Tuesday , 15 October 2024

Beginner’s Guide to RC Cars – RC Scale

Let’s chat about scale. Scale refers to the size of the RC vehicle in regards to it’s full size counterpart. So, 1:1 would mean the vehicle is exactly the same size as the real thing. A scale of 1/10 would mean that the RC car is 1/10 the size of the real thing, 1/8 would mean 1/8 the size, and so on.

Beginners Guide to RC - What is Scale

Since there are no real ‘guidelines’ in place, RC Scale isn’t always accurate but more of an indication of the vehicle ‘size’, if that makes sense. Certain vehicles, like anything in a racing category, do have a set of specific rules to determine their legality in a certain scale class.

Another variable is the actual type of vehicle – a 1/10 scale touring car might look small next to a 1/10 scale trail truck (like a Jeep). Both are 1/10 scale but the Jeep needs to be designed in a way to keep its scale look which, in turn, might make it seem larger.

Here is a list of the most popular scales currently available (from smallest to largest):

• 1/32 Scale
• 1/24 Scale
• 1/27 Scale (Mini-Z)
• 1/18 Scale
• 1/16 Scale
• 1/14 Scale
• 1/12 Scale
• 1/10 Scale
• 1/8 Scale
• 1/4 Scale
• 1/5 Scale

Beginners Guide to RC - Scale

Check out this list of currently available RC Cars and Trucks in all scales: https://bit.ly/3oDbLzm

Other Beginner’s Guide to RC Articles
RC Car Categories
Build Types: Kit, RTR, ARTR
Electric or Nitro
RC Scale
Buying Your First RC Car
RC Car Anatomy Files
Before Your First Drive
The Basics of Driving
RC Car Glossary

About Tony Phalen

Tony Phalen - As an avid RC enthusiast, Tony has been building, bashing and racing RC Cars for over 30 years. He has participated in every kind of surface racing events - 1/18 scale trucks, 1/10 scale TC, Rock Racers, Rally - if it had wheels, he's raced it! He's also worked on both sides of the industry fence; collaborating with many major manufacturers (as well as being a sponsored driver) to working for a high-profile industry magazine. During this time he has learned many tricks, tips and techniques and is sharing that knowledge on CompetitionX - the most informative RC website on the internet!

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