D-4, Associated B44
DIMENSIONS
Width: 25mm
Length: 28mm wheelbase
Weight with electrics: 1695g – 3lbs, 11oz.
Ground Clearance: 19mm
Chassis: ABS Tube Style
Suspension: Coil-over
Springs
Dampening: Shocks
Sway Bars: No
Drivetrain:
Belt Drive
Pinon/Spur: Included
Differentials: Ball Differentials
Bearings: Full Bearings
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Highs – Great performance
at a price about half of competition.
Lows – Not much, only a couple easily remediable annoyances.
Final Call – Sure to become one of Tamiya’s hottest selling kits.
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SOURCES
Tamiya – www.TamiyaUSA.com , HiTec - www.hitecrcd.com,
Tekin –
www.TeamTekin.com, MaxAmps -
www.MaxAmps.com, www.StampedeProject.com
