Road course:

Here we are simulating a road-racing course for our remote control cars! Make the course interesting, but not overly complex (unless your kids are older and appreciate a challenge). Make sure it includes a long straight to let the cars run. Obstacle course:

Again using sideway chalk, design a fairly challenging course with six to eight obstacles. Run the obstacle course like a road course with so and so many laps, or do time trials. Make sure the RC cars used are able to handle the obstacles.

Stunt course:

For some thrilling fun, build a stunt course! Warning: just like with real stunt driving, cars may get damaged. So pick sturdy, rugged RC toy cars for this one.

RC Sumo:

To RC Sumo, use sidewalk chalk to mark a circle with a diameter of about six times the length of the cars that will participate. Two cars play at a time, and the challenge is to drive the opponent out of the ring.

I’ve been fascinated with cars for as far back as I can remember. According to my father, the first word I ever uttered as a toddler was “auto.” When I was a small boy, I eagerly soaked up everything my dad told me about cars. I was endlessly fascinated by my grandfather’s ability to tell the make and model of a tractor just from the sound their engines made. Before I could even read I was collecting car cards like other kids collected baseball cards. And among my most priced possessions were a couple of remote control cars. In those days, remote control still meant the control was connected to the car via a long cable-they weren’t like the electric RC cars we have today.

I’ll probably never forget the thrill I experienced when my dad came back from one of this trips and gave me a Mercedes Benz sedan remote control toy car. It was shiny black, looked absolutely realistic, and had working headlights, taillights and blinkers. The doors and trunk opened and it would go backwards and forwards as well as left and right. I played with it every chance I got for weeks.

Today, RC cars have wireless remote controls and are no longer tethered to the remote. And there is now an entire industry dedicated to electric remote control cars. What hasn’t changed is the thrill children experience operating their RC cars with parents, friends and siblings. There’s just something magical about those shiny remote controlled cars, something real that even today’s ultra-advanced video games cannot quite capture. They even help improve kids’ hand and eye coordination.

Radio control cars come in many different sizes, ranging from tiny matchbox-sized RC toy cars all the way to 1/8 and even 1/6-scale models that are over two feet long. And they are certainly not just for kids. Though I technically haven’t been a kid for many decades, I own a good number of electric RC cars, including a 1/6-scale PT Cruiser in the same exact inferno red color as the real thing in my garage. I also have two other remote control PT Cruisers and playing with all those different sizes is just too much fun (and also made for some cool photo ops).

Interestingly, even though today’s electric RC cars are far more sophisticated than the ones I had when I was a child, many are very reasonably priced. I remember when the first radio controlled models came on the market they cost a small fortune, and certainly more than I could afford on my allowance. Prices have come down drastically since then, and it’s now possible to get even 1/8 or 1/6-scale for about what you pay for an XBox or Playstation video game. That’s certainly a tremendous bargain!

What continues to fascinate me is the huge range of different models you can get. There is truly something for every taste. I may never be able to afford a Ferrari, but for less than it costs to take the family out to dinner in a chain restaurant I can get a beautifully crafted red 1/12-scale Ferrari F430 with working headlights (just like that Mercedes Benz of my youth), independent suspension and enough detail to make me dream. If you love cars and haven’t checked out electric RC cars lately, do yourself a favor and see what’s being offered these days!

ShareThis

Choosing A Nitro RC Car or Truck

So you want to purchase a nitro rc car or truck for yourself or as a gift for someone else and you’re not sure what kit you should buy?

Well choosing your nitro vehicle is the fun part! 

Offroad Nitro RC Trucks - Can take on huge jumps and be driven almostanywhere no matter how rough the terrain.  Combination of speed, power, and durability make them perfect for beginners to the hobby.

Onroad Nitro Gas Powered RC Cars - Designed to be raced on the street, at the track, or any prepared surfaces.  Fastest top speeds but easier to damage if crashed.  Smaller size makes it lowest priced of the nitro kits and an excellent value.

Awesome Nitro Buggies - When you want the ultimate in speed, acceleration, handling, durability, and absolute fun!

Next you’ll have to decide on either a ready to run kit that comes prebuilt and includes a pull start nitro engine, the radio control, and all the radio equipment already installed or an unassembled kit that you put together yourself and may require purchasing the nitro engine, the radio, and additional equipment separately. 

I highly suggest beginners start with a ready to run vehicle like from Traxxas, Team Associated, Sportwerks, and HPI Racing.

Buying - What You’ll Need to Get Started…

While most ready to run kits include everything you need to get started already in the box, if you instead choose to buy an unassembled or an incomplete ready to run kit you’ll likely need a few additional accessories to get your vehicle started.

To run your nitro car or truck you’ll need a radio control with receiver and two servos, the nitro engine, and a way to start the engine.

Of course you’ll also need nitro fuel made specifically for nitro rc cars and trucks to get your vehicle and the engine up and running.  These nitro gas powered cars don’t run on regular gas fuel from the pump, so make sure you get the right kind of fuel.

But don’t worry.

Luckily, there are nitro starter kits made specifically for nitro vehicles which include absolutely everything you will need to complete your kit.  Many good rc hobby shops will have a complete nitro starter kit with all the accessories you’ll need to get your nitro gas powered rc car or truck started plus offer additional parts and accessories to replace any worn or broken part or to upgrade your kit when you are ready for more performance!

Tuning Nitro RC Cars And Trucks

The nitro engine is the heart and soul of any nitro rc car or truck so if you get the engine tuned and set up right while keeping it well maintained, it makes everything else a lot easier.

I suggest beginners tune and set up their engines according to the instructions included in the box which usually call for a slow break in period with the carburetor needles set to allow more fuel to keep the engine running cooler than normal race conditions. If the kit you buy is ready to run, the default engine tuning settings should be sufficiently rich.

There are several different break-in methods you can use but the most commonly used one is to run the engine while the car is sitting off the ground at that rich setting for a tank or two and then for the next 3 or 4 tanks to run it on the ground at a low speed and gradually speed it up while you progress through each tank and leaning the high speed needle 1/8th of a turn at a time until it runs close to peak performance.  Make sure the engine stays within a reasonable temperature range and make sure you see a good amount of blue smoke coming out of the exhaust throughout the throttle range to insure you are not running the engine overly lean.

Check back next week for tips on tuning suspension settings like camber, caster, toe-in, ackerman, anti-squat, ride height, and etc for nitro rc cars and trucks.

Racing Radio Controlled Cars And Trucks

In my opinion, racing nitro rc trucks and cars is the most fun part of the rc car hobby.  Whether it’s on the track in an organized race, in the street, in a field, or your own backyard against your friends, nothing beats the speed, power, sound, smell,  and adrenaline rush of competitive racing with these fast and powerful racing machines.

One mistake most beginners (and even many experienced racers) make is driving too out of control.  The steering and throttle inputs on the radio are not an on and off switch!  Rolling onto the throttle smoothly is often a much faster way around the track.  Likewise, the car acts and turns more predictably when you are smooth with the steering wheel.

Before wrenching on your car and making tuning adjustments trying to find the perfect setup, you need to be able to get around the track without crashing.  If you can’t make a few laps without crashing, setup changes aren’t going to help much unless your vehicle is just totally off for the conditions of the track and undriveable.

Maintaining Your Nitro Vehicle

It’s a good idea to do regular maintenance on your nitro rc car to ensure it will perform it’s best and improve its longevity.  After every run, shake out and remove the loose dirt and dust with a brush or towel.  If you have access to an air compressor, it works very well for this job. It’s also good to inspect and clean your outer air filter foam if necessary every run… especially in dusty race conditions.

After every race day, I like to remove my engine and radio equipment and clean parts individually and inspect them for wear making sure to check moving parts like hinge pins, drive shafts, suspension components, and ball bearings.  In nitro rc cars and trucks, you should pay special attention to the clutch bell bearings because clutch bearings take a lot of abuse through heat, high loads, dirt, and grime.

You should also regularly clean and replace air filters and lube the inner filter with a good air filter oil. After running, some people also lube up their engines with after run oil, but it is not really necessary as long as you use a good quality nitro fuel.

Every gallon of fuel, I replace the clutch shoes, clutch springs, and clutch bearings, inner and outer air filter foams, and glow plug.  This may sound excessive but I’d rather do some preventive maintenance and replace these items early than end up losing a big race because one of these cheap parts failed on me in a qualifier or main!

ShareThis

ShareThis

Frequent occurrence of the war in some countries also provide a little inspiration to the creator of the RC. Currently, many models RC Tanks with the models, there are the market. This is also balanced with the request that the days increased. RC Tanks in the market that began with a battery operated and controlled with a remote. RC Tanks has discharge to the other miniature. 

     Mini RC that is more suitable for children also vary the style. Materials are also increasingly in use vary, there are made of plastic and are even made from steel

ShareThis

Electric power advantages include reliability,
convenience, low noise, low vibration, and lack of fuel residue
(clean). �The disadvantage of early systems was low power.
However recent electric airplane motors, combined with advanced
batteries, have increased the performance of electric rc
airplanes dramatically. � In the more common Brushed
motors, current switching is done using sliding contacts
known as brushes. The contacts get hot and wear out over time.
In Brushless motors, the switching happens electronically
using a special voltage regulator (speed controller). This
second type of motor and its controller are more expensive to
make. Its advantages are no maintenance and higher performance.

There are three main types of batteries in use for
electric airplane motors.� These are Nickel Cadmium (NiCad),
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) and Lithium Polymer (LiPo). LiPo
batteries are lighter for a given application, but tend to be
more expensive than NiCad or NiMH.� � Electric rc airplane
types include powered sailplanes, scale models, aerobatic
models, and ducted fan (jet-type). Virtually any type of rc
model can now be electric powered. Even powerful electric
helicopters are now a reality. In addition, some new types of rc
models have emerged that were not practical before, e.g.
parkflyers and indoor flyers. For the beginner, something slow
and stable is recommended for a trainer aircraft.

Visit the RC Airplane Advisor for more info
about Electric RC Airplanes.

�

ShareThis

Another type of model airplane is the wooden model airplane or
mahogany model airplane. These model airplanes are carved or handcrafted out of
fine wood and individually painted. Some airplane enthusiasts
would prefer to purchase their plane and paint it themselves.
They are often pre-constructed and sold the purchaser in whole,
unless one constructs or carves their own model airplane. Wooden
model airplanes are designed to be an exact miniature scale
replica of actually military, commercial, or private airplanes.
Wooden model airplanes are more expensive than model airplane
kits. They are often purchased by those who are fans or have a
love for airplanes in general. They are used for display in
homes or offices and are aesthetically pleasing to the eye and
other feeling they may inspire in the type of individual who
might purchase the small replica of such a flying machine.

The aforementioned model airplanes are often for display and
the pleasures of construction. This next type of airplane model, however, provides airplane
enthusiasts with a hobby and sport for recreational purposes.
The Radio Control Model airplane is a plane built for the sole
purpose of flying. Radio control airplanes come in different
types as well. There are gas powered radio control
airplanes, and electrical or battery powered radio control
airplanes. The gas powered planes are of course much larger than
their battery powered counter parts, reaching up to six feet in
length. The gas powered planes often cost more as well. Gas
powered radio control airplanes are primarily used by the
experienced flyers of model airplanes, while electrically
powered model aircraft are flown by both amateurs and
professionals.

Radio control airplanes can be a fun activity to do just about
anywhere for anyone. You can go to the local park to fly your
radio control model airplane around. You can go up to the
mountains and throw it off a cliff and begin to fly if you like.
Radio control model airplanes function exactly like full size
planes. Their wings are designed to create lift when moving
forward. Their propellers create thrust to push the plane
forward. The control of the plane functions the same as well;
the flaps on the wings or fins move, to move the entire plane.
The same principles of science and flight apply to radio control
model airplanes as well. The model airplane can stall in the air
and fall similar to a real airplane.

All types of model airplanes can be found at your local hobby
shops or at online hobby stores. Most hobby stores seem to have
model airplanes as one of their main products for sale, and most
also have several different types of the model airplanes
mentioned above. So, if you are an airplane enthusiast, or would
like to become one, visit your local hobby store, or search for
one online and find the plane that is best for you.

ShareThis

However, on Friday afternoon Dale and myself decided we were going flying. We closed the shop dead on 6 o’clock (usually we don�t leave till gone 7). We were cashed up, loaded up and off to our own secret flying site in Kent by 6.30.

We arrived at the flying field around 6.45, all models still intact after a mad dash along the A2 and some rather bendy country lanes.

First out of the cars were a pair of Weston Cougars, one of my favourite planks (sorry for the term plank but I class myself as a heli flyer). Once started and both airborne there was a really noticeable difference in performance between the two. Dale�s is fitted with a OS46LA, whilst mine has a West Eurotech 36 fitted. We both decided to go for height, (when I say height I mean the clouds were getting in the way) Dale�s climb rate was respectable but mine climbed like a homesick angel. After a few attempts at getting it to flatspin & some low inverted circuits I was out of fuel, so was forced to land and get the next model out.

The next candidate was a Century Predator Gasser which has had one previous flight. The beauty of petrol powered models is that they are cheap to run & there is no starting equipment required. The previous flight was used to set the model and engine up correctly. After a few tweaks to the engine I was happy with the way she was running I thought we would do a few gentle circuits with a couple of stall turns thrown in for good measure. I must say this is probably the most stable model in the hover I have ever flown. I landed, then passed the controls to Dale for a quick play. He also loved how stably it flew.

The amount of fun you can have with an electric Zagi is amazing. This model is so much fun and so unbreakable, I found myself doing the silliest of things with it. Like skimming across the strip with the prop clipping the grass on its way through, stalling it from up high and seeing who could get the highest bounce when it hit the deck!

Who cares, the chances of breaking it are near nil.

That�s how is continued for the rest of the evening…. until we remembered that to fly in the dark - which i used to do on a regular basis - you need ‘glow sticks’.

So, back to the shop to unload all the models - we both commented on what a great evening�s flying it was, probably one of the best this year - we are not trying to tempt fate or anything, but are now charging everything in sight ready for another evening of fun.

One of the best things you can invest in is a fast charger - perfect for those last minute decisions to go flying, we have all put a lot of miles on my poor old ripmax fast charger.

Rod

About The Author

Rod Shoveller is a serious radio controlled models addict. He refers to himself as a heli flyer, though he has experience across a wide range of types of RC models. Not only does he fly, drive and steer them, he also builds and repairs them. He can be found at www.elitemodelsonline.co.uk or at the Elite Model Shop in Canterbury, Kent, UK.

ShareThis

With RC trucks, the type of surface doesn’t matter as much, since they can be driven on pavement, dirt, gravel and all types of ground. Even long grass can be tackled- though only for short periods of time. Open fields, vacant lots, and construction yards are perfect places to run or race, as long as it’s safe and you have permission.

Though many people enjoy simply running their car by themselves up the street, this can be made infinitely more fun by practicing and racing with others. Setting up pylons easily turns an empty parking lot into a racetrack, while a vacant lot can be host to a tug-of-war.

If you prefer off-roading or a more rugged challenge for your vehicle, you can construct your own jumps in a field, yard or lot. Scraps of wood or cardboard can be used to make ramps and jumps or challenging obstacle courses. Off-road RC vehicles have a lot of power, but don�t overestimate their torque when you construct your track. Make sure that if there are younger children playing you have proper supervision.

But if you prefer official races, they’re held often enough that you can be racing every few months. For some hobbyists there’s nothing else that compares to RC car racing. Most race areas are on-road (paved) tracks, usually in unused parking lots. Other locations are off-road, featuring all-dirt surfaces with lanes separated by boards or plastic pipe. Most metropolitan areas have a race track nearby. To find the racetrack nearest you, start with the internet and the yellow pages.

About the author:

Mike Lindsey runs the RC Cars site, about buying and racing Radio Control (RC) Cars

ShareThis

I assume that your understand the basics of a RC Nitro Engine and how it works, if not please see my other articles which you can find on my website, see the resource box for details.

The Idle Screw
I always start with the idle screw, I adjust it so that the car will idle high when I’m first dialing in the engine. Once I get the engine up to temperature and with a tube that can keep it running without stalling I slowly adjust the idle down to the point where it’s about to stall, then I turn it back about 1/4 to 1/2 turn depending on the temperature. If your car stalls often it can be worth while increasing the idle to prevent this, it’s only a temporary fix while you sort out the other tuning issue, but it helps keep frustration levels down.

Low Speed Needle.
One of the great debates is which needle to adjust first, if your carburetor only has one needle adjustment screw then it’s not a problem, but if like most glow engines you have two you need to decide which to tune first. I always start with the low speed needle, this is because when you adjust the low speed needle you change the high speed needle. Once the low speed needle is dialed in you shouldn’t have to adjust it again. Make sure you keep it slightly on the rich side, when you RC Car idles the combustion chamber should start to fill up with fuel, this helps keep it cool. After a while the engine will stall, by measuring this you can tell if it should be richer or leaner. A good time is about 30 - 60 seconds before it stalls. The RC Car should pull off quickly from a standing start and should not bog down or flame out when you apply full throttle.

High Speed Needle.
Once you have your low speed adjustment needle dialed in it’s time to start getting the power out of the RC engine. This is done with the high speed needle, which adjusts the air to fuel mixture of the engine while it as high RPM (about 40% and up). Keep an eye on the trail of smoke as this is your first clue about the tune. You want to have a lot of smoke coming out of the engine at all RPM, if at some point there is little or no smoke then you are running too lean.

Hints, Tips and Tricks

Turn the needle clockwise to lean out and counter-clockwise to richen the mixture. 
A lot of smoke means you tune is rich.
The sound can tell you about your tune.
Reading your glow plug after a run will tell you a lot about your tune.
Make sure to run your engine on the rich side, this will extend it’s life.
A lean engine will always put out more power, but it will shorten the life of your engine.
Temperature, air pressure and humidity play if big part in the tune, different days will need different settings.

By: Gregory Alexander

ShareThis

With RC trucks, the type of surface doesn’t matter as much, since they can be driven on pavement, dirt, gravel and all types of ground. Even long grass can be tackled- though only for short periods of time. Open fields, vacant lots, and construction yards are perfect places to run or race, as long as it’s safe and you have permission.

Though many people enjoy simply running their car by themselves up the street, this can be made infinitely more fun by practicing and racing with others. Setting up pylons easily turns an empty parking lot into a racetrack, while a vacant lot can be host to a tug-of-war.

If you prefer off-roading or a more rugged challenge for your vehicle, you can construct your own jumps in a field, yard or lot. Scraps of wood or cardboard can be used to make ramps and jumps or challenging obstacle courses. Off-road RC vehicles have a lot of power, but don�t overestimate their torque when you construct your track. Make sure that if there are younger children playing you have proper supervision.

But if you prefer official races, they’re held often enough that you can be racing every few months. For some hobbyists there’s nothing else that compares to RC car racing. Most race areas are on-road (paved) tracks, usually in unused parking lots. Other locations are off-road, featuring all-dirt surfaces with lanes separated by boards or plastic pipe. Most metropolitan areas have a race track nearby. To find the racetrack nearest you, start with the internet and the yellow pages.

About the author:
Mike Lindsey runs the RC Cars site, about buying and racing Radio Control (RC) Cars

ShareThis