| One of the mistakes common to people new to | | | | The engines differ a bit, hence the need to avoid |
| the RC car hobby is assuming that all non-electric | | | | mixing the up which fuel to use, as nitro RC cars |
| RC cars can just run on normal petrol (gasoline). | | | | use a glow engine as opposed to the standard |
| This is a potentially huge issue, as filling up your | | | | petrol engine found in petrol RC cars. This means |
| new car with petrol could ruin the engine, leading | | | | that Nitro RC cars have a glow plug instead of a |
| to a very costly repair job. The reason behind this | | | | spark plug, which to ignite the fuel must become |
| is because most of these non-electric RC cars | | | | hot. This is achieved by using a glow starter, |
| actually run on a mixture of methane, | | | | which is usually separate from the car, and is only |
| nitromethane and oil, commonly termed as nitro | | | | used to start it and is then removed. Nitro fuel is |
| fuel. This can only be bought at specialist hobby | | | | less explosive than petrol, so runs at a higher |
| stores and is usually far more expensive than | | | | temperature, meaning the entire engine design is |
| normal every day petrol. | | | | different. Think of it as the difference between a |
| The real confusion lies in the fact that these two | | | | petrol and diesel engine in you everyday car. |
| distinct type of radio controlled cars are often | | | | The only real advantage (it is however a quite |
| labeled under the very misleading umbrella term | | | | major one) of petrol RC cars over nitro RC cars |
| of petrol RC cars or gas powered RC cars. There | | | | is that they are so incredibly cheaper to run. In |
| are of course cars that are actually gas or petrol | | | | fact, even at current petrol prices, nitro fuel still |
| RC cars, that can be run on the same fuel as | | | | generally costs about 5 times more, and it can |
| your car, and are thus much cheaper to operate, | | | | also be rather harder to source. The increase in |
| but these are relatively few and far between, and | | | | size could also be seen as an advantage to some, |
| usually also quite a bit larger. Standard nitro RC | | | | offering a closeness to full size cars in the way it |
| cars clock in at between 20 - 60 cm (8 - 24 | | | | behaves when driving. They are also easier to run |
| inches) in length, while typical petrol RC cars are | | | | and maintain, not being so finickity in regards to |
| generally just under a metre (3 ft.) in length. Size | | | | the climate and not requiring constant tuning in the |
| is by far the easiest method of telling the two | | | | way that nitro RC cars seem to. All in all it is really |
| apart at a glance, but it is also important to read | | | | the preference of the individual that decides which |
| the instructions that came with the car. If the | | | | sort to get, especially if they appreciate and |
| word nitro is anywhere in it, don't even think of | | | | understand the differences between them. |
| trying to run it on petrol. | | | | |