Walking the floor of the AMA Expo 2011

The AMA Expo is a special show for me. I started going to this show before AMA even operated it. It was in the late 90’s when I attended the show with a friend of mine and I saw a guy who was making conversion kits to install weedeater engines in model airplanes. At the time I was heavy into R/C boats and Go-Ped scooters, both of which used 2-stroke weedeater style engines. The guy was making these simple aluminum mufflers and I thought to myself that maybe there is a good alternative to a large heavy tuned pipe and the stocker stamped steel canister style mufflers. From that the X-Can was born and my company known as TeamGoNads was started. I have attended almost every show since that day.

The show is geared mostly to model airplanes but there is always something to be gained from going to shows like this. You get fresh ideas and get to meet other industry people who you have something in common with. This year Losi was the only car manufacture displaying, partly I am sure because they had their popular Horizon booth located just across from them. It was clear that even though the show was mostly airplane enthusiasts the kids and their parents all enjoyed watching and driving the RC cars.

You run across stuff like this and you cant help but to daydream about putting one of these in a large scale HPI baja or some sort of custom built car or truck.

Castle Creating/Mamba, the leaders in the brushless scene were there with their HPI baja 5t on display. The motor for this thing is HUGE.

TGN will be offering the complete 1/5 scale line from Castle Creations and Mamba. Check it out.

Check out this great idea from a company called Clay Modelers. They give you everything you need to to design your own 1/10 scale body from clay. I assume you could then mold the design and create fiberglass shells or event a vacuum formed mold. Its not cheap but it does look intriguing.