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{{Short description|Scale model steered using radio control}}
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[[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|car]]s, [[radio-controlled boat|boat]]s, [[radio-controlled airplane|planes]], and even [[Radio-controlled helicopter|helicopters]] 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|
== History ==▼
▲== History ==
Originally simple 'on-off' systems, these evolved to use complex systems of [[relay]]s to control a rubber powered [[Servo (radio control)#Escapements|escapement
In the 1990s miniaturised equipment became widely available, allowing radio control of the smallest models, and by the 2000s radio control was commonplace even for the control of inexpensive toys. At the same time the ingenuity of modellers has been sustained and the achievements of amateur modelers using new technologies has extended to such applications as gas-turbine powered aircraft, [[aerobatic]] helicopters and submarines.
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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#
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 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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In the late 1950s, RC hobbyists had mastered tricks to manage proportional control of the flight control surfaces, for example by rapidly switching on and off reed systems, a technique called "skillful blipping" or more humorously "nervous proportional".<ref>{{Cite web|title = Special Exhibit 11 : First Proportional? Doig's Ulti Multi|url = http://www.radiocontrolhalloffame.org/Exhibits/Exhibit11/index.html|website = www.radiocontrolhalloffame.org|access-date = 2016-01-29}}</ref>
By the early 1960s transistors had replaced the tube and electric motors driving control surfaces were more common. The first low cost "proportional" systems did not use servos, but rather employed a bidirectional motor with a proportional pulse train that consisted of two tones, pulse
[[Crystal oscillator]] [[superheterodyne receiver]]s with better selectivity and stability made control equipment more capable and at lower cost. The constantly diminishing equipment weight was crucial to ever increasing modelling applications. Superheterodyne circuits became more common, enabling several transmitters to operate closely together and enabling further rejection of interference from adjacent Citizen's Band voice radio bands.
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Multi-channel developments were of particular use to aircraft which really needed a minimum of three control dimensions (yaw, pitch and motor speed), as opposed to boats which can be controlled with two or one. Radio control 'channels' were originally outputs from a reed array, in other words, a simple on-off switch. To provide a usable control signal a control surface needs to be moved in two directions, so at least two 'channels' would be needed unless a complex mechanical link could be made to provide two-directional movement from a single switch. Several of these complex links were marketed during the 1960s, including the [[Graupner (company)|Graupner]] ''Kinematic'' Orbit, Bramco, and Kraft simultaneous reed sets.
Doug Spreng is credited with developing the first "digital" pulse
With the electronics revolution<!-- exactly when? -->, single-signal channel circuit design became redundant and instead, radios provided coded signal streams which a [[servomechanism]] could interpret. Each of these streams replaced two of the original 'channels', and, confusingly, the signal streams began to be called 'channels'. So an old on/off 6-channel transmitter which could drive the rudder, elevator and throttle of an aircraft was replaced with a new [[proportional control|proportional]] 3-channel transmitter doing the same job. Controlling all the primary controls of a powered aircraft (rudder, elevator, ailerons and throttle) was known as 'full-house' control. A glider could be 'full-house' with only three channels.
Soon a competitive marketplace emerged, bringing rapid development. By the 1970s the trend for 'full-house' proportional radio control was fully established. Typical radio control systems for radio-controlled models employ [[pulse
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>
[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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Typically the transmitter [[Multiplexer|multiplexes]] and modulates the signal into [[pulse-position modulation]]. The receiver demodulates and demultiplexes the signal and translates it into the special kind of [[pulse-width modulation]] used by standard [[servomechanism#RC servos|RC servos]] and controllers.
In the 1980s, a Japanese electronics company, [[Futaba RC|Futaba]], copied wheeled steering for RC cars. It was originally developed
== Mass production ==
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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===
Radio-controlled tanks are replicas of
▲1/35th scale. Probably the best known make in this scale is by [[Tamiya Corporation|Tamiya]].
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://trickydiy.com/how-many-channels-needed-for-rc-plane-2/ How Many Channels Needed for Rc Plane]</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.▼
▲Both the 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.
As with cars, tanks can come from ready to run to a full assembly kit.
In more private offerings there are 1/6 and 1/4 scale vehicles available. The largest RC tank available anywhere in the world is the [[King tiger]] in 1/4 scale, over {{convert|8|ft}} long. These GRP fiberglass tanks were originally created and produced by Alex Shlakhter
=== Cars ===
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By 1970, nitro (glow ignition) power became the norm for model boating.
In 1982 Tony Castronovo, a hobbyist in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, marketed the first production gasoline string trimmer engine powered (22 cc gasoline ignition engine) radio-controlled model boat in a 44-inch vee-bottom boat. It achieved a top speed of 30 miles per hour. The boat was marketed under the trade name "Enforcer" and sold by his company Warehouse Hobbies, Inc. The following years of marketing and distribution aided the spread of gasoline-powered model boating throughout the
As of 2010, gasoline radio-controlled model boating has grown worldwide. The industry has spawned many manufacturers and thousands of model boaters. Today the average gasoline-powered boat can easily run at speeds over 45 mph, with the more exotic gas boats running at speeds exceeding 90 mph. This year also saw ML Boatworks develop laser cut wood scale hydroplane racing kits that rejuvenated a sector of the hobby that was turning to composite boats, instead of the classic art of building wood models. These kits also gave fast electric modelers a platform much needed in the hobby.
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=== Combat robotics ===
{{main article|Robot combat}}
The majority of robots used in shows such as [[Battlebots]] and
== Power ==
=== 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 cm
Since 1976, practical "glow" ignition [[four-stroke cycle|four stroke]] model engines have been available on the market, ranging in size from 3.5 cm
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 cm
=== Electrical ===
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In aircraft, cars, trucks and boats, glow and gas engines are still used even though electric power has been the most common form of power for a while. The following picture shows a typical brushless motor and speed controller used with radio controlled cars. As you can see, due to the integrated heat sink, the speed controller is almost as large as the motor itself. Due to size and weight limitations, heat sinks are not common in RC aircraft [[electronic speed controller]] (ESCs), therefore the ESC is almost always smaller than the motor.
== Controlling methods ==
Remote Control:
Most RC models make use of a handheld remote device with an antenna that sends signals to the vehicle's IR receiver. There are 2 different sticks. On the left is the stick to change the altitude of a flying vehicle or move a ground vehicle in forward or reverse . Sometimes the stick in flying model controllers can stay wherever the finger places it or it has to be held since underneath is a spring causing it to move back to its neutral position once released by the finger. Generally, in remotes used for ground moving RC vehicles the left stick's neutral position is in the centre. The right stick is for moving the flying vehicle around in the air in different directions and with grounds vehicles it is for steering. On the controller is also a trimmer setting which helps in keeping the vehicle focused in one direction. Mostly low grade RC vehicles will include a charging cable inside the remote with a green light indicating that the battery is in charge.
Phone and tablet control:
With the influence of touch screen devices mostly phones and tablets many RC vehicles can be controlled from any Apple or Android devices. On the operating system store is an app specifically for that particular RC model. The controls are almost identical to those on a physically used remote control when using virtual remote control but sometimes can vary from an actual controller depending on the type of vehicle. The device is not included with the vehicle set but the box does come with a radio chip to insert into the headset slot of any [[smartphone]] or [[Tablet computer|tablet]].
[[File:dc motor and controller.jpg]]
== See also ==
* [[JST connector]]▼
* [[Anderson Powerpole]] connector
▲* [[JST connector]]
* [[Drone racing]]
* [[Model yachting]]
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{{Commons category|Remote-controlled models}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Radio-controlled models}}
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