GAS POWERED RC CARS

Gas powered, or Nitro rc cars, can give us a lot of realism and speed. They are often recommended for experienced rc car hobbyists, those who want to experience something different from electric rc cars. The most popular gas powered cars today tend to be the cheap, yet fast, nitro touring cars, and the big or "monster" nitro RC trucks!

The first thing to buy, of course, is the gas powered car itself. There is a good range available for sale nowadays, so it can be difficult to choose in that sense. But that's all part of the nitro rc car fun.

Gas powered touring cars have a 4 wheel independent suspension, 4 wheel drive, with 2-speed transmissions capable of propelling the car to speeds over 50 mph. These gas powered cars use 2-stroke engines. For 1/8 scale cars, .21 size engines are used, while for 1/10 scale models, .12 size engines are the most common engines. The engines for gas powered rc cars come with either a pull-start (PS), or a non-pull start. PS engines have a built-in recoil starter, which pulls the wire, or rope, to turn the crankshaft. For non-pull start engines, you will need to have a starter. The end of the starter is a rubber wheel, which is "bumped" against the flywheel of the engine to turn the crankshaft. There is no need for a starter on a PS engine, as this may damage the PS mechanism.

For gas powered cars, the nitro fuels are blended especially for rc gas cars. The fuel recommended in the rc car's guide book is the one to buy, so be sure to check first. It is also advisable to use a consistent fuel type for a car, as this will help the engine to give an optimum performance. if you change fuel types, it may disturb the car's engine performance. 

The fuel for gas powered cars is also classified according to nitro content. The higher the nitro content, the higher the power. A fuel with only 10% nitro is good enough to win races, and is cheaper than fuel with 15 - 20% nitro. The nitro engines use a glow plug (similar to a spark plug of a "real" car engine). To start the engine, this glow plug must be heated. A device called a glow driver or igniter, which is powered by a 1.5v battery, is used to heat the glow plug.

The gas poweredcar is controlled by an electronic radio control unit, which controls the speed and direction of the car. A basic radio controller consists of transmitter, receiver, servos, and a battery holder for the receiver, on/off switch, servo horns and batteries.

For first-time rc owners, the most popular choice in rc cars are still the electric powered cars, but interest in gas powered vehicles has grown a great deal over recent years. Big advances in glow engine technology have simplified tuning and maintenance of the gas powered cars, enabling many more rc owners to enjoy the realistic sound, plus the smell, that goes with the gas power's acceleration and speed. Finally, buying a fail safe unit is a cheap add on that can save your gas powered car from damage.