14 replies to this topic

[rmjlmartin]

Does anyone have any good tips for scribing wing car wings? I have a basic understanding of how it's done (a straight edge and a ball point pen, I believe?), but what kind of pattern should be used?

 

I'm told that scribing the wings will help keep the wings from folding out as much, as in the attached picture, and will help a bit with handling and speed. Unfortunately, though, there aren't very many "real" wing car racers locally (most, like me, are Flexi racers who dabble in Group F), and at least so far, I haven't come up with anything really useful on Google, so I haven't been able to really get a good idea of what works the best.

 

I've set up my bodies by copying bodies that came from high-level racers, and I found and saved the Slotside wing body setup sheet that used to be up, but it would be a stretch to say that I really know what I'm doing, so any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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[mreibman]

Please do not take this as me being an expert by any stretch.

 

I had some body prep issues a while back, and after a race at PJ Raceway, Chubby and Timmy Skurka gave me some pointers. I received a body from Timmy as well, and it's really a great place to start.

 

First suggestion: obtain a body from someone who actually races well and uses scribed wings.

Second suggestion: find someone who is willing to explain a bit more about this.

Third suggestion: there are a number of air control suppliers including Timmy Skurka and Red Fox that have their wing kits marked for scribing

 

There's a lot to it, but basically, here is how I approached it - the instructions I got were about measurements of the body and wings, not scribing. The scribing is more of a trial-and-error process to a degree.

 

I ended up buying a set of skurka wings, laying them out on a copier and creating a template.

Now when I set up the wings on a car, I use that template to line everything up, and then I know where to mark, cut, scribe, etc. Thiis negates the need for purchasing the same wing kits.

 

The point here is that it's both art and science simultaneously. You're creating a line to fold that will be accurate. Your fold line also becomes rigid in the other direction. And the comment we had over the weekend was "Once you scribe it, you can't unscribe it"

 

I will add from a personal experience standpoint that the better scribing I have done has been when I use the pen on a softer surface like a silicone mat. It makes for a slightly deeper groove.

 

That's all for right now, but I'd be glad to try to assist.

 

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[Phil Smith]

I am completely out of touch with what's going on with wing cars. I only recently noticed that wing bodies are now dimpled, this is the first I've heard of scribing wings.

[mreibman]

Adding this - Timmy apparently wrote a paper on winging bodies. There's some info on scribing in here as well, but as you can read, it's still sketchy.

 

Attached Files

•  how to wing a slot car body - Timmy Skurka 2020-b.pdf   1.96MB   206 downloads

[MSwiss]

I am completely out of touch with what's going on with wing cars. I only recently noticed that wing bodies are now dimpled, this is the first I've heard of scribing wings.

The point of it, no pun intended, is to stiffen up .003" air dams so they don't flutter or fold over to much.

[Phil Smith]

Thanks! .003" air dams. Didn't they use to be thicker than that?

[MSwiss]

Yes, .005" for opens and .004" for lower powered groups.

Everything is so weight conscious on these cars, especially on Gerding Kings, racers are looking to shed weight wherever they can.

[Bill Seitz]

What I find interesting is they'll shed a few grams on thinner Lexan and then add back grams in tape reinforcement. I remember the days of "scalloped" air dams. I think the idea then was to reduce drag, but it also saved a few grams of weight.

 

While the idea behind the dimples is drag reduction, I think they probably aid in stiffening a .005 or thinner body.

[Bill from NH]

Carlos Aloisie & his wife Connie, from CA, used the first scalloped air dams I recall seeing. I believe it was early to mid-90s.

[gatormark]

Wings are all but dead.

[Bill from NH]

That depends upon which area of the country you happen to live in.

[rmjlmartin]

Thanks Mike, that looks very helpful. I've seen wings with lines on them, but didn't realize that's what they were for. I don't think the local raceway has them, but I believe I might have access to a body or two that I could scan/copy the wings on for a pattern. That, or just have the local raceway order me a pair of lined wings.

 

The local raceway (Mach 1 Raceway, Spout Spring, VA) is also hosting the NASRA NATS next month, and while most of the races are during the week when I have to work, I'm hoping I can get to go and watch a bit. Maybe I can also ask a few of the racers about it, too, if I have a chance?

[Bill Seitz]

I wouldn't count wing cars out quite yet. There's still a diehard following as there are with some other forms of slot racing. I know two raceways that have wing car rentals, and I won't be giving up my wing cars anytime soon. If wing cars do die, then that'll be the end of my slot car hobby. Think I'll convert my slot car track space to model railroading.

[Joe Maxey]

Where can I order Skurka Wing kits that are marked for scribing?

Thx!

[Bill from NH]

You could try Piranha Raceway in CA & Port Jeff in NY. Pacific Coast Hobbies in CA might have them too.