From here:
https://www.hpiracing.com/en/article/view/2017020302
Interview with the Venture FJ Designer! Fri, 3rd February 2017
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Today we sat down with Thad Garner, designer of the Venture FJ for HPI Racing, to learn a bit more about him and the Venture!
Hi Thad, thanks for your time! Let's have a little introduction first - when did you start with HPI and how did you become an HPI designer?
Thad: I’ve been with HPI since 1998. Early on, I was involved with product testing and development. After learning CAD I transitioned to a design position in 2012. I continued to work closely with other R&D designers learning valuable skills and techniques.
And what HPI parts and kits have you designed or worked on?
TG: I helped develop and finalize the Jumpshot and WR8 Platforms, then I designed the RS4 Sport 3 touring chassis from the ground up, as well as the soon to be released Venture scale crawling platform.
The Venture! Now we’re talking. Of course, like many RC fans around the world we can't wait to get the Venture FJ in our hands, so let's talk about that. First of all, how long did it take to design the truck overall, and what went into the design?
TG: The complete design was finished in about 8 months. I start with conceptualizing and research first, and then I narrowed down what I was going to do so I could start laying out the standard RC components in CAD. This let me get an idea how the design had to take shape. After that I put in the differentials and drivetrain, and then the rest of the components, and design all the parts from there.
So when designing the Venture FJ, what were your influences from real off-road trucks?
TG: I always liked the idea of having a similar motor drivetrain layout with a 1:1 crawler. Motor under the hood with a transfer case. It’s the most realistic layout, and for RC purposes it’s the most efficient and climbing-friendly way to do the drivetrain.
We think that really helps with the scale aspect, too. So, what about testing the Venture after it was designed? How much were you able to do, and were there any changes you had to make after you drove the Venture for the first time?
TG: Testing is really important for us, because we want the kit to be great when it gets in the hands of customers. So we do a lot of testing. Our standard procedure is during and after the design phase I will test prototypes which are mostly 3D printed components. I’ll also hand build many of the parts. This is the time for us to find potential problems and finalize the overall design before going to production. As each part is manufactured, a sample will be compared with the original design data and eventually tested as an entire assembly or by itself. After pre-production testing is completed and all the components have been approved, I test the complete and final assembled off-the-line samples again before final the assembly production and packaging. With the schedule I was working under, I allowed myself one month of testing for the Venture. I made several durability improvements as well as suspension setting changes.
The Venture FJ debuted over a year ago, and with HPI going through an ownership change there were many projects that were forced to be delayed. Have you been able to use the extra time to design some new parts or cool options for the Venture?
TG: Yes, I’ve been able to expand on what I originally had lined up in the way of options.
Can you talk about any of the new stuff we haven't seen yet? We'd love to know what's in store for scale crawling fans!
TG: I’d love to, but I can’t reveal anything yet - however, I will say the FJ is only the beginning for the Venture line.
Alright, we understand! So what do you look forward to seeing people do with the Venture FJ?
TG: Just getting out and just having fun.That’s what it’s all about.
And finally, the question everyone's asking - can you give us a release date?
TG: Well, I’m happy to say that we will have the finished production Venture FJ kits delivered by Summer of this year.
Fantastic! This is great news for crawling and HPI fans. Thanks very much again for your time, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Venture!
TG: You’re welcome, I hope this has been enlightening.
