If you've followed previous projects you'll know I've built several micro RC FPV projects but never 1:76 scale. I've followed these tiny little cars for a little while now and had ideas on maybe setting up the smallest FPV racing track possible! Indoor racing fun means the weather doesn't matter, it's warm and easy to charge so it's a trifecta of wins.
So not only do I need to cram FPV kit on this tiny little car but also design and build a track that has dozens of possible configurations at a life like scale.
These tiny 1:76 scale RC cars are third generation. They measure in at 50mm long by 20mm wide. They boast full proportional control, meaning its not just full left right and either on off power but moving as much or little as you give steering / power.
The sets vary but the one linked here is for the controller, not 1 but 2 cars so you can charge and run and a spare blank shell to paint up as you like.
I also ordered 2 spare shells as the original plan was to mount the camera on an original shell but at this scale that didn't happen. The shells come off by lifting the rear which clips on the rear lights away from the body. It can then lift up, that's all that holds the shell in place.
I always like truck shells for this scale FPV as its much easier to conceal the camera PCB. I rattled up a design in Rhino after measuring the size and light placements of the chassis. As the shell clips on the lights then its really the only place that has to be super accurate. Everything else above.. not so much.
So my initial design I've printed in TPU so its easy to slip on the chassis but also has impact durability. Camera fits well as does the chassis itelf.
So while this looks pretty cool other drivers on FPV would only see a blur ball of lights going around at 600TVL camera quality (equiv of above 480p..).
So the FPV power, a lipo has to go somewhere. So ripped the spoiler back off and designed a shell back that slot wedges into place. Super easy to take off and put on.
While the Lorry is nice what I don't want to do is sit and design new shells for all the types of views I want. So instead I designed this blank chassis which holds the camera further back and slightly raised with a slot for the FPV 1S 100mAh pack to slide in below it.
Now on to the clever bit of this design. From the cameras point of view we now see the bonnet in frame. So instead of designing different shells .. we design bonnets instead!
These bonnets are 1 gram of TPU each and take a minute to print each. Also got an AE86 (bottom right) bonnet with pop up effect headlights lol. A bit of double sided tape and you can change what you're driving on camera in seconds.
I wanted a track that was fun, complex and not just top speed everywhere. Places where throttles have to be feathered else you'll plough into a barrier or such. To achieve this layout means a mix of fixed barriers and removable barriers that can be moved around easily but also don't come off when hit.
Now given the scale of the cars any bumps are going to be translated as launching of ramps on camera lol. So wood filler time on all bumps, holes and joins.
Only model railway type materials would be suitable for this scale and there is plenty to choose from. So for the none track areas I used modelling grass stuck down.
Now white line markings was a bit of testing and learning. Paint could have worked but on vinyl it can and will scratch off over time. So after lots of masking tape marking out I broke out the Tippex!
Because its on a board and we'll be on FPV means running off the side would result in taking of goggles and such... hmm no thanks. First I designed some 100mm long by 10mm high (with 5mm posts below) barriers. These are to stick on the very outside perimeter of the track.
With the outside barriers in place it's now impossible to drive entirely off the board. These little cars have some kick for the size, driving over the grass etc isn't an issue for them.
Now for internal barriers on the track itself. First I need barriers that can shape to any corner so I designed these with 45 degree angle feet every 5mm meaning they can make fairly tight bends. Printed in TPU again.
Now the last barrier type I designed clips over the fixed ones around the track. These are 150mm long to gap distance's and can clip onto each other to make longer segments. So the track can now be configured to anything at all for short tracks, long tracks, complex fast/slow configurations etc.
I didn't want to over do the lights otherwise the camera white balance would be all over the place. But this little preview shows it looks 100% spot on.
Even though I know ahead of time you're going so fast a lot is a blur.. so distance markers? yep I want them. Again TPU design printed super simple with raised numbers painted red.
A completed top-down preview. The benefit of this track is its height including base. A mere 45mm means it can stand against the wall or go under the bed etc.
There is much more I can do here but this project has grown way over size as it stands already. But future plans include track timer / lap counter, LCD display visible on FPV and more!
1:76 scale RC FPV car racing with custom racetrack and shells
