6 replies to this topic

[GT40]

Monday night we were racing at Foster’s. This is our “D3” night, however, we allowed one racer to use a Flexi chassis with a Falcon 7 in it to get him in the race (I think I need to build him a chassis). I could mostly keep up and sometimes pass him using my own scratchbuilt inline car.

So I was thinking, it’s generally accepted that the anglewinder cars, like Flexis, have a handling advantage over inlines. Why? My first thoughts are weight distribution, and possibly torque reaction.

However, it’s been my experience that the Flexi cars often handle better with the lighter FK motors in them. This means the weight distribution is changed by about 10 grams or so less in the rear of the car in comparison to a 16D motor. The balance point must move forward. But that is exactly what happens in the inline car. So the anglewinder advantage would not seem to be due just to keeping more weight in the rear of the car.

I don’t know how significant the torque reaction is in the inlines, especially with the FK motors.

So is the anglewinder advantage due to the typically smaller wheels used with them? What about a scratchbuilt anglewinder, like a Retro Pro, versus the inline, versus the Flexi?

Anybody out there have answers?

[Noose]

No answers that define why but I noticed the same thing even running one of my old cars from the late '70s.

When John Gorski got me back into this I ran a car against his new retro inline and we were right together. I've also run a Flexi GT with the Chinese Pro Slot against a Retro Can-Am with an American arm Pro Slot and again, pretty much tied. Depending on the track, either one might have an advantage over the other. In any case, today's inlines sure do work a lot better than those that we ran back in the day, for sure.

[Mark Wampler]

I heard a statement that made some sense. Because the motor is rotating in close parallel to the axles, this might add some harmonics and gyro stability that inlines can't. It sounded like a plausible statement.

More power to the rear axle is accomplished with anglewinders. That is a given.

Lower center of gravity is also a benefit unless you go to a hypoid setup with inlines.

The D3 retro coupes that run anglewinders also allow inlines, too. A big mistake to show up with an inline on retro coupe race day unless you want to get tromped on.

Angle winders came out before the true front wheel 1/1 vehicles were in production. Same principle of the engine rotating in close parallel to the axles equals efficiency in gas mileage and performance.

[GT40]

Mark,

True, power is transferred more efficiently when you don't have to change direction. The already inefficient inline is made even less efficient when people try to run contrate gears as if they were hypoid cut.

But I was only speaking of handling.

[Mark Wampler]

Do I detect a slight on hypoid setups? When the mesh is good, hypoids can work very well. I noticed the chiding from you and Larry last Monday.

I'm sure that you notice my comment on lower CG without the (dreaded hypoid) in an angle winder setup.
Last I checked, lower CG makes for overall better handling

[Cheater]

Here's my thinking...

An anglewinder spreads the weight of the motor between the rear wheels more than does an inline. If you'll consider how a slot car might rotate out of the slot, you'll see that weight toward the rear corners enjoys the longest moment arm for resisting that rotation.

Consider the reaction at the gearing on an anglewinder under braking. I believe this works to better force the guide into the slot. When the motor is accelerating, it wants to "climb" the spur. When the motor is being braked, the opposite tendency is present.

Sidewinder/anglewinder gearing is far more efficient than contrate gearing, though this is a speed issue not a handling issue.

I'm not certain anyone really has an answer for this, though there probably will not be any lack of opinions on the subject! 8-)

[havlicek]

I always assumed that anglewinder/sidewinder is better because:

1) The torque of an inline motor is working to lift one wheel and load the other as opposed to anglewinder where both tires are loaded (and unloaded) more or less the same

2) An inline pinion is exerting a sideforce (90 degrees) against the crown gear by spinning as well as rotational force. On an anglewinder, the force that makes the gears want to separate is at 180 degrees (for sidewinder, 13 or 14 degrees less for anglewinder) so it's easier to restrict. I'm not good at describing the physics obviously.

3) Anglewinder has an edge over sidewinder because of smaller tires/lower CoG.

4) Under acceleration, the anglewinder's torque is directed back to load the rear tires for more traction.

All of some of this could be incorrect, but it's just how I understood it and it seems to make sense.