Sunday January 30, 2005

Fly Porsche 911S

If one thing can be said about Fly, they certainly are not letting up in the new releases department. This latest Porsche 911 S almost escaped me but reading other reviews and comments about it finally convinced me it was time to try one myself.

I have had this car for about a week now, and the first 3 days had this model on display at my work. Given that I work in a large office building, around 20 to 30 people a day passed by my little model sitting on my desk. I would hear a variety of comments such as “Wow…what is that?” to “What die-cast company makes that car?”

Needless to say the reactions were all positive. Fly has been cranking out some really beautiful cars since they started and this Porsche falls right into the line-up nicely. One thing is certain in our little hobby: There is no shortage of Porsches. However, I really enjoy most of the models by Fly and just based on how it looks was enough for me to want one. My model has excellent paint and Tampo-stamping work aside from most of the markings being placed on top of the clear-coat.

Scale appearance seems very favorable as well. Of course, in our hobby there are always going to some slight issues, so as usual I will let the photos do most of the talking for me and allow you to come to your own conclusions. I think Fly has certainly captured this Porsche close enough for my tastes. The overall fit and finish is very good although there seemed to be some slight gaps near the front and rear clips. Nothing really glaring, but worth mentioning for those interested. However, at speed on your layout I doubt you will notice...or even care.

Detail level here is right where it should be with a Fly release. The interior is very impressive with both drivers seat-belted in place with a dashboard fully detailed and even our co-driver holding a notepad the even has some legible numbers (well, almost!) and letters on it. Needless to say, most of you out there should be pleased by the level of detail.

Wheels and tires were also very good with my sample showing no signs of out of round tires or wheels. I did notice that the front tires slightly rubbed the inside of the body. This was due to the fact that the left front wheel was not pressed on all the way, so just by simply pressing it all the way on cured the tire-rub issue. The wheels are not the best looking effort I have seen by Fly, but they get the job done. I did like the fact these tires were slicks and of a decent compound to work with. These tires are very close to the GT40 and I have been able to sand and form them into some really good meat hooks for our plastic track. This model told me I should be able to do the same here.

Turning the model over we see that Fly is still continuing to detail the underside of the chassis. For some of you this seems like a waste of tooling effort, but for others it just makes the car that much more appealing. In any case at least this time there is no items such as suspension or steering moldings rubbing on the wheels or tires like we found on the GT40.

4 screws were easily removed to reveal the inner workings of our Porsche. The first thing that might catch your eye is the motor placement. It is still geared at a standard with a 11 tooth pinion turning a 36 tooth spur gear, but with the motor set behind the rear axle. Some enthusiasts do not feel this is the ideal placement for the motor, and later testing reveals why...at least in the non-magnet arena.

Out of the box with the standard Fly bar magnet in place, this model actually drives pretty predictably. Due to the shorter guide blade and weight distribution of the car, I did have a few de-slots that could be easily avoided by simply having a proper deep guide. The model does set in a nice tri-pod effect with the fronts barely touching the track, but the short guide just doesn’t help matters with the balance of this model. I still lightly sanded the front tires and this did help a little with the overall smoothness of the car and I would suggest trying it yourself and seeing the results.

Our lap times were in the 4.5 second range without any work being performed. Then I decided to sand and true up the rear tires (along with the fronts) and make sure they were clean. After this and a quick braid adjustment it was time to head back to the track. Now, this model was right at the 4.1 second range and the operation was much better. Braking and acceleration are all distinct like most any other Fly car, and of course it was a little on loud side. Good break-in will cure this issue as the gear mesh and distance was right where it should be.

I did notice some excess side-to-side freeplay in the rear axle. It was not a lot, but enough that I felt it needed to be dealt with. Instead of adding a shim, I just removed the rear axle and took a hand file and filed the end of the axle. It did not take much at all, and after my first test fit the freeplay was gone and I glued the wheel back in place. This really didn't effect lap times as they stayed in the 4.1 second area, but the model did quiet down some and felt a little more solid in the corners.

I decided to try this model non-magnet next. This is where things get a little tricky to say the least. By just removing the magnet, I set the car on the track and applied throttle. POP!...the front came right out which really did not surprise me. This model almost popped out of the slot easier than a Scaley Moto GP (almost). Of course my first answer was some lead weight up front, for even when I could get it to go around the layout, the front end shook and rattled horribly. I added a 1/2 ounce of sheet lead underneath on the chassis. This really helped matters, but it still wasn't as solid of a feel as I would have liked. I decided to add another 1/4 ounce inside the chassis up front. Now this model started to act a little better, and although my lap times at 5.6 seconds is not scorching, it was now at least somewhat fun to manage.

However, this model was just more fun with the magnet in place. It is not as stuck down as other models out there and allows for some decent drifting in the corners. As much as I enjoy non-magnet racing, this car just is not one that fills the bill for me in that area. This is fine by me as I enjoy a variety of models in different configurations. Keeping this model box-stock is where it will stay and when my second Porsche arrives I will have a good running mate for it.

Overall with just a little application of basic tuning, I found this a fun little model to pilot. It isn't my favorite Fly release, but it has potential for some great racing here in the future. Advanced enthusiasts should actually enjoy this model the most as it can present a good tuning challenge. I do plan on adding at least 1 more model in my collection, perhaps more in the future. If you are a Porsche fanatic and enjoy a good challenge in your slot racing, you might look closer at this release.

-Harry

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

Thanks Go To Gene At SlotCarPlace For Providing Us With This Model!