Hobby quality R/C
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Hobby-grade/quality R/C are radio controlled products on a higher quality grade than toy-grade R/C. There are three types of hobby quality R/C products. Nitro-powered, electric-powered, and gas-powered.
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[edit] Advantages
Normally, on toy-quality R/C, the products will not be customizable [except for XMODS and some other models]. You can't change their motors, suspension systems, transmissions, or body kits. Now, on hobby-quality vehicles, you can change their engines/motors [depending on gas-powered or electric-powered], suspension kits, transmissions, body kits, lights [headlights, underbody lights, ad tailights], gear ratios, carburetors, and so much more. They are a bit [A LOT sometimes] expensive. They are as durable [even more] as toy-grade products depending on the abuse or care the owner puts them under. Another advantage would be speed and battery life. Due to extremely high RPMs, high-quality R/C will be able to reach speeds that toy-quality R/C would never be able to match or exceed. The handling and performance of high-quality radio controlled vehicles is sophisticated and technological. HPI Racing has made a new innovation called the D-Box for drifting. When the car starts oversteering at a specific angle and direction, the D-Box will professionally correct or complete the handling of your drift by aligning the wheels. Once it has completed the drift, it will calculate the angle and see if the car is starting to go straight. Oncce it has, you will be able to control the vehicle, again. The D-Box was just made to enhance the handling and performance of your drifts. Battery life would triple [even octaple!]. If you were to charge a regular battery pack in toy-grade R/C, that battery will only remain charged for 2 to 50 mins. Now, the battery life in a high-quality vehicle will remain charged for 50 mins to a full week. This is done, because high-quality R/C batteries contain more cells and different conductive materials. Most batteries in high-quality R/C are usually NiMH or LiPo packs.
[edit] Disadvantages
Some of the disadvantages you'll immediately see in this hobby is repairing the vehicle when damaged. Damages can be repaired with prices ranging from $10 to $500 to whatever the vehicle cost you< < <[Depending on damage]! During collisions, the suspension in a hobby-quality radio controlled car is the most common thing that gets damaged. In collisions involving the front side of the vehicle, what's in front of the vehicle will be damaged. The rear will be just fine. Collisions involving someone's other vehicle ramming the back will damage what's in the back of your vehicle and the front of the other person's vehicle. [Example of Newton's Third Law of Motion]
[edit] List of customizable parts
1. Carburetors
2. Engines
3. Tires
4. Motors
5. Batteries
6. Radio, transmitter, and receiver
7. Fuel tanks
8. Suspension kits
10. Manifolds
11. Body kits
12. Colors, decals, and designs
13. Superchargers
14. Nitrous kits
15. Chassis, engine mounts
16. Spur gears, gear ratios, and clutch bells
17. Lights [Such as neon lights, underbody lights, taillights, headlights, and "wheel lights" or TireFlys.]
18. Axles, drivetrains, and differentials.
19. Speed controls or ESCs
[edit] Nitromethane-powered
Since nitromethane is so dangerous, it'll only burn when compressed. This is done when the fuel tank's cap is closed. A rubber o-ring will close it and leave it with no gaps or leaks. Once the engine is turned on, the engine will pass the fuel through tiny fuel lines. There are two fuel lines. One leads to the carburetor for the cylinder to ignite the fuel and air mixture. The other goes to the exhaust. Since the engine is a downscaled model of a real engine, it'll burn faster and more "aggresively." The nitromethane can propel a nitro R/C's engine to a redline ranging from 10,000 RPMs to 100,000 RPMs! Most of these vehicles will reach 100 MPH in just about 2-4 seconds [the high RPM ones that is].
[edit] Electric-powered
Electric-powered vehicles have an even bigger advantage over nitromethane and gas-powered vehicles. They can reach their peak performance quickly. It takes a nitro-powered engine some time to reach its peak RPM, while an electric-powered motor just takes about 1-2 seconds. Nitro engines reach their peak horsepower in the 30,000 range, so it takes a little while longer for them to get up to speed. Electric motors reach their peak horsepower the second you apply power to them. Electric motors can spin at a much higher RPM than nitro engines, so that's another advantage. In the RC Car Action [1] issue of February 2008 in the "Backfire" section, there are two pictures of one electric model and one nitro model. Nica Case's [owner of the electric model] electrified Schumacher Fusion made 127.2 mph! Tony Lovering's [owner of the nitro model] triple engine Kyosho Evolva reached 88 mph. Traxxas has made a brushless motor capable of reaching 70+ mph called Velineon or VXL. It is currently standard in the Rustler VXL, Stampede VXL, and the Bandit VXL models. The system can reach high speeds with the help of high current connectors, neodymium magnets, high-frequency transistors, and advanced circuit designs. Top speeds for some stock electric models are around 40 mph. Faster speeds are available through upgrades and components, such as brushless motors and LiPo Batteries
[edit] Gas-powered
Gas-powered models are usually 1/5 scaled. They are huge! The engines in them are almost the same ones used in weed wackers and some leaf blowers. Some models using gas-powered engies include HPI's Baja 5B. The Baja 5B, which is in fact a buggy, reaches its peak performance the same way as the nitro-powered models do... well, they take a little while longer. Their RPM redline is lower. Gas-powered models require 2-cycle oils or 2-stroke oil the same way as the motocross motorcycles and dirt bikes do.
[edit] Resources
1. RC Car Action [2]
2. HPI
3. Yahoo Answers [3]
4. How Stuff Works [4]
[edit] See also
[edit] External Links
1. RC Car Action [5]
2. HPI [6]
3. Kyosho [7]
