Helion Select Four 10SC RTR 4WD Short Course Truck

The ideal truck for today, tomorrow and beyond!

Photos: Edwin Rodriguez

Sure, people want something that is fast and durable, but more than anything, most people want a great value when purchasing a radio controlled vehicle. This is where Helion comes in. For a while now they have been releasing vehicle after vehicle with plenty of features at a phenomenal price point. Their newest vehicle, the Select Four 10SC, a 1/10-scale short course truck as I am sure you have guessed, continues to follow this trend. But unlike many of their other releases that were aimed more at the entry level market, this ride is for more intermediate users. Loaded with a 4-pole 3500Kv brushless motor, 60A ESC, and more, the Select Four 10SC is worth more than the asking price.

REVIEWER’S OPINION
This completely new Select Four 10SC from Helion is a solid truck from bumper to bumper. It has a great drivetrain, durable composite components, a powerful electronics package and more. The new Ikonnik radio system makes it the perfect truck for beginners who are looking for long term use as there is an easy-to-access beginner mode that limits top speed. All in all, this is a solid platform that Helion can be proud of.

TOOLS AND ACCESSORIES INCLUDED
• 4-way wrench
• Various Allen wrenches

ITEMS NEEDED
• 4 “AA” batteries for the transmitter
• 2S or 3S LiPo battery pack
• Compatible charger

FEATURE BREAKDOWN
‹The backbone of the Helion Select Four 10SC is a rugged composite chassis that features a modular design, making it easy to wrench on. It also has several channels to make it quite rigid. Simply pull a few screws and the front and rear ends can be quickly removed for easy maintenance or repairs if needed. A pair of small chassis braces that attach to the diff cases and reach toward the main segment of the chassis help eliminate any unwanted flex from the front and rear clips. Both sides of the chassis contain nerf bars, a common feature on short course trucks, that help protect the chassis in side collisions and help the body maintain its shape. The battery pack loads into the left-hand side of the chassis and is secured in place by a pair of Velcro straps. Toward the back on the right hand side is the motor followed by the ESC, and steering servo with the receiver mounted on top. To keep dust, dirt and debris out the electronics area Helion included a cool mesh protector that cinches around the main portion of the chassis. A very simple but cool feature indeed!

‹Aluminum bodied oil-filled shocks found on all four corners of the Select Four 10SC are rather plush right out of the box. Since the bodies are threaded adjusting spring tension is as simple as turning the shock collar in the appropriate direction to add or subtract pre-load. The shock cap that threads into the shock body features a bleeder screw, making building and rebuilding the shocks a fairly painless task. The champagne anodized aluminum shock towers found on both ends of the truck are very tough and have a few shock mounting positions to aid in tuning the Select Four 10SC. Sway bars on both the front and rear end of the truck help smooth out rough terrain, eliminate body roll and make for quick cornering characteristics. Suspension arms are interchangeable from front to rear (but not left to right) to help eliminate the need to carry extra parts and have a multitude of shock mounting positions.‹A dual bellcrank steering system is employed by Helion on the Select Four 10SC with an adjustable spring loaded servo saver built into the right side. Speaking of the servo, it features plastic gears, has decent speed and torque and uses a plastic arm to connect to the bellcrank. Reaching from each side of the bellcrank are adjustable turnbuckles that attach to very tough champagne anodized aluminum steering knuckles. The Multi-Terrain tires that Helion equipped the Select Four 10SC with are ideal for bashing and have a compound that will stand up to use on asphalt.
‹The drivetrain on the Select Four 10SC works as efficiently as any 4WD short course truck on the market. Like most trucks, the pinion gear on the rear mounted motor drives the spur gear and power is then transferred to the front end by way of a long dogbone. The front and rear planetary gear type differentials have all metal gears for extreme durability and slide-shafts with universal joints at either end get power to the black five-spoke wheels.

‹The electronics package on the Select Four 10SC is top notch. To start, there is a very smooth and proportional all- weather fan cooled 60A ESC that is coupled with a 3500Kv 4-pole brushless motor. This combination helps the truck reach speeds of 35mph when used with a 3S, 11.1v LiPo battery pack. The ESC has a two-wire probe that plugs directly into the motor to monitor the temperature. Should things get too hot everything will shut down to prevent damage. The included Ikonnik 2.4GHz transmitter has a 10-model memory, can be switched over for left handed use if need be, has an adjustable drop down wheel, adjustable wheel tension, digital trims and a beginner mode to limit full speed to 50%. It is paired to a 4-channel Xenon receiver.

‹So you’ve decided to get a Select Four 10SC, now pick your color! There is cobalt blue like I tested, emerald green and lava red. All have a sharp scheme and come well detailed. Should you need to wrench on your Select Four 10SC for any reason you’ll want to become acquainted with the Helion YouTube channel. Some of the dozen plus videos that Helion has uploaded here include replacing the spur gear, motor replacement, ESC replacement, ESC programming, bumper replacement, pinion replacement and many more.

ON THE TRACK
STEERING
The Select Four 10SC is has an ideal setup for both asphalt and dirt right out of the box. It has just a slight push when on power, making it easy to drive, but off power it can dice around tight corners like a smaller nimble off road buggy. When I tried Select Four 10SC on the off road carpet track at R/C Madness there was plenty of traction to go around and if I was not careful the truck was prone to traction rolling.

ACCELERATION/BRAKING
The Select Four 10SC has good speed when used with a 2S LiPo battery pack but has some serious get-up-and-go when a 3S, 11.1V LiPo pack is employed. With the 3S New Wave pack it would break the tires free on dirt ever so slightly when I pulled the throttle back, as made its way down to the end of the straightaway on the large dirt track at R/C Madness in Enfield, CT in no time. Through the infield it had just the right amount of speed and torque to clear all jumps and obstacles with relative ease. The Reaktor4T 3500Kv brushless motor and 60A ESC have a very linear and predictable feel and braking curve, making the Select Four 10SC easy to drive. I really liked the feel of the brake; it was not too hard and slowed the truck predictably to a complete stop and did not want to spin out of control when stopping.

HANDLING/JUMPING
The oil filled shocks found on all four corners are super plush, feeling like more expensive big bore units, and provide outstanding dampening. The stock oil seems to be the right viscosity and the white springs and preload adjustment have just the right amount of stiffness. On the track the truck handled bumps, ruts and jumps like a champ, enabling the truck to corner quickly. I am perhaps most impressed with the jumping ability of the Select Four 10SC. No matter the type of jump, big or small, the truck nearly always jumped with a level attitude or with the nose pointed slightly toward the sky. This made landing very predictable. The back end seldom bottomed out and I was in turn able to get back on the throttle very quickly.

DURABILITY
I’ve come to know that most anything that has the Helion name on it is going to be tough and the Select Four 10SC is no different. I ran about a half a dozen packs through the truck and in that time there were numerous crashes and tumbles. Still, the truck showed no ill effects and was ready for more. Even after a close inspection, where I can usually find something to nitpick, like a small amout of shock oil leaking, there was nothing worth noting.

SPECS AND TUNING OPTIONS

DIMENSIONS
LENGTH: 21.5 in. (545mm)
WIDTH: 11.65 in. (296mm)
WHEELBASE: 12.83 in. (326mm)
WEIGHT: 4 lbs. 9 oz. (2063g)

BODY, WHEELS AND TIRES
BODY: Pre-painted and cut short course
WHEELS: Black 5-spoke
WHEEL ADAPTER TYPE: Aluminum
12mm hex
TIRES: Pre-mounted multi-terrain

SUSPENSION
TYPE: 4-wheel independent
SHOCK POSITIONS: (F) 3-tower, 3-arm, (R) 3-tower, 3-arm (while the suspension arms offer more holes most are not usable)
CAMBER: Adjustable turnbuckles
ROLL: Adjustable ball heights on the c-hub
WHEELBASE: Fixed
RIDE HEIGHT: Threaded shocks
MISC: Front and rear sway bars

STEERING
TYPE: Dual bellcrank
TOE: Adjustable turnbuckles

CHASSIS
TYPE: Tub style
MATERIAL: Composite
THICKNESS: N/A

DRIVETRAIN
TYPE: 4WD
TRANSMISSION: Direct shaft driven
DIFFERENTIALS: Planetary gear type
BEARINGS: Full set of shielded
CLUTCH TYPE: N/A
GEAR RATIO: Optional pinion gears

RATING TALLY
Opinion: 8
Performance – Acceleration: 8
Performance – Steering: 7.5
Performance – Handling: 8
Performance – Durability: 9
Feature Breakdown: 8.5
Overall Value: 9

WRAP UP
Time and again Helion has shown that a well-equipped, fast, and durable vehicle can be released at a reasonable price point.  Sure, the Select Four 10SC is slightly more expensive than some of their earlier offerings but it also has more, and better features than these vehicles. The new Ikonnik radio, and the simplicity of the 50% throttle switch make it ideal for beginners and above who are not looking to upgrade for a long while. Even better, the esc and motor, being 3S capable, let the truck completely rip for the most experienced users. Simply put, this is a truck that will grow with beginners, from 50% throttle on a 2S LiPo pack all the way to full speed on a 3S pack when ready.  But one truck and be ready for years of fun!

LINKS
Helion, www.helionrc.com
MaxAmps, www.maxamps.com
New Wave, www.rcmadness.com