The Hornet is an upgraded version of the Grasshopper. However, the Hornet and Grasshopper are similar in the fact that they are both two-wheel-drive off-road buggies. They also share identical features like the bathtub chassis.

Looks like the Sand Viper comes with ball bearings setup? Should I still be getting some rubber sealed ones?diff gear loaded sealed gearbox, oil filled rear dampers, powerful RS 540 motor and high performance suspension system. Tamiya's main goal is to offer the most rewarding modeling experience possible. Grasping the various parts, assembling, and finally painting a finely crafted model is truly a special and rare experience in today's modern world. First released on the 9th of October, 1984, I suspect it went on to become Tamiya’s biggest selling R/C car ever – although I have no specific proof. Tamiya has never released any sales figures. But the impression I got growing up in Australia was that this was by far the most popular Tamiya buggy of the era. And combine that with the fact that it was available for 8 years from 1984-1992, and there’s no doubt it had an incredible sales run. And yet despite these aesthetic considerations the car is still 100% functional and uncompromising as an R/C model. This was the genius of Tamiya’s design work during the “character car” era. It’s something they carried across several beautiful buggies. And it’s also something that no other R/C model manufacturer was ever quite able to replicate. Often they would copy Tamiya’s ideas, but they were never quite able to copy Tamiya’s eclectic and unusual inspirations – and pull them off. The Hornet, Tamiya’s 45th model produced, was one of Tamiya’s iconic and best-selling RC vehicles ever made.

Mating the gearbox with the chassis. What's up with those weird tiny springs?? Plus, I greased the moving parts just as suggested in the manual, even the slots for the rolling rear axle. Not that great for actual running in dirt, as I found out later.Please note: These ‘ready to run bundles’ includes everything you need to operate this model once the kit is built. This is a kit which will require building. This model comes with a clear shell. Please see our Tamiya Paint range for colours available. Chassis complete, plus a pair of Grasshopper / Sand Scorcher rear wheels for tarmac running. Woohoo! Since the Hornet is an upgrade from the Grasshopper, it’s no surprise that they are incredibly faster than the Grasshopper since they can reach speeds as high as 43.4Mph. How fast is the Tamiya Grasshopper?

It was a fairly lightweight buggy for it’s time too, and the gearbox transfers the motor power quite efficiently so that it’s main strength is straight-line speed. Handling is another matter though, and the car has a tendency to swing it’s tail about and can be a bit of a handful on a loose surface. But this just makes it all the more entertaining. Buggies that run absolutely perfectly can often be a bit boring. Just like the original, this re-release features an easy to assemble chassis and drivetrain. The Hornet is perfect for those that used to have one, those that have always wanted one, and for those that want a revolutionary buggy that has earned its place in R/C history. The oil filled rear dampers made me quite concerned if I would be able to get them right, due to the fluid involved. They turned out allright.Read more: Is Tamiya Good Quality? | We’ve Got One Giant on The Table Comparison Between Tamiya Hornet and The Grasshopper The decals are pretty iconic too. During the 1980s, each Tamiya buggy came with a special slogan, and for the Hornet of course it’s “Anytime, Baby!”. This just added to the car’s character and even little things – like the positioning of the bonnet number “7″ off a bit to one side – are just little touches to add a bit more individuality. The NiMHs turned out to be either dead right from the get-go or after just few minutes. So I thought "screw that unreliable crusty old stuff" and used the LiPo. Good choice. I still have that old Hornet to this day, and it’s now in the process of being restored. So look for another Hornet post sometime in the future, if and when I finally finish that project. (Or if I build an original kit to completion!) One of the popular classics by Tamiya in the 1980s, this Grasshopper kit dominated the RC market and even inspired other copies from other brands.

After wanting to build something like a Team Associated B5M or B44.3 I decided it'll be more sensible to go for something like the Tamiya Hornet as I'm completely new to this so 1. don't want to spend too much yet and 2. don't know what I'm doing, so don't want to put myself off, or go wrong building something like the B44.3. I also like the idea of upgrading a cheaper car gradually. Due to it’s extreme maneuverability and high speed we have named this powerful buggy the “HORNET”. With front independent suspension using a friction damper, and rolling rigid rear suspension with oil filled dampers, plus a lightweight polycarbonate body, this aggressive vehicle is aptly named.

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The box. I was pretty intimidated by its contents, so many parts that need to be put together, and even a bodyshell and driver figure to be painted. I felt like being thrown into cold water. For the finishing touches and a good paint for your newly constructed model, Elitemodelsonline recommend Tamiya PS or Tamiya TS spray paints. Another true Tamiya classic joins the new X-SA series in the form of the Hornet, a childhood dream for many early R/C fans and still highly popular model in the modern day. I must have poured over that catalogue a million times growing up, and here’s the classic product photo of the Hornet as Tamiya intended it to be… Even modded, the Hornet retained its funny hopping characteristics when driven over bump after bump, but when driving over flat dirt, it was very smooth. Regardless of the terrain chosen, it remained in a straight line, which is a real relief to me. It was so cool to see the suspension finally working as intended, instead of having the tires soak up all the bumps. Speaking of tires, the spike tires are so cool looking!