CHASSIS

The base-frame of the car is referred to as the chassis. Analogous to the outlines of the drawing the chassis is the primary design around which the structure of the car rests. The design of the body is among the most important parts of the whole arrangement. Although, the material to be used for the body is very important in terms of the physical properties it offers, it is essential for the car to be robust but at the same time light . OUR ADVICE 1. Use either carbon graphite or aluminum. 2. Try to make the chassis as compact as possible , however do not compromise on the strength. Remember a design is a creation of the mind ,and different minds work differentlyso it is really up to you to choose a suitable chassis design taking into account the various stresses that may act on different points.

I C engine
IC Engines used in R/C car have evolved over the years into a very robust and reliable little power unit, and modern nitro (also called 'glow plug') engines (Ones required for PowerDrift) are much more reliable and powerful than they ever were. The engines can have different features such as rear or side mounted exhaust, barrel or sliding carburetor, pull start or non-pull start and can be modified by replacing certain parts to increase performance. Shown are the basic parts of a Nitro Engine

Glow Plugs
A glow plug (alternatively spelled glowplug or glow-plug) is a device, similar to a spark plug, used to help ignite the fuel in the very small internal combustion engines typically used in model aircraft, model cars and similar applications. Glow plug and its position

Carburetor
Model airplane engines have a very simple carburetor. It's usually located on the front of the engine body, although newer engines have the carb at the rear for safer adjusting. The carb consists of a venturi where the fuel and air mix, idle screw to adjust the idle speed of the engine, mixture screw, or 'needle valve', to allow fine tuning of the fuel/air mixture and hence the high-end RPM and a rotating barrel.

How to start your Engine.

Pull Start

Similar to the pull start mechanism on a generator seen in various shops, a pull cord is directly attached to the engine and one pulls the T-handle attached to the starter cord assembly to spin the flywheel and thereby start the engine. Also termed as recoil starter, the pull start mechanism causes the engine to sit slightly higher, affecting the center of gravity -- a possible concern in RC racing.
2. Bump Start

In cases where a pull start system is not used the chassis of the RC has an opening that provides access to the flywheel. The RC is placed on top of a starter box that has an electric-powered spinning rubber disk sticking out of it that makes contact with the vehicle's flywheel and rotates it to start the engine. This is referred to as a bump start system (alternatively known as STARTER BOX) because the flywheel is bumped against the disk in the starter box to get the engine started.

NOTE Although there may be a slight weight advantage (lighter) for a non-pull start engine( because it doesn't have the extra weight of the pull start mechanism) but with the non-pull start engine you'll need to carry around the starter box and have access to a power source for the box.
3. Electric Start

Shaft starter: In place of the pull start mechanism, a shaft starter electric start RC has a special gearbox into which a shaft on the end of a small handheld electric motor (much like a cordless drill or rotary tool) is inserted. With the push of a button it spins the engine to get it started. Some nitro RCs come equipped with an electric start system while other RC models can be retrofitted with one. On-board starter: An on-board style of electric starter places the small motor for the electric start system on the RC then uses a battery-powered handheld tool to power it and to automatically ignite the glow plug at the same time. Remember, certain nitro models with an electric start system may also be configured to work with a starter box to provide an alternate starting method. When using the alternate bump start, the automatic glow plug igniter (if equipped) can't be used so you'll also need glow starter.

SUSPENSION

To put it in simple terms, Suspension is a system that prevents shocks from being transmitted to the main body of the vehicle. This is important for "soaking up" bumps in rough terrain and getting the right amount of body lean & weight transfer while negotiating turns. The main component of the suspension in a RC car is usually a plastic or metal piece mounted low and called the "A-arm"(so called as it resembles the letterA). This connects to the chassis and to a smaller part (hub carrier or caster block) that ultimately holds the wheel. The A-arm is hinged at either end to allow up & down movement. Above the lower A-arm is either another (upper) A-arm or a thinner, simpler "camber link." This is roughly parallel to the lower A-arm and ensures the wheel stands straight up.

The next major component of suspension would be the shock-abs [absorbers]. The shocks used in toy RCs more often than not use coil springs mounted over "friction shocks." The term "friction shock" is, in nearly all cases, a marketing-inspired misnomer -- these "shocks" really only act as telescoping spring mounts. Springs hold a vehicle up and also prevent it from leaning over too far in high-speed turns.

Shock-abs exist to absorb bumps, jump landings, and other sudden forces. True shocks have a piston attached to a metal shaft which protrudes from a sealed cylinder filled with silicone oil. The oil resists the movement of the piston, absorbing some of the force. Different pistons and different thicknesses of oil are available to tune the firmness of the shocks. Depending upon the vehicle, whether it is a 2 or a 4 wheel drive, and which end you're looking at, you'll find two or three small parts at the end of the A-arm just before the wheel. These parts can be a caster block, hub carrier, steering knuckle, or a combination thereof.

REMOTE CONTROL
Transmitter RC car transmitters can be either the pistol grip style or the traditional 2-stick kind. The pistol grip is much more common nowadays, but traditional stick transmitters are still used by some rc car drivers. The choice of transmitter style is purely down to personal preference, they both offer the same level of control.

Above, a pistol grip and traditional 2 stick RC car transmitter With a pistol grip transmitter, the car or truck motor (whether gas or electric) is controlled smoothly by the trigger while the steering is controlled by rotating the wheel of the transmitter. The transmitter can be held in 2 ways, depending on whether you're right or left handed. Use your index finger on the trigger, and your index finger and thumb of the other hand to turn the wheel. Receiver

In the same way as a traditional radio or television receives a signal from the broadcasting station, a radio control receiver receives the signal that is sent out by the transmitter when any input is made by the operator. The receiver is located within the model and is directly connected to the servos by small wires. A single wire antenna extends from the circuit board inside the receiver to outside of the model. This antenna should never be cut or looped up to reduce its length; by doing so, its ability to receive the signal from the transmitter is drastically reduced, which can result in disastrous consequences by way of the model going out of range too early. The signals, once received, are passed on to the servos which move in direct response. This whole process of the signals passing from the transmitter to the receiver, then sent through to the servos, is called modulation, and can be digital (more common) or analogue (not so common nowadays).

Servos

A servo consists of a plastic outer body inside which is a small but powerful electric motor, linked to a set of plastic or metal gears. These are in turn directly linked to the servo horn, or arm, located on the top (exterior) of the servo body. This horn is the 'hand' of the servo and links directly to the controllable features of the car or truck ie the motor throttle and steering arms.

One separate servo is needed for each channel, and connects to the motor or steering by servo rods. When the signal from the transmitter is received by the receiver, it then travels through to the servo. The circuitry inside the servo tells the motor how much to move and in which direction. This in turn rotates the gears, and hence the servo horn and rod. This final movement of the rod controls that particular operation of the car, whether it's opening or closing the throttle, or turning the front wheels left or right. Many types of servo are available depending on the usage required; they're available in different sizes and power, but a 'standard' servo that will come as part of the radio control set will be fine for using in an rc car or truck. Fail Safe

The fail-safe unit is inserted between the receiver and a servo, usually the servo that controls the carburetor and brakes. Its purpose is to set the servo in a pre-set position should the receiver get signal interference. In other words, the fail safe will help prevent your gas car from going out of control should the receiver get interference (e.g. another person playing with the same frequency). Or, if the transmitter batteries become weak, the fail-safe unit will activate and the servo will go to a pre-set position.