Here is a wonderful introduction to radio control cars, written by Jim Ewing on the website Great Hobbies.
Cars and Trucks have been the fastest growing category of radio control in the past decade and rightly so. They are fast, exciting, and something everyone of all ages can take part in at their own level. R/C land vehicles fit into five main interest categories Off Road Buggies, On Road Cars, Monster Trucks, Stadium Race Trucks, and Motorcycles. All of these vehicles can be found powered by electric motors and more recently some of the vehicles have been offered in glow and gas powered versions.
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Off Road Buggies The Off Road Buggy has been a very popular R/C vehicle and is the vehicle that started the R/C car craze. They are of open-wheel design with lots of ground clearance, full-travel suspension and knobby tires for lots of grip. They can travel almost anywhere; the rougher the terrain the better. Off Road Buggies can be found in both two (2WD) and four wheel drive (4WD) although the 2WD is the most popular. The most common size is 1/10 scale. Off Road Buggies are common with both electric and glow power. |
On Road Cars
On Road Car Racing has really become popular and in many areas has exceeded Off Road in popularity. On Road racing has branched into two streams of activity, one being the original On-Road cars which are extremely low to the ground and are fashioned after the full size NASCAR and Indy style cars. They must have a very smooth surface for running, usually a paved outdoor or carpet indoor track. A gym floor or concrete surface is not suitable as they are too slippery and the car will "spin out" too easily. The second is the newer parking lot racing, known as Sedan or Touring Car Racing, where cars are fashioned after a broader range from sports cars, to Indy cars, to stock cars, etc. They are designed to work well on pavement and are more capable in the dirt than the original On-Road.
The On Road Cars can reach very high speeds and both oval track racing and road racing are popular. Electric On Road Cars are generally 1/12 and 1/10 scale while the glow powered versions are 1/10 and 1/8 in scale.
Monster Trucks
Monster Trucks are the big boys of Off Road and although not as fast as the buggies, they can climb, pull, crush, and generally make themselves known on any terrain. Monster trucks are characterized by four huge, deep tread tires, usually in 4WD configuration, and some even with four wheel steering. Quite often two motors will power these brutes for lots of torque. Stadium Racing Trucks Stadium Racers are a combination Off Road Buggy and the Monster Truck and they have become just about the most popular facet of R/C cars. They sport truck bodies and knobby truck tires on 1/10 scale Off Road cars, and boy, do they move! They are available in both electric and nitro powered versions. The electrics have performance similar to their buggy counterparts and they share many of the same parts. |
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Motorcycles
Although not as popular as their four-wheeled cousins, motorcycles have recently come into their own as an interest category. They operate just like the real thing with only two wheels! Once moving, motorcycles stand on their own and turn by shifting balance to "ean" into a turn. The latest models really move fast too! 1/5 is the common size.
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