[FlipSide]

This winter, I started getting interested in electric RC Cars. I knew nothing about them until last Christmas, but my son wanted a "real" RC car for Christmas. I had to get interested in these things to see what's good and what's not.

To my big surprise, this is a really cool hobby and I actually bought one for myself as well in January, to make this a father and son activity. Driving these things is kind of fun, but I wouldn't be interested at all if it wasn't for my son. What is really nice is the wrenching experience. We have monster trucks from Arrma and these things are a joy to work on and the performances are mindblowing.

Coming from mountain biking, I have the following things to say:
- These RC cars are made to be mixed and matched between models. Quite the opposite of the Standards clusterfuck we have been enduring for years in the mtb industry.
- These RC cars are made to be completely user-serviceable, unlike many parts on high-end bikes.
- The tools required to wrench on these things are very few and are very basic. AFAIK, there are very few (if any) proprietary tools needed to completely service the car.
- There are some very cool aftermarket parts small suppliers offering extremely nice upgrades from high-grade aluminum, titanium, carbon, etc.
- The quality and performances of the cars you get for so little $$$ is seriously amazing. For 550$US, you can get an off-road truck that can go over 60 mph.
- It can become a very expensive hobby if you go crazy with the jumps and severely damage these cars at each session, or if you own like 20+ cars. Otherwise, it's much less expensive than mountain biking.

Basically, I always though this was a hobby for dorks (it kind of is, really), but I get it now. The most satisfying part really is the wrenching. My psychatric self-evaluation revealed that I am somewhat bored of the mtb technology. The bikes are now pretty much all good, so I don't see the point anymore in knowing all the details of every bikes like I used to know. Due to the million standards, I now view bikes more like a system and I don't see the point of constantly upgrading my bikes anymore. I just buy the bike I want and replace parts as they break. Also, bikes are so reliable now, I don't need to do as much wrenching as I used to. Wrenchin on RC Cars sort of fills that void in my life, and my son loves bashing with these things. That's really a win-win situation...and it's totally compatible with the current lockdown situation and social distancing measures.

 

[aenema]

Speaking of RC, I got into the rock crawlers after years of having 'go-fast' ones that I broke all the time. Being in the world of RC, I thought the crawlers were the dorkiest of the genre until I tried it. I don't drive anything else now but my 1/10 scale crawler. It's so challenging and fun and conducive to socializing with friends working on a line with a beer balanced on the rock for when your turn is up. Plus, you don't break anything cause you are never going faster than walking pace. I've tumbled down some rocks and scratched the body up but big deal. If you have some cool rocks or dry creek beds, give it a shot.

 

[djjohnr]

Coming from mountain biking, I have the following things to say:
- These RC cars are made to be mixed and matched between models. Quite the opposite of the Standards clusterfuck we have been enduring for years in the mtb industry.
- These RC cars are made to be completely user-serviceable, unlike many parts on high-end bikes.
- The tools required to wrench on these things are very few and are very basic. AFAIK, there are very few (if any) proprietary tools needed to completely service the car.
- There are some very cool aftermarket parts small suppliers offering extremely nice upgrades from high-grade aluminum, titanium, carbon, etc.
- The quality and performances of the cars you get for so little $$$ is seriously amazing. For 550$US, you can get an off-road truck that can go over 60 mph.
- It can become a very expensive hobby if you go crazy with the jumps and severely damage these cars at each session, or if you own like 20+ cars. Otherwise, it's much less expensive than mountain biking.

Basically, I always though this was a hobby for dorks (it kind of is, really), but I get it now. The most satisfying part really is the wrenching. My psychatric self-evaluation revealed that I am somewhat bored of the mtb technology. The bikes are now pretty much all good, so I don't see the point anymore in knowing all the details of every bikes like I used to know. Due to the million standards, I now view bikes more like a system and I don't see the point of constantly upgrading my bikes anymore. I just buy the bike I want and replace parts as they break. Also, bikes are so reliable now, I don't need to do as much wrenching as I used to. Wrenchin on RC Cars sort of fills that void in my life, and my son loves bashing with these things. That's really a win-win situation...and it's totally compatible with the current lockdown situation and social distancing measures.

I always wanted a hobby grade RC car when I was a kid; I was jealous of my friends who had Grasshoppers, Hornets, Frogs etc. Fast forward to covid lockdown and I bought 3 RTR monster trucks for my kids and I. Wound up building a track, then buying a buggy for me, and I'm about to add a truggy as well. Wrenching on 4 cars can get expensive quick; so does having a 7 year old with a lead finger and cars that can go ridiculously fast for their size. Overall a lot of fun though.

 

[djjohnr]

Speaking of RC, I got into the rock crawlers after years of having 'go-fast' ones that I broke all the time. Being in the world of RC, I thought the crawlers were the dorkiest of the genre until I tried it. I don't drive anything else now but my 1/10 scale crawler. It's so challenging and fun and conducive to socializing with friends working on a line with a beer balanced on the rock for when your turn is up. Plus, you don't break anything cause you are never going faster than walking pace. I've tumbled down some rocks and scratched the body up but big deal. If you have some cool rocks or dry creek beds, give it a shot.

Rock racers look cool to me; I like the idea of something that can both crawl and go kinda fast. Seems like a good campsite toy.

 

[FlipSide]

Wrenching on 4 cars can get expensive quick; so does having a 7 year old with a lead finger and cars that can go ridiculously fast for their size. Overall a lot of fun though.

Tell me about it.

My son only has a brushed Arrma Granite, so the speed remains quite low, but he already broke several things on it within only a few weeks and the poor thing looks like it's been abused for years already. When he tried my Kraton 6S, he gunned it like there was no tomorrow and sent it like a mad man. He was so in shock, he stayed at 100% throttle until I pulled the transmitter from his hands!

 

[aenema]

Rock racers look cool to me; I like the idea of something that can both crawl and go kinda fast. Seems like a good campsite toy.

I have an Axial Yeti Rock Racer I would sell for the cost of shipping if you want it. I never drive it any more and it would ship complete minus motor and speed control to make it run. It is fast and heavy so if you are crawling, it is pretty durable but it will easily reach speeds that snap parts. I ended up enjoying the slow speed crawling part best so bought a rig purpose built for that and just don't care to risk breaking more parts on Yeti.

 

[MikeD]

This winter, I started getting interested in electric RC Cars. I knew nothing about them until last Christmas, but my son wanted a "real" RC car for Christmas. I had to get interested in these things to see what's good and what's not.

I got an old Tamiya repop kit to re-live 80s nostalgia with her. Even the low-tech (but much updated from servo-actuated speed controllers with heat sinks) and slow/poorly-handling Grasshopper is soooo much fun every once in a while.

 

[djjohnr]

I have an Axial Yeti Rock Racer I would sell for the cost of shipping if you want it. I never drive it any more and it would ship complete minus motor and speed control to make it run. It is fast and heavy so if you are crawling, it is pretty durable but it will easily reach speeds that snap parts. I ended up enjoying the slow speed crawling part best so bought a rig purpose built for that and just don't care to risk breaking more parts on Yeti.

Thanks, but after buying/wrenching on four and about to add a fifth I need to cool it for awhile. What are you running for a crawler now?

 

[Da Peach]

Not bad for a work day.

 

[toodles]

Not bad for a work day.
View attachment 144728

Enduro AF.

I was gonna get all one-upman like and post some of my bigger days but from memory @mtg has a nasty habit of doing some pretty mental days out.

 

[Da Peach]

Enduro AF.

I was gonna get all one-upman like and post some of my bigger days but from memory @mtg has a nasty habit of doing some pretty mental days out.

Oops wrong thread.

It’s hard to put in a lot of distance here. I usually go by vertical gained.

I seem to be getting out really frequently, but littler rides. Works for me!

 

[kidwoo]

Oops wrong thread.

Actually the obsessive quantification of 'fun' requires some expensive gadgets so you're all good.

 

[Da Peach]

Actually the obsessive quantification of 'fun' requires some expensive gadgets so you're all good.

I could be quantifying it much better.

I don’t even know my cadence!

 

[jstuhlman]

our traxxis rustler has been sitting in the garage for a while.you've inspired me to dust it off. and hell yeah, i got it for the older kid a few years back because my parents were too cheap to get me the grasshopper/hornet when i wanted one.

 

[aenema]

Thanks, but after buying/wrenching on four and about to add a fifth I need to cool it for awhile. What are you running for a crawler now?

I have an Axial SCX10-2 that started life as a Jeep Cherokee body but has a tweaked deadbolt body on it now to give it more clearance. It's so much fun, you clear some stupid, tech rock climb and throw a fist in the air and shout, then look around to see if anybody saw you celebrating the fact that you drove your toy up some rocks. Great thing about it is that the trails I like to ride are usually near rocks I like to drive up so I throw it in the truck and after a ride, bust it out and go drive around for a bit with a beer. Helps that my buddies have them and like to do the same thing.

 

[mtg]

Enduro AF.

I was gonna get all one-upman like and post some of my bigger days but from memory @mtg has a nasty habit of doing some pretty mental days out.

Guilty. Ask @kidwoo about it.

As far as expensive hobbies, I'm down with those as well. From guitars to CNC machines and building factories....expensive toys are pretty awesome.

The latest is the Haas VM6. I highly recommend

 

[HardtailHack]

We could talk about DH bikes but....

E-Bikes are better!

 

[ianjenn]

Top pic is a serious case of the Uglies..

Emory is one of the best Porsche fabricators in the USA. That car is pretty crazy at 400+ HP and 2000LBS it should move along well......

 

[HardtailHack]

I have hit the point in my life where I look at a tools and think 'I may jave this for the rest of my life' and that helps me spend more than I woild have previously.

A Mafell Jigsaw is still a very hard sell, but I think if I get a Festool I'd probably still end up getting Mafell in the long run. I don't use a jigsaw often but their shit design and construction makes every use more of a battle and a soul crushing experience than it should be.

 

[ianjenn]

I have hit the point in my life where I look at a tools and think 'I may jave this for the rest of my life' and that helps me spend more than I woild have previously.

A Mafell Jigsaw is still a very hard sell, but I think if I get a Festool I'd probably still end up getting Mafell in the long run. I don't use a jigsaw often but their shit design and construction makes every use more of a battle and a soul crushing experience than it should be.

https://www.grainger.com/product/272JN5?gclid=CjwKCAjwwMn1BRAUEiwAZ_jnEhGlUbb0R1vVFTNzCcNTVIAXtpmbwCj_Ate3KinpzDmPk9J_Hw--sxoCaiIQAvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC:+Google+PLA&ef_id=CjwKCAjwwMn1BRAUEiwAZ_jnEhGlUbb0R1vVFTNzCcNTVIAXtpmbwCj_Ate3KinpzDmPk9J_Hw--sxoCaiIQAvD_BwE:G:s&s_kwcid=AL!2966!3!50916696957!!!g!892151082693

!

No clue if this is any good but its over 50% off.......

 

[Jm_]

Emory is one of the best Porsche fabricators in the USA. That car is pretty crazy at 400+ HP and 2000LBS it should move along well......

They may well be, but that car looks like a cartoon. Especially with that giant hood. IMO, they are trying to do things with that body style that it just doesn't support (visually). The bolt on shit looks like ricer shit and they didn't keep enough of the lines of a 356 or whatever it's based on to make it a nice restoro-mod. Look at the headlights. I'd rather either have a modern porsche, or an actual restoro-mod 356 that might be a crazy 400+HP monster, without it looking like they bolted on a bunch of body panels. There are good examples out there.

Haha, it looks even worse from the rear:

 

[Nick]

I've never skimp on buying a quality, expensive tool for the same reason. Buy once, cry once.

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When
you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay
too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you
bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The
common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a
lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well
to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will
have enough to pay for something better.”

― John Ruskin

 

[StiHacka]

They may well be, but that car looks like a toy for someone with waaaaay more money than common sense.

FTFY

 

[Jm_]

I've never skimp on buying a quality, expensive tool for the same reason. Buy once, cry once.

“It's unwise to pay too much, but it's worse to pay too little. When
you pay too much, you lose a little money - that's all. When you pay
too little, you sometimes lose everything, because the thing you
bought was incapable of doing the thing it was bought to do. The
common law of business balance prohibits paying a little and getting a
lot - it can't be done. If you deal with the lowest bidder, it is well
to add something for the risk you run, and if you do that you will
have enough to pay for something better.”

― John Ruskin

So the moral of the story is buy the tool, use it once, return it the next day for a refund.

 

[ianjenn]

They may well be, but that car looks like a cartoon. Especially with that giant hood. IMO, they are trying to do things with that body style that it just doesn't support (visually). The bolt on shit looks like ricer shit and they didn't keep enough of the lines of a 356 or whatever it's based on to make it a nice restoro-mod. Look at the headlights. I'd rather either have a modern porsche, or an actual restoro-mod 356 that might be a crazy 400+HP monster, without it looking like they bolted on a bunch of body panels. There are good examples out there.

Haha, it looks even worse from the rear:

It was actually a recreation of a fan drawn 356 that was given to them I guess. All the Porsche idiots freaked cause it was so off the wall and extreme. Meanwhile, I'm over here thinking who gives a shit. But I am not some numbers matching all original type car guy. The motor in it is unusual, to say the least.

"Powering the 356 RSR is an Emory-Rothsport Racing twin-turbocharged “Outlaw-4” cylinder engine. The powerplant is derived from Porsche’s 3.6-liter dry-sump, flat six-cylinder engine with two cylinders lopped off to create a more compact four-cylinder. Rothsport Racing developed a fuel-injection system with a bespoke intake and managed by a Motec ECU. Emory built the 356 RSR with a 935-style boost control knob mounted to the dash to on-the-fly adjust the engine’s turbos. As for power, with the boost knob turned all the way up to its maximum 17 psi, the 356 RSR makes 393 horsepower sent to the rear wheels via a Quaife limited-slip differential."

 

[djjohnr]

It was actually a recreation of a fan drawn 356 that was given to them I guess. All the Porsche idiots freaked cause it was so off the wall and extreme. Meanwhile, I'm over here thinking who gives a shit. But I am not some numbers matching all original type car guy. The motor in it is unusual, to say the least.

"Powering the 356 RSR is an Emory-Rothsport Racing twin-turbocharged “Outlaw-4” cylinder engine. The powerplant is derived from Porsche’s 3.6-liter dry-sump, flat six-cylinder engine with two cylinders lopped off to create a more compact four-cylinder. Rothsport Racing developed a fuel-injection system with a bespoke intake and managed by a Motec ECU. Emory built the 356 RSR with a 935-style boost control knob mounted to the dash to on-the-fly adjust the engine’s turbos. As for power, with the boost knob turned all the way up to its maximum 17 psi, the 356 RSR makes 393 horsepower sent to the rear wheels via a Quaife limited-slip differential."

View attachment 144757

I think that thing looks sick.

 

[Muddy]

Most fun I ever had with a car was messing around with 1960s volvos. My 142 was hilarious to drive. $3500 worth of race spec cylinder heads and weber DCOEs on a $500 car. It was unpleasant in traffic but on a winding country road it was a blast. Not fast but quick enough and easily steered with the throttle. Those side drafts sung the song of angels at 7000 rpm. I can't believe I never threw a rod. When I sold it the new owner junked the car and put the engine in his race car.

One of three of these listed on CarGurus the start of this year in upstate NY - is sold now. Paul Newman dreamt them up and talked up David Letterman to take one too. Cold open to 2017 Mark Twain Award on PBS, it lays some rubber.

 

[StiHacka]

View attachment 144793

One of three of these listed on CarGurus the start of this year in upstate NY - is sold now. Paul Newman dreamt them up and talked up David Letterman to take one too. Cold open to 2017 Mark Twain Award on PBS, it lays some rubber.

1 tonne of steel, 1 tonne of rust

 

[kidwoo]

Guilty. Ask @kidwoo about it.

You done with that childish phase yet?

Can we go have fun now? At a 6ft distance at least?

 

[mtg]

You done with that childish phase yet?

Can we go have fun now? At a 6ft distance at least?

Yes, ironically because of a small child.

I think this summer is going to be a pedal-your-own-adventure situation. So, let me know when you’re in .
Me, you, @Full Trucker , and a few others need to go ride Little Browns this summer.

 

[Udi]

Coming from mountain biking, I have the following things to say:
- These RC cars are made to be mixed and matched between models. Quite the opposite of the Standards clusterfuck we have been enduring for years in the mtb industry.
- These RC cars are made to be completely user-serviceable, unlike many parts on high-end bikes.
- The tools required to wrench on these things are very few and are very basic.

So true!
I dusted off my RC gear about a year ago (old Xray XB8 from '08) and while the kit had been hugely updated since 2008, they were very careful to keep hole spacing and geometry the same on new parts (bulkheads, suspension parts, drivetrain) so you could upgrade / repair old models. They even keep an updated Excel spreadsheet on the 2020 website showing which parts are cross-compatible, on kits dating back to 2005. Full service manuals and exploded view PDFs for every product they've ever made, still listed for download.

I've since restored mine to full running glory, with plenty of parts from the current '19 / '20 model kits. I bought a couple new kits too, but mostly because of how impressed I was with the support efforts - old one is still running mint.

I've also used a few parts I prefer from other brands, which magically fit (or fit with very little modification) since every brand seems to respect + adhere to existing standards. Things have improved just as much over 10 years as they have in MTB, except they don't feel the need to upset their past customers every year. Respect.

The current brushless / lipo running gear is obviously amazing too, things have come a long way. It was still super enjoyable when I was a kid (my first was a Super Hornet) but the fun payoff in the dork hobby is much higher now.

I am somewhat bored of the mtb technology. The bikes are now pretty much all good, so I don't see the point anymore in knowing all the details of every bikes like I used to know. Due to the million standards, I now view bikes more like a system and I don't see the point of constantly upgrading my bikes anymore. I just buy the bike I want and replace parts as they break.

100%. The MTB industry is now designed to drain people like @toodles wallet, actual forward development slowed to an absolute crawl at least 4-5 years ago. It's pretty difficult to make an actual "upgrade" now unless you made a poor choice previously - and I say choice because many excellent bikes/parts have existed for years now.

I'm all for money-pit hobbies, but it's time to find new ones when the actual gains flatline and upgrades become sidegrades. Riding is still great, but bike/part tech has been downright boring for a long time now.

 

[kidwoo]

Riding is still great, but bike/part tech has been downright boring for a long time now.

dude! I can put a 29" wheel on the front and a smaller one on the back!!! It's a design revolution.

What a time to be alive!!

 

[konastab01]

So true!
I dusted off my RC gear about a year ago (old Xray XB8 from '08) and while the kit had been hugely updated since 2008, they were very careful to keep hole spacing and geometry the same on new parts (bulkheads, suspension parts, drivetrain) so you could upgrade / repair old models. They even keep an updated Excel spreadsheet on the 2020 website showing which parts are cross-compatible, on kits dating back to 2005. Full service manuals and exploded view PDFs for every product they've ever made, still listed for download.

I've since restored mine to full running glory, with plenty of parts from the current '19 / '20 model kits. I bought a couple new kits too, but mostly because of how impressed I was with the support efforts - old one is still running mint.

I've also used a few parts I prefer from other brands, which magically fit (or fit with very little modification) since every brand seems to respect + adhere to existing standards. Things have improved just as much over 10 years as they have in MTB, except they don't feel the need to upset their past customers every year. Respect.

The current brushless / lipo running gear is obviously amazing too, things have come a long way. It was still super enjoyable when I was a kid (my first was a Super Hornet) but the fun payoff in the dork hobby is much higher now.


100%. The MTB industry is now designed to drain people like @toodles wallet, actual forward development slowed to an absolute crawl at least 4-5 years ago. It's pretty difficult to make an actual "upgrade" now unless you made a poor choice previously - and I say choice because many excellent bikes/parts have existed for years now.

I'm all for money-pit hobbies, but it's time to find new ones when the actual gains flatline and upgrades become sidegrades. Riding is still great, but bike/part tech has been downright boring for a long time now.

So true!
I dusted off my RC gear about a year ago (old Xray XB8 from '08) and while the kit had been hugely updated since 2008, they were very careful to keep hole spacing and geometry the same on new parts (bulkheads, suspension parts, drivetrain) so you could upgrade / repair old models. They even keep an updated Excel spreadsheet on the 2020 website showing which parts are cross-compatible, on kits dating back to 2005. Full service manuals and exploded view PDFs for every product they've ever made, still listed for download.

I've since restored mine to full running glory, with plenty of parts from the current '19 / '20 model kits. I bought a couple new kits too, but mostly because of how impressed I was with the support efforts - old one is still running mint.

I've also used a few parts I prefer from other brands, which magically fit (or fit with very little modification) since every brand seems to respect + adhere to existing standards. Things have improved just as much over 10 years as they have in MTB, except they don't feel the need to upset their past customers every year. Respect.

The current brushless / lipo running gear is obviously amazing too, things have come a long way. It was still super enjoyable when I was a kid (my first was a Super Hornet) but the fun payoff in the dork hobby is much higher now.


100%. The MTB industry is now designed to drain people like @toodles wallet, actual forward development slowed to an absolute crawl at least 4-5 years ago. It's pretty difficult to make an actual "upgrade" now unless you made a poor choice previously - and I say choice because many excellent bikes/parts have existed for years now.

I'm all for money-pit hobbies, but it's time to find new ones when the actual gains flatline and upgrades become sidegrades. Riding is still great, but bike/part tech has been downright boring for a long time now.

Do you have the links and stuff for this Udi, I have an XB8 in its old nitro form but would like to do something similar and change it into a electric setup like this but couldn't find much conversion kits now from nitro to electric.

Thanks

 

[FlipSide]

Coming from mountain biking, I have the following things to say:
- These RC cars are made to be mixed and matched between models. Quite the opposite of the Standards clusterfuck we have been enduring for years in the mtb industry.
- These RC cars are made to be completely user-serviceable, unlike many parts on high-end bikes.
- The tools required to wrench on these things are very few and are very basic. AFAIK, there are very few (if any) proprietary tools needed to completely service the car.
- There are some very cool aftermarket parts small suppliers offering extremely nice upgrades from high-grade aluminum, titanium, carbon, etc.
- The quality and performances of the cars you get for so little $$$ is seriously amazing. For 550$US, you can get an off-road truck that can go over 60 mph.
- It can become a very expensive hobby if you go crazy with the jumps and severely damage these cars at each session, or if you own like 20+ cars. Otherwise, it's much less expensive than mountain biking.

Another thing worth mentioning: Diff shims are possibly even more important for RC cars people than shimz are for mountain bikers.

I'm sure you all think this is impossible, but I am not kidding.

 

[Udi]

^ It's true.

Do you have the links and stuff for this Udi, I have an XB8 in its old nitro form but would like to do something similar and change it into a electric setup like this but couldn't find much conversion kits now from nitro to electric.
Thanks

For sure, I converted my XB8 from nitro in 2012 and use it much more as electric. Which year is yours? The genuine Xray parts are the way to go, I often use a new-kit-breaker called rcwaffle on ebay. They post international but you have to check their listings often - the electric conversions sell quick, but they relist them semi-regularly too. PM me if you want more details for your particular model, I'm pretty familiar with all years as a bunch of friends bought XB8s after me. There is a downloads page specific to each year model.

Mine at the local track:

 

[Jm_]

What is the wing for?

 

[kidwoo]

What is the wing for?

 

[djjohnr]

What is the wing for?

Same thing as full size vehicles - downforce. You can find blogs/threads on the subject of spoilers on RC cars if you feel like going down that rabbit hole. I haven't tested taking the wing on/off my buggy, but I'm also running on a small backyard track that requires me to limit my throttle. On a track with a long straightaway some of these things can go quite fast.

 

[Jm_]

Same thing as full size vehicles - downforce. You can find blogs/threads on the subject of spoilers on RC cars if you feel like going down that rabbit hole. I haven't tested taking the wing on/off my buggy, but I'm also running on a small backyard track that requires me to limit my throttle. On a track with a long straightaway some of these things can go quite fast.

So, if it's rwd, a wing usually works in conjunction with the front of the car, as no downforce on the front and there will be no steering, on a rough surface, it would see that this would complicate shock performance significantly, as I can't think of many off-road applications where they run wings for downforce. And while you might find some outilers with various spoilers or wings, I would think they are more about just cosmetic flair than functional purpose. Maybe on a very clean and prepped hard surface for RC road racing, but I'd think the front aero would have to be part of it. There's also a speed you have to go to make a wing effective, I'm not sure it scales down, as in if you are actually producing downforce with such a small airfoil. I'd have to go back into my textbooks to see (scale effects).

 

[6thElement]

What is the wing for?

It makes it easier to pick up.