Another look at Fly

[chappyman66]

Hey Dave.....
Welcome to the party, pal! :lol:

Seriously, we love us some Fly Classics - I have over a dozen and still watch for them. They were great when they came out.....much better detail than most and set the standard before Slot.it hit the scene. They are still very pretty cars, imho. And yes......they can be highly tuned and very enjoyable to race. The club I race with has several classes where Flys are used, and some of them are crazy fast even with stock motors and gears. I have the 908/3 in a couple liveries and they are quick (not as fast as the Chevrons, but pretty good).

But fast as a Slot.It? Guess that depends on your track. Mine is short (14 ft main straight) so they don't really stretch their legs and the two manufacturers are pretty close (maybe similar to your oval). But we have several Slot.It classes in the club too.....and Fly cars really don't have a chance there (it's almost 1.5 second per lap, roughly 11 - 12 sec lap times). That's a longer track though (130 ft Carrera, 20 ft main straight, 14 ft back straight and two 5 ft squirts) so the motors (18K Fly vs 21.5K Slot.It orange can) really make a difference.

Still......nice cars, and well worth having on a road course!

Which begs the question.........when will we see a plan and build thread in Reader Roads? :D

[waaytoomuchintothis]

Its true. I have a Chevron and a Lola T70 that are actually too fast for my track. They are mostly Slot.it or NSR beneath the skin, and they really fly, so to speak. The wheels are all turned aluminum with the original plastic Fly wheels cut down for inserts, new gears, tires, bushings, guides, etc. I only did two, just for for fun, and I have the same cars untouched, still in the cabinet, but those two are eye-poppers that didn't cost much or take fancy tools.

Here's a tip: The pivoting sidewinder "pod" that Fly used for years is easily incorporated into a scratchbuilt chassis. At one time, Bruce at Cincyslots had bags of them. I wish I bought more than I did.

When all is said and done, the most devastating blow to slot cars in many years was the crash of Fly/GB Track. The old ways of running a business in post-Franco Spain just couldn't stand the strain of a worldwide financial shock. Fortunately, they made huge quantities of the cars which kept the cost down for us and assures us that will be lots of them around for many years, so start picking them up, guys. They are wonderful, and easily repairable, and the bodies are just great. Also, whatever quagmire the remains of Fly are in currently, they are cranking out some beautiful cars now, if they can ever get their price structure figured out beyond "get all you can get", we may see a lot of the old molds back at work again, and perhaps for long into the future.

[chappyman66]

Yeah, the Fly body on Slot.it parts just belies the impact that Slot.it have had on the industry.
As much as Fly impacted in the 90s, Slot.It is even more impacting now. Seriously.....a fast AND pretty car right out of the box.....who can't like that?
Still.....the Fly cars have value in the bodies themselves.....even if you don't make it into a Fly.It hybrid they are decent cars.

[Modlerbob]

I have several of these Fly classics and they all navigate my road course with sure feet.

[TsgtRet]

I have 3 of the "Classics": a 908, Chevron and a T70. All 3 still have the stock running gear other than silicones and a Slot It guide on the Chevron and while not "pole sitters" (my driving ability comes in here) they are all competitive. It's a shame that Fly (or whatever it is) is such a mess but as has been stated, there are plenty around but the supply isn't inexhaustible so grab 'em when you see 'em!

[HomeRacingWorld]

Well, you know where I stand :) This is great to see. These still are some of the nicest slot cars we have.

And today we have the nice "bling" to go with them. Makes them even better.

Well done Dave!

[ccobra]

I don't understand this thing with the fly's. I have a Fly GT40, the playmate model and the three Slotit GT40's. These are all sidewinders and set up stock with the body screws snug. And the Fly GT40 is the fastest of the bunch turning in low 6, high 5 second lap times around my track. The one car that does beat it around the track is the white scalectric mustang with a pair of yellow dogs in the back on slotit wheels and gears. The mustang turns a low 4 second lap but then unexpectedly launches off the track (must be the aerodynamics). Anyway, could it be possible that I just got lucky with the Fly?

[waaytoomuchintothis]

It is confusing when you have a car that needs the usual Fly treatment, and then a second example of the same car, which for some reason is a sure-footed rocket right from the box. I have had a few Flys that had motors that must have been in the 35,000 rpm range. I've had more that were immoveable from the 12,000 range, and had to be replaced.

I always think about a rash of Fly tire melting episodes a few years back. I never saw it, never even heard of it, then at least seven guys on HRW reported it. I still haven't seen it (knock wood).

[HomeRacingWorld]

In stock magnet form, the cars have always been a tough one to beat. Do you get bad ones? Of course. But we can say that about almost any brand.

That button magnet is thick, and it sticks good. Making it a fast mover.

My tuning article is more for non-magnet on wood. In this environment the models need some work.

[Audi1]

Check out the new CG3D podded chassis for several of the old Fly classics: Porsche 908, Porsche 917, Lola T70 and, I think, one other. They really make a world of difference in the performance of these great old classics.

Allan

[BRS Hobbies]

Basically FLY was the company that raised the bar big time with better scale detail on 1/32 slot cars. They have had some ups and downs over the years but in most cases, the cars have been good runners. Some may need a little more tuning than others but all in all you can get a lot of enjoyment out of racing them. Some of my favorite FLY 1/32 slot cars are the Lister Storm, Marcos and the Panoz LMP.

Best regards,
Brian

[studioRS]

Dave, how did I miss this 908/3 that Footscoot was selling? I've been so busy lately would explain it… So happy you picked it up though, couldn't have gone to a better person! Congrats.

Fly PORSCHE 908/3s are awesome just for capturing the detail so well. My hands down favorite slot car is my Fly 908/3 Lufthansa. Who the heck cares if you have to tune them up, thats what this is all about.

Wait… Did I hear you say "SoCal Road Course"? Riverside revival :think:

Cheers, Thompson

[waaytoomuchintothis]

That's the ticket. Think about what a PIA remotoring the Scaley 1960s F-1 cars is, and the complex way everything has to go together. That's the worst I could think of, but the Scaley Ford GT40 is no walk in the park, either. Compare that to the highly detailed, accurately decorated bodies with lots of room inside on a Fly or GB Track. Even my tiny Chevrons have lots of room. I have had loads of fun trying out alternative motors, wheels, gears, etc. You can do all that with a Fly without tearing the chassis up. It gives you the chance to create something you really like, and THEN decide whether to make it permanent. Oh yeah, and think of all the ways we have messed around with the stub front ends over the years. Everything from simple tightening to independently rotating ends of solid axles, and even intentional cambering the stock parts. Another thing... how about those amazing trucks that both Fly and GB Track did?

[gascarnut]

I'm right with you all on the Fly Classics. Every one of the sidewinder cars works great with just a little work. I have Chevrons, lots of Porsches (906, 908/2, 908/3, 917PA and 917/10), Lancia Monte Carlo, Ford GT and so on, and I love running them.

Dave, it will be good to get another road course in SoCal, I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with this time.

[Gameover]

Love me some fly classics!!