Nitro vs Brushless

[shark413]

Didn't know if I should post in the nitro or brushless forums, so I will post here instead.

I have just finished my brushless 1/8 buggy (described in another post). I now have two 1/8 scale buggies of the same make, one nitro and one brushless. And now I am wondering which is fastest around the track? Well if the weather holds up I will take both buggies out to the local track and make some timed runs. If everything works out I will post the results. Which one will be faster? You choose..

Specs:

Buggy 1 = Kyosho Inferno 777 SP2
Engine = OS V-Spec .21 VZB with OS 2050 tuned pipe
Wheels/Tires = Kyosho Orange spokes, Proline BT (rear) CF (front)
Futaba FASST rx
Fuel = Sidewinder 30%
Gearing = 46T spur, 13t bell (stock alloy Kyosho shoes and 1.0 springs)
Shocks = CEN 16mm Big Bores with RMV progression med springs.
Brakes = Kyosho special semi metalic pads and precision ground rotors.

Buggy 2 = Kyosho Kanai III
Motor = Feigao 8XL
ESC = MM with fan with remote UBEC
Wheels/Tires = Kyosho Green spokes, Proline CF (front/rear)
Futaba FASST rx
Battery = Maxamps 4s2p 6000 mah
Gearing = 46T spur, 12T pinion
Shocks = CEN 16mm Big Bores with RMV progressive hard springs
Brakes = Mechanical, Craddock fiber rotors.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC00513.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC00515.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC00523.jpg

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC00530.jpg

[Nightz]

brushless should have the edge in all performance aspects from what I've been reading... that's considering being able to control the thing.

[Mammoth Racer]

your nitro has an OS engine how can it lose? nitro all the way

[ElectricThunder]

Depends; which vehicle are you most comfortable with? That is the one you will probably rip off the fastest lap times with. If one is more dialed in than the other for the particular track you run on, then I'd say that one will have a higher chance of being faster, even if it's the lesser in terms of power or speed of the two.

I must say I'm biased towards the brushless setup, and I think it'll do well on a tighter or more technical track where it will get to use it's torque advantage. I'm not going to write off the nitro entirely though, especially if it's a long and "fast" track (I'm sure the .21 motor can rev up to about where the 8XL can, if not higher in the RPMs).


Overall, I think the electric has the edge in terms of torque band; and that is a 2084 kv motor, so on 4s and with 6000mah (I'm assuming 20C continuous cells, so 120 amps continuous on tap) it has some RPMs to turn the gears at a decent pace.

I'm looking forward to your comparison though.

[shark413]

Well my intention is more of an informal test. I have both buggies, and I have been driving both for a while now. I have run timed laps with each buggy separately but never on the same day. The track was just recently rebuilt with a new layout. It is on the small side with a lot of tight turns and jumps but it does have a long straight leading into a big sweeper. I think the times will be close, and could go either way, I would be surprised if there is a big difference.

[ElectricThunder]

I would also be suprised if there was a large difference. From all the videos I've seen on youtube of "nitro vs. electric" 1/8 scale buggies, the electrics are a tad quicker, but for the most part, the buggies are evenly matched and it usually comes down to driver. Unless you're running an outrageous setup like a 5s pack on a Neu 1515 series motor with a Quark or MGM controller, they're probably going to be relatively close.

[88Buckaroo88]

I would still say the electric would be faster. From what I've been reading about this "Nitro vs Electric" thing electrics always seem to come out on top. They accelerate much quicker than the nitros so thats a big advantage right there.

[ToeKneeD]

Sure Electric will be quicker, but how about in an endurance race. say 20 or even 50 laps...Gas and go, gas and go.... Thats my biggest peeve with electric-the charging, changing batteries, Charging, Changing batteries, charging...charging... The enjoyment just lasts longer with the nitro.

Provided the engine is properly tuned prior to the event....

[LD3Furious]

A lot also depends on the torque of the brushless set up. With brushless, you get full T, all the time. Granted, you may be able to change throttle curve...but all that torque may end up just spinning tires coming out of turns. The VSpec is widely known for having a very smooth powrband...my .02

[ericem]

Definitely right about the powerband concept but newer ESC are pretty good. The brushless I think makes more RPM's and torque and if you have a high capacity lipo you can race for a whole main not having to worry about charging or refueling like a nitro.

[B4 Stealth]

it also depends on driving style. they take different trigger fingers. an electric system can just pop over the jumps with a small blip and while nitros can still do this, they need to engage the clutch first. I don't think that we can make a definitive which is faster, because there is always a driver involved. however...






Brushless > Nitro :D
nuff said

[chewie]

I would also be suprised if there was a large difference. From all the videos I've seen on youtube of "nitro vs. electric" 1/8 scale buggies, the electrics are a tad quicker, but for the most part, the buggies are evenly matched and it usually comes down to driver. Unless you're running an outrageous setup like a 5s pack on a Neu 1515 series motor with a Quark or MGM controller, they're probably going to be relatively close.

if youve watched my vids of my rc8. the rc8 is geared REALLY low and i have it turned down to 70 percent. trust me having both.. the electrics are faster any track. as long as you can keep traction.

we shall see this summer.. all i know is that os speed tuned .21 had a hard time keeping up on the straight down in tn .

[ElectricThunder]

You also run a Neu chewie, which is head and shoulders above most motors.;)

Some of the videos I've seen are close, while others the electric accelerates like a bat out of hell if it has traction. I think the setup mentioned in this thread by the OP will be closer to a nitro (which has a pretty potent OS engine). I still think it'll be close;

The electrics have the torque, no doubt about that. Whether the driver can use it is the question. There is such thing as "too much". (Blasphemy! :D)

[shark413]

Here are some pictures of the track and some of the Racers that show up for the big events.


http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/Image1.jpg
Jared Tebo and Travis Amezcua


http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC03199.jpg
Masami Hirosaka 14 time champion, check out that stick radio.

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC03181.jpg
Mark Pavidis

http://i142.photobucket.com/albums/r115/shark413/DSC03177.jpg
The track, the layout has since changed since these pictures were taken.

[rccardude04]

I'm sure the electric will have the powerplant advantage, but I still like nitro better on a race track. There's just a fun realism about it that you can't beat with electric. At least in outdoor offroad anyway...
That being said, it's really weird to look at a buggy that has the left side of the body unmodified... It just looks wrong LOL.
It also appears you have a pretty killer track to run at. The local scene isn't quite that caliber but I hope one day it will be... either that or I'll have moved. :D
-Eric

[chilledoutuk]

I like the sound of steam engines but it does not mean i want to put one in my rc car.
It all depends really in my opinion a nitro car sounds nothing like a real car more like one of those sh!te 50cc mopeds.

i do think however we will have fully electric real cars that sound like brushless rc cars well probably much quieter.

[ElectricThunder]

i do think however we will have fully electric real cars that sound like brushless rc cars well probably much quieter.

We already do. Tesla makes their Roadster, which uses an AC induction motor (similar concept or design to a brushless motor, but a lot more complicated to run in terms of the ESC programming and stuff).

There are youtube videos; it's a pretty quiet little guy.