Apple Of Our Eye
CUSTOMIZED TAMIYA COMICAL HORNET
If the form factor of this RC buggy looks somewhat familiar to you, but you aren’t quite able to put your finger on exactly which model it is, we’d say you’re not alone. One thing is for sure, combined with its inherent retro looks and the owner’s choice of livery, it does give off an appropriately 80s vibe. That timeframe should give you a good hint on which kit this buggy was inspired by.
Long time RC enthusiasts and “Tamiyaphiles” will be able to tell you that what you’re looking at is a Tamiya Comical Hornet. The original Tamiya Hornet is one of Tamiya’s more popular as well as one of the oldest off road buggies still being produced today. The fact that an RC kit that was first released in 1984 can still be a best seller says a lot about its longevity and adoration.
COMICAL
Tamiya celebrates its tradition of fun RC buggies with the release of a Comical line of RC of roaders that are designed to invoke the looks of some of the company’s most beloved classics. The Comical series offers a lot of nostalgia but also much in terms of building and driving fun.
After seeing it in action and then experiencing it ourselves, it’s clear to see that this kit is designed to be a fun, wheelie popping buggy for all ages to enjoy. Its chassis is based on the popular two-wheel drive WR-02 chassis from Tamiya’s Wild Willy 2, another classic in its own right. Called the WR-02CB chassis, the Comical Hornet and its brethren are equipped with a monocoque-type chassis that feature newer parts that are specifically designed for use in the Comical series.
The mid-motor, rear wheel drive kit comes with its gearbox pre-assembled, which makes the kit quick and easy to build. For those who have grown up in the age of RTRS, this is a good beginner’s kit to tackle. The fact that it shares its chassis with other Tamiya kits has its advantages. As far as we are aware, all the hop-up parts that fit the Wild Willy 2 and other WR-02 derived chassis should fit the WR- 02CB as well. That opens up the Comical Hornet to the possibility of many Tamiya and aftermarket upgrades.
LIVERY
The owner of this Comical Hornet had two things in mind when he decided to build this kit. Can you guess what his inspirations were? He loves all things 80s and there isn’t much that is more 80s than the Tamiya Hornet and Apple
Computer. The Apple livery may be kind of random, but the owner went on to regale us with stories from his childhood of playing the educational videogame, Oregon Trail, on an Apple IIE computer in his elementary school classroom by day and driving and tinkering with his Tamiya Hornet afterschool. At risk of dating this writer, his story does sound all too familiar.
Inspired by these thoughts, he picked up the Comical Hornet and planned out his build. He decided that the Comical would sport another 80s icon’s livery, that of the Porsche 935 chassis 009 030, which raced at 24 Hours of Lemans in 1980. The Porsche was painted white and sported Apple Computer’s distinctive rainbow colored livery. The owner reached out to Matt Brase and MR Custom Painting to see if he could do the work of painting the body in Apple’s 80s racing colors. Brase said he’d love to do it so the body was shipped out while the chassis was assembled.
ASSEMBLY
The Comical Hornet was quickly assembled according to Tamiya’s very clear instructions. The buildit-yourself kit comes with Tamiya’s TBLE-02S Electronic Speed Controller as well as a 540-type brushed motor. Those two items were dutifully installed along with a host of electronics by Futaba that included an R324SBS receiver and S3470S servo.
Upgrades include a full set of Tamiya ball bearings and
“The mid-motor, rear wheel drive kit comes with its gearbox pre-assembled, which makes the kit quick and easy to build.”
a set of aluminum wheels. The owner said that he unfortunately does not remember where the wheels came from, he happened to find the set in a box of RC spare parts that he’s had for ages. We admit that the aluminum wheels do contribute to the 80s vibe very nicely. As soon as the body came back from MR Custom Painting, perfectly adorned with Apple’s colorful graphics, it was installed on the chassis and the build was complete.
DRIVING THIS THING
The first thing that jumped out to us was that the Comical Hornet is extremely wheelie happy. A touch of the throttle is enough to send it on its hind wheels for a stretch before it lurches forward back onto all four wheels. It’s really fun to see and drive. The bulbous tires make the buggy look bouncy but its suspension is able to smooth out the ride reasonably well.
Powering the buggy was a 5,000 mah NIMH six-cell battery made by Maxamps. The battery seemed to run forever, which was undoubtedly assisted by the low power requirements of its stock 540 motor. Much else of what we have to report is that this thing is fun to drive and for a lack of a better term, comical. It left everyone who drove it, from seasoned bashers to the little ones, with great big smiles.