Enthusiasm for RC Models has exploded in recent years. Many new models have appeared on the market including some fantastic 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. Every radio control system has the same basic components. 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 tends to be a handheld device. It usually provides one or two joysticks which are used for control of the speed and the steering. This device transmits radio waves over a relatively short range. An antenna mounted on the vehicle or craft picks up the radio signals. The radio signals are modulated with control information that is decoded by the receiver and used to tell the motor how fast it should be running and the steering mechanism (rudder or wheels) which way the vehicle should be going.

Of course all of these electrical components need power which is usually 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 use either electric motors or tiny nitro powered engines, but they will still need batteries to power the electrical devices.

Although RC models are clearly very simple there is much that can be done to enhance their performance. This is the aspect of the hobby that many enjoy, modifiying and customising their RC models to ge the best performance from them.