Vertical or Horizontal?

Basically what happens with horizontal spinners is the opponent flies in one direction and your robot in the opposite direction. A vertical one does the same bit that one has the arena and the whole globe underneath it to help it stay put.

Apart from that you have the helicopter effect that if a robot has a disk horizontal spinning anticlockwise the robot can turn faster to the right than to the left, and clockwise vice versa. Warhead is a prime example of that.

Overal vertical spinners are better manouverable but they have the problem that one wheel will start to lift at turns if the disk is at high rpms due to the gyroscopic effect.

btw, that is why with Adrians spinner the wheels are as wide apart and as close to the disk as we can fit them without going overboard with weight. It helps enormously with the driving.

So would you recomend a drum, vertical spinner, or horizontal spinner. I know it depends on what I would like but Im thinking attacking and a good show for the audience. Thanks for all your advice by the way.:)

Rob and the Onslaught team

Sorry everyone I have been looking at the wrong team name on our paper. We arnt Onslaught soz. (Coz I was on this a few days ago and I saw woodies team name!)

I think we changed to Whiplash so were still searching for names.

Sorry!:uhoh:

I still prefer vertical spinners, with the wheels wide apart. Like Hornet 2, Nebelwerfer, Katjuscha, S3, Plofbox 2.

But yes, that is a matter of personal taste. Horizontal disks have 1 big advantage, you can fit a larger diameter disk.

btw, with the Nebelwerfer - Pro-lodju fight, the very first hit we must have connected at exactly the very same split second to get that effect. If we did that a 100 times over we would probably not be able to reproduce it.

Nightmare

I find that the wheels lifting off as I go around a corner isnt a major problem with hornet 2. My wheelbase is 750mm (enormous by featherweight standards) but the wheels only lift a maximum of 150mm into the air. It is still able to turn nicely as there is still a wheel in contact with the ground.

There is one other problem with a vertical though, you only have a very slim area with which to do damage and so your driving has to be tip top whereas a horizontal can have a huge area around the machine to do damage.

Its up to you, I think with featherweights verticals are more fun (waits for a whole lot of comments from the horizontals :)) but thats just me.

No i agree with you there Gary. :)

And the lift of the wheels is so low because your wheelbase is so wide which means you have more leaveradge down, thats why i prefer that as well.

Must admit i do like verticals they put on a good show not only the sparks but the other robot flying through the air. If you want to see a horizontal that will be a b----- to drive my new one. motor is being ordered this week so should have it done for the champs:proud: