"Drivers, Start Your Engines."

The driver's fingers tingle as the grip on the radio is tightened, and his heart pumps even faster. The driver has experienced Parking Lot Race in his mind many times, whether cornering the turns in the street outside his house, or in the park, but now is the moment to show that practice makes perfect. The driver looks to his left, and sees a fellow driver, knowing that he is having the same thoughts, knowing that ….BANG! The race has started and the F-1's explode off the line, jockeying to gain position, and……..

  Radio Control Cars 1/10 scale are one of the hottest sports in America, with both kids and adults enjoying the exhilaration of racing Formula 1 cars, or covering the rugged terrain of the backyard with their 4 Wheel Drive Hummer. Whatever your desire, kit or ready to run, on road or off road, gas or electric, there is a Radio Control Vehicle just for you at Remote Control Hobbies. To get started in Radio Control Cars, the first decision you need to make is whether you want a kit, or ready to run vehicle. Both versions have benefits. The benefit of the kit is that there is much to be learned about your car that you will learn during building, and this knowledge will help when making any necessary adjustments or repairs. Building time of a kit can range from 10 hours to 20 hours. Additionally, there are many more choices among the kits. The benefit of a Ready To Run is that you can be on the road in about an hour.

Whether you want to race in the streets, or do it in the dirt, Radio Control Cars offer a great selection. Indy type cars, Hot Rods, 4 Wheel Drive Cars and Trucks, and Buggies, are all available at Remote Control Hobbies. Almost any type of vehicle you have ever seen can be found in Radio Control.

Radio Control Cars and Trucks come in 2 varieties, Gas or Electric. Most newcomers to the hobby start with an electric vehicle because they are quiet and less expensive, and utilize few pit accessories. The electric vehicles are powered by a rechargeable battery pack that will give performance of speeds between 20-30 miles per hour, and give running time of 5-10 minutes. A good battery charger, like the Promax Charger, will recharge a battery pack in 15 minutes, meaning that if you have 2 battery packs, there is minimal down time.

To get started in Radio Control, we offers many special Combo Packs which include all the products you'll need to get started: Car, Radio, Battery Pack, and Promax Charger. Gas cars are powered by internal combustion engines that will give performance of speeds of 35-45 mph. Gas engines tend to require more knowledge, thus are desired more by experienced hobbyists.

Whether you crave action or relaxation, you'll enjoy radio-controlled boating. There's nothing quite as soothing as gliding your scale R/C sailboat across a pond, or for full-throttle excitement, you can race a gas- or electric-powered deep vee or hydro! Many of our model boats already come mostly prebuilt. To start making waves, just add water!

  Boat Design Made Easy

Sailboats:

A sailboat gets its power from the force of the wind. Large sails catch the wind and move the boat in the same manner as a full-size sailboat. R/C sailboats range in size from less than twenty inches in length to fourty inches long with a mast that towers 73.6 inches (over 6 feet) above the water!

Scale Boats:

A scale boat is an actual replica of a full-size boat. The greater the skill of the builder, the more the model can resemble the original, with features like planked decks, chrome or brass deck fittings; even cloth flags and ladders.

Racing Boats:

There are three main types of racing hulls: three-point hydros, tunnel hulls, and V-hulls. The different types of hulls require different water conditions. Tunnel hulls and hydros run best on smooth water where they can "Get on step" and plane properly across the water. Hydros have a surface running propeller which, at full speed, is half in and half out of the water kicking up the characteristic "rooster tail" of water behind the boat. If your lake or pond has some chop to it, consider a deep vee hull. They have a submerged propeller and can slice through waves without much reduction in speed.

Airboats

Oddly enough, an airboat is powered by an airplane engine and prop mounted high above the stern. Hull bottoms are flat (or nearly so); steering power may come from a water rubber, vanes on the fan, or both.

Tunnel Hulls

Tunnel hulls are a variation of the three-point design. However, the sponsons extend the complete length of the hull similar to a catamaran. The effect is that the hull is partially supported by a cushion of air trapped beneath the boat. This helps the boat to move faster by requiring less hull for flotation.

Deep V-Hulls

V-hulls,,like the famous "Cigarette" off-shore racing boats, are mono hull boats and their hull is in the shape of a V - usually 150 degrees or less. They are noted for their ability to slice through rough, choppy water so that the speed of the boat is maintained.

Construction Basics

Wood,fiberglass and plastic are the basic boat construction materials. Wood construction varies from pre-formed panels to actual hull planking which is time-consuming to create, but the results are beautiful and realistic. Fiberglass boats build faster (some come with the hull and deck separate and some prejoined) and often have molded-in scale detail. ARF boats (Almost-Ready-to-Float) are primarily made of durable ABS plastic with prejoined hull and deck and come complete with running hardware, motor and decals. They are a great way for beginners to get launched into R/C boating quickly and affordably.

Pick Your Power

You can power your boat with an electric motor (or motors) and battery packs. Because boats have adequate interior space to accommodate two batteries, running times of 1-2 hours can be achieved with some models. Electric racing boats can go 20-25 mph and run for 4-8 minutes.

Gas power offers superior performance and realism in terms of speed, sound and smoke! An outboard engine is easy to install: just bolt it on, hook it up and it's ready to go. Inboard engines require running hardware, a flywheel and water-cooled cylinder head. Newer inboards are now coming with integrated pull-start units which makes firing them up a snap!

Running Hardware Does Not Have to be Confusing

The running hardware of the boat can be a mystery to the novice. The power produced by the inboard engine is transferred to the propeller by a drive shaft. It exits through a "stuffing box" (a tube filled with grease) which lubricates the shaft and keeps water out of the hull. Some stuffing boxes include needle bearings for better performance.

Some boats use aflexible drive shaft where the propeller and rudder are mounted behind the boat and power is transferred from the engine to the propeller by a flexible cable which exits through the bottom of the boat. This eliminates the use of universal joints beneath the water.

Beneath the hull are additional fittings. A strut, which supports the drive shaft, also provides a solid mounting for the propeller and absorbs the thrust from the propeller, transferring it to the boat. Immediately behind the propeller is the rudder for steering the boat and the water pick-up tube. Water expelled by the propeller is caught by the tube and routed through the engine's water jacket to cool it. The heated water is then expelled overboard.

An easy way to learn to fly is with an Electric Airplane. Today technological advances have made electric flight possible and practical. At the head of this EP (Electric Power) movement is the 400 size motor. This craze of R/C electric flight started with the Mabuchi 380 motor just a few years ago. Since then, motor and battery development have made this class of plane (coined Speed 400 by Graupner in Germany) the most popular portion of EP aircraft.

A good first electric is the new Ready-to-Fly Sky Scooter beginner aircraft package. Requiring only 15 minutes to assemble, the Sky Scooter incorporates a good-looking, super stable airframe made of durable, easily repairable EPP style foam. It’s powered by an electric Speed 400 motor, using a 3-1 gearbox and custom folding prop. The Sky Scooter is very quiet, so it can be flown at most any park or schoolyard. This includes everything needed to fly… Plane, Radio, Motor, Battery, Charger and instruction on how to fly!  

When you're ready to learn to fly, there is a list of flight instructors that can be found on the AMA's web site, www.modelaircraft.org and many AMA Chartered Clubs have instructor programs for newcomers to the hobby/sport of aeromodeling. Be sure to check out their website for an instructor in your area.

The AMA also has an Introductory Pilot Program that caters to newcomers. This program allows a non-AMA member to fly at a club field and be AMA insured for liability coverage provided the new flier is under the supervision of a chartered club designated Introductory Pilot.  

Academy of Model Aviation (AMA) membership may be required before you will be allowed to fly with the club on a regular basis. AMA supplies supplemental insurance coverage that most flying field owners insist upon for field use.

For membership info, telephone AMA at (800) 435-9262, extension 296 or 297, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Eastern) weekdays.

Getting Started in R/C Airplanes

Choosing Your First R/C Airplane

Many first-time plane buyers try to start with an advanced plane. Let's face it, a Mustang P-51D or an Ultimate biplane looks really cool, but your first plane should be intended for a first-time pilot. One excellent trainer that Hobby People offers is the Right Flyer 40T MkII. It is durable, light, easy to repair, and flies slowly.

Stall Speed

Every plane has a lower limit of speed where the wing simply stops flying. This is known as the stall speed.  Trainers have very slow stall speeds. The low stall speed is due to the flat bottom airfoil shape. When a trainer does stall, it recovers quickly and with little control input from the pilot.

Recover Altitude

Many mistakes a beginner makes causes the plane to change altitude (height above ground) before the plane can recover to level flight. A trainer takes very little altitude to recover because they are stable and tend to right themselves. This stability makes the trainer easier to fly and smoothes out mistakes.

Performance

Because trainers are slower than other aircraft the student pilot has more time to think and react. Trainers are also not very aerobatic; they simply will not do some of the more complicated maneuvers. This keeps a student's mistakes from turning into out-of-control disasters.

So, do yourself a favor and postpone that Tequila Sunrise or P-47 Thunderbolt for your second plane. You and your instructor will be glad you did. Recommendation: We recommend the Global Right Flyer 40T MkII or the RCM 40.

Kits You Build & Cover Yourself

When you purchase a kit, you'll get a set of plans for the model, an instruction manual, and all the wood and other materials to build the airframe. Many kit makers today also include hardware package (hinges, pushrods, wheels, etc.). Glue, and covering or paint is not included with the kit. Most beginner and sport aircraft only need simple wood tools to build them because they use balsa wood and plywood construction.

Estimated time to finish: 20 to 50 hours.

Almost-Ready-To-Cover Airplanes

Almost ready to cover (ARC) kits have built airframes that are sanded and ready for final assembly and covering. You can finish an ARC airplane with any type of materials and colors you want, giving it your own style. Just like a kit they will not come with glue or covering.

Estimated time to finish: 8 to 24 hours

Almost-Ready-To-Fly Airplanes

Almost ready to fly (ARF) planes are the most complete form of kit available. The plane will be built, covered, and will come with complete hardware and a detailed instruction manual. Unlike ARFs of yesteryear, ARFs today are built from balsa and plywood, molded plastic and fiberglass, some are even covered with regular iron-on covering like Ultracote. ARF planes are absolutely the quickest way to get into the air.

Estimated time to finish: 4-16 hours.

Trainer Airplanes

This style plane usually has a high mounted wing with a flat bottom which provides more lift and slower speeds. Most trainers have tricycle landing gear with a single wheel in front which provides easy ground handling and more stable take-offs and landings.

Sport Airplanes

Sport is a word found all around the hobby. Usually, products categorized for "sport use" are designed for intermediate pilots that have built a model before and have some flying experience.

Sport planes usually land slowly and will perform most aerobatic maneuvers. Many sport planes have low mounted wings (wings are below the fuselage), and they have semi-symmetrical airfoils (both top and bottom surfaces are curved, but the bottom is less curved than the top).

Scale Airplanes

Scale planes are designed to look like "The Real Thing".  A "sport scale" plane will have some slight modifications to the design to maintain its looks but make it easier to fly and build. True scale planes are directed toward the most experienced builder. Their goal is to make the most accurate scale replica of the original full size plane. Usually, this requires hundreds of hours of building time and master craftsman skills.

Aerobatic Airplanes

Many planes of this type are modeled after full-size aircraft (like the Ultimate Biplane or Extra 300). Most are mid-wing or low-wing, have fully symmetrical wings (the airfoil looks the same top and bottom), and have really big rudders for "point" maneuvers and knife edge flight. A special kind of aerobatic plane is known as the "fun-fly". These planes have a short fuselage, thick, short wings and large control surfaces. Fun fly planes are also very light. This combination makes them very maneuverable, predictable-just a whole lot of  FUN.