Wednesday July 23, 2003

Fly Venturi 400

If there is a Fly model that hasn't seen very much attention here, the Venturi certainly could qualify. Although a good model in its own right, it didn't find its way here when it was first released due to other models we were collecting at the time. Given the information I had heard from other enthusiasts, plus the fact this recent re-livery release caught my eye, I knew it was time to try one out.

Arriving here safe and sound from Scalextric-USA, our first impressions were favorable. Overall finish is at the usual Fly standard, and I might add a little better due to the fact that most of the Tampo markings were all sealed by a dust-free even clear coat. The only markings that seemed unsealed was the number markings on the roof, with the rest of them being nicely opaque and even. I did notice some slight fade on the right side number markings but it is very difficult to see, and while sitting on the track you will never notice it.

The livery is one that we felt was very striking, and it seems Fly has done a very good job recreating it according to the prototype photos I could find. Body lines and shape are fairly smooth with only the head lights seeming a little raised in the sockets. There isn't as much detail here as you might find on other releases, but for myself this no issue at all. One instance of this difference is the front intake grill simulated by a adhesive-backed decal instead of photo-etched metal.

One thing that stood out for me was the durability of the model. The mirrors and rear wing are a little thicker at the base than other models and they should last longer than say those found on the Lister Storm. The interior is also void of any excess detail, yet again it looks very acceptable on the track, and feel this is just the right amount of detail for a model car designed to be raced.

Wheels and tires are again Fly standard fare, and I did have to sand the rear tires to get them round and true. The left front tire seemed a little out of round, but was easily fixed by a little "hand-tuning" of making sure it was seated properly. The wheels, although white in color, seemed not to match one of the prototype photos, however this is not really an issue as wheels get changed frequently during the course of the season. Small issues like this will only bother some scale enthusiasts, so I will leave that up to you. Being a fan of the series in 1/32nd scale, and not really following it in its 1:1 world, these wheels didn't stop me from enjoying the model.

The body is removed easily from the chassis by 3 screws as shown in the photo, with chassis to body fit very even and clean. Inside you will see the standard Mabuchi motor equipped with a 11 tooth pinion in the sidewinder configuration, although it doesn't employ the B34 pod assembly to do so. Up front we find the front wheels held in place with plastic stub axles which surprisingly were not as loose as I expected. I checked to see if the front wheels would rub on the body, but our model was free and clear.

The rear axle and 36 tooth spur gear are held in place with brass bushings that snapped very tightly in place. Although I didn't notice any spinning of the bushings under load, I still added a small drop of adhesive on top of each as a preventive maintenance measure. There was some side-to-side free-play present in the rear axle, and it was enough to notice the spur gear VERY close to the chassis.

However, I didn't have to shim our model because all it took was twisting the left wheel a little more to seat it further on the axle and this eliminated the excess slack. If your model is like this and your wheel is fully seated, it is easily shimmed as shown in the photo. Simply remove the left side wheel and place the shim on the axle, then re-install the wheel and what little slack there was present should be eliminated.

After adding a few light drops of oil to the bushings and motor ends, it was time to hit the track. I have to say this model performed better than I expected, especially given the use of the B21 button magnet. This magnet sits in a pocket with less plastic between it and the track, which does seem to effect the magnetic down-force. Braking and acceleration were both crisp using the Scalextric Sport power with standard controllers, yet moving to the PARMA 45 ohm controller helped make this car more enjoyable. The button magnet placed in front of the motor allows a slight amount of recovery time in the event of a spin, and soon we found a comfortable racing groove.

When it comes to matching this model with another, one obvious choice is the Fly Marcos. Although the Marcos has the front motor configuration, both utilize the button magnet instead of the bar magnet and this helps keep these models close in performance. However, the Venturi is a little more stuck down and lap times were an average of .2 faster than a box stock Marcos with the Venturi posting a 3.2 average. This model is also a very close match with the Lister Storm, with lap times consistently even. This was however with the shim under the bar magnet in the Lister removed.

In the end, we like this model a great deal and plan on getting some of the previous releases to go along with it. As with most models found today in our hobby, it might need a little "massaging" to get it to perform to YOUR driving standards, and once completed could become an instant favorite. This model has just the right amount of detail to satisfy most any enthusiast, and can be tuned to match varied performance tastes, which is why I have to give Fly a thumbs up on this release. If you have passed on these before, or just arriving in this great hobby, perhaps it is time you picked one up and seen for yourself the fun it offers.

Harry

As always feel free to contact me about this article or just the hobby in general at wiseone@yhti.net, or better yet drop into our Message Forum and share your thoughts with other enthusiasts!

Thanks go to SCALEXTRIC-USA  for providing us with this excellent model!

Check their website for all the latest information often!

Call Slot Car World for availability of this model today!