Harry Redstone, (almost) Master of the RC Universe!

Many congratulations to Harry Redstone, who has bagged a nice shiny 2nd place trophy in his first rc race season...

Nice one Harry!  We're all super proud of you & looking forward to following your exploits in 2013...



Introducing Harry Redstone, RC car racing nut...

SMB Bearings would like to introduce you to our young friend, Bristol-based Harry Redstone - a keen racer of RC model cars. Harry is a regular feature now at Swindon Radio Controlled Model Car Club - SRCMCC for short!

"My name is Harry Redstone & I am a rc car racer, newly started, but I've been into rc cars since I was 5 years old.  Now I'm taking it more seriously, after leaving the sport of motorcross.  I am only racing at club level at the moment but i will soon be doing the Swords (a national race competition) and other race meetings." 

Harry will be participating in the Pirate RC event in June - we're looking forward to updating you on that nearer the time.


Harry's new pride & joy - a Team Losi 4WD Buggy



Racing action at SRCMCC!

 We sent Harry some bearings for his car & he seems pretty chuffed with them "Cheers, the bearings are great - stripped my car down last night and fitted them & it took all the play out of the hubs :-) and I didn't even have to shim them".  We look forward to seeing how the bearings do longer team, as the world of nitro RC racing is a pretty hard one for your average bearing - as Harry says "Yeah, plus they're spinning at 40,000 rpm so they do take a bashing but then thats life for them :-)"




Everyone at SMB Bearings would like to take this opportunity to wish Harry the very best of luck for the 2012 race season & we'll update you on his progress really soon.

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Check out our new ad...

...which will feature in the next edition of Model Helicopter World magazine!

If you need any help re-fitting your model, but aren't sure what size/part reference you need, we're always happy to help.  If you can advise dimensions we can find the part reference, or if you have a part reference you're not sure about we can confirm dimensions for you!  There's lots of helpful information & advice on our website & you're welcome call us for a chat/advice.

RC Carrier launches RC aircraft...

How cool is this?!  Shame  about the crashing part, but we can't have everything!!  My Christmas wish list just keeps on getting longer and longer...

Rc plane meets real plane...

RC Plane Meets Real Plane @ Yahoo! Video

You have to feel a bit sorry for both pilots - imagine trying to superglue that lot back together!!

Tamiya Sand Scorcher Video...

A real treat for Tamiya RC fans.  If you haven't seen it yet, this is a lovely Tamiya promo for 2010, featuring some vintage vehicle action too.  We love the shots in the sea water but really, REALLY don't recommend trying it out yourself without some serious protection for your beloved RC vehicle!



We have created quite a useful materials guide - http://www.smbbearings.com/SMBbearingselection.htm - so check it out if you want to know whether it is safe to drive you RC components through seawater David Hasselhoff in Baywatch style...

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RC Model boats - a beginners size guide...

We found a rather spiffy website, called http://www.rcsailboatguide.com/ & thought that our RC hobby-nuts might be interested in this article:

"Almost without exception the uninitiated spectator who has been watching a model out sailing and then sees it being brought ashore will express great surprise at how big it is. That little model you see out on the pond can be eight feet long and weigh up to eighty pounds. Unless you sail in a swimming pool, the rule of thumb is: the larger the model, the easier to sail. And one of the most important considerations in selecting a model is its size, all other things being equal. If you cannot see the boat well enough to distinguish wind changes on the sails and reaction to the controls, you will be unable to operate it among a fleet of models sailing offshore.

The distance to which we can sail our model yacht is limited not by range of the radio transmitter and receiver in the control system but by the capability of the human eye. Beyond a certain point we cannot see the boat well enough to set the sails properly. Visibility is crucial for setting sail trim and course – and also for avoiding collisions.

From a practical standpoint, the minimum overall length is 36 inches if you plan to sail with other larger models. The large “J” boats and “A” Class boats measuring eight feet in length represent the upper limit. Thirty nine to sixty inches constitute the most common hull lengths.

In selecting your model size consider: where you will store the model when not in use; how you will transport it to the water’s edge; what is involved in your launching it (depth of water required, weight of model, bulk of model, etc.). At the time of purchase you will need to consider the cost of having the model kit delivered to you. Generally, models up to 50 or 60 inches can be packed to ship by mail or United Parcel. Models which cannot be packed within UPS size and weight limitations must either be picked up personally at the shop or be shipped by truck. The same considerations must be given to the spars for your model. A tall one-piece mast may be very expensive to have shipped. If you overlook the shipping costs, you may find the shipping more costly than the model itself, unfortunate but sometimes true.
Sailing model weights range from five pounds to over 80 pounds. Fifty inch models will range from ten to 30 pounds, which is within the launching ability of most adults. The larger boats require a cart or two persons for launching.

While a child’s toy boat can be launched from the edge of the pond, the size of the R/C models requires a launching area with water deep enough to allow for the depth of the model keel. The typical 50/800 Marblehead draws 15 to 18 inches. You may need to wade out into the water to launch and recover your model. At facilities for full-size boats, there is usually big-boat activity which wipes out model activity – model boats sail best undisturbed by powerboat wakes and water skiers! The Parks and Recreation Department in your town may be willing to follow the lead of the Town of Needham, Massachusetts, in providing model-boat facilities, particularly at ponds where other public access is restricted. Consider too the possible need to launch a small boat to recover a disabled R/C model.

The sails on the modern model racing yacht are left attached to the spars rather than furled or stowed as they would be on a big boat. In the normal home it may be hard to find space to stow away a ten-foot mast with sails attached."

Well, it just goes to show - size is everything, in the world of RC boating anyway ;0)

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We can offer a range of KS440 stainless steel bearings for RC sailboats - they offer good corrosion resistance to damp environments & whilst not totally resistant to corrosion in a marine setting, they offer the advantage of being a harder material & taking higher loads & speeds than most marine-grade bearings.

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RC Plane landing... how not to!

Thanks to http://thefishingguy.blogspot.com for this great image, captured whilst out on the lake for the Ravenna Thunderbirds annual water fly show in the US. The crash apparently occurred because of a loss of a part on take-off. Fishingguy jokes "It is a good thing I got this shot for the FAA to determine cause of the crash!"

Should your rc model suffer from a similar disaster (WE DO HOPE NOT!), we can supply high quality replacement bearings for you** - we don't have a minimum so you can order as few as you like.

**Did you know, most manufacturers supply their models fitted with the cheapest Chinese bearings? These bearings are ok for low-tech, low-spec applications but aren't suited to most models, so they tend to fail very quickly. We can offer high qualtiy Chinese bearings (mid-range in price terms) or the high quality Japanese bearings (usually branded, so they tend to cost more), both of which are smoother running, machined to a higher tolerance & last longer under the pressures that most models are subjected to.

RC Models...

We've found this great article from http://www.rcgawker.com/ to help you make your own labels for your RC model - never more will you have to purchase expensive decals, you can now custom-make your own!

"For starters you will need to decide what sort of sticker you want to put on your RC model.

In my case I wanted to put my web site logo on my RC car. You can use any graphics editing software such as Photoshop, Corel, Illustrator, Pixelmator (Mac OSX), even MS Word. As long as you can print to a color printer you should be good. You can “gang up” as many logo’s or images you want on a single sheet of paper, just be sure to leave enough room to cut them out. In my case I used Adobe Illustrator to create my site logo and print my stickers. After you have settled on your art work the next thing you will need to do is get clear labels. Avery makes a clear label that works perfect for this. You can get them in full 8 1/2 X 11 sheets from Office Max or Staples or order them online. They come in Laser or Ink Jet printer style, make sure to get the correct one for the printer you are using. Once you have printed out the artwork on the clear paper you will want to apply some clear package tape over them. The reason for this is twofold, first it provides a rich glossy shine to your stickers, secondly it protects the sticker from weather and scratches.

That’s pretty much it. Cut out your stickers and enjoy".

Thanks RCgawker!

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We've recently been talking to Tom Cook at Jet Model Products in America (see more at http://www,jetmodelproducts.com/). We've been wowed by his models & thought you might be too!

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And here we have a few examples of RC model ownership not going quite so smoothly.... !!

Have a great weekend everyone!

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F1 in Schools Challenge

For the last three years, SMB Bearings Ltd have been active sponsors of teams in the "F1 in Schools Technology Challenge". The F1 challenge sounds simple enough - design the fastest possible slotcar to win the race against other competitors down a 20 metre track, but it involves a great deal more...

Spanning age ranges of 9 to 19, F1 in Schools teams must raise sponsorship and manage budgets to fund research, travel and accommodation. The challenge inspires students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy, and apply them in a practical, imaginative, competitive and exciting way. The race is then on, literally! Completed cars race side-by-side along 20-metre straights. Teams are judged on car speed, as well as supporting evidence of their design, verbal presentation and marketing display stand in ‘‘the pits”. Teams compete regionally, nationally and internationally for the Bernie Ecclestone F1 in Schools World Championship trophy.

This year, we are proud to announce that we will be sponsoring Lutterworth College in Leicester & their Mach 1 team.

Watch this space for updates on their progress...

In the meantime, for more news on the team visit: http://www.lc.leics.sch.uk/C2/News/default.aspx

RC Helicopter Fishing

Yes really! This guy manages to combine two of our favourite activities in one!

Watch in wonder & awe...

We are in the process of sourcing some top-notch Japanese ceramic hybrid bearings, for our RC model & hobby nuts, so watch this space & we'll let you know when the lovelies arrive...

RC Model Bearings

We can offer high precision, smooth-running, noise & vibration tested replacement bearings for all type of RC models.




We can also offer a bespoke re-lubrication service, to get the absolute maximum RPM from your RC model bearings.



We are currently researching ceramic hybrid bearings (ceramic balls held in a steel bearing) for RC models; we'd be interested to know what you think of hybrid bearings' performance in your model - are they living up to the hype? Do let us know, we'd love to hear your comments.

RC enthusiasts, check out this video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCByYDwt5vE
We've not seen one that big before, ooh-er missus!!