I met up with Tim Bump who heads up the Hyper Racing division at OFNA, and they allowed me to take detailed shots of the new Hyper Mini ST 1/12-scale 4WD nitro racing truggy. This truck is designed to do battle with the popular Jammin’ CRT .5 and it looks like it has the stuff to give the little Jammin truck a serious run for the money. The truck should be available mid April or early May, and OFNA plans to debut it at the up and coming RCX show. Here’s a rundown of the truck’s hot features.
The electronics, radio box, fuel tank and engine are centralized on the chassis. Although you can really notice it on this picture, the engine is leaned inward around 20 degrees. This does two things; it places a good percentage of the engine’s weight closer to the chassis centerline, and it allows the tuned pipe to be positioned further in on the chassis. They did not have a painted body, but I did look at a clear one. The nice thing about the Hyper ST Mini is that the tuned pipe will be hidden by the body. In other words it won’t be exposed like on the CRT .5.
A hard-anodized, extended wheelbase chassis will be standard on both the RTR and Pro model. The RTR will include a Hyper .12 pull-start engine, but as you can see, there’s a generous opening underneath the flywheel to allow you to crank the engine over with a starter box. The chassis has radiused edges to increase rigidity and the front portion is kicked up approximately 10 degrees.
You can see how the engine is leaned toward the inside of the chassis. A polished inline tuned pipe with spring coupler will be standard. Check out the oval shaped, dual-element air filter – sweet! A 75cc fuel tank will provide long run times. The fuel tank has a built-in grab handle to make filling the tank up with the body installed easier.
The Mini ST will include standard size servos. The radio box is compact, but it will have enough room for the receiver and a 4-cell AAA battery holder. Note the air filter mount, and built-in fuel filter mount on the fuel tank. These are nice touches. The truck features a triple diff 4WD system with dual disk brakes. You’ll be able to adjust the front and rear brake bias just like on larger truggies.
The Mini ST features a pivot ball front suspension. Aluminum-body threaded shocks, sway bars, steel turnbuckles and front and rear steel CV-type drive shafts will be standard on both the RTR and Pro models.
The aluminum front shock tower has multiple shock mounting options, and a stout body mount system. Note the front bumper; looks like it will effectively protect the chassis and suspension during a roll-over or a crash. Those are standard 2.2 inch wheels and tires by the way.
An aluminum shock tower, steel turnbuckles, CV-type driveshafts and sway bar are included for the rear end as well. The nylon wing gives the Mini ST its classic truggy styling. Check out the rear bumper – nice. If you look closely, you can see that the hinge pins are supported with aluminum braces.
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