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Office Furniture - Be Ergonomic
Office Furniture - Be Ergonomic
If you are thinking of buying office furniture make sure it is ergonomic.
If, like the majority of the workforce, you have to sit at a desk and use a computer or use office furniture of any kind, you should be aware of ergonomics.
What is ergonomics?
It is a science that looks into how people and their work fit together, and it aims to put people first. Ergonomics looks at things like office furniture, computer alignment and other work environmental factors to ensure each worker fits well with their work surroundings.
Ergonomics considers:
The equipment used, such as office equipment - its size, shape and how appropriate it is for the task
The physical environment such as heat, noise, lighting and humidity.
Posture - whether the worker has the appropriate office furniture such as adaptable computer desks and office chairs to suit their posture.
It also looks at stresses on joints, muscles and nerves - something that is common for people who use computers a lot. Bad support can lead to repetitive strain injury, which is why you should invest in adequate office furniture and ergonomic accessories.
Office furniture manufacturers
Many office furniture manufacturers employ ergonomic experts to design office furniture that is safe, effective and productive to working office environments.
Why office furniture and ergonomics is important
Having ergonomically correct office furniture reduces the risk of injury and ill health.
Correct supportive office furniture such as comfortable, supportive chairs improves performance and productivity.
Good ergonomic office furniture is designed to be safe - it can reduce the potential for accidents in the workplace.
By ensuring things like posture is correct by using ergonomic office friendly, a company can reduce ill health that results from problems of the wrists, shoulders and back. If you don't have the correct office furniture, than it could have an impact not just on the individual workers, but the company as a whole.
Office furniture can help
What can good office furniture do to improve ergonomics?
Appropriate office furniture such as computer office desks can ensure work surfaces are high enough for things such as adequate leg room and appropriate elbow height for computer work.
Display screens are often poorly positioned - either being too high or low, or too near or far from the employee. The mouse can bee too far away and stretch the person's posture and chairs that are not property adjusted can force awkward posture. It's vital that office furniture is used to correct a person's workstation.
As well as correct posture and office furniture that is ergonomic, it's important employees have regular screen breaks to protect them from eye strain and headaches, as well as regularly stretch and walk.
Calibre Office Furniture and Design Ltd strongly believe a favourable working environment increases the efficiency, productivity and well being of workers. If you are looking for quality office furniture, whether it is for a large corporation or a small home office, our friendly staff can help. Call us on freephone: 0800 9708 228
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History and Evolution of RC Cars
The 60's
R/C cars started in the mid-sixties. Pioneers made 1/8th scale pan cars using .19-cubic-inch 2-stroke model airplane engines. 1 Around 1967, companies like WEN, Model Car Enterprises, Dynamic Models, and Associated started to produce car "kits". 1
The 70's
Besides disco, this was also the era of 1/8th scale "gas" powered R/C cars. Companies such as Wencon, Control Technology, Delta Systems, Dynamic Models, and Model Car Enterprises produced cars such as the Wen Car, Scorpion, Delta Dash II, and the MCE car. 2
Powering these cars to incredible speeds were two-stroke, internal combustion engines mounted on an aluminum chassis. These engines used fuel made of a special blend of nitrogen, methanol, and lubricant.
Electric powered cars started to emerge in 1974. WorkRite and Leisure were some of the companies that produce these electric powered cars. 3
In 1976, Tamiya Inc. released their very first R/C car, the 1/12 Scale Porsche 934 Turbo. This was powered by an electric motor with a pan chassis and direct drive transmission. 4
Three years later, the first 1/8th Scale On-Road Gas World Championship was held in Geneva. Phil Booth, from England, was crowned World Champion driving a PB Racing car. 5
Cars in the 70's were designed to run on-road, such as smooth parking lots. Tamiya followed up the Porsche 934 Turbo with others such as the Lamborghini Countach, Toyota Celica, and scale Formula 1 cars such as the Ferrari 312T3 and the Tyrrel P34 Six Wheeler.
The release of the Tamiya Rough Rider in 1979 brought a new dimension to the hobby. The car was capable of running in off-road conditions such as dirt, rocky terrain, and water. It had a die-cast suspension system and large rubber tires.
Immediately following the Rough Rider was the Tamiya Sand Scorcher. Both cars are now collectibles, sometimes fetching over a thousand dollars in eBay.
These off-road cars could be run anywhere. In backyards, rough parking lots, or baseball fields. Little did anyone know that this would start the R/C craze in the 80's.
The 80's
These were the fun years of the hobby. The 80's saw an explosion in the popularity of the hobby, most notably in the 1/10th scale off-road category. This was an era when you could expect to see 400 competitors in a major race.
The 80's also saw World Championships, held every two years, for the 1/12th scale on-road electric cars. In 1982, Associated Electrics became the first 1/12th Electric On-Road World Champion. 5
1985 was the year of the first IFMAR 1/10th Electric Off-Road World Championship. Again, Associated Electrics won with the RC10. 5
This was also the year that Tamiya surprised everyone by introducing a 4-wheel drive (4WD) buggy called the HotShot. This was the first true off-road racing car from Tamiya. It was faster than its 2WD predecessors, especially in slippery and dusty conditions.
1986 was the year of the first IFMAR 1/8th Gas Off-Road World Championship. 5 These were awesome 4WD beasts capable of speeds of 40 mph, off-road!
By 1988, 4WD off-road cars exploded in popularity. Top electric cars were the Schumacher Cat (1987 World Champion), Kyosho Optima Mid, and Yokomo C4.
In 1/8th Gas, the Kyosho Burns 4WD took 2nd place in the 1988 IFMAR World Championships.
This year also saw the emergence of a new class, the 1/10th electric on-road racing cars. These lightweight cars had incredible power-to-weight ratio, capable of circling oval tracks at speeds in excess of 40mph!
In 1989, cars went even faster. At the Encino velodrome, a 1,000 feet bicycle track, Kent Clausen drove an electric RC10L to an incredible one lap average speed of 57 mph! 6
The 80's were truly the best years for the hobby. Crowned were World Champions in 1/12th scale electric on-road, 1/10th scale electric off-road, 1/8th scale gas on-road, and 1/8th scale gas off-road.
The 90's
The decade of speed. Kent Clausen drove an electric RC10L to a staggering speed of 70.1 mph at a bicycle track. 7 This heralded a new type of racing, Superspeedway. Here, cars are run in large oval tracks, sometimes in bicycle tracks 1000 feet long.
At the second International Electric Drag Racing Association World's Drag meet, in 1992, electric cars covered 132 feet in 1.8 seconds at speeds over 75 mph. 8
This time also saw the emergence of 1/10th scale gas cars and trucks, such as the Serpent Impact and electric trucks modified to run using 2-stroke engines.
1992 was the inauguration of the first IFMAR 1/10th scale electric on-road World Championship. Held in California, USA, the event was won by Joel Johnson driving a Trinity Evolution 10. 9
By 1993, 1/10th scale electric truck racing was popular. What started out as monster trucks for backyard bashing, these racing trucks are as technologically advanced as their buggy counterparts.
There was a downside to faster speeds. Battery, motors, tires, and cars became more advanced. Money became an issue, and to an extent, a necessity to win races.
To make racing more affordable and fun, parking lot races were organized. It was a move back to the origins of R/C car racing of the 80's. Fun was the name of the game.
It is worth noting that Tamiya started to introduce scale and realistic looking cars similar to real cars that we drive everyday. These would eventually lead to the popularity of "touring" cars in the year 2000.
1994 saw the arrival of 1/10th scale gas trucks. Associated released the RC10GT, and Tamiya the TR15T. This was also the inaugural year of the Tamiya Racing Championship in the USA, set to promote low cost racing.
1995 saw the first IFMAR 1/10th scale I.C. On-Road World Championship. This was won German Michael Salven from a company called Serpent.
1996 saw the trend towards smaller scale cars. Tamiya had the mini series, cars that were technically 1/10th scale but had dimensions similar to a 1/12th scale. The Roadrunner GTO 962 was a 1/12th scale, 4WD touring car. BRP released a 1/18th scale on-road truck.
In 1997, the first Kyosho World Cup was held in the Philippines. With 30 teams from 17 countries, the winning team came from the Philippines. These cars were 1/10th scale powered by 2-stoke gas engines. Adding to the realism was the 1-hour long race, which included several pit stops for refueling and repairs.
Touring car mania was on. Companies such as ABC, Associated, HPI, Kyosho, Losi, OFNA, Roadrunner, Schumacher, and Tamiya produced over 40 different cars to choose from.
1/8th scale on-road gas was a domination of an Italian driver, Lamberto Collari. He won 5 straight IFMAR World Championships from 1989 - 1997. The car was a Serpent Vector with a 2-speed transmission and a 3.5cc engine. Racing speeds were in excess of 70 mph!
1999 saw the rise in popularity of gas-powered cars. Off-road gas buggies from Mugen and OFNA. Tamiya even joined the gas car craze by producing the TG10 Pro.
2000 - Present
The year started of with Atsushi Hara winning the 2000 IFMAR International Scale Touring Car (ISTC) Electric World Championship for Japan.
2002 was a shocker, when Surikarn Chaidejsuriya of Thailand won the 2002 IFMAR ISTC Electric World Championship, driving a Tamiya car. It was a surprise because this was the first time a Tamiya car has won an IFMAR World Championship.
The Future of R/C
The fun hobby of R/C is currently experiencing dwindling interest and slow growth. Does the future look grim for the hobby? Will it, like a fad, eventually die out? Personally, I believe that this hobby is too much fun to die out.
As to the future growth of the hobby, I believe in the concept of "self-fulfilling" prophecy. If we predict that the hobby will grow, subconsciously our actions will lead towards achieving that goal.
As a mere hobbyist, what can I, or we do? Well, we can start by helping out newcomers and beginners by giving them helpful advice. And that is the main motivation for me in writing this book. To help newcomers, and see this hobby grow and exceed the glory years of the 80's.
The next step would be to organize low cost, non-competitive, and fun racing events. The idea is for us to all experience the fun of racing, win or lose. And for newcomers and beginners, you can help the hobby by inviting your friends to get into the fun hobby of R/C cars.
The Kyosho History
The top brand in the RC world today, KYOSHO producing the first RC car in Japan. Now in its 40th year is an appropriate time to chronicle the fascinating story of the history of Kyosho.
What was the first Japanese RC car ever produced? It is now 40 years since Kyosho started business and it was in 1970 that Kyosho started selling the DASH 1. Lets take a look back in time to see the birth of the DASH 1, generally agreed by the industry to be the first RC car made in Japan.
Radio control (RC) spread through the model market from the about 1960, after the Tokyo Olympics. Still regarded as luxury items, most equipment and attention was focused on model aircraft. Many people still dreamt if RC could be adapted to an engine powered car, but there were no manufacturers to develop this into reality.
There was one person took the action necessary to bring this dream to life. This was Kyosho's founder, Mr. Hisashi Suzuki (then President of Kyosho). According to Mr. Naohiko Otsuki (President of Automodel) the almost single-handed developer of the DASH 1, it was Mr. H. Suzuki who brought up the idea.
At that time, Mr. H. Suzuki was working in and out of the U.S. Army base in Tachikawa for the import and export of toys. Through the U.S. Army, he was able to acquire the latest engine powered models available. In 1969, conscription and the Vietnam war saw many soldiers in Japan with strong interests in RC models.
The four bare-chassis were sophisticated non-RC midget cars, and could not be considered as originally designed as RC cars. When Mr. H. Suzuki showed these four models to Mr. Otsuki with the proclamation "look what's out there now", it was the very beginning of something special.
Adoption of the centrifugal clutch
According to Mr. Otsuki, the only really useful point of reference from the American models was the centrifugal clutch in one of the models. Basically, the board track and control line type American cars were very different from RC cars, so there wasn't really anything else to learn from them.
Even in Japan, a company called RIKEN had produced a hand-made control line midget car about one year earlier (kit price was 12,000 Yen, with airplane tires). But a centrifugal clutch wasn't included on the RIKEN midget car, just direct engine contact.
Mr. Otsuki says at first he didn't know what a centrifugal clutch was. Originally, Mr. Otsuki worked at one of Japan's automobile parts manufacturers so he had a strong understanding of car mechanics. Mr. Otsuki couldn't think of a simpler clutch type than the cone-clutch, but he decided to disassemble the automatic centrifugal clutch on his Honda Cub. But the Cub's was a multi-board clutch and didn't provide much insight. A prototype cone clutch was also made, but in the end, an internal expansion-type drum centrifugal clutch was the final result. In the beginning, Bakelite was cast and the drum was machined from "muku" steel (uniform steel).
About six months after trials began, the first prototype shown in the photograph was produced. At this time, the engine was almost horizontal with a front angle. The engine was fixed directly to the chassis to allow engine heat to dissipate and to give a lower center of gravity.
However, this engine-mounting layout was not so good for maintenance and although the idea was innovative, it was not applied. Also, the gentle "S" shape and twin exhaust pipe would be well remembered in the real racing cars of the day.
Mr. Otsuki's detailed appreciation of real racers was obvious, even in the wheels. The 5-spoke die-cast aluminum wheels were modeled on the Nissan R382 of that time. More than just modeled, they were replicas. A big fan of the R382, Mr. Otsuki says he telephoned Nissan public relations department and soon received the diagrams (3-D design illustrations) for the actual R382 wheels.
The three body styles chosen were the most popular racing machines in the Japanese Grand Prix: Porsche 917, Lola T70 and the McLaren Elba. The bodies were vacuum molded, a totally new innovation in RC at the time. Mr. H. Suzuki was the one who set about looking for a vacuum molding factory.
The difficult issue of a radio system was covered by the Futaba 4 Channel. The leader in this field at the time was an American company called Orbit, but Futaba was already selling top-class products as well. Another Japanese manufacturer: Hinode Denko, made the "Single Radio" for boats, but it was not suitable for providing the precision control needed.
Futaba's 4 Channel, two-stick radio for airplanes was a little too extravagant for cars. Futaba also had a 1-stick 2-channel radio for boats, but engine control and rudder operation were from the same stick. This made it quite difficult to adapt for use with RC cars.
Trial and the Kokuritsu Gekijo
In October 1970, Kyosho demonstrated its three completed prototypes in front of industry members. The venue selected for the demonstration was the parking lot of the Kokuritsu Gekijo in Miyakezaka Tokyo. As Mr. Otsuki was so focused on running the cars for the first time in front of an audience, he can't remember the day clearly.
20~30 attended the demonstration - in the rain. Everyone was amazed at the speed generated by the cars. They were just like full-sized racing cars: powerful acceleration, exhaust smoke and sound too. "What is the maximum speed?" everyone was so excited to know. In the unrelenting rain, the 1/8 scale 30cm wheelbase prototype car made a one meter splash, and landed a place in history. This was the birth of RC cars in Japan.
The DASH 1 was released for sale one month later, and created a storm of interest all over Japan. Motorsport was experiencing a boom, and Japanese car-makers were putting a lot of effort into developing their racing reputations. This was the golden age of Japanese motor sport. The DASH 1's realistic style and speed were received with great appreciation from motor sport fans at its release.
It was also the first in its field to use TV advertising. Airing only once daily at 11:00 at night, modeling fans were still absolutely delighted.
The DASH 1 was priced at 23,000 Yen without engine. As shown in the photograph, the body line-up of seven went from the Porsche 917 to the Skyline GTR. Engines used were still the imported 19-class VECO (West Germany) and K&B (U.S.A.) marine engines with a Perry Carburetor and Kyosho's Fuel Stopper and a car muffler.
The DASH 1 also included nylon nuts to prevent nuts loosening. As these were the latest technology used in aircraft, they weren't available in Japan yet. This made them very expensive so Mr. Otsuki says they decided to use nylon nuts in about ten areas where they were absolutely necessary.
Now we have products like screw lock so these problems don't have to be overcome, but back then these had to be managed by Mr. Otsuki himself.
According to Mr. Otsuki, the thing that made the DASH 1 such a hit, were the wheels. Even full-size car fanatics were full of praise for the workmanship. Some even said they slept with them under their pillows. You could say that this was also due to Nissan's generosity and help.
One year later (1971), the DASH 2 targeted at beginners (price: 16,500 Yen) was released. The DASH 1 used a two-piece chassis, but the DASH 2 had a one-piece chassis and the engine was only at a slight front angle. In addition, the SUPER DASH (price: 26,000 Yen) was released as a competition level machine.
When talking about the time of the DASH 1, its impossible not to mentioned the Kyosho Bell Star 220 radio system. This was the first ever wheel-type transmitter developed, and is still the main type of transmitter used for RC cars today.
At the time, only stick-type transmitters for airplanes existed. So RC car racers were forced to use stick-type transmitters. Mr. H. Suzuki wondered why stick transmitters were used to control RC cars, and started development of the Bell Star almost straight away.
However, the Bell Star was ahead of its time and wasn't accepted by consumers. There were some problems with durability, and it developed a negative reputation. However this was when electronic equipment makers had just started producing RC systems, so problems were widespread at the time.
Now every RC company has a wheel-type transmitter, but developing and releasing a new age innovative product back in those days was a very courageous thing indeed. Mr. H. Suzuki was a big innovator of this generation in RC. Even in RC systems for cars, he was a true pioneer
This year represents the 40th year since Kyosho first started business. A history of Kyosho RC cars wouldn't be anywhere near complete without particular reference to off-road vehicles. This installment looks at Kyosho's role in RC buggy racing and the machines that defined a hobby along the way.
When did buggy racing first start in Japan?
According to Mr. Naohiko Otsuki, the creator of the Kyosho Dash 1 - the first "Made in Japan" RC car (refer 1st installment), before RC buggies were seen in Japan, he had seen pictures of Italian buggies in foreign magazines. But the drive system from the engine consisted of a primitive round belt and these machines did not appear well constructed.
At that time, off-road buggy racing was very popular even in the realm of full-sized cars. In 1970, the year of the World Expo in Osaka, a limited release of 100 Daihatsu Fellow 360cc buggies went on sale. This added a new stimulus, and the success of the Kyosho Dash 1 triggered the development of RC buggies in Japan.
After the Dash 1, Mr. Otsuki created the first Kyosho RC buggy in 1972: the Dash 3 DUNE BUGGY. However, shortly before the Dash 3 was released, the Ishimasa Rat Buggy was on the market. Mr. Takahashi (President of Ishimasa), created a unique brand from his combined stonemasonry business in Himonya Meguro (inner Tokyo). This is thought to be the first "Japanese" RC buggy, and featured an ambitious assortment of components: front wheel strut suspension; split rear axle and a layout faithful to the full-sized VW buggy.
At a time with nothing to use as a guide, Mr. Otsuki is full of praise for Ishimasa's (his one-time rival) originality.
Soon after the Ishimasa, the Kyosho DUNE BUGGY was released. However, as it was a modified version of the Dash 3 on-road racer, it couldn't really be called a true buggy. Without front/rear suspension, a buggy body was simply mounted on a rigid chassis for a relatively unsophisticated result.
Even while RC buggies were being born, buggy racing activity was developing. The simple designs provided a wide range of opportunities for dedicated racers to modify the machines which added another aspect to the growing fascination with buggies.
At the time, racers were able to modify many components in their machines, so a 10 car race, would inevitably feature 10 different cars. At this time, Mr. Otsuki says he gathered an amazing depth of knowledge from these pioneers of buggy racing, when it was just beginning. This was the era of experimentation.
Sometime after the Tamagawa race, another buggy race scene started in Kakio, Yokohama. Club CPRT sponsored the event held in an open lot at the back of Touin Gukuen. Many people would still remember this race series which ran over a long period and was held up to once every two months.
Then in 1973 at the Sagamiko Picnic Land, the first 1/8 class Buggy Championship was held. This saw the duel between the RAT and the DUNE expanded into a three-way challenge with the entrance of a new player: the Seki Mokei CAT.
The CAT BUGGY, created by the president of Seki Mokei (of Setagaya, Tokyo), was the most advanced design of the day and pioneer of double-wishbone suspension. The CAT was very fast and very popular, but suffered durability problems.
With so many hand-made components, production costs were high and the CAT was sometimes referred to as the "Bolt Monster", aspects which would be considered more valuable now than they were back then. The Sagamiko Picnic Land saw epic battles between the DUNE and the CAT BUGGY. Lateral weakness in its double-wishbone and bouncing from its low rings resulted in frequent rollovers. Mr. Otsuki noted this and shortly after, the Kyosho buggy was using a trailing link.
The Kyosho DUNE BUGGY showed its first evolutionary leap in 1973~4.
The Racing Buggy RX100 had improved durability and lighter weight, which was improved even further with the Dx Chassis Kit to set a new performance benchmark. Spike tires mounted on the rear wheels made a huge impact and when Mr. Otsuki thinks back to the risky decision to invest in molds to produce spike tires, it was definitely the right choice.
The inspiration for spike tires came from one of the early fanatical buggy racers. The outside of the thread pattern on the rear tires on this racer's Ishimasa RAT BUGGY were cut off and replaced with small pieces of rubber fixed with super-glue. .
At this point, Mr. Otsuki realized that spike tires would improve lateral resistance.
The Kyosho Dx chassis which included spike tires, had much improved straight running performance and also handled uneven surfaces better. Due to its light weight, it also produced more speed. After the Dx Chassis Kit, Kyosho accelerated its development for improving durability and speed which led to an extended period of unrivaled performance.
The next thing, both the RAT BUGGY and the CAT BUGGY had disappeared. After this the market was flooded with new RC cars when manufacturers rushed into the fast growing hobby. Kyosho won the right to continue through these turbulent days of the "RC car wars" with its circuit buggy.
Kyosho developed the double trailing-arm circuit buggy and became the leading brand in the engine powered buggy category. Kyosho's development continued apace with the 4WD Land Jump 4D through to the Inferno 4WD, winning the World Championships, for the last six times running.
As the iconic symbol of Kyosho's on-road racing pedigree, the history of the Fantom is one of continual World Championship challenges and an eventual change of name to the Evolva. With a focus on the Fantom series, this is the story of the evolution of Kyosho's on-road racing models.
The world of RC cars today is characterized by a huge variety of scale, on-road, off-road, electric (EP) and gas powered (GP) machines.
However, 30 years ago there was only one class: 1/8 GP cars, which is where the history of RC car racing began.
This 1/8 class of GP on-road racing is regarded as the RC racing's equivalent to Formula 1 in the full-scale racing world.
Despite the growth in popularity of EP touring cars, 1/8 GP racing remains the sport's highest performance class in terms of speed and lap times. On a technological level, it also embodies the most advanced design and construction know-how.
Kyosho's leadership of this class, and for that matter the RC car world, started with the Dash-1 as explained in the first installment of this series. The famous Dash-1 evolved into the Fantom 25 years ago (in 1978).
In September 2003, the Fantom continued its heritage with a glorious victory at the 14th IFMAR 1/8 RC Car World Championships held in Ohio U.S.A. To put this victory into perspective, this story will focus on the RC world's pioneers, the Fantom's 25 year history, and the evolution of Kyosho on-road racing machines.
First of all, the Japan Model Radio Control Association (JMRCA) was established in February 1971, naturally with the backing of Kyosho, the industry leader. According to JMRCA records, the first organized event was the First Japan-America Goodwill RC Car Race in March 1971.
This race was sponsored by the JMRCA and the U.S. Air Force Model Club and held within the grounds of the Tokyo Tachikawa Base. Before 1973, the Vietnam War was still raging and conscription was still in force so there were many U.S. soldiers in Japan with a strong interest in RC. Due to this, the racecars represented the latest technology and the standard of racing was world class.
Also, in 1969 the U.S. military moved some assets to a new base in Yokota for strategic reasons, which created even more open space at the vast Tachikawa Base. It should be mentioned that RC racing events were being held within overseas U.S. bases against the backdrop of the serious fighting of the Vietnam War. Within the sprawling U.S. military base, a more than 600 meter long race track was built.
Engine performance would make or break a race, and the Kyosho Dash made its first appearance on the international stage with a Super Tiger engine tuned to produce more than 30,000 RPM. Radio systems of the time were susceptible to interference so machines were constantly losing control. The open airfields continued as far as the eye could see, so cars that had lost control just kept going.
Normally these cars didn't?t run straight anyway, so it was a surprise to see them disappear in an instant. Motorbikes were kept on standby for recovery of these wayward vehicles.
At about the same time as the race at Tachikawa Base, Kyosho was the main sponsor of a promotional event held in the parking lot at Oiso Long Beach. Reporters from the Yomiuri Shinbun, a leading Japanese daily, covered the event and gave it a national color feature.
This triggered RC car fever and encouraged many people to join in. After Tachikawa Base, race circuits in the 70's appeared in such places as the Sayama Ski Fields, Oiso Race Course Parking Area and Musashino Circuit. Growing popularity saw increased participation of about 200 racers at proper events like the one at Oiso Long Beach.
At about the same time, the Japan Radio Control Car Club (JRCC) was organizing grass-track racing for serious RC racers. The JRCC as a subordinate group of the JMRCA and organized about nine races per year. However the contribution of the JRCC to the growth of 1/8 racing cannot be underestimated. At the Oiso Long Beach race, a racer made by Todoroki Model was prominent. Todoroki was a manufacturer of slot racers, and was able to turn many slot racing enthusiasts into RC racing fans. The JMRCA completed its official custom-built race circuit (SPL Speed Way) in September 1978.
In November of the same year, Mr. Kiyokatsu Kishi (pictured), drove the Kyosho Fantom 20 to victory in the All-Japan Championship. This spelt the end for Todoroki and established the Fantom as the dominant force in 1/8 class racing in Japan.
The 1970's was the also the era when Kyosho (Dash ~ Fantom) competed against imported cars. The most competitive imported cars at the time were from Associated (U.S.A.), and PB (UK). Moving into the 1980's, the Serpent (Netherlands), and the BMT (Italy), came to prominence. The most competitive amongst these was the Serpent. Kyosho continued to battle against cars from Europe and America using its own racing technology. y.
The first IFMAR 1/8 RC Car World Championship was held in Los Angeles in July 1977. Subsequent World Championships have been held about every two years since. Team Kyosho's first challenge was at the 3rd World Championships held at Indianapolis, U.S.A.
Kyosho finished 3rd with Mr. Katsunori Kondo's Fantom EXP equipped with the RC world's first oil pressure shocks on the front wheels. Kyosho also brought a 4WD Fantom that was under development at the time.
Other racing teams ridiculed the crazy Japanese for thinking a 4WD car could race on-road. Although oil shocks and 4WD on-road racers are standard today, they weren't accepted or even understood by the top racing teams from around the world back then.
Able to adapt better to any surface, Kyosho was the first to show the world that 4WD cars were effective on-road racers. The 5th IFMAR 1/8 World Championships were held at Tokyo Disneyland in July 1985. Kyosho finished 2nd and 10th with the Fantom 4WD 3P, but was still chasing Serpent and Associated.
After that, Kyosho temporarily stopped production of the Fantom and suspended its involvement in the 1/8 GP on-road racing class. 1/8 scale also ceased to be the main focus of RC car manufacturers. For 10 years from 1989 to 1999, Kyosho imported and sold BMT and Picco cars from Italy to fill what demand was there.
The Kyosho Fantom made its comeback to the 1/8 racing scene in 2000. While the market for RC cars was dominated by other categories, 1/8 on-road racing still remained the RC world's highest speed and performance class.
The current President of Kyosho, Mr. Akihisa Suzuki, was determined to put a plan in place to re-take the lead in this category. Although Kyosho was at the forefront of growth in the popular 1/10 GP touring cars, Kyosho's race heritage started when it built its first Japanese made car 33 years ago and continued with its critical role in the development of the world of RC cars.
In this context, it's easy to understand why conquering the RC racing world's top category was more than just a project; it was a duty. That this mission was achieved in its 3rd year makes it all the remarkable.
Some readers may think that after 30 years, Kyosho has finally beaten Serpent, but this is not the reality. Kyosho has always been a technological leader in innovation in RC car design just as it was when it brought 4WD and oil shocks to the on-road racing world.
1945:
Futaba Industrial was established.
1948:
Production of automobile parts was begun.
Early on, Futaba produced knitting machines for making fishing nets and also made pipe-frame furniture.
1950s 1957:
A new factory was opened in Nagoya.
1957:
The Midori Factory was set up.
1960s 1966:
The Head Office and the Okazaki plant were relocated from Nakamachi to Hashime-cho in Okazaki.
1969:
The Anjo plant was set up.
1961:
Production of parts for office equipment was begun.
1968:
Futaba shares were listed on the Second Section of the Nagoya Stock Exchange.
In 1969 annual sales breached the 10 billion Yen level for the first time, reaching 13 billion Yen.
1970s 1971:
The Mutsumi Factory was built.
1970:
Futaba was awarded the Toyota Product Quality Prize.
In 1979 total annual sales breached 50 billion Yen for the first time, reaching 52.6 billion Yen.
1980s 1980:
The Tahara Factory was built.
1981:
The Takahashi Factory was built.
1986:
Founded subsidiary, Apics Co., Ltd.
1980:
Futaba shares were listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
1985:
Futaba was awarded the Plant Maintenance Prize for the Most Outstanding Plant.
1986:
Futaba shares were listed on the main exchanges of both the Tokyo and Nagoya Stock Exchanges.
In 1989 total annual sales breached 100 billion Yen for the first time, reaching 105 billion Yen
1990s 1991:
Futaba Imari Co. Ltd. was established and started operating in April 1992.
1993:
The Kota Factory was established.
1994:
FIC America Corp. was established in Illinois, USA.
1997:
The new Head Office was completed on the site of the former office building.
1999:
KFN was established in Indonesia
1997:
The ISO9002 standard was awarded at the Kota factory
2000s 2000:
Futaba Hiraizumi was established and began operating in October of the same year.
2000:
FTUK was established in the UK.
2001:
Futaba Technology Ltd. was established in Hong Kong.
2001:
FIA started an operation in Indiana
2002:
Tianjin Shuang Shye Mechanical Industrial Co.,Ltd. was estabilished in Tientsin, China.
2002:
FIO was established in Ontario, Canada.
2002:
FCZ was established in the Czech Republic.
2004:
Tianjin Futaba Shye Chan Mechanical Co.,Ltd. was established in China.
2004:
Futaba Chiryu Co. Ltd. began operating.
(Buy-out of Ryouwa Metal Works)
2004:
The Nagoya plant was closed.
2004:
Guangzhou Futaba Auto Parts Co.,Ltd. was established in China.
2004:
FIUK was established in the UK.
2005:
FIT was established in Texas, USA.
2005:
Established Dongguan Futaba Metal Products Co.,Ltd. in China.
2006:
Merged Futaba Chiryu Corp and opened Chiryu Plant. 2000:
ISO14001 was awarded to the Mutsumi Factory.
2001:
ISO14001 awarded to the Head Office, Okazaki Factory and Midori Factory.
2002:
By December, all 7 plants in Aichi Prefecture, Japan had achieved the ISO14001 standard.
Sales in 2003 breached 200 billion Yen for the first time, reaching 219.4 billion Yen.
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