Avante Coming Soon

[TenzoR]

is the Avante out of production now?

I can't seem to find it now

[tamiyoman]

is the Avante out of production now?

I can't seem to find it now

I dont think the avante is out of production although with the terrible events in Japan, I would imagine production has slowed if not stopped for the time being until the country gets back on its feet.

[VagabondStarJXF]

Yay! I finished building my Avante chassis!

... at about 3am this morning.

I must be out of practice building kits or something because I started it at about 11am yesterday with only 1 break for dinner. Yes it was a little more complicated than any other NIB kit I've done but, just for comparison, I took almost as long to build my M06Pro on Sunday, starting at 10am, finishing at about 1am, breaking for lunch and dinner. Of course it doesn't help that I was having a 'dumb day' when I was building the M06Pro. It's also amazing how much slower things get when you don't have a set a longnose pliers. I'm sure I wasted a couple of hours just on turnbuckles and dampers and now my thumbs are sore from fitting the rubber ball end covers and pushing together plastic rod ends onto those ball head nuts.

Anyhoo, I'll post up pics once I've got the shell all decal'd and driver painted.

BTW The DF03 wheels aren't that much bigger but look huge when I tried fitting them. And I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet but they also rub on the rubber ball end covers on the rear upper arms if you have them fitted. If anyone one's going to use the rubber covers AND the DF03 wheels for running I'd recommend using thicker hex hubs. I think there's enough space for the 6mm thick ones but the 5mm thick ones will do.

[Challenger-RT]

Is the Avante 2011 nevertheless produced in a limited/ small number?

The sales-number for Germany is limited to 333 as you can read here .

I know - the model number is a 58... not a 49... but I think 333 items is quite a low sales number for a RC kit in Germany.

What do you think?

Which limited numbers are specified in other countries?

[Jonesy76]

From talking to the Hobby Co rep (Tamiya's UK Distributor) last week it seems like the UK's first batch of Avante 2011's have run out now, so the only ones left are ones that model shops already have on their shelves or in stock.

More are expected later this year (November was being talked about), which makes me think that the re-re Avante is going to be one of those kits like the Sand Scorcher that will be tough to get hold of for a period which will only drive the want for them up.

However this was before the awful natural disaster hit Japan last Friday. We may well find that stocks of the Avante become very thin on the ground.

I for one am SOOOO pleased to have mine, but I also can't see Tamiya going to all the toruble to re-machine components for the Avante, and completely re-write the instruction manual only to offer it up as a limited run. They will have produced an initial limited run to see how they sold, prior to producing a bigger batch to satisfy the needs afterwards.

Yes they're expensive...........

.........but they're selling!!!!

[Wandy]

From talking to the Hobby Co rep (Tamiya's UK Distributor) last week it seems like the UK's first batch of Avante 2011's have run out now, so the only ones left are ones that model shops already have on their shelves or in stock.

More are expected later this year (November was being talked about), which makes me think that the re-re Avante is going to be one of those kits like the Sand Scorcher that will be tough to get hold of for a period which will only drive the want for them up.

However this was before the awful natural disaster hit Japan last Friday. We may well find that stocks of the Avante become very thin on the ground.

November?! There was not anything near that kind of a gap in delivery of Scorchers. A few weeks at the most.

The events in Japan might slow things down a bit although I doubt very much, if the usual Japanese stoicism & efficiency is anything to go by.

[VagabondStarJXF]

Is the Avante 2011 nevertheless produced in a limited/ small number?

The sales-number for Germany is limited to 333 as you can read here .

I know - the model number is a 58... not a 49... but I think 333 items is quite a low sales number for a RC kit in Germany.

What do you think?

Which limited numbers are specified in other countries?

I think the 333 number is rather odd. But maybe that's just the amount going to Germany just from the first run, perhaps?

I'm glad I got mine on release although I'd only built it yesterday. Now that the disaster in Japan has happened I'm sure I'd be cursing myself if I hadn't bought it right away. The stock levels for anything coming out of Japan are sure to be low for a while. That being said a lot of the Tamiya parts are outsourced to other countries that weren't hit as hard by the tsunami so that might help things along a little.

on to another note about my build... I'm fitting the electronics now!

[VagabondStarJXF]

God stop panicking, it is exactly this kind of talk that you find in the media, unnecessary and pointless hear say.

Well said. Everyone should just relax for the moment and allow things to get back to normal. Kits will come back onto the market soon enough.

BTW The DF03 wheels aren't that much bigger but look huge when I tried fitting them. And I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet but they also rub on the rubber ball end covers on the rear upper arms if you have them fitted. If anyone one's going to use the rubber covers AND the DF03 wheels for running I'd recommend using thicker hex hubs. I think there's enough space for the 6mm thick ones but the 5mm thick ones will do.

I gotta correct myself here. The hubs that come with the kit are 5mm and not 4mm which is what I assumed they were. You'll definitely need 6mm hubs or spacers at the rear if you want to fit the DF03 wheels and the rubber joint covers. The contact between the two hinders movement quite badly on mine which I'm sure would mean the rubber covers would be destroyed real fast once ran.

And i am really happy for all of you guys who have got yours by the way and feel the need to continually point this out!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Rosey. I'm sure we're all glad to help! BTW Did I mention? I've got one! I've got one! I've got one! I've got one!

[Challenger-RT]

God stop panicking, it is exactly this kind of talk that you find in the media, unnecessary and pointless hear say.

no, no Rosey I'm not panicking at all - I'm only curious.

I've ordered already one kit

[VagabondStarJXF]

How's everyone's undertray? I'm using a ***** one for my runner instead of the kit supplied one and it's a bit... tight. It's like the rear hole is about 1mm too far forward and the two front holes are about 1mm too high and too far back. I've managed to 'stretch' it on to the posts (in a manner of speaking) but it's not ideal. I don't want to cut out my kit one just yet, I'm waiting until I've got the paint for the box art colour, so does it have the same problem or is it ok? I know the ***** one is moulded around the vintage Avante so could this be another difference between the vintage and the re-re or is the re-re undertray also a bit tight?

[TWINSET]

How's everyone's undertray?

Mine was a perfect fit - all 3 holes reamed to size, on the dimples, and it works fine.

[tamiyoman]

How's everyone's undertray? I'm using a ***** one for my runner instead of the kit supplied one and it's a bit... tight. It's like the rear hole is about 1mm too far forward and the two front holes are about 1mm too high and too far back. I've managed to 'stretch' it on to the posts (in a manner of speaking) but it's not ideal. I don't want to cut out my kit one just yet, I'm waiting until I've got the paint for the box art colour, so does it have the same problem or is it ok? I know the ***** one is moulded around the vintage Avante so could this be another difference between the vintage and the re-re or is the re-re undertray also a bit tight?

That could well be down to "Mould Shrinkage", when you cast a Mould or an original part it can shrink a little befoire being used and hence you end up with something thats a little smaller than original, the only way around this is to cast a mould then leave it to set, then dip the WHOLE mould in quick drying plaster to add a little material to the mould.

I had similar problems with my TB-01 Undercowl repro, ended up dipping it, re-measuring it and then its ok.

[TamiyaDan]

.

[tamiyoman]

***** is known to have undersized molds because he screws up making lexan molds its not due to shrinkage what happens is:

if you cast a mold from lexan on the inside you lose the thickness of the lexan which can be .030" or .060" over a large area this can be 1-2MM undersized.

if you cast a mold from lexan on the outside you gain the same 1-2MM but its possible to compensate for the error.

***** seems to cast all molds on the inside of the body or undertray, leading to undersized bodies and undertrays.

the only time you get an Exact fit is from an original mold or time needs to be taken to Touch up a Re-cast body by adding material to the re-cast making it the correct final size.

its better when you have an oversized body because you can nip a little material away.

I cast from Inside then dip the whole mould into quick set plaster a couple of times to add around 1mm, its the easiest way to do it.

[TamiyaDan]

.

[pikachoo-75]

AHHH! mould shrinkage!! that would explain this.....

[TamiyaDan]

.

[tamiyoman]

some people cast from the inside then use thin lexan vacuum form it and make the negative, then cast positive #2 and then clean it up if needed to add the right amount back, there are lots of ways to do it but any way you do it, has to be gone back over to re-do some lost details.

***** has also been caught using other peoples bodies and making molds from them, making them VERY undersized on certain models.

i have a few original molds in my collection, one day i might get into forming for fun

I think you meant to say "***** has also been caught using other peoples REPRO bodies and making molds from them, making them VERY undersized on certain models.

Naughty naughty LOL

[pikachoo-75]

im only kidding...my avante is full sized....its just my handspan is 5 feet so i had a giant handset made.

the late Kenny Everett based his preacher character on me.

[TamiyaDan]

.

[tamiyoman]

on some, like MR lexan,

however he ripped off some bolink and parma originals, though i have not seen him selling them in a while, not sure if there was a cease and desist letter involved.

but your right in that its a joke when people that make re-production bodies get mad at others for copying them.

the market will decide ultimately whom makes a better product.

We blocked him from buying from both our shops as he was buying original kyosho bodysets from us to copy (we have permission from kyosho to make repro body and decals and could not be seen to be supplying others who are making them "Without permission"), it also does not make sense business wise for us to supply others when we intent to make our own in the future!.

He then got himself in trouble with ebay by using his "Other" acount to buy from us (Circumventing our block) which is against ebay policy. Now he just gets other people to buy from me I suspect, nothing I can do about that, but im happy in the knowledge that im not directly supplying him and it costs him more to get them

Its not that difficult to "Accidentally" copy someone elses body if a third party sent it to you, but if you bought it yourself to copy, well thats a different story!

[VagabondStarJXF]

Thanks for the info everyone. I guess I'll just ream a little more to make it sit a little more comfortably. It's a shame but that's ok, really, because I'm using it as a runner.

[Jonesy76]

How's everyone's undertray?

Mine has a clear bit to show off the carbon fibre, and fits like a glove.

Firmed the rear suspension up a bit because it was bottoming out after jumps, but that's just scratched the under tray up a bit. I may get a spare body and decals to have for shelf purposes though, as once my DF-03 tyres arrive I'm going to use those for running and save the cam locks. May be nice to put the cam locks and pristine body on when I'm not ragging the badword out of it.

Anyone else getting a touch of interference from their car though?

I'm running mine with the TEU104 supplied with the kit, and a Futaba 40mhz receiver. Was using a 27mhz Futaba and it was even worse......so much interference the servo was chattering when the car was only 4 meters from the transmitter. Went to my local hobby store and the guy there said it may be the carbon fibre, as planes built with the stuff actually have carbon specific receivers (showed me a Futaba 2.4ghz), but Tamiyas suggestion of having the ESC against the centre diff, and the receiver behind Paranoid Perry wasn't the smartest as the aerial has to snake past the ESC.

Put my Futaba 40mhz receiver by the centre diff now so that the aerial wire goes straight to the aerial tube mount, but I was still getting interference so I swapped the TEU104 for a small 12 turn limit ESC I have for my TB-01 project, and seems to work fine. Maybe the TEU104 is dodgy or something but it certainly didn't seem to want to work properly!

[MrUnlimited]

Did a speedcheck today with my android-app Speedview (you can find the free version of it on Androidmarket). With my setup Tamiya Transpeed 8.5t 4000kv, hobbywing Xerun 60A, 4000mah 2s 7.4v lipo (GE-power) and a 19t pinion I reached 63km/h over a distance of 40 meters!!

Fast enough for me

[TamiyaDan]

.