Killerbody Aeolus K1 Bodyshell review

Killerbody is establishing itself as a manufacturer of fantastic looking RC car bodies with some very attractive scale bodyshells. Their new release is the Aeolus K1 and is aimed for the racetrack. It has been in development over the last 6 months with a range of drivers from Japan, Germany, Belgium and Hong Kong, and is now approved by ROAR, EFRA, FEMCA and IFMAR. So let's take a closer look.

Closer look

In the packet you get the Aeolus shell and wing, window masks, two decal sheets and mounting hardware for the wing and its endplates.

Quality Lexan with overspray film

The shell is made from 0.7mm lexan as this is a lightweight racing shell. The moulding looking looks to be high quality and there are a lot of very clear sharp lines that define the smooth flowing lines of the shell.

Here are the mounting markings, Its best to not paint over these before fitting, but I did it so you can see them

The shell also has mounting markers in the front wheel arches. These are a great help when fitting the shell. Mount the shell with the front axles slap bang in the middle and you will be running the shell in it's neutral position. Align the shell to the rear of the markers and you will be pushing the shell forward, making it more aggressive, with the opposite direction taking out some of the bite on initial steering.

I got the shells painted by the excellent JW Painting and they look fantastic. For reference here is the assembled shell weight with the kit included wing with endplates fitted and using the steel screws.

• Painted shell, with painted headlights - 83g
• Painted shell with decal headlights - 86.5g

So as you can see with those numbers, the shell is light, I will probably mount some titanium screws in the wing to save a little more weight and just use 1 screw for each side, but for this I will be just racing it with the kit hardware.

Sculpted front end

When assembled the shell looks very nice with a 'Lexus-esque' style to the front headlights and grill. The headlight section is more sculpted to impact on the airflow that will move to the side of the shell.

At the track.

The shell was mounted on the TRF419X in the neutral position so I can see how the shell handles in it's base setting. The track I would be testing the Aeolus K1 on is a small indoor medium grip carpet track. Despite the small size it is flowing in places and it has some very nice technical sections which would even make some 1/12 racers baulk. So an ideal way to test all aspects of the shell.

The track photos were blurry so I took photos outside

I took the car out and had a few install laps, I was instantly aware of the positive feel that the car had, especially as I approached the large fast sweeper at the end of the straight.

As the first qualifier started I still was trying to get used to the feel of the shell (In my customary fashion I had got sidelined and missed practice).  The TRF felt very responsive, I was able to quickly change direction and on fast corners it almost felt like the car was on rails. I kept pushing as I was getting a feel for the shell and as the time ran out I was feeling quite positive about the shell.

skids

For the second qualifier I was ready to really push, feeling that I had the measure of the way in which the shell would help the car perform. I launched away and was pushing for the F.T.D. The grip had already started to come up and I was feeling more and more confident. I hit the infield section faster and faster and the steering was still very positive but the rear was sliding on the way into the corner. I do like a car to have a predictable level of over-steer as I find it allows me to take faster lines. I kept pushing and over the course of the qualifier the rear of the car started to become a little too loose on some sections so I had to ease off.

Water close shave

For the final qualifier I experimented with my additive and this calmed the car down more, but towards the end of the race it did feel lively as the rear tyres overheated.

For this review I had two shells as the initial one was mounted at the neutral setting so for the final I decided to mount the other shell so it was further back, just taking out some of the initial bite of the corner. I had qualified first so I lined up on pole position and waited for the starting beep.

The quality of the mould has some sharp lines

I pushed the stick forward and the car jumped into life and I approached the fast sweeper. The car still felt very positive as it entered the corner, and I charged to the technical infield. Here the car was able to pivot around a sequence of 180 degree corners and the rear felt good on the way in and really planted on the way out. As the race developed the car felt consistent and quick.


It still had great steering bite, but the rear was much more planted and I was able to confidently drive hard and fast with a rear end that was predictable to control when I would take an aggressive line into a corner to create controlled over-steer. I managed to comfortably take the win and I was really enjoying how the car felt for all of the 5 minutes. Result!

Overall

Killerbody has developed the Aeolus K1to have a good compromise with the aerodynamics. If you need a shell that will help give you a more direct steering response at the track, then this can sit as an option alongside more established shells such as the LTC-R, although the Aeolus K1 seems to have marginally more rear grip.

BuZZ!

I am so impressed that I am going to keep running the Aeolus K1. I am convinced I can get even more out of it by changing the rear wing position or even swapping it out to one of my spare wings.

You can purchase the Aeolus K1 from Killerbody in their store, or at your local Killerbody stockist.