Featured
This Month:
20 PARTS IS PARTS:
The Combat Zone
Guide to
Beetleweight
Weapons
by Kevin Berry
24 Common Drive
System
Configurations
by Michael Jefferies
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PARTS IS PARTS:
The Combat Zone Guide
to Beetleweight Weapons
● by Kevin Berry
I’ve been part of this sport for a dozen years now, and one thing that really impresses me is the
ability of our relatively tiny fraction of
the RC market to do a couple of
things: innovate with crossover
products from the less destructive
side; and to support a thriving custom
parts market.
Newbie question #1 is always
“Are there kits?” Yes, Virginia, as
we’ve occasionally documented in this
August journal, there are some kits
out there. However, since we’re a
pretty creative bunch, what we really
like to do is make something unique,
special, and, of course, hyper
destructive out of random and odd
parts.
I need to stop here for a minute
and talk about safety. “Small” bot
weapons -- like the Beetleweights in
this article -- are very, very dangerous.
Even 10 years ago, I witnessed saw
blade weapons cut deeply into 2x4
bumpers. Today, the arms race has
doubled the destructive level. Many
drumbots are basically like wood
routers: extremely sharp and running
at high RPM. Any decent three pound
bot weapon can take off a finger. So,
here’s the Five Mandatory
Commandments of Beetleweight
Weapon Safety:
• Thou shalt NEVER activate
the weapon outside a test or combat
box.
• Thou shalt ALWAYS have an
effective weapon lock installed except
during safe testing or actual combat.
• Thou shalt ALWAYS design
and test weapons to fail safe upon
losing RC signal, or due to internal
wiring damage.
• Thou shalt ALWAYS design
thy bot with the power on/off control
away from the weapon.
• Thou shalt ALWAYS
remember where thy fingers are, and
the possible reach of the weapon.
20 SERVO 01.2016
