Enthusiasm for RC Models has exploded in recent years. There are many new models on the market including some incredible RC helicopters, tanks and even some interesting UFOs.

And its worth noting that RC models shouldn’t really be considered as toys, although there are many models aimed at younger children. The most typica RC model enthusiast these days is likely to be a middle aged man with a keen interest in vehicles and engineering.

To really get the most from an RC model it helps to have a basic understanding of how they work. There are several basic components in every radio control system. These are the transmitter which tends to be held in the hand, the receiver which is contained within the model, the motor which drives a propeller or the wheels of the rc vehicle and the steering system, which may be a rudder if the model is a boat or a airplane.

The transmitter or controller is the handheld device that you hold. It will generally provide a couple of joysticks used to control the speed and steering. This device transmits radio waves over a relatively short range. These are picked up by the antenna attached to the vehicle or craft. These signals are modulated with control information which tells the motor how fast it should run and the wheels or rudder which way they should be pointing.

All of these electrical components need power and this is generally provided using rechargeable batteries. Of course RC aircraft need to be light weight so the batteries will tend to be small and therefore need to be recharged often. RC Cars can sometimes use tiny nitro powered engines, rather than electric motors, but they still need batteries to power the electrical circuits.

Although RC models are very simple there is a lot that can be done to tweak their performance. It is this aspect of the hobby that can make it very engrossing as hobbyists attempt to get the most from their systems by customised engineering.