Agree with the points from Edumakated and jhautz - good thoughts and tips! Hope you Xray guys want to take the input. As Bren let the genie out I will post few more of my thoughts
- Prototype 808E's layout is the best I know - battery up front on the left side. This gives good front-to-back balance, car drives nicely and can have perfect left-to-right balance, which of course depends on the motor-esc-batt you use... ESC to motor wires can be very short just like batt to ESC wires - nice!
- I like that the car is XB808 2010 based so running both one only needs very few spare parts.
- I don't like how high the LiPo sits on the 808E. The main objective should be to mount the LiPo as close to chassis plate as possible. When we make conversions to the nitro 808 the main problem is the left sideguard. Some locally made battery boxes put the LiPo very-very close to chassis plate. Battery box has no thickness to it at the side guard - battery sits on the side guard plastic that has to been dremeled thinner. Factory made 808E needs to resolve this issue to get good points from me. Wider chassis on the left side, narrower sideguard, LiPo max 3mm above the chassis plate.
- very few people actually run 2x2S hardcase LiPos. They are expensive and no point using them. 4S hardcase LiPos might be the standard for summer, we will see. Today soft LiPos are cheap and I guess most guys are using them. If soft LiPo sits in a battery box that covers 1/2 from all sides it is ok. 3/4 height front and rear and there are no problems. I've done few crazy jumps and and landings and soft LiPo was just fine. I like the current battery holder (light!) if hardcase LiPo is used. I think it holds 4S hardcase. We should have optional bigger battery box for soft LiPos - 150mm long with higher sidewalls.
- I see no point in having plastic spur. Most are using this because it makes the car queter - not a reason for me to get it. My car is very quet with standard 42T Xray spur and high quality pinion gear meshed nicely together. Smaller spur wouldn't need the opening in chassis plate. Good thing to keep the dirt/wet outside!
- Smaller spur maybe? I run 17/42 with 2050kv on 4S LiPo on a slow track. On fast track 18T or even maybe 19T. Smaller spur makes it possible to get the motor closer to centerline and use more standard pinions (13-17). High RPM motors aren't very popular anymore as people have understood there's no gain from them. Smaller spur might resolve the side guard nut clearance issue also.
- I have to say it AGAIN that I really-really think that the prototype version 808E has too much rear chassis flex. Just take it and the nitro 808 and twist them and you'll see. Longer new design rear chassis brace (plastic? alu?) might resolve this nicely. It needs to bolt onto chassis plate with longer surface with 3 or even 4 screws.
- Motor with 43mm diameter must fit nicely so the right sideguard nut clearance issue needs to be resolved. 42mm is the default diameter for 1:8 motors. Little extrea clearance for radiator or cooling fins like on Tekin mootor which makes it 43mm.
- Why so bulky radiobox? It only needs to accomodate the receiver. From the looks the radiobox weighs at least 20-30g. On my 808 conversion I have the receiver taped on the steering servo. You'd only need a small (radio)box that fits Futaba rx (biggest one in use today) and that's it. It sits nicely on the steering servo on nitro 808 car.
- Would like to see some nice solution to hold the motor wires + sensor wire between ESC and motor. The rear CVD shaft and wires often seem to toutch. Maybe one extra hole in the chassis plate so a wire-holder can be mounted.
- I have slight fears if the motor mount holds up and doesn't bend. Its not very thick and has two part-design. Attach 350g of weight to it and give serveral G-s...