Are you a aircraft owning millionaire ? If so, congratulations, but this article is probably not for you.

We, mere mortals, get our kicks from flying radio controlled aeroplanes and in particular scale models.

My own passion and that of many others is for models of fighter aircraft of the last one hundred years or so. We associate these with the great aviators that flew them, from world war one aces like Manfred Von Richofen, the top allied pilot of world war two Marmaduke Pattle (yes that really was his name) to the extraordinary German Erich Hartman who destroyed no less than three hundred and fifty two of his foes.

Many modellers build static models going to huge lengths to get every detail right. Using acrylic and enamel paints applied with brushes or airbrushes they replicate even oil marks, exhaust stains and chips on wings and propellers. They are sometimes finished in matt gloss to protect all the artwork then dulled down, by various means, to look more realistic.

I am a great admirer of this type of modelling and have spent many hours inspecting their work in museums and special exhibitions, however one thing is always in the back of my mind - they do not fly.

They were meant to fly, whether they are models or the real thing. A scale model aircraft needs to be up there twisting and turning under the direction of it's owner. They should look as much like the real thing as possible not only on the ground but should fly just like it too !

Radio controlled airplanes can be made so accurately that when they take to the air they will have the same flying characteristics as the real thing. I have even seen a WW1 model, with wire wing braces that were so accurate, that the wind made the same noise blowing through them as the full size version.

By launching your baby into the elements a crash landing, no matter how good an RC flyer you are, is always possible. The display model has only a bit of over enthusiastic dusting or perhaps the cat to worry about but they will never experience the thrill of flying.

Electric RC planes have brought a whole new dimension to our favorite hobby. By using the latest brushless motors and lightweight, yet powerful, batteries we can enjoy RC planes that can be propeller or jet driven. Does this mean they are slow flyers ? Far from it, there are prop driven scale models doing 30 to 40 m.p.h. and jets achieving speeds of 90 m.p.h. or more!

No fuel to spill and ruin the planes paintwork or catch fire. Less noise to upset the neighbors and yet a full 10 to 15 minutes in the air on a single charge. Scale electric radio controlled aircraft, are huge fun and can do anything their liquid fuel cousins can but with less fuss.

O.K. so perhaps we will never take the controls of a Fokker Triplane or a Spitfire but we can fly our own radio controlled electric powered scale model fighter and watch it flash past us doing a victory barrel roll.

Author: Robert Oak is a radio controlled aeroplanes fanatic. He suggests that you watch the amazing videos of beginners planes, WW2 scale models and even 90 mph ducted fan jet powered radio controlled airplanes.

 
 

As well as parents buying remote control race cars for their children, there are plenty of adults out there who are looking to build their own. However, there is a major difference between the remote control race cars that a parent can buy their child and those which can be built from scratch.

Below we look at a few of the things that will be needed if you are intending to spend time constructing your own remote control race cars.

Firstly it is important that you decide the kind of engine you want in your remote control race car to power it. Most of the cars available for kids are powered by some batteries. However, when building your own remote control race cars you can either go for an engine where power is provided by packs of batteries or go for those that are working replicas of the ones found in the real car and are powered either by nitro-methane or gasoline.

There are pros and cons associated with both having a remote control race car powered either by gasoline or nitro-methane. Certainly nitro-methane is best for those cars where you want them to cover a straight line distance as quickly as possible. But for those race cars which are going to be competing against others around a circuit with bends and curves then a gasoline powered engine is better. The problem with nitro-methane is that the fuel weighs more so controlling the vehicle as is goes around a bend or curve becomes more difficult.

As nitro-methane places quite considerable amounts of stress on the engines of remote control race cars these ones generally won't last for long periods of time, especially if they are run on them continuously. To reduce the levels of wear and tear on such engines use a back up engine powered on batteries to move the car around during races and then convert over to the nitro-methane one when being raced.

Also you need to be aware that for remote control race cars you build the parts are generally far more expensive, but they also tend to be of a higher quality as well. Because more stress is placed on the car as it races at high speeds the axles and wheels tend to be very strongly constructed. Although you need firm wheels for your remote control race car they should also be as light as possible, which will prevent too much drag being placed on the car. Such components you should be able to source through your local hobby store or online.

If you are not sure you have the skills to build your own remote control race car from scratch there are kits you can use instead. These again can be purchased either online or through a local hobby store and will contain everything you need to build such a car. Also you don't need to use all the parts provided in the kit if you want you can purchase more expensive and higher quality pieces to replace them so allowing you to customize the car.

The only disadvantage to building remote control race cars using kits is that the speeds won't be similar to those that come from building your own. However using such kits for building remote control race cars helps you to avoid making mistakes and which in the long term could cost you time and money.

About the Author: Don't even think about buying an RC car until you read this very informative guide to RC cars for beginners. See how easy you can start racing with RC Cars by visiting www.rcarsforbeginners.com.