Draganfly Innovations News, Product Articles, Press Releases & Media Info

Thunder Power RC signs J.J. Wang as the newest addition to the racing team.

Draganfly Innovations — Tue, 15 May 2012 21:43:13 +0000


Junior champion and rising star J.J. Wang signs as the newest addition of Thunder Power RC’s racing team.
		Known throughout China as one of the rising stars of modified touring car and off-road racing, 14 year old J.J. Wang signs to represent Team Thunder Power RC. J.J. may be relatively new to the electric powered (EP) racing scene, but is known in the nitro racing scene and as China’s youngest competitive driver. At the age of 11, J.J. was recognized by winning the Tamiya Asia Cup Junior Championship.
J.J. has launched his EP career with a 4th Place finish in the 4WD class at the last TITC race. Stepping up his game, powered by Thunder Power RC, J.J. recently won the EP 4WD Short Course Truck and 2WD Buggy classes at the Horizon Hobby Cup. J.J. will run Thunder Power RC Z3R motors and batteries to power his 2012-2013 racing season. J.J. will represent the TPRC Team in China and at various International and US electric/LiPo events. Thunder Power RC would like to welcome and thank J.J. for trusting in Thunder Power RC to be the power behind his recent podium level performance. You can catch J.J.’s next race powered by Thunder Power at the Invitational Reedy Race of Champions in Union City, California starting May 24, 2012.

Download Press Release
JUNIOR CHAMPION AND RISING STAR OF CHINA’S RACING SCENE JOINS THUNDER POWER RC TEAM.

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Do you need chargers, balancers, connectors and other accessories for your lithium polymer rechargeable RC batteries? We carry a huge selection available for purchase online or over the phone.
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RC Propeller Thrust Curve and Efficiency Test Data – 251 Unique Propellers Tested (Including Quad Copter Counter Rotating Propellers)

Draganfly Innovations — Mon, 07 May 2012 21:14:23 +0000

There is a spreadsheet available with test data from over 251 unique propellers frequently used on rc model airplanes. Dr Phil Millener, Chattanooga, Tennessee (RCGroups.com user “Dr Kiwi”) has compiled a massive amount of data on almost all the frequently used RC propellers, and gave us permission to make the file available to you for download. For your convenience, there is also a reformatted version which only contains the results without any macros (available in .xls format and .csv format.)

This spreadsheet has over 13000 data points for different propellers. Each row has the following information:

Propeller Name
Motor Used
Gear
Propeller Diameter
Propeller Pitch
Amps, Volts and Watts drawn
RPM
RPM as % of Kv * V
Motor Weight
Motor and Gearbox weight
Thrust (in g and oz)
Grams per Watt
Pitch Speed

There are macros in the spreadsheet, you can either use them to produce graphs and sort data, or disable them and just read the data. From this data, you can make a more educated choice on which propeller is best for your application. Looking at figures such as the number of grams per watt obtained can help you choose between similar propellers by giving you an estimate of which ones are more efficient in different situations. Depending on if you’re building a quad copter for hovering and aerial photography, or a high performance RC airplane, you can now get an objective picture of the differences between the propellers.

Simulating propeller performance is a difficult thing to do, and usually requires the use of approximations and assumptions that reduce the accuracy of the final results. Having actual experimental measurements overcomes all of these problems. Individual measurements are usually hard to find online, and are typically scattered among different sources. Besides being difficult to locate, you can’t usually compare similar propellers side by side, since each tests lists data differently. This spreadsheet is a big step towards solving this problem.

Here’s some example data, taken for an APC 8×6 E Thin Electric Propeller with a Hacker A20-22L brushless motor:

Volts	Amps	Watts	RPM	Thrust (g)	g/W
10.9	13.55	148	8650	567	3.83
9.9	11.7	116	8100	484	4.17
8.9	9.85	88	7440	406	4.61
7.9	8.2	65	6780	333	5.12
6.9	6.65	46	6120	267	5.80

If you wanted to know how this propeller performs with this motor as RPM is increased, you could make a plot like this in excel (or any other spreadsheet program, like Numbers, if you’re using a Mac.)

Adding a trendline to the data allows you to make a prediction about the thrust this propeller and motor would provide at other RPM values. A simple polynomial fits the measured data well, and since there are more than 3 data points, you can be reasonably confident that the predictions will be good.

Another useful quantity could be the efficiency of the propeller and motor in grams of thrust produced per watt of power used. Here is one such plot.

APC RC model airplane propellers are available on our website, along with suggested brushless motors.

New Extreme Flyers X350 5A2 Coaxial RC Helicopter – Can Fly in Wind!

Draganfly Innovations — Thu, 03 May 2012 20:37:40 +0000

It’s not every day you see a new coax RC helicopter that’s different from the rest. Manufacturers are always coming up with simple variations on the same designs, each marketed like it’s the next big thing. When we heard about the new Extreme Flyers X350, we expected the same, but we were surprised to discover that it changes almost everything we expected to see in a coax helicopter in this price range. From the vertically mounted tail rotor to the 5 in 1 control module, everything on this helicopter is new and innovative. The most surprising feature is the X350′s ability to fly in high winds, something totally new for coaxial RC helicopters.

Flying in the Wind – Extreme Conditions

Coaxial helicopters are great for learning how to fly, but their inherent stability usually causes them to be very sensitive to the wind. Using the vertically mounted tail rotor and patented technology, the Extreme Flyers X350 overcomes this problem. Not only can it be flown in extremely windy conditions, it’s actually easy to do! Here’s a video to prove it – watch how the wind affects the trees and the flags near the flying helicopter.

There’s a mode to turn off the tail rotor if you’re flying the X350 indoors, which reduces the sensitivity of the controls. Since coaxial RC helicopters don’t have a particular need for a tail rotor, the vertically mounted tail rotor can be used to help stability in high winds.

5 Channel Control

Most coaxial RC helicopters have only 3 or 4 channel radio control. The Extreme Flyers X350 changes this, and adds an extra channel in the form of a vertically mounted tail rotor. The tail rotor provides more control in the forward / backward direction, and helps maintain control of the helicopter in windy conditions. A switch on the transmitter allows you to change between a calmer and more aggressive flying style.

Perfect for beginners and Intermediate Pilots

The Extreme Flyers X350 RC helicopter is great for both beginning and intermediate pilots. Able to be flown outside and in the wind, the helicopter has enough control to satisfy those wanting to improve their skills and those who are just learning how to fly. Even though the Extreme Flyers X350 RC helicopter has the stability which comes with a coaxial design, the helicopter has enough speed to cover a park in a few seconds flat.

Awesome Flight Videos

Check out these videos, which show the new Extreme Flyers X350 in action.

Learn More

We have the Extreme Flyers X350 RC helicopter for sale on our website. Learn more about this cool new product, and consider taking one for a spin yourself!

Adding RC to the Multiplex Fox Glider – How To Articles and Parts Lists

Draganfly Innovations — Tue, 01 May 2012 21:19:15 +0000

Several people have made how to guides about adding radio control to the Multiplex Fox free flight glider. Since the glider doesn’t come with any radio parts or electronics, it can provide a very cheap and durable airframe for conversion to either a pure or motor powered glider. Some have reported success with adding bigger and faster brushless motors to their Multiplex Fox kits, turning the glider into a mini pylon racer. Here are a few of the different setups reported to be successful, and the parts needed to build them.

Pure Glider Setup

This setup leaves much of the Fox airframe unchanged, and adds aileron, elevator and rudder servos to give you a four channel glider. These gliders can be hand launched off of a hill, bungee launched, or even towed by a powered RC airplane (like the Multiplex Minimag.) The construction of one of these gliders is detailed here. The parts used are:

Four sub micro servos (BA-36G or similar)
One small 3.7 volt lipo battery to power the radio (TP125-1SPL25UM or similar)
Four channel micro RC receiver

The aileron servos can be omitted to reduce weight and complexity, leaving a two channel glider which is controlled with only the elevator and rudder.

Powered Glider Setup

This setup is similar to that of the pure glider, except that the nose of the airplane is cut to make room for a small brushless motor and a larger lipo battery. Once successful version can be found here. The parts needed are:

Four sub micro servos (BA-36G or similar)
One 2 cell lipo battery to power the motor and radio (TP325-2SPP65J or similar)
Small brushless motor (HA-A10-12S or similar)
Propeller (APC-06-040-E or similar)
5 to 10 amp speed controller (CC-TB9 or similar)
Four channel micro RC receiver

You can check out the Multiplex Fox on our website.

Thunder Power Team Driver Jörn Neumann Wins Three Euro Off-Road Racing Series Championships

Draganfly Innovations — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:53:14 +0000


Jörn Neumann Wins Three Euro Off-Road Racing Series Championships
		Young, off-road racing sensation Jörn Neumann continues his winning streak by adding Three Championship wins during the third leg of the Euro Off-Road Racing Series (EOS) this past weekend in Dortmund, Germany. From the Czech Republic to Belgium and finishing in Germany, Neumann TQ’d and won all three 4WD Buggy races making a clean sweep of the series to take the overall EOS Off-Road Championship Series title. In addition, Neumann battled it out in 2WD Class against seasoned veterans to bring home his second EOS Title. His Third overall EOS Championship came in the 4WD Short Course Truck class, even with a fairly new power setup. Neumann debut his new power system for SCT in late march by winning the Cactus Classic and now the EOS with the powerful Thunder Power RC Z3R4x 550 motor.
The three-race series brings the best in off-road racing from around the world to compete for Championship titles. The third race in the series was held during Europe’s largest hobby show and attracted 180 entries and thousands of spectators. Neumann’s performance was superior to many seasoned race veterans in the EOS proven by winning three championship titles in 2WD, 4WD Buggy and 4WD Short Course Truck classes. Neumann was not the only team driver at the Dortumund, Germany race. Multi-Time, On-Road Champion Marc Rheinard shared the podium in the 2WD Buggy Class taking 2nd Place Overall and also placed in the top 10 of the overall 4WD Buggy Class with G6 Pro Race 65C batteries. In addition, Team driver Yannic Prumper placed in the top 10 of the 4WD Buggy Class with the G6 Pro Race 65C batteries and Z3R motor. Dominating the 2012 Off-Road racing scene, Neumann backs his power and performance needs of his buggies and SCT setups with Thunder Power RC Pro Race Series Batteries. Backing the clean sweep performance of his Durango 4WD buggy is Thunder Power RC’s G6 Pro Race 5000mAh 65C (TP5000-2SPR65S) saddle packs and the G6 Pro Race 65C 3800mAh 2S (TP3800-2SPR65S) batteries in his 1/10th Scale 2WD Buggy. The Championship SCT performance at EOS Germany was backed by Thunder Power RC’s Z3R4x 550 4.0T brushless motor and RC’s G6 Pro Race 5000mAh 65C (TP5000-2SPR65S) saddle packs. The notable overall 2nd place finish in the Short Course Truck Class of EOS was backed by Thunder Power’s Z3R4x 550 motor and Pro Race Series 65C batteries. Congratulations Jörn, we are proud to be the power behind your dominating 2012 Off-Road Racing performances.

Download Press Release
Thunder Power Team Driver Jörn Neumann Wins Three Euro Off-Road Racing Series Championships.

Thunder Power RC Releases New Firmware for the TP1430C Lipo Charger

Draganfly Innovations — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:55:17 +0000



Thunder Power RC is always striving to improve their products. They have released a new firmware version for the TP1430C Lipo charger. Any TP1430C that has v2.4 firmware will NOT need updating, v2.4 is the current firmware version. Anyone running any other versions than v2.4 will need to install the update. To identify which version of firmware your TP1430 has, simply turn on the charger. You will see the version of firmware your TP1430C is running, as noted on the bottom right corner of the initial screen displayed. All TP1430C chargers with a firmware version other than v2.4 will need to install the update.
For charger firmware updates go to ThunderPowerRC.com

Thunder Power RC Drops Their Price on Select Batteries

Draganfly Innovations — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 21:53:26 +0000

PRICE DROP – New Lower Pricing
on Select Batteries

New lower pricing on select Thunder Power RC batteries. The 5300mAh and 6000mAh G6 Pro Race 65C batteries now have new lower MAP pricing. The price change represents a 22-27% discount from the old MAP pricing.

Effective today, for all current open orders, back orders, and future orders of the G6 Pro Race 5300mAh and 6000mAh batteries; these orders will be billed based on the new MAP pricing. The products impacted by a price change are outlined below with the new MAP price.

Item #	Description	New Price	Old Price
TP5300-2SPR65B	5300mAh 2-Cell/2S 7.4V	$99.99	$129.99
TP5300-2SPR65D	5300mAh 2-Cell/2S 7.4V	$99.99	$129.99
TP5300-3SPR65D	5300mAh 3-Cell/3S 11.1V	$149.99	$199.99
TP5300-4SPR65D	5300mAh 4-Cell/4S 14.8V	$189.99	$259.99
TP6000-2SPR65B	6000mAh 2-Cell/2S 7.4V	$109.99	$139.99

Thunder Power’s All-new Z3R4x 550 Motor Comes Out on Top

Draganfly Innovations — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 14:14:19 +0000


Inaugural Race for Thunder Power RC’s Z3R4x 550 Motor Series Results in a Win at the Cactus Classic
		Multi-time, European Off-road and Reedy Race Champion, Jörn Neumann, won the highly contested Pro4 Modified Short Course Truck Class at the 26th Cactus Classic in Scottsdale, AZ. Jörn and his Durango DESC41R began the race behind several top drivers in the 5th position on the grid. The Durango’s power setup included the debut of the newly released Z3R4x 550 motor from Thunder Power RC. With the power of TPRC, Jörn was able to overtake the competition and win two out of three “A” mains.
The Durango’s winning setup was backed by the power of Thunder Power RC’s G6 Pro Race 65C 5000mAh Saddle pack battery. With 11 victories worldwide, Jörn continues to prove TPRC motors and batteries are not just for On-road; but serious contenders in the highly contested Off-road arena. When asked about the performance of the motor, Jörn stated: “The motor performed flawless, ran cool and had plenty of power to pull off the win.” Thunder Power RC’s Z3R4x 550 motors are ROAR approved and now available at hobby retailers worldwide. Built with the same quality and performance as the championship winning Z3R 540 motor series, the Z3R4x 550 is available in four popular winds (4.0T, 4.5T, 5.0T and 5.5T). Also available are two tuning rotors that allow for maximum tuning and performance.

Download Press Release
Inaugural Race for Thunder Power RC’s Z3R4x 550 Motor Series Results in a Win at the Cactus Classic.

Thunder Power RC Releases New Firmware Updates for their TP610C, TP610C-ACDC, TP820CD, and TP1430C Chargers

Draganfly Innovations — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 21:35:47 +0000



Thunder Power RC is always striving to improve their products. Since 2003, Thunder Power RC has been the world-leader in the advancement of Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery power and charging solutions for a wide variety of RC, UAV/UAS and other applications. Continuing to set industry-leading standards in performance and reliability is why more pilots, drivers and professionals world-wide choose Thunder Power RC LiPo batteries over any other brand. Thunder Power – # 1 in Performance and Reliability.
For charger firmware updates go to ThunderPowerRC.com

The Newest 3 Axis Standalone RC Gyro Stabilizer from Eagle Tree Systems

Draganfly Innovations — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 21:42:51 +0000

Eagle Tree Systems has released their newest 3 axis standalone RC stabilizer.

Based on Eagle Tree’s proven inertial stabilization technology, the Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer is a revolutionary, must-have product for your plane. Whether you fly gas or electric models, wings, foamies, sailplanes, or just about any other fixed wing model, the Guardian is for you! To stabilize your model, just mount the Guardian in a level orientation, do some minimal setup, and away you go. No additional equipment is required for stabilization.

The Guardian helps both beginner and expert pilots fly with confidence, and provides two key modes of operation:

In 2D flight mode, the Guardian provides much smoother flight and wing leveling stabilization for your model, which makes it a lot easier to adjust and fly your plane. It “remembers” level flight for your model and returns it to level flight when needed, as well as providing precise “fly by wire” control and is also great for FPV flying.

For the beginner pilot, the Guardian helps take the fear factor out of the first few flights. If you get into trouble, just let the sticks go and the Guardian will attempt to quickly bring your model back to level flight, rather than in pieces on the ground.

If you are flying a plane that is not very stable due to imbalance, poor aerodynamics or high motor torque, the Guardian can make things much easier. The Guardian also helps compensate for non-ideal flying conditions and helps your plane fly like it’s a perfectly calm day!

In 3D flight mode, the Guardian becomes your aerobatic assistant. Whether you want to become a 3D expert, or already are, the Guardian can turn your crazy stunt plane into the perfect flier, without sacrificing aerobatic capability. The Guardian updates your control surfaces to provide real time corrections in flight, so you can concentrate on your maneuver, rather than fighting the model to maintain control. The Guardian makes your plane “snappier” for precision maneuvers. In 3D heading lock mode, simply center your sticks to have the Guardian lock onto your present attitude (pitch, roll, and heading), which can make it easier to perform stunts like prop hanging, inverted flight, knife edges, low speed harriers, etc!

The Guardian weighs only about 11 grams with cables, and has a tiny footprint, so it is perfect for most models, from small foamies on up. Don’t let its small size fool you, it works great in almost any fixed-wing plane! There are no external sensors to add drag or weight to your model.

The Guardian controls a total of 4 servos, and is flexible enough to support elevons, dual ailerons, and other configurations.

The Guardian installation is quite easy. Simply mount the Guardian securely in your model’s fuselage, and connect it to your receiver and servos. The labeled receiver connectors on the included cables make this step very simple. There are no additional sensors or other hardware to install! After installation, the Guardian is tuned to your plane using only a small screwdriver, and settings are chosen via your radio sticks. No computer or other device is required for configuration!

At a minimum, your ailerons (or rudder) and elevator need to be connected, but the Guardian includes additional control and stabilization channels to support almost any model! Stabilization gain can be controlled via an extra knob on your radio, which lets you easily adjust it in flight.

If you prefer PC setup, just connect the Guardian to your Windows PC or laptop via the built-in USB connector*, and run our software to perform advanced configuration with ease! The PC software also allows you to save and restore model profiles, making it easy to move the Guardian from plane to plane without reconfiguration!

The Guardian’s built-in state of the art sensors constantly measure the gravitational forces and rotation of your model in 3 axes. Using the sensor data, the Guardian’s processor performs complex calculations thousands of times a minute to keep track of your model’s orientation.

This might just be the best RC purchase you’ll ever make!

Click here to pre-order your Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer today!

Check out this video, which shows the Eagle Tree Guardian Stabilization Sensor in action:

Guardian 2D/3D Stabilizer from Eagle Tree Systems on Vimeo.

Multi-Time National Champion of Sweden — Magnus Vassmar Joins Team Thunder Power.

Draganfly Innovations — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:01:40 +0000


Just after joining the Thunder Power RC team, Jörn Neumann TQ’d and won at the JConcepts Clash powered by TPRC.
		Multi-Time, Swedish National Champion Magnus Vassmar has joined the Thunder Power Racing team for 2012. Magnus has proven his skills as a top contender placing in the top positions at several large events such as IIC, ETS, DHI Cup, and LRP Masters. Magnus will be using Thunder Power Z3R motors, Pro Race batteries and the Thunder Power 820CD charging system. In 2011, Magnus successfully won several National events in his home country of Sweden powered by Thunder Power RC.
In addition to joining the TPRC team, the Vassmar Family business Autopartner will be distributing and selling Thunder Power products in Sweden. “I’m very motivated and excited to join the Thunder Power RC team and I hope to contribute with some good results,” states Magnus Vassar. “I think their products have very high quality and I’m looking forward to using them the upcoming season. I would like to thank everyone at Thunder Power for this opportunity to be part of a already successful group of drivers.” Thunder Power RC would like to welcome and thank Magnus for his confidence in our team and products. We are proud to be the power behind his Championship racing skills. We anticipate that Magnus, and our other team members, will continue to push the limits of electric power systems and help to continue to push TPRC product development to the next level!

Download Press Release
Multi-Time National Champion of Sweden — Magnus Vassmar Joins Team Thunder Power.

Eagle Tree Systems offering a 10% mail in rebate.

Draganfly Innovations — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 16:17:31 +0000

Draganfly has a large selection of Eagle Tree parts and accessories. From the Elogger V4 to the latest in active stabilization, Draganfly has it all. The best part is Eagle Tree is offering a 10% mail in rebate for a limited time only. Check out the Eagle Tree products that we carry. RCToys.com

New Guardian Stabilization Sensors for FPV Eagle Tree OSD Pro

Draganfly Innovations — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:14:30 +0000

Have you ever wanted to add active stabilization to your RC airplane? The new Eagle Tree Guardian Stabilization sensor plugs in to your OSD pro and adds fully adjustable pitch and roll stabilization to your aircraft. This means that at the flick of a switch, you can turn on active stabilization and effectively null out any unwanted movements in your plane while flying.

Features

Heading Hold – Using the heading hold feature, you can lock your airplane into flying in one specific direction. Any unwanted movements caused by wind gusts, propeller torque or other interference will be automatically compensated for using your aircrafts control surfaces.
Roll and Pitch Stabilization – Roll and Pitch are controlled through the Guardian Stabilization Sensor. Should the aircraft bank or pitch, it will be immediately corrected.
Artificial Horizon – When enabled, the Guardian Stabilization sensor will display an artificial horizon on the OSD Pro video output, which you can use to fly your airplane without reference to the ground! This means that you can fly your aircraft through clouds, smoke and other obstructions without losing your reference to the horizon.
Adjustable Gains and Sensitivity – The Guardian Stabilization sensor allows you to adjust the response aggressiveness (gain) for roll, pitch, and heading. This allows you to program the Guardian to work best with your individual model, and ensures an appropriate control response from the system.

Check out this video, which shows the Eagle Tree Guardian Stabilization Sensor in action:

Guardian Stabilization Expander from Eagle Tree! from Bill Parry on Vimeo.

Manual

Want to learn more about the Guardian Stabilization Sensor for the Eagle Tree OSD Pro? You can download the manual from our website. Guardian Stabilization Sensor Manual.
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Do you need chargers, balancers, connectors and other accessories for your lithium polymer rechargeable RC batteries? We carry a huge selection available for purchase online or over the phone.
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We are now on Facebook and Twitter!

Draganfly Innovations — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:40:43 +0000



		RCToys.com, home of Draganfly Innovations Inc. is pleased to announce that we are now on Facebook and Twitter. By following us on Twitter or liking us on Facebook, you will get the latest news on special deals, promotions, new products, feature information and much more!
What are you waiting for? Go on, check it out!!

JORN NEUMANN SIGNS AND WINS WITH THUNDER POWER RC.

Draganfly Innovations — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:01:43 +0000


Just after joining the Thunder Power RC team, Jörn Neumann TQ’d and won at the JConcepts Clash powered by TPRC.
		Just after joining the Thunder Power RC team, Jörn Neumann TQ’d and won at the JConcepts Clash powered by TPRC.Multi-time, European Off-road Champion and Team Durango driver Jörn Neumann signed an exclusive sponsorship contract for 2012 for the use of TPRC batteries and chargers. The twenty year old from Germany has been a top contender at several major off-road events around the world. Thunder Power is happy to announce the addition of Jörn to our talented team of drivers. Jörn stated, “I am really happy to join the Thunder Power RC team and to use the batteries in all of my cars. When I tried TPRC batteries, I was impressed by the performance. TPRC LiPo batteries are a must have for every racer.
Jörn raced for the first time representing team TPRC at the JConcepts Clash last weekend in Florida. Powered by TPRC batteries and charger, Jörn TQ’d and won the 1/8th Electric Buggy and 1/10th 4WD Buggy classes. Jörn won racing with the new G6 Pro Race 65C 6000mAh 2S (TP6000-2SPR65) batteries in his 1/8th Buggy, the new G6 Pro Race 5000mAh 65C (TP5000-2SPR65S) Saddle packs in his 10th 4WD Buggy and charged them with the TP820CD Dual port charger. We would like to congratulate Jörn on his victories at the JConcepts Clash. Jörn joins a top group of drivers from Thunder Power and will play an integral part in expanding into the highly contested off-road market. Jörn’s next big event will be at the 2012 Reedy Race of Champions in January.

Download Press Release
JORN NEUMANN SIGNS AND WINS WITH THUNDER POWER RC