Schumacher Menace 21 Furious Flatbed

Radio Control Car Action, Sep 2003 by Vieira, Peter

Schumacher has been making a lot of noise with nitro lately, thanks primarily to the incredible, 73mph Fusion 21. The Fusion formula is simple: lightweight car big engine 3-speed transmission = fast. That equation will soon find its way to the dirt in the form of the Menace 21. When it arrives, the Menace will be Schumacher's first ever 4WD nitro truck, and it could be the ultimate weapon for battling big-tire 4WD machines. With its stadium stance, a lopsided power-to-weight ratio and Schumacher's well-known knack for 4WD (racers, certainly you remember the CAT buggies), the Menace could be a real, uh, menace to other trucks. Here's what will be under the hood of this most furious flatbed.

1 3MM ALUMINUM CHASSIS

It all starts here. You can't have a tough truck without a tough chassis-especially if it needs to restrain big-block power. The Menace is built on a 3mm slab of aluminum and is fully counter-sunk, of course. Purple anodizing earns the chassis a few extra style points.

2 ENCLOSED, SINGLE-BELT DRIVE TRAIN

At 10mm wide, the Menace's single drive belt looks as if it escaped from a Harley Davidson, and it's already a proven performer in Schumacher's Fusion 21 insane sedan. The belt wraps around the enclosed layshaft pulley and an idler pulley in a "S" configuration, so there's plenty of belt wrap to prevent slippage. A tension roller holds the belt low on the chassis until it pops up to clear the steering bellcranks' drag link and wrap the front diff. As seen on this proto truck, the belt is exposed on its way to the front diff and then hides under a metal shield for its return to the layshaft, but Schumacher promises that the production Menace will enclose the entire belt. As you would expect, a complete set of ball bearings will be standard.

3 HARD-ANODIZED ALUMINUM PRO SHOCKS

Schumacher's time-tested dampers return for yet another off-road mission, and they're still topshelf shocks. Foam volume compensators and a bottom-filled design make it easy to fill and bleed the shocks for slick action, and two-piece pistons allow you to vary damping with 1, 2, 3, or 4 holes-open settings.

4 MIP CVD AXLES

Funny, these don't look like CVDs. The prototype Menace has Schumacher's standard universal-joint axles, but the production truck will have chromoly MIP CVDs. The CVDs' steel drive pins will interface directly with steel outdrives in a departure from Schumacher's usual aluminum outdrives and plastic-padded "Blade" combo. Since the parts have to stand up to the power of a .21 engine, only steel on steel will do.

5 3-SPEED TRANSMISSION WITH DISC BRAKE

A .21 engine is always good for top speed, but combining it with a 3-speed transmission that helps every last rpm turn into mph gives the Menace a total speed package. According to Schumacher, the 3-speed tranny uses heavy-duty finger-style clutches with factory-set shift points to keep the engine in its power band.

With the Menace's speed potential, reliable brakes are a must-have. A fiberglass disc behind the transmission is squeezed by well-supported steel calipers to provide 4-wheel braking. It's the same setup as is used by the Fusion 21 and R12 sedans, and it works well.

6 HEAVY-DUTY BALL DIFFERENTIALS

Gear diffs are the standard for nitro trucks, but the Menace bucks the status quo with its ball differentials. Twelve chrome-steel balls keep the diff action smooth. The drive pulley is hard-anodized aluminum and uses pressed-on alloy flanges to keep the belt centered.

7 THUNDER TIGER PRO 21R ENGINE

The Menace will get the same rear-exhaust Thunder Tiger Pro 21R engine as Schumacher uses in the Fusion 21 sedan. This big-block powerplant features a 3-port, chrome-plated sleeve and has a 2-needle slide carburetor for complete tunability.

8 MACHINED-ALUMINUM TUNED PIPE

You don't see too many lathe-turned pipes in RC, but the Menace has one. The brightly finished dual-chamber pipe is joined to the engine by a 180-degree round-port header, and it's mounted across the chassis rather than alongside it. A rubber hose extends the pipe's stinger past the rear shock tower to vent the exhaust from beneath the truck body's rear bumper.

9 ROOMY RADIO BOX

Both the receiver and its battery are tucked away in the Menace's large radio box; it's the same box as is used in the Fusion sedans. Five screws clamp the box shut, so you can be sure that dirt and fuel won't work their way in anytime soon. The radio box and both servos can be removed as a unit for cleaning and drive-train access.

10 125CC FUEL TANK

Small-block trucks can get by with 75cc of fuel, but anything with a big-block needs more fuel capacity. No worries here; with 125cc of juice on board, you should get plenty of run time per tank. When it is time to refill, the tank will be easy to access through the side of the body.

11 SHAFT-STARTING

Schumacher's E-start is basically a pull-starter minus the "pull." Instead of unwinding a cord to spin the crankshaft, a cordless drill does the job via a 5mm hex shaft. Just plug the shaft into the hex socket in the engine's backplate, and trigger the drill to fire up the engine. The starting system has been proven in the Fusion 21 sedan, and you'll have an excuse to get that Makita you've had your eye on.