Radio-controlled model: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Scale model steered using radio control}}

{{More citations needed|date=December 2008}}

[[File:97rcsonn2.jpg|thumb|right|250px|1:10 scale [[radio-controlled car]]<br />([[Saab Sonett|Saab Sonett II]])]]

A '''radio-controlled model''' (or RC model) is a [[Physical model|model]] that is [[steering|steerable]] with the use of [[radio control]]. All types of model [[vehicle]]s have had RC systems installed in them, including [[radio-controlled car|ground vehicle]]s, [[radio-controlled boat|boat]]s, [[radio-controlled airplane|planes]], [[Radio-controlled helicopter|helicopters]] and even [[radio-controlled submarine|submarines]] and scale railway locomotives.

A '''radio-controlled model''' (or '''RC model''') is a [[Physical model|model]] that is [[steering|steerable]] with the use of [[radio control]] (RC). All types of model [[vehicle]]s have had RC systems installed in them, including [[radio-controlled car|ground vehicle]]s, [[radio-controlled boat|boat]]s, [[radio-controlled airplane|planes]], [[Radio-controlled helicopter|helicopters]] and even [[radio-controlled submarine|submarines]] and scale railway locomotives.

== History ==

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| footer = In 1898, Tesla demonstrated a radio-controlled boat ({{US patent|613,809}}&nbsp;—''Method of an Apparatus for Controlling Mechanism of Moving Vehicle or Vehicles'').

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== History ==

Radio control has been around since [[Nikola Tesla]] demonstrated a remote control boat in 1898. [[World War II]] saw increased development in radio control technology. The [[Luftwaffe]] used controllable winged bombs for targeting [[Allies of World War II|Allied]] ships. During the 1930s the Good brothers Bill and Walt pioneered [[vacuum tube]] based control units for R/CRC hobby use. Their "Guff" radio controlled plane is on display at the National Aerospace museum. Ed Lorenze published a design in Model Airplane News that was built by many hobbyists. Later, after WW2, in the late 1940s to mid 1950 many other R/CRC designs emerged and some were sold commercially, Berkeley's Super Aerotrol, was one such example.

Originally simple 'on-off' systems, these evolved to use complex systems of [[relay]]s to control a rubber powered [[Servo (radio control)#Escapements|escapement's]] speed and direction. In another more sophisticated version developed by the Good brothers called TTPW, information was encoded by varying the signal's [[mark/space ratio]] (pulse proportional). Commercial versions of these systems quickly became available. The [[reed receiver|tuned reed]] system brought new sophistication, using metal reeds to resonate with the transmitted signal and operate one of a number of different relays. In the 1960s the availability of [[transistor]]-based equipment led to the rapid development of fully proportional [[servomechanism|servo]]-based [[proportional control|"digital proportional"]] systems, achieved initially with discrete components, again driven largely by amateurs but resulting in commercial products.<!-- such as? ... --> In the 1970s, integrated circuits made the electronics small, light and cheap enough for the 1960s-established multi-channel digital proportional systems to become much more widely available.

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Before radio control, many models would use simple burning fuses or clockwork mechanisms to control flight or sailing times. Sometimes clockwork controllers would also control and vary direction or behaviour. Other methods included tethering to a central point (popular for model cars and hydroplanes), [[Round-the-pole flying|round the pole]] control for electric model aircraft and [[control line]]s (called u-control in the US) for [[internal combustion]] powered aircraft.

The first general use of radio control systems in models started in the late 1940s with single-channel self-built equipment; commercial equipment came soon thereafter. Initially remote control systems used [[escapement (radio control)|escapement]], (often rubber driven) mechanical actuation in the model. Commercial sets often used ground standing transmitters, long whip antennas with separate ground poles and single vacuum tube receivers. The first kits had dual tubes for more selectivity. Such early systems were invariably [[Regenerative circuit#Super-regenerativeSuperregenerative receiver|super regenerative]] circuits, which meant that two controllers used in close proximity would interfere with one another. The requirement for heavy batteries to drive tubes also meant that model boat systems were more successful than model aircraft.

The advent of [[transistor]]s greatly reduced the battery requirements, since the current requirements at low voltage were greatly reduced and the high voltage battery was eliminated. Low cost systems employed a superregenerative transistor receiver sensitive to a specific audio tone modulation, the latter greatly reducing interference from 27&nbsp;MHz [[Citizens' band radio]] communications on nearby frequencies. Use of an output transistor further increased reliability by eliminating the sensitive output [[relay]], a device subject to both motor-induced vibration and stray dust contamination.

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PWM is most commonly used in radio control equipment today, where transmitter controls change the width (duration) of the pulse for that channel between 920 [[microsecond|μs]] and 2120 μs, 1520 μs being the center (neutral) position. The pulse is repeated in a frame of between 10 and 30 [[millisecond]]s in length. Off-the-shelf servos respond directly to [[servo control]] pulse trains of this type using integrated decoder circuits, and in response they actuate a rotating arm or lever on the top of the servo. An [[electric motor]] and reduction [[gear]]box is used to drive the output arm and a variable component such as a resistor "[[potentiometer]]" or tuning capacitor. The variable capacitor or resistor produces an error signal voltage proportional to the output position which is then compared with the position commanded by the input pulse and the motor is driven until a match is obtained. The pulse trains representing the whole set of channels is easily decoded into separate channels at the receiver using very simple circuits such as a [[Counter (digital)|Johnson counter]]. The relative simplicity of this system allows receivers to be small and light, and has been widely used since the early 1970s.

Usually a single-chip [[4017#4017 decade counter|4017 decade counter]] is used inside the receiver to decode the transmitted multiplexed PPM signal to the individual "RC PWM" signals sent to each [[Servomechanism#RC servos|RC servo]].<ref>Achim Walther.

[http://www.voidpointer.de/servoswitch/index_en.html "Servo Switch"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120425123651/http://www.voidpointer.de/servoswitch/index_en.html |date=2012-04-25 }}.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.circuitstoday.com/remote-control-circuit-through-rf-without-microcontroller|title=Remote Control Circuit Through RF Without Microcontroller|date=January 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>

Achim Walther.

[http://www.voidpointer.de/servoswitch/index_en.html "Servo Switch"].

</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.circuitstoday.com/remote-control-circuit-through-rf-without-microcontroller|title=Remote Control Circuit Through RF Without Microcontroller|date=January 3, 2011}}</ref><ref>

[http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/norcimradiocontrol/Radio6.htm "Radio control transmitter encoder circuit, uses bog standard components" ] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120122010641/http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/norcimradiocontrol/Radio6.htm |date=2012-01-22 }}</ref>

Often a Signetics NE544 IC or a functionally equivalent chip is used inside the housing of low-cost [[Servo (radio control)|RC servos]] as the [[motor controller]]—it decodes that servo control pulse train to a position, and drives the motor to that position.<ref>

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{{main article|Radio-controlled aircraft}}

Radio-controlled aircraft (also called RC aircraft) are small [[fixed-wing aircraft|aircraft]] that can be controlled remotely. There are many different types, ranging from small park flyers to large jets and mid-sized aerobatic models.

The aircraft use many different methods of propulsion, ranging from brushed or brushless electric motors, to internal combustion engines, to the most expensive [[gas turbine]]s. The fastest aircraft, dynamic slope soarers, can reach speeds of over {{convert|450|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} by [[dynamic soaring]], repeatedly circling through the gradient of wind speeds over a ridge or slope.<ref>[http://www.hsl.org.au/articles/ds.pdf | ''Dynamic soaring- the challenge'', by Klaus Weiss , retrieved 2011 06 27]{{Dead link|date=July 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Newer jets can achieve above {{convert|300|mi/h|km/h|abbr=on}} in a short distance.

===Tanks===

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1/24 scale. This scale often includes a mounted [[Airsoft]]gun, the possibly the best offering is by Tokyo-Marui, but there are imitations by Heng Long, who offer cheap remakes of the tanks. The downsides to the Heng Long imitations are that they were standardized to their [[Type 90 Kyū-maru|Type 90]] tank which has 6 road wheels, then they produced a Leopard 2 and M1A2 Abrams on the same chassis but both of the tanks have 7 road wheels.

1/16 scale is the more intimidating vehicle design scale. [[Tamiya Corporation|Tamiya]] produce some of the best of this scale, these usually include realistic features like flashing lights, engine sounds, main gun recoil and - on their [[Leopard 2A6]] - an optional gyro-stabilization system for the gun. Chinese manufacturers such as ([[Heng Long]] and [[Matorro]]) also produce a variety of high-quality 1/16 tanks and other AFVs.<ref>[https://rctankstrickydiy.netcom/how-many-channels-needed-for-rc-plane-2/ How RCMany TankChannels AllNeeded Infor OneRc WebsitePlane]</ref>

Both the [[Tamiya Corporation|Tamiya]] and the Heng Long vehicles can make use of an [[Infra Red]] battle system, which attaches a small IR "gun" and target to the tanks, allowing them to engage in direct battle.

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=== Internal combustion ===

[[Internal combustion engine]]s for remote control models have typically been [[two stroke]] engines that run on specially blended fuel. Engine sizes are typically given in cm³³ or cubic inches, ranging from tiny engines like these .02 in³³ to huge 1.60 in³³ or larger. For even larger sizes, many modelers turn to four stroke or gasoline engines (see below.) Glow plug engines have an ignition device that possesses a platinum wire coil in the glow plug, that catalytically glows in the presence of the methanol in glow engine fuel, providing the combustion source.

Since 1976, practical "glow" ignition [[four-stroke cycle|four stroke]] model engines have been available on the market, ranging in size from 3.5&nbsp;cm³³ upwards to 35&nbsp;cm³³ in single cylinder designs. Various twin and multi-cylinder glow ignition four stroke model engines are also available, echoing the appearance of full sized [[radial engine|radial]], inline and opposed cylinder aircraft powerplants. The multi-cylinder models can become enormous, such as the [[Saito (sompany)|Saito]] five cylinder radial. They tend to be quieter in operation than two stroke engines, using smaller mufflers, and also use less fuel.

Glow engines tend to produce large amounts of oily mess due to the oil in the fuel. They are also much louder than electric motors.

Another alternative is the gasoline engine. While glow engines run on special and expensive hobby fuel, gasoline runs on the same fuel that powers cars, lawnmowers, weed whackers etc. These typically run on a two-stroke cycle, but are radically different from glow two-stroke engines. They are typically much, much larger, like the 80&nbsp;cm³³ Zenoah. These engines can develop several horsepower, incredible for something that can be held in the palm of the hand.

=== Electrical ===

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== See also ==

* [[JST connector]]

* [[Anderson Powerpole]] connector

* [[JST connector]]

* [[Drone racing]]

* [[Model yachting]]