OVAL COURSE 2
Have two or three pairs of pylons forming gates and run your car through them as accurately as possible. You will find it much harder than the oval course No.1. For the first period of time, arrange the pylons at a wide space, narrow them gradually, then at last put them at a space of one meter. Practice in both rotations, clockwise and counterclockwise.

ROAD COURSE
When finishing course No.1 and No.2 you have mastered the basic driving techniques. Now you should proceed to complex courses. Build a road course with the pylons, from basic figure “T” and “L” courses to more complicated circuits, assortment of figure “L” and hairpin curves, high speed curve and slaloms.

CAR STEERS OPPOSITELY?
If you are a novice driver and not sufficiently accustomed to R/C car driving, you may feel as if the car steered oppositely to the transmitter movement when the car runs toward you. To solve this problem, try to imagine you were driving in the R/C car. As you repeat the basic exercise, you will get used to this way of thinking and control the model smoothly.

WHERE TO LOOK WHEN DRIVING
When you drive a car, it is important what you keep your eye on. Suppose the squares described are the field of vision, Put your Point of sight on the forward part of the area of vision with a car placed at the rear. The car moves at a rate of 8.3meters per sec when the hourly speed is 30km/h. With your point of site on the car itself you cannot keep clear of obstacles ahead, because it is to late to notice them; nor can you take corners easily.

Vivid Fluorescent orange pylons are useful for marking a track. Soft resin material does not damage your R/C car during impacts. To find out more about purchasing click the image on right.

Corner Pylon
Improving your R/C skills on the Track
Operating a radio controlled car in the open is one thing, but running it on a closed track is entirely different. Even though you are not competing, and only practicing, driving on a track will add much to your driving skills. You can also observe techniques used by experienced drivers running highly tuned cars at the track.

No particular skill is required for driving a car just straight, and the drag speed is limited by the car’s own inherent performance capability. However, at curves, your finesse of taking corners affects the result even among cars of the same performance. Especially in speed races, the cornering technique is one of the decisive factors. After becoming accustomed to the car, try to practice smooth, speedy and stable cornering.

“Slow-In and fast-Out” is a golden rule In speed controlling at curves, and “Out-ln-Out” instructs how to steer a car. Briefly, you should control speed in “Slow-In and Fast-Out” manner and steer a car in “Out-ln-Out” way.

WHAT’S “SLOW-IN AND FAST-OUT”
Decelerating when entering into a curve and picking up the speed after a vertex of the curve is the technique. In the case of entering bends without reducing speed, the car is forced to slow down before finishing comers to lose speed and stability. In the worst cases, the car might spin or run off the course. It also gets the car moving too late to pick up speed. As a result “Slow-In and Fast-Out” is the fastest way to take corner’s.

WHAT’S “OUT-IN-OUT”
It is, as illustrated, a way of turning curves from the outside line of a course Into the inside line to which the car will come closest at the vortexes (clipping points) and finishing the cornering approach back to the outside line, thus making the longest possible turning radius. By utilizing the full width of the course, the car will make an easier turn than the actual curve. So the car may be allowed to run through It faster.

SET THE CUPPING POINT AFTER THE VERTEX
As a matter of fact, however, it seems more advantageous to set the clipping point a little after the vertex, because it allows easier latter half cornering and enables the car more powerful acceleration into the straight course, in spite of sharper first half cornering.

ACCELERATION DURING THE LATTER HALF OF A CURVE IS IMPORTANT
Both “Slow-In and Fast-out” and “Out-in-Out” techniques are established from attaching more importance to velocity in the latter half of cornering than the first half. This has something to do with the acceleration of a car; that is a car increasing speed faster than other cars at the latter half can take the lead in the successive straight track, provided the cars should have the same pickup and maximum speed capability. This principle is true anywhere except in a very wide road where you are not required to reduce the speed at all.

THE LAST CURVE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN A CHAIN
The last curve is the most important In continuous curves. In successive bends of a road, steer your car so that it will make the easiest turn at the last curve. Then you will be able to speed it up as soon as getting into the straight course.

CONSIDER COMPLEX CURVES AS ONE
Consider complex curves as one integrated compound. In the case of complex curves with different radii, you can manage to get through by considering them as one complex curve and making a cornering passage.

TAKE THE INSIDE LINE ON GENTLE CURVES
Although the “slow-In, fast-out” and the “out-in-out” rules are basic for cornering. If the curve Is gentle enough, there is little, or no need to reduce speed. Naturally, it is advantageous to use the inside line throughout the curve, when possible

OBSERVE THE ENTIRE TRACK LAYOUT
Although several tips are offered when describing Individual curves, a track Is a succession of straights and curves, it is therefore Important to observe the entire layout and select a smooth running line for completing a lap. Repeat practice laps, trying various routes to find the ideal line. Shortening your lap times during trials is one of radio control’s greatest enjoyments.

WHEN PERFORMANCE GETS BETTER, THE DRIVING LINE SHOULD BE ALTERED
When your car’s top speed becomes faster by using a higher performance motor, etc. more deceleration will be required when entering corners. Not only the speed, but the handling characteristics, tire grip etc. will influence the driving line a car should take.

Not just steering alone, but combining with throttle control, various cornering techniques can be obtained. Practice and master this for much faster and smoother cornering.

FOUR WHEEL DRIFT
This technique is achieved by over steering white deceleration during the early stage of cornering. As the rear wheels start to slide outward and the nose heads towards the inside of the corner, neutralize the steering and add power. The car will take the comer with all wheels sliding. This technique is suitable for rear wheel drive and 4WD race care.

TACKING-1N
This technique is unique to front wheel drive care. Enter a curve straight, then cut power and steer around the curve at the same time The car will change direction quickly. Straighten out and accelerate going through the corner.

COUNTER OR OPPOSITE LOCK STEERING
The term means to steer the wheels against the turn of a comer. If a car enters the corner too fast, the rear wheels could start to skid, resulting in a spin. To stop this, steer into the direction of the skid. This technique is used to prevent the car from spinning and is not for enhancing cornering speed.

WEIGHT LOAD SHIFT ACCORDING TO POWER APPLIED
When running at a steady speed, the load is divided between the car’s front and rear wheels in a fixed ratio. During deceleration, more of a load is put on the front wheel because of inertia, resulting in sharper steering response. Opposite of this is acceleration,

where more of a load is put on the rear wheels, producing a slower steering response. Both the four-wheel drift and tack-in use this weight load shift to obtain desired cornering results.

A race is run with many cars at the same time. If you want to become familiar with racing, the best way is to hold practice sessions with your friends as a group. It is important to feel the difference between driving a car by yourself and competition racing. You’ll notice that
the track seems somewhat narrower with all those care and it becomes difficult to steer the car on the line you desire. Experience is what counts to get your car ahead of other.

START
The result of a race sometimes depends upon the start. However, a quick start is not always advantageous. Accidents are most liable to occur between the start and the first corner because participating cars are running close to one another. Decide how you should start according to the characteristics of your car, course layout, etc.

TAKE AND HOLD THE INSIDE LINE DURING CORNERING
When competing with your rivals during cornering, take and keep the inside line for maintaining the lead. It is difficult for you to beat your opponent in the corner by trying to pass him on the inside line because both cars are running about the same speed. If your car can manage a higher maximum speed than the others, only then is passing on the outside line possible. Trying to take the inside line too early can lead to over-running the corner resulting in a loss of time and running space for your car. While you’re at the edge of the track, your rival can easily pass you on the inside. In order to avoid this, stick to the inside, forcing him to delay his acceleration. Tacking and holding the inside line in the corner is a golden rule for taking the lead at corners. Confrontation between cars during cornering are the most exciting moments during a race, but be sure to avoid the selfish type of running that can cause a collision and damage that will spoil the overall race for everyone.

HOW TO PASS OTHERS
There are various places in which you can try to pass another car. A straight Is the safest place to do so. It is dangerous to start passing a car when you are following close behind it. When you judge it is possible to pass, steer your car a little as soon as possible and attempt to pass. You may pass on either side, wherever there is more room. If the space on each side is about the same, it is advisable to go inside to make the next corner to negotiate. Passing on a corner is dangerous as compared with passing on a straight. If the driver of the car you are going to pass to not skillful In control, your car Is liable to be Involved in its spinning. To make passing easier, it is advisable to go inside the rival’s car and pass it after turning the corner. It is very difficult to pass it on the outside of the corner even if your car is much faster.

IF THE CAR LOSES STABILITY
If your car has hit another car and lost its stability, reduce the speed by turning down the speed control switch. If you try to restore stability by steering, the car might be further disturbed. Start acceleration again only after the car has slowed down and is stable.

Source: TamiyaUSA ]]> http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/09/tips-to-improve-your-driving-skills-on-the-track/feed/ 0 http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/08/rc-rock-crawler-wheel-and-tire-tips/ http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/08/rc-rock-crawler-wheel-and-tire-tips/#comments Fri, 28 Aug 2009 19:02:55 +0000 rcgawker http://www.rcgawker.com/?p=1132

Trim the Foam

Soft compound tires require foam inserts to help them keep their shape. In some cases, the foam inserts make the tires too stiff for crawling and don’t allow the tire to conform to the rock’s surface. You want the tire to be flexible yet stiff enough support for the tire to prevent it from folding over. Some people cut their inserts in a star type pattern to make flexing a little easier. Making this modification is easy. Mark the foams with the desired pattern, and carefully cut the sections out using a sharp hobby knife. How much foam you remove will be based on the flexibility of your tires. Softer tires require more foam to be left for support.

A key to good traction is to have the tread of tire to be generally as flat as possible. A larger contact surface means more traction. An insert that is wider than the tire will distort the tread of the tire and potentially reduce the contact patch. You can eliminate this problem by cutting the foam insert so that it’s the same width as the tire.

Rims
A common practice in rock crawling is to narrow the rims. Doing this provides more clearance between the links and the tires when steering, and since the tire is pulled in, it will increase the tire’s “side bite” by bringing the tread down the side slightly. If cutting rims and gluing them back together isn’t your thing, you can pick up some rims that are already narrowed. are available from Axial, RC4WD and RPM. Axial also offers Maxx-size rims in a narrow form.

A flat tread works better on the rocks than a rounded tread. The more tire contact you have on the rocks, the better your truck will crawl.

Weight
The only thing you need to know is that generally you want more weight up front than in the rear of the truck. This helps the truck handle vertical climbs. Some guys like to add equal weight to both ends of the truck. Either way, you’ll want a lit- tle weight in all four tires. When considering the weight dis- tribution, also remember one of the best things you can do to improve your crawler is to lower the center of gravity. So, moving the battery from the top of the chassis over to the front axle or links accomplishes two things: it moves weight forward for a better balance and lowers the CG

PELLETS
A great way to add weight to your tires is to fill them with used in air powered pellet rifles. The pellets roll around and stay at the bottom of the tires at all times,and that keeps the truck’s center of gravity low and reduces rollovers. The pellets also replace the foam inserts. Filling the tires can be a bit tricky. Attach your tire to one side of the wheel and stick a small funnel into the open side of the tire and use it to direct the pellets into the tire. Fill the tire about halfway, and make sure that you have an equal amount in each tire. There is a downside to this setup; it doesn’t work well when side hilling when you drive your truck perpendicular to its incline.

STICK-ON WEIGHTS
You can also add weight to your tires by using stick-on lead weights on the rims. Start with 3 to 7 ounces of weight on each rim, and make sure you prep the surface of the rims by cleaning them with motor spray before you stick the weights to the rims.

When adding weight to your rims, you can add the same weight all around, or more weight up front than in the rear; 60/40 is the typical split.

Source
rc car action

If you were to drive your RC car round a fast right-hand corner, the body rolls to the left. This reaction also happens to the wheel, if there is no camber on the wheels the top of the left wheels will lean out and you will end up running on the outside tire. To counteract this you would need to put negative camber on the wheels. This allows the wheel to tip over in corners but still maintains full surface contact on the track giving maximum grip on corners.

Camber is adjusted by lengthening or shortening the top wishbone. A good starting point is 2 degrees negative on the rear and 1/2 to 1 degree negative on the front.

Toe-in & Toe-out
These angles are the direction the wheels are pointing when looking at the car from above The below pictures show the toe angles on the front wheels only but the same rules apply to the rear wheels.
On a rear wheel drive car the front wheels will have neutral toe, or toe-out. The rear wheels will have neutral toe or toe-in.

With the correct toe angle on the front you will have a stable car that has good front end grip. The correct toe angle on the rear will give good rear end traction through corners.

The front end toe angle is adjusted on the steering links on your RC car. Shorten the links will allow more toe-out, lengthen the links will allow for less toe-out. There are different methods to adjust the rear toe angle depending on which model of RC car you drive, almost all cars adjust the rear lower wishbone to give desired angle.

To measure the toe angle is not easy, one method is to use the camber gauge. If you want 1 degree toe-in set your wheels up with one degree of negative camber. Take a measurement from the top center of the inside rim on the left wheel to the top centre inside rim of the right wheel. Do the same for bottom center inside rim on both wheels. Transfer these measurements so that the distance top center is the same as front center on the inside of the rim, this sounds complicated but when you try it it’s not that bad. Another way of putting it is measure at 12 o’ clock and 6 o’ clock and transfer to 3 o’clock and 9 o’ clock. A good start settings are 2 degrees toe in at the rear and 1 degree toe-out at the front.

Caster Angle
The purpose of caster angle is basically to allow the front wheels to self-center. Imagine the wheels on a good shopping trolley (if you can find one), if you look at the wheels the spindle of the wheel is not directly below the mount but trailed back at an angle, this is the caster angle. When you push the trolley the wheels all point in the direction of motion so are self-center.

All rear wheel drive cars have positive caster on the front wheels. Although the main reason for the caster angle is to self-center the wheels the angle can affect the car handling, too much caster and you can get wheel shimmy. This is when the front wheels flick side to side rapidly .Too little caster can make the car over steer. The caster angle is adjusted by sliding the front wishbones on the hinge pins. To increase caster slide the top wishbone back or the bottom one forward or a bit of both, and do the opposite to reduce the caster. Measuring caster angle is more a case of trial and error to get the correct setting.

The best starting point would be both wishbones in the center of the hinge pins as there is positive caster built into the steering hubs.

Ride Height
Try to run the car as low to the ground as you can without the chassis scraping the ground. Ride height can be adjusted on the collars of the shocks, screw them down increases the ride height. Set the rear end a couple of millimeters higher than the front.

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2.4 GHz spread spectrum radios have taken the RC world by storm. In a few years time this could be the only technology that will be offered on everything but the cheapest toy grade RC radios. So why is spread spectrum modulation so good? To answer this question, let’s first look at the other “narrow band” modulation methods: AM, FM, PCM.

For your RC radio system to work the receiver must be tuned into the exact same frequency as the RC radio, this allows several models to be flying at once provided they are all on different frequencies within the allowed band range. However, space is limited on this band, and there lies the problem.

With only a limited amount of channels available, it’s important that only one person be transmitting on a specific channel at a time. This is why you see frequency boards and pins at RC clubs. When it is your turn to drive or fly, you take the frequency pin off the board and this lets others know that frequency is in use.

Simple enough, but with more people getting in to the RC hobby, there is always the possibility that another RC radio on the same frequency will accidentally be turn on creating interference.

Spread spectrum radios are not bound by narrow band frequencies they spread their signals out over a large radio spectrum. They also use the frequency range 2.4 GHz. That is a frequency of 2.4 billion cycles per second. This is well beyond the range of most RF making 2.4 GHz much more immune to interference. Let’s now look at how narrow band RC radios transmit their signals.

AM RC Radios
AM stands for amplitude modulation. This is the first and most basic method used for controlling RC models. The problem is it is really easy for the AM signal to be affected by almost any electrical noise generating device.

Any type of electrical or metal on metal noise from lighting to car ignition systems will result in interference (if you ever listen to an AM station when it’s raining out you get the idea). It is all these sources of interference that will cause loss of control on your RC model.

FM RC Radios
FM stands for frequency modulation. It is also referred to as PPM – Pulse Position Modulation and was introduced to the RC world in the early 80’s.

FM receivers are less prone to electrical or metal noise from outside, but there are times when moving parts can send out electrical noise that can be interpreted by the receiver as a legitimate signal and cause a “glitch”. So every now and then your model might twitch. If the glitch was bad enough or lasted more than a few seconds your model could end up in a heap of broken parts.

PCM RC Radios
PCM stands for Pulse Code Modulation and works by embedding a digital signal within the basic FM radio wave. A digital processor chip inside the RC radio encodes a digital transmission and sends it out on a standard narrow band FM carrier wave. The receiver also has a processor chip that decodes this digital data back into a usable analog signal for the servos.

This method all but eliminates any glitching caused by electrical noise because unless the receiver “hears” a digital command that it understands, it won’t respond. It is this ability to ignore outside interference that makes PCM so perfect for all kinds of RC control.

PCM RC radio receiver can ride out interference because it doesn’t understand it and simply ignores it. This makes it possible to add a secondary feature to that ability called “Fail Safe”. Fail Safe is a safety function that allows you to tell the receiver what to do if it no longer sees or understands the radio signals it receives.

No, this doesn’t mean the receiver is capable of flying and then landing your helicopter if there is radio signal corruption, but it will move the servos to a predetermined value. For safety reasons that usually means throttle off and all other control functions at neutral. This is a good feature to have to insure if you do loose radio communication with your RC helicopter or plane, as to cause excessive damage to your model or hurt people. This is not to say it will absolutely crash if the radio signal is lost, the receiver will continue listening for the signal and if reacquired, control will be regained. But again much like FM and AM PCM is still not immune to interference. If another PCM receiver transmitting on the same frequency you will still have problems.

Spread Spectrum RC Radios.
This brings us to the 2.4GHz spread spectrum radio. No other advancement in RC radio technology has changed the hobby in such a profound and positive way. Interference issues are all gone! No more frequency conflicts! No more Worries! 2.4GHz spread spectrum technology has been widely available since the 90’s with cordless phones, cell phones, and later wireless computer technologies such as Wi-Fi and now Blue-tooth.

The main idea behind spread spectrum is to spread the radio transmission out over a wide range of the radio spectrum. This makes a spread spectrum signal much less likely to run into interference or glitching issues that are common with all narrow band radio transmissions.Even with many spread spectrum radios all transmitting at the same time they are very unlikely to interfere with each. In most cases any signal conflict would happen for such a brief moment – you would never notice it.

So how does it work?
RC spread spectrum radios use the same type of digital signal that is used in PCM giving all the same advantages that PCM has. The difference is how that digital signal is transmitted and received.

There are essentially two different types of spread spectrum modulation methods that have been developed, FHSS and DSSS.

Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
Frequency hopping, as the name suggests, transmits on a narrow band frequency, but changes the frequency of the transmission hundreds of times a second. For FHSS to work, the receiver has to know the frequency changing pattern so it can hop to the different frequencies in the same order and time frame as the transmitter does.

Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum (DSSS)
Invented later and is harder to achieve. Unlike frequency hopping, direct sequence uses a special code sequence and spreads data over a wide band width on a select frequency. DSSS is said to provide somewhat faster data transmission and shorter delays because the transmitters and receivers don’t have to spend time switching to different frequencies. However, with the high speed micro processors of today, this is really not the issue it once was.

So which is better?
It depends who you ask and what spread spectrum radio manufactures web site you visit. You can read arguments for and against each method of spread spectrum radio control. Futaba’s spread spectrum radios use frequency hopping (FHSS) technology. Futaba’s trademark name for their system is F.A.S.S.T, Futaba Advanced Spread Spectrum Technology. The FASST system hops to a different frequency every 2 milliseconds. Futaba claims the frequency hop method is better at overcoming signal conflicts or interruptions than DSSS .

Spektrum/JR’s spread spectrum radios use direct sequence (DSSS) technology. Their system is called DSM and now DSM2 which stands for Digital Spectrum Modulation. It works by dividing the 2.4 GHz band into 80 individual channels (frequencies) and codes the direct sequence modulation with an embedded GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) code for each radio.

Spektrum claims direct sequence modulation is more costly and harder to develop than the frequency hopping method and because the gain rate is higher, the range is improved. Spektrum/JR unlike other DS systems on the market selects and transmits on two different frequencies to avoid the possibility of blocked or corrupted signals. Spektrum/JR also has a range of dual receivers to provide better path diversity
2.4GHz limitations

What about the cons
You should know by now almost nothing in this world is perfect and spread spectrum radios are no exception. Unlike the longer wave lengths used in 27-75 MHz RC radios that pass through almost anything, 2.4GHz has short wave lengths are easy absorbed or reflected by many objects. Absorption and reflection of the 2.4GHz signal by parts of the model aircraft could lead to fail safe lock out of control if the signal is not strong enough for the receiver to hear or identify from shielding or reflecting. Different manufactures solve this issue in different ways.

So my advice would be to go visit your local hobby store, find out what others in your area are using and determine if you spread spectrum is right for you.

1. Choosing a chassis – One of the first things you will want to do is choose a chassis with a low center of gravity. As obvious as this sounds it is sometimes over looked. You want to keep every ounce of weight as low to the ground as you can when climbing a steep incline. If your weight is not distributed correctly you run the risk of rolling your RC rock crawler over on it side.

2. Tires – For tires you’re going to want soft, large tires with a pronounced tread pattern for maximum ground clearance and grip. If you run the tires without foam inserts to allow them to flex but the tires don’t support your truck adequately, then look to soft inserts for support. The reason you want soft tires is that you want your tire to flatten out and give under the weight of the crawler. This is the same effect as deflating your tires in a full size crawler. This will give you maximum traction during the climb.

TIP: To soften hard tires try spraying a little WD-40 on them.

Cons: A little heavier, a little more expensive, some say to much effort to change tires.

4. Suspension – When it comes to RC rock crawling the suspension is the main ingredient, but not just any suspension will do. Articulation is the key here, but an independent A-arm type will not allow you to get the adequate articulation required. What you will need is a solid front and rear axle with a 4-link suspension. This will allow for maximum articulation and grip.

TIP: For maximum axle articulation keep your shock and spring combination soft.

5. Locked differentials – In most RC cars differentials are a must, but not when it comes to crawling. This is the most important modification you will need to do. If you don’t have locked differentials the power will be sent to the opposite wheel that isn’t under load. By having locked differentials the wheel maintains constant power when going over rocks. Locking out the differentials can be done a number of different ways: epoxy, JB Weld, or you can purchase lockers.

MORE HELPFUL TIPS: Four wheel steering, forward mounting your battery, mount your steering servos on top of each axle.

If you enjoyed this article please click on one of my sponsors, help me support this site. ]]> http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/07/how-to-build-your-own-rc-rock-crawler/feed/ 1 http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/07/top-five-reasons-why-electric-rc-helicopters-are-better-than-gas-nitro/ http://www.rcgawker.com/2009/07/top-five-reasons-why-electric-rc-helicopters-are-better-than-gas-nitro/#comments Tue, 21 Jul 2009 13:34:51 +0000 rcgawker http://rcgawker.com/?p=341
UPDATE: For the purpose of this article the term gas refers to nitro helicopters. There is a difference between the two but for the most part the average pilot either fly’s electric or nitro.

UPDATE 2: It seems as if this article has ruffled a lot of feathers for those who are into nitro helicopters. I’m not saying i don’t like nitro,or that there is anything wrong with them. I have 2 nitro helis and an electric. However, I am saying that in my opinion I feel that if you want to get into RC helicopters you might be better off starting with an inexpensive electric helicopter. So everyone calm down its not a personal attack.

If you ever wanted to fly a radio controlled helicopter you will find that there are basically two categories, electric or gas (nitro). RC helicopters are a great hobby and appeals to both young and old alike. Gas and electric both have their merits but there are reasons to choose one over the other. Here are my top five reasons why you should choose electric over gas, especially as a beginner.

5. They Don’t Pollute the air
Unlike their gas counterparts, electric RC helicopters are quiet, environmentally friendly, and don’t require a flying club to fly. With electric RC helicopters there are no limitations as to where and when you can fly. Even your living room!

4. Low Maintenance
Gas helicopters are messy. Every time you finish flying you must maintain your heli by wiping down elements of the model. These issues are none existent with an electric heli because they are lighter, smaller, and can survive most crashes with no problems. Hauling gas, oil, as well as a complex toolkit is a thing of the past with an electric.

3. They Fit In The Palm Of Your Hand!
Well, a few of them! They can range in size from the micro models, to their larger 60 scale gas model cousins. They are easily able to fly indoors and outdoors.

2. Easy to Fly
Unlike gas RC helicopters, which can stall out in mid-air and be temperamental, electrics have a smooth and predictable power supply. Gas models also require constant attention making sure the engine is tuned perfectly. Electric RC helicopters on the other hand are incredibly reliable, almost never quit in the air, and the motors need next to no tweaking. However, both are subject to less than ideal weather conditions.

1. Less Expensive!
Sometimes substantially cheaper! Gas RC helicopters with their myriad of accessories can set you back hundreds if not thousands of dollars, whereas some electric RC helicopters can fall well under a couple hundred bucks. Moreover, they often come ready to fly (RTF) and can have you flying in a matter of minutes.

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9. Removing the protective cover on the body BEFORE you paint.. I am guilty of this one. Nothing is more frustrating than pealing back that cover and realizing you can’t stick that genie back in the bottle.

8. Cutting the receiver wire shorter. Ok you might think.. who would do that? Me! My first RC car. I was 13 and had no idea that this was the wrong thing to do. On the bright side it did make my wiring a lot less messy.

7. Putting tires on backwards. Seems simple enough right? Put the tires on straight. Well if your not careful you could miss that each tire needs to be pointing in the same direction.

6. Shorting out a batter. Most batters come with connectors on them. The Tamiya plug is all fine and dandy but not all chargers have that input. So if you looking to add banana plugs watch out! Those little exposed ends have a way of gravitating towards each other. Never let them be plugged in to a battery when the banana plugs are exposed.

5. Building a model on the floor (carpet). So your favorite show is on and you think well i can put these C clips on while i watch Magnum PI. WRONG! As soon as your little C clip pops out into the vast forest that is your carpet its gone. Keep your model on the table or work bench where it belongs.

4. Bent Antenna, There is a right and wrong way to put your antenna down. Smashing down from the top.. is the wrong way. Start from the bottom up and collapse each section to avoid this mistake.

3. Assuming your car is snow proof. This is another one i learned the hard way. SNOW IS WATER and as soon as it hits that hot motor guess what, it turns from fun, fluffy, white snow to electric shorting water. Unless your driving the Traxxas Slash make sure your electric equipment is water proof.

2. Gluing yourself to the model. This is one everyone who ever built a model has done. CA glue is very powerful and will quickly glue your thumb to something you probably don’t want to be glued to. So slow down and try holding things with pliers.

1. Research, do your research before you buy any RC car, boat, plane, heli, etc.. I have spent hundreds of dollars on models that i thought would be really cool only to find out they are junk. Ask around, go to forums, visit multiple hobby shops and get opinions. Just because the guy up the street likes his Nexus 30 (helicopter) doesn’t mean its the right one for you. And just because its cheap does not make it the perfect car either. Sometimes you have to spend a little more to get quality.

Thanks for ready.. Hey if you like this site please support my sponsors so i can continue to do this site. Just click a sponsor link. You might find a great place to buy a model.