Radio Control Cars Racing Worldwide

The first radio control cars available for purchase were powered by petrol utilising small internal combustion engines to power the vehicle.  This has many issues as obviously this was not very safe for young children and the reliability was extremely low with many models breaking easily and replacement parts expensive and complicated. The first production of the electrically powered models in the mid 1970s gave rise to a revolutionary toy concept. This was much safer, replaceable energy and proved to be much easier to run and maintain.

The popularity of these toys has increased continuously year after year and still shows no sign of slowing. Modern day RC models run on electricity, petrol or nitro-fuel and are controlled remotely by hand-held radio transmitters operating at a specific frequency tuned into the vehicles receivers. Originally these hand-held controlling transmitters only gave the owner the options of making the radio control cars move forward or backwards however with the development of micro engineering technology almost all models now incorporate the full manoeuvrability of any standard sized vehicle.

Enthusiasts now incorporate nitro-fuel in their modified ‘hobby-grade’ models making their custom builds much faster and more importantly to some, much louder. The main proportion of models sold as gifts for children are the cheaper ‘toy-grade’ models almost all of which are electrically powered. The higher end prices are around $100-$150 and are incredibly easy to set up and operate. They also are much safer than fuel powered models. Typically these models include small ‘display’ features that custom, ‘hobby-grade’ models lack such as working headlights, doors and realistic interior upholstery. These electrically powered models regularly are made to mimic real car designs and are becoming increasingly popular as collectables. The cheaper end of this productive bracket can be as low as $10. However, this does come with a significant degree of disadvantages. Many cheaper models have non replaceable rigid chassis components and the electronic circuit components are often solidly integrated into the cars exterior design. This makes accessibility very difficult and replacement of broken or faulty parts near impossible. The control of the vehicle is often compromised also with there being no proportional throttle option and only a three basic position steering positions. This means you have a choice of stopping or full speed acceleration and a lack of gentle steering left or right.

The higher priced models give the owner much more accessibility and customization options. Typically the electronics used for power generation and dispersion are much more efficient and also easily accessed in the event of needed to replace a faulty part. There is an increased proportion of speed control with a network of internal resistors or solid state components. This varies the electronic output of the motor in the radio control cars and coupled with front and rear differentials, dramatically improves the manoeuvrability of the vehicle.

The website above offers a wide range of radio control cars all of which are electrically powered. You will find the lower price range perfect as a gift for a young child wanting to have the experience of controlling their own vehicle. The higher price ranges however are better suited for older individuals and are more than likely a gateway into an extremely popular hobby. A vehicle priced around $150 could be the perfect gift for a young teenager or a childish father.