Welcome to the world of RC (Radio Controlled) cars! Have a passion for high-adrenaline stuff? Love the sound of high-speed engines? Had thoughts about driving race cars? Can’t afford the bigger machines? I welcome you again to the world of RC cars.
Varying anywhere from 1/8th scale model to 1/24th scale model, these little monsters can reach up to 70-80 mph. Here I am specifying what little information I know about RC cars. If you get really interested, go ahead and check out the links at the bottom.
Electric Vs Gas
There are two basic types of RC cars – electric powered and gas powered. Electric powered are affordable, less noisy but the downside is that they usually don’t match up with the gas powered on speed. Also, unless you have multiple battery units and a quick recharger, your fun time will be interrupted with waiting for recharging. Gas powered ones are relatively costly and are noise (that is a plus rite?). They reach top speeds of 70-80 mph. As far as I know, the fastest is around 85 mph.
On-road Vs Off-road
The on road cars have lower ground clearance and are suited for corridors, pavements, even parking lots. They are comparatively faster than their off-road counterparts. The off-road ones have good suspension and are suited for any type of surface and can withstand jumps of speed-breakers.
My Dream
I am having a long lasting dream of buying one. I initially thought of going for a gas powered, fast and furious car. But patience and research has made me decide that it is virtuous to settle for a low powered electric one as a starter. It might even be a good idea to buy a mini RC car and first learn maneuverability. Though, my plan is to buy a 1/14th scale Ferrari F2002. Once I do that, I will post pictures of it. Please check later for updates.
Links
Here are some links that I found useful while looking for a hobby shop to buy rc cars.
Not sure if you should get an electric rc vehicle, nitro rc vehicle or gas rc vehicle? Let’s find out what the differences are.
RC cars range from the very basic on one end – which may just has a throttle or push button to make the car go forward (this type is great for very young children say ages 2 – 4) to the very realistic speed racers on the other end – vehicles that not only go forward, backward and hug the curve like any real racing car, but can also move at speeds of 50 mph or faster.
Usually the smaller simpler vehicles are powered by electric rechargeable batteries and these vehicles may not be as fast as their nitro counterparts and can’t come close to gas powered rc cars. They are however becoming faster, are much easier to use and care for, and don’t cost as much as the others.
Nitro rc cars and gas rc car however have the ability to be refueled and put back on the road much faster then electric rc cars who’s batteries have to be replaced or plugged up and recharged which can take a while.
Most gas rc cars and nitro rc cars give the driver more control and have an unbelievable realistic sound, some even have smoke! What you should know and understand is that Nitro powered rc cars and Gas powered rc cars are different. To understand these differences please read this short article – ‘What’s the difference between Nitro RC Cars and Gas RC Cars?’
Brand new electric rc cars are usually ‘rtr’ which means they are ‘ready to run’ right out of the box. Nitro rc cars or gas rc cars may need to be tuned up before running. They are also much more expensive then electric rc vehicles, ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars for a gas powered rc vehicle.
Nitro is also very expensive costing about 30 – 45 dollars a gallon. Nitro rc cars however have a much longer running time, more then electric rc cars and gas powered rc cars so that gallon of nitro will go a long way.
If this is your first rc vehicle, remember that nitro rc vehicles and gas rc vehicles are more work to run, can be messier (especially nitro rc cars) more expensive to maintain and could cost you much more money to purchase then an electric rc car.
Usually people who just get into rc vehicles and decide to make a nitro rc car or gas rc car their first purchase become frustrated with all the work involved with maintaining these types of rc vehicles. Nitro rc vehicles require a really good cleaning after every use which will increase the life of your nitro powered rc car.
Electric RC vehicles however don’t cost as much, are faster to get on the road and easier to keep on the road. There is very little if any frustration involved with an electric powered rc cars. Except maybe waiting for the batteries to charge which can be solved by purchasing extra batteries if you plan on running your vehicle for long periods of time.
So the choice is yours, although electric rc cars are highly recommended for beginners, if you think a nitro rc cars or a gas rc car is for you then make sure you read up on the one you wish to purchase before purchasing it and start out with one that doesn’t cost that much because they can be very expensive.
Comment by Fingerling — September 26, 2008 @ 6:28 pm