Tamiya Durga DB01 1/10th Scale 4WD Buggy

Tamiya Durga DB01
1/10^th Scale 4WD Buggy
By Tony Arnold – StampedeProject.com
RC CAR Sept 2008

In the Hindu religion, “Durga” is the beautiful ten-armed demon fighting goddess. In Tamiya-land, the Durga is a TRF501X inspired, belt driven, four armed, 1/10^thscale, buggy with centralized mass engineering and a slippery look, that can put the hurt on evil challengers everywhere. For those that are new to 4WD 10/th scale kits, think of a smaller, more nimble, faster, electric 8^th scale buggy and you have the right idea.

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Cool Features
TRF501X based design for under $200
Enclosed drivetrain keeps junk out of the drivetrain.
Centralized mass chassis engineering
Proven dual belt system provide smooth power
Integrated bulkheads make assembly & maintenance simpler
New body and wing included
Wheels, tires, body, and Stock 540 motor are included.
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Kit Features
Overview
We all know of the championship winning $800+ Tamiya TRF501X chassis, however if you not “Mr. Big Bucks” you can still take advantage of Tamiya’s R&D in the affordable $295 Durga kit. The Durga features impressive competition levelperformance that can swap quite a few parts with the TRF501X, such as all the highly adjustable 4-sheel double wishbone suspension components, shocks, and diffs. The Durga may not be all carbon fiber’ed out, but Tamiya reports that the chassis can be actually faster on rough un-groomed tracks than the super responsive TRF501X due to more chassis flex. Go figure, everyone is starting to introduce tuned flex chassis and the Durga is already there.

This kit is typical Tamiya high quality with detailed instructions included for an easy bolt together and race chassis. The only assembly note is being aware that Tamiya’s very hard and durable ABS plastic parts won’t tap like nylon, either be super careful initially tapping in the screws or use a standard 3mm tap to pre-thread the holes. Paint the body and drop in electrics and you are ready to hit the track with a smooth running belt driven race ready buggy in less than a couple nights.

Suspension
The kit supplied standard plastic shocks sealed perfectly and can be easily tuned by changing oil weights and with the supplied pre-load spacers. The shocks provided smooth chassis control and handled the abuse thrown at the chassis. Tamiya provided plenty of shock placement options and tuners will be happy caster is also tunable with supplied shims.

Drivetrain
Belt drive systems are super smooth, reliable, and relatively problem free “if” they are sealed and the Durga’s sealed belt design assures 100% drivetrain coverage. The good news is there isn’t the tiniest gap for dirt to enter the drivetrain, however the bad is that gear changes require the removal of the quad-screw secured center drivetrain cover – not exactly fast or easy. The front and rear differentials are typical ball diffs that provide plenty of tuning adjustment and mount in standard clockable mounts to adjust belt tension. The center fixed spur gear drive assembly will handle most brushed motors without causing damage to the drivetrain, however an optional slipper assembly is available and recomended for higher power brushless setups.

Steering
The Durga uses a standard effective servo linked drag link style setup. This steering design provides plenty of steering precision and keeps the CG low with a TC style lay down servo location. I was impressed with how tight the steering was and tracked with nominal bump-steer, however part of that may have been due to the torquey HiTec MG535 servo assuring directional changes.

Chassis
The chassis is a tub style design that has pre-defined spaces for a 6-cell pack, transponder, RX, ESC, Servo, and motor. Although the battery tray has molded in ribs for old school NiMh packs and adjustable battery hold down bar, I would have preferred the NiMh ribs be omitted so mainstream LiPo packs could sit low and flat. No plastic motor mounts here, Tamiya engineered a sturdy cast aluminum motor mount to limit chassis flex, provide a motor heatsink, and provide a strong mount for brushless systems. Only one clip need be removed from the battery bar for speedy battery changes.

RTR & Added Gear
Tamiya included a stock class motor with this kit, but for this level of kit, electrics are not expected. Tamiya supplied a nice set of medium compound tires and black out wheels that will get you rolling. I used a MaxAmps 7.4V LiPo pack and a tiny but powerful Tekin FX-R ESC to power the included stock motor. A HiTec servo handled steering duties and a re-branded StampedeProject RX unit negated yet another trip to the hobby shop to finish the article. The decals that cover 90% of the supplied body and every color seam are great. Stick with the simple stock red and black paint job and the decals do all the cool fades for a great looking body.

Performance Testing
As my first 4WD 1/10^th scale buggy, I was blown away with how the Durga pulled through corners on the track with impressive control. Having driven a friend’s TRF501X, and drooled over all that carbon fiber, the Durga’s performance is so close that it’s a steal for $195. For bashers and racers the 4WD setup and handling made it able to take on everything from dirt, to short grass, to streets, launched flatly from jumps and carved through corners with good neutral steering. Had I spent more time on tuning the diffs and shocks, it would have run even better. Competitors will definitely want the optional front one-way diff for added control.

Although not fast, the stock brushed motor, Tekin FX ESC, and MaxAmps pack pushed the chassis to 22MPH. Even with old school brushed power, the handling and performance of the Durga was a blast on small tight technical tracks. Pair the Durga with a good brushless system and it becomes an outstanding point and shoot vehicle for unlimited/mod 1/10^th scale class where races are high speeds with long jumps and fast turns.

What We Liked
Tamiya typically isn’t know for affordable kits, however the Durga changes the playing field a bit with a quality kit loaded with tuning options, all at a steal of a price. Excellent chassis geometry even allowed me to make laps in record time – well at least breaking my own records. Slip on goodies from the TRF501X and you can get scarily close to the class leading performance for only a little extra cash. This kit is begging for brushless with a chassis that can definitely handle super high speeds.

What We Would Change
No complaints with performance, however some grips with kit details. The battery tray has molded in cell ribs that may require Dremel work removal for some LiPo packs. The shaft of the stock motor isn’t long enough to mount the larger supplied pinion, a real bummer, because the stock motor wasn’t breaking a sweat and the larger pinion should have pushed the Durga over 30MPH. This thing is begging for one of those new Tekin R1 or RS brushless systems, however I would stick with a 4000-6000Kv range as any faster is simply going to be completely un-controlable.

Conclusion
If you want a hot performing chassis at a great price that will rip with brushless power, the Durga is well worth a look, especially in a sea of $500+ competitors. The Durga is a durable ready-to-assemble kit that provides loads of tuning options that nearly matches touring car adjustment flexibility. Little gripes aside, the Durga provides a solid performing race ready chassis that offers the prospective competitor a competent platform for 4WD 1/10^th scale racing. The Durga is yet another great chassis for the basher or racer that is sure to rekindle 1/0^th scale electric racing.

SPECS

Vehicle: 4WD Buggy
Type: 1/10^th Scale Electric
Street Price: $195
Class Rivals: CEN ATX2, Hot Bodies D-4, Associated B44

DIMENSIONS
Width: 25mm
Length: 28mm wheelbase
Weight with electrics: 1695g – 3lbs, 11oz.
Ground Clearance: 19mm
Chassis: ABS Tube Style
Suspension: Coil-over Springs
Dampening: Shocks
Sway Bars: No
Drivetrain: Belt Drive
Pinon/Spur: Included
Differentials: Ball Differentials
Bearings: Full Bearings

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Highs – Great performance at a price about half of competition.
Lows – Not much, only a couple easily remediable annoyances.
Final Call – Sure to become one of Tamiya’s hottest selling kits.
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SOURCES
Tamiya – www.TamiyaUSA.com , HiTec - www.hitecrcd.com, Tekin – www.TeamTekin.com, MaxAmps - www.MaxAmps.com, www.StampedeProject.com