Electric vs. Gas Cars

Electric vs. Gas Cars: Electric vehicles are the most popular choice in R/C car racing. They are quick, quiet, easy to build and comfortable for the beginning R/Cer to drive. The electric cars are powered with a rechargeable nicd battery that can be charged in as little as 15-20 minutes. A vehicle with a stock motor will provide about 6-8 minutes of run time; with a couple of batteries and a 15 minute charger, an electric car or truck is ready for hours of use. The popularity of Gas vehicles has increased tremendously over the last few years. The explosive power and acceleration of a gas powered car or truck is exciting to watch. Gas vehicles are powered by a small two-cycle engine burning glow fuel (not gasoline!), and many modelers enjoy the realistic sound and smell that goes along with gas powered racing. Some gas models can reach speeds over 50mph! The wider availability of pull-start engines and the new wave of 1/10 scale vehicles has made it much more affordable for the beginner to enter gas-powered racing.

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Dead Stick

A term used to describe unpowered flight (glide) when the engine quits running.

With the engine quiet and the plane ready for takeoff, Steve coaxes the Highlander into flight. The plane gains speed as it coasts down a steep hill and before long it is airborne. Now gliding through the air, the engine remains off; Steve brings the plane in, landing it just as he took off: completely deadstick. The shear excitement and joy from this maneuver is contagious. Not only do you easily feel Steve’s enthusiasm for the feat he is performing,
but you also feel his love for the air and for his plane. Without the Highlander this would be nearly impossible.  However, due to the unique qualities of the plane, Steve was able to master this act and share his joy with the world.

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Chicken Stick

A hand-held stick used to "flip start" a model airplane engine.

The Hobbico Safe Start "chicken stick" is a safe, easy way to Flip-Start Glow Powered Engines. This stick is held in your hand and with the extended end placed against the propeller on the engine. Then with a quick flip of the wrist to rotate the prop, starting the engine.

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Carburetor

The part of the engine which controls the speed or throttle setting and lean/rich mixture via setting of the needle valve.

Wiki:

A carburetor (American and Canadian spelling), carburator, carburettor, or carburetter (Commonwealth spelling) is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes, but not always, shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom.

Slide Carburetors

A slide carburetor has a throttle valve that slides out the side. This reduces air restriction, for better performance, and requires the servo to move less to open it fully, for better throttle response. They also require a more precise alignment of the carburetor and throttle servo to prevent binding, which can result in dangerous stuck throttle conditions, which can often only be resolved by killing the engine after the vehicle is stopped by a large immobile object like a tree. Slide carbs are used on all big block nitro engines, and on many small block nitro engines. They are fairly prone to sticking because of dirt, and on land vehicles, an air filter is always used.

Rotary Carburetors

Rotary carburetors have a barrel with a hole in it that rotates. This takes more servo movement to completely open, and reduces throttle resopnse. They also have more restriction, which can reduce overall power. Some people feel that these are better for offroad use, because they have more throttle range. They aren't used on big block engines. They are as prone to dirt as a slide carb.

Butterfly Carburetors

Butterfly carburetors are common on gasoline RC engines and small 2 stroke engines designed for other purposes but used on RCs. They have a butterfly, or a thin piece of metal that rotates to open the throttle. They don't stick when they get dirty, but the dirt can still cause engine damage and poor performance. These carburetors are also used in alot of full scale applications, like cars and lawnmowers. They often have a second butterfly as a choke valve, to reduce air flow, temporarily richening the mixture for easier starting. These carburetors have more restriction then other carburetors, but the engines they are used on are larger, and the performance doesn't matter as much.

Nitro Rc Engine Diagram

• Cylinder Head
• Glow Plug
• Pullstart
• Combustion Chamber
• Piston
• Exhaust port
• Carburetor
• Mixture needle
• Idle screw
• Throttle linkage
• Crankcase
• Crankshaft

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BB Crankshaft

BB:These letters usually designate a ball-bearing supported crankshaft in an R/C engine. This makes the engine run smoother and last longer.

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