RELATED SEARCHES
Sponsored RC Hobby Stores Results:
RC Hobby Stores: Boats, Cars, Airplanes And Hobby Shops
By:
Published: January 19, 2007
It is one of the great American pastimes, and for good reason; who can resist the smell of the oil, the whine of the competing motors and the smell of fresh model paint?
Since the late 1960s, when a company in Leicester, England, began to manufacture the first small-scale radio-controlled cars, an ever-increasing number of people worldwide have flocked to this consuming, fast-paced hobby.
Before the 1960s, people could buy fuel-powered model cars as toys at hobby shops, but they were not quite the same as today's models. Since there was no mechanism to control them, they had to be run by a tether around a pole. It was only with the invention of solid state radio control that on-board servomechanisms—devices making remote mechanical control possible—could transform AM radio signals into torque, throttle and brake commands.
For many, an interest in radio-controlled vehicles, also known RC vehicles, begins with a Christmas or birthday gift from Radio Shack or locally-owned RC hobby stores. There, toy-grade RC cars and trucks by manufacturers, such as TYCO, can be purchased ready-to-use and taken directly out of the box for immediate fun—as long as the batteries are charged and the parts do not wear out.
For those who find themselves looking for a bit more challenge, toy-grade RC vehicles eventually are left behind for more complex, yet more rewarding hobby-grade vehicles, which they have to purchase at dedicated hobby shops or online at RC hobby sites.
Once an RC enthusiast has made the leap from toy-grade vehicles to hobby-grade, the action gets really interesting; with a hobby-grade vehicle, enthusiasts can compete at officially-sanctioned races, choose between electric-powered vehicles or vehicles that run on a mixture of nitromethane, methanol and oil called nitro, and spend countless contended hours modifying and upgrading the RC vehicle.
People who become involved with radio-controlled vehicles as a true hobby spend at least as much time modifying, repairing and maintaining vehicles as they spend racing or driving them. This is particularly true of nitro- or gas-powered cars, buggies and trucks, because the motors need to be serviced often to stay in optimal condition and the bodies need to be cleaned of exhaust particulates after every outing. Because toy RC vehicles are not easily serviced, they usually have to be replaced entirely once they break down, while hobby-grade vehicles from RC hobby stores can be taken apart and repaired by anybody with the tools that usually come with the kits.
For those who may not feel like driving RC cars, there are plenty of other options available. They can drive RC boats, which range from scale-model Navy vessels to German U-boats that actually dive, or fly complex RC airplanes that include functional helicopters and jet-powered airplanes that can travel at 200 miles per hour.
As with RC cars and trucks, constant maintenance, customization and repair are par for the course with RC boats and airplanes. For many, this is one of the most satisfying aspects of the hobby. Like RC car and truck enthusiasts, RC aircraft and boating hobbyists organize meet-ups and races across the U.S. and the world. Want to race your boat? Head down to the Spring Opener in Crosby, Texas in March. Feel like showing off your scale airplane's aerobatics? Pack up your plane and head to the Academy of Model Aeronautics' annual National Championships in Muncie, Ind. There are even meet-ups for owners of scale-model RC tanks, complete with real combat using paintball weapons and reenactments of historical battles.
Despite the growing options for meeting and showing off for fellow RC boat and aircraft hobbyists, much of the real action still is reserved for the car, truck and buggy arena—the original and more widespread face of the RC hobby.
ROAR, the sanctioning body for RC racing in North America, judges meets and tournaments across the country. To enter an event, contestants simply need a hobby-grade RC car, enough AA batteries for the controller and the entry fee. Many of the winners are full-time hobbyists, with the dedicated resources for winning consistently.
Sources:
Academy of Model Aeronautics. June 2006. 25 December 2006.
Hobby-Lobby International. December 2006. 26 December 2006.
Radio-Controlled Aircraft. Wikipedia. 17 December 2006. 25 December 2006.
Radio-Controlled Car. Wikipedia. 22 December 2006. 24 December 2006.
RC Boating. December 2006. 25 December 2006.
RC Tank Combat. 29. October 2006. 25 December 2006.
ROAR Racing. 20 December 2006. 26 December 2006.
Servomechanisms. Wikipedia. 9 December 2006. 24 December 2006.
Since the late 1960s, when a company in Leicester, England, began to manufacture the first small-scale radio-controlled cars, an ever-increasing number of people worldwide have flocked to this consuming, fast-paced hobby.
Before the 1960s, people could buy fuel-powered model cars as toys at hobby shops, but they were not quite the same as today's models. Since there was no mechanism to control them, they had to be run by a tether around a pole. It was only with the invention of solid state radio control that on-board servomechanisms—devices making remote mechanical control possible—could transform AM radio signals into torque, throttle and brake commands.
For many, an interest in radio-controlled vehicles, also known RC vehicles, begins with a Christmas or birthday gift from Radio Shack or locally-owned RC hobby stores. There, toy-grade RC cars and trucks by manufacturers, such as TYCO, can be purchased ready-to-use and taken directly out of the box for immediate fun—as long as the batteries are charged and the parts do not wear out.
For those who find themselves looking for a bit more challenge, toy-grade RC vehicles eventually are left behind for more complex, yet more rewarding hobby-grade vehicles, which they have to purchase at dedicated hobby shops or online at RC hobby sites.
Once an RC enthusiast has made the leap from toy-grade vehicles to hobby-grade, the action gets really interesting; with a hobby-grade vehicle, enthusiasts can compete at officially-sanctioned races, choose between electric-powered vehicles or vehicles that run on a mixture of nitromethane, methanol and oil called nitro, and spend countless contended hours modifying and upgrading the RC vehicle.
People who become involved with radio-controlled vehicles as a true hobby spend at least as much time modifying, repairing and maintaining vehicles as they spend racing or driving them. This is particularly true of nitro- or gas-powered cars, buggies and trucks, because the motors need to be serviced often to stay in optimal condition and the bodies need to be cleaned of exhaust particulates after every outing. Because toy RC vehicles are not easily serviced, they usually have to be replaced entirely once they break down, while hobby-grade vehicles from RC hobby stores can be taken apart and repaired by anybody with the tools that usually come with the kits.
For those who may not feel like driving RC cars, there are plenty of other options available. They can drive RC boats, which range from scale-model Navy vessels to German U-boats that actually dive, or fly complex RC airplanes that include functional helicopters and jet-powered airplanes that can travel at 200 miles per hour.
As with RC cars and trucks, constant maintenance, customization and repair are par for the course with RC boats and airplanes. For many, this is one of the most satisfying aspects of the hobby. Like RC car and truck enthusiasts, RC aircraft and boating hobbyists organize meet-ups and races across the U.S. and the world. Want to race your boat? Head down to the Spring Opener in Crosby, Texas in March. Feel like showing off your scale airplane's aerobatics? Pack up your plane and head to the Academy of Model Aeronautics' annual National Championships in Muncie, Ind. There are even meet-ups for owners of scale-model RC tanks, complete with real combat using paintball weapons and reenactments of historical battles.
Despite the growing options for meeting and showing off for fellow RC boat and aircraft hobbyists, much of the real action still is reserved for the car, truck and buggy arena—the original and more widespread face of the RC hobby.
ROAR, the sanctioning body for RC racing in North America, judges meets and tournaments across the country. To enter an event, contestants simply need a hobby-grade RC car, enough AA batteries for the controller and the entry fee. Many of the winners are full-time hobbyists, with the dedicated resources for winning consistently.
Sources:
Academy of Model Aeronautics. June 2006. 25 December 2006.
Hobby-Lobby International. December 2006. 26 December 2006.
Radio-Controlled Aircraft. Wikipedia. 17 December 2006. 25 December 2006.
Radio-Controlled Car. Wikipedia. 22 December 2006. 24 December 2006.
RC Boating. December 2006. 25 December 2006.
RC Tank Combat. 29. October 2006. 25 December 2006.
ROAR Racing. 20 December 2006. 26 December 2006.
Servomechanisms. Wikipedia. 9 December 2006. 24 December 2006.
Featured RC Hobby Stores Products:
