NationStates Jolt Archive

How many people here are into the Radio Control hobby? Cars/trucks, boats, or planes, it doesn't matter. Which is your favorite? How often do you get to enjoy your hobby? Do you race, or is your hobby for fun?

I currently own a few R/C cars and trucks. Most are electric (pan cars, touring cars, an electric RS4 MT), although I have a T-Maxx I'm working on (with a .21 engine in it), and an HPI Super Nitro RS4. I haven't had a chance to run one of my cars in a few years as money's been tight, but I recently dug out my RS4 MT and did some work. It should be ready to run here in a week or 2, and then I'll be ready the next time I visit my older sister's house (my nephew got a decent R/C truck last Christmas, so he's been wanting me to bring mine over so we can race). I used to race every week (which I miss), but for now bashing around the yard having fun will be my only chance to enjoy the hobby (there's a track local to me, but due to winter, I believe it's closed).

My little brother raced 'em. He let me use it once, once. He was stressed about me breaking it and I was all, "Dude, it's a remote control car, how much damage could I do?" So I approached a bank too quickly, flew off it into a wall and broke a tie rod piece. My brother went from pit to pit looking for a replacement and every time someone said, "I didn't know those broke," he'd glare at me.

He had a road racer too. Never got to drive that.

I started with a Tamiya Super Hornet for one Christmas. My dad then went out and bought a Losi XXX to race* me with. After frying my first ESC (and nearly toarching the Hornet) roaring through snow banks I waterproofed the car, studded the tires and turned it into an ice racer to whip around the hockey rink.

I haven't done much since I got those two cars. When I was younger I didn't have much money to hop them up. Then work cropped up and I then just didn't have the time. When I was stuck, sitting around in my neck brace this fall I hauled them out again for a bit. Been wanting a Kyosho Mad Force since they first came out though. Those big axles had me from day one. May have to go check out eBay...

*Kick my ass.

You gotta love that Popemobile

How many people here are into the Radio Control hobby? Cars/trucks, boats, or planes, it doesn't matter. Which is your favorite? How often do you get to enjoy your hobby? Do you race, or is your hobby for fun?
Hmm, not really. I used to be when I was young, built RC stuff, participated in competitions involving it, with success.

Note the "built" part: no stock crap. Only what I've personally, with the help of our elders, designed, painted, assembled, and soldered together. Every single thing I've ever competed with (and even won small-time four times, not a big achievement to win among a dozen people though) was 100% custom part batteries. Of course, except for the two spirit-powered ones, they didn't have any batteries, only custom-built, personally drilled ICE (not by me though, still custom). Then ran out of time for this.


Right now though I'm more into the full scale.

I used to play around with a helicopter. I still have it, it just doesn't work and I never got around to fixing it. A buddy of mine had something similar and one day he lost it when he flew it too far, I think some thief found it and took it. Not me, I was always too careful.

When someone invents a radio-controlled mobile pie catapult, I'm there. :)

When someone invents a radio-controlled mobile pie catapult, I'm there. :)

I'm sure you could do something with this (http://paintballsentry.com/).

My little brother raced 'em. He let me use it once, once. He was stressed about me breaking it and I was all, "Dude, it's a remote control car, how much damage could I do?" So I approached a bank too quickly, flew off it into a wall and broke a tie rod piece. My brother went from pit to pit looking for a replacement and every time someone said, "I didn't know those broke," he'd glare at me.

He had a road racer too. Never got to drive that.

The first time I raced indoor carpet oval, I hit one of the metal corner dots (an old, heavy plow disk, painted yellow), flew into the air, and snapped my new $35 graphite axle (I bought it because it was a lot lighter than the stock steel axle) when my car hit the wall. Since I'd neglected to bring the stock axle with me, I would have had to pack up for the day, until one of the more experienced racers GAVE me a used, but still good fiberglass axle. It wasn't as light or stiff as the graphite axle, but it was more forgiving on the numerous times I hit the wall afterwards.

I started with a Tamiya Super Hornet for one Christmas. My dad then went out and bought a Losi XXX to race* me with....

*Kick my ass.

Lol. My dad never had the time to do that (my parents heat their house only with firewood, so procuring the necessary firewood takes up a lot of his free time), but if he would've been able to, he would have done the same thing.

I used to play around with a helicopter. I still have it, it just doesn't work and I never got around to fixing it. A buddy of mine had something similar and one day he lost it when he flew it too far, I think some thief found it and took it. Not me, I was always too careful.

I heard those are a pain in the ass to learn how to fly. Are they?

I heard those are a pain in the ass to learn how to fly. Are they?

Not really, not the one I have. I guess they are if you try to do fancy stuff, which I guess is when people who don't know what they're doing lose them. I was always too conservative in flying it.

http://site.bananahobby.com/retail/largepics/1288/1.jpg

That thing has "you'll put your eye out" written all over it.