Can One Put a Model Engine Into A Radio Control Vehicle?

[MechMan183]

Hello all, new here. So I was wondering, but if one was say engaging in scratch-built RC, would it be possible to power such an RC vehicle with a model engine? Say as an example, you build a model Chevrolet small block V8. So if you then built appropriately to scale an RC Chevrolet Corvette, could you put the model engine into it to power it? And also built for example a working transmission? I know such a project would involve a lot of complexity, but just wondering if it is doable? I know that in hobby RC, there are RC vehicles with transmissions and IC engines (gasoline and nitro), there are RC aircraft with miniature working jet engines, etc...however I don't think there are any scale-model RC that use an actual working scale model version of the actual engine of the vehicle.

A really crazy idea I have is to someday build a working miniature gas turbine engine and stick it into a model RC Abrams battle tank ;D

 

[///]

Sure it's possible, and has been done many times. I dream of doing it myself one day with a Ford flathead V8 in a '32 or '33 Ford coupe model, towing a scale mahogany Chris Craft Racing Runabout, also with flathead. Pipedream at the moment(work, new baby, blah blah blah), but one day.

Do a Google search for Pierre Scerri and prepare to be blown away. They aren't RC, but they could easily be if he wanted to. Check out the video's on youtube too

 

[charlesfitton]

Here's an engine built for a model RC tank - it doesn't get much better than this...

f

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGZjxvrnVLk[/ame]

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Anything can be done with enough time, skill, money, and commitment. I was at the local hobby shop last week and more or less asked the same question. You can buy a dual station sender unit for about $85. That is the unit you hold in your hand. The actual component that attaches to the vehicle you want to control is called the "servo unit" and the mechanical component of it is a sleeve that rotates through an arc of approximately 60 degrees. The stronger the signal is that you send from the hand held unit (you have a wheel or lever you move to vary the strength of the signal), then the farther the sleeve on the servo rotates. The servo kit has a selection of different levers which can be attached to the rotating sleeve, thus giving a linear movement when the sleeve rotates. This lever can then be attached by a mechanical link to a throttle or to a steering mechanism. The "servo" can be purchased in various strengths, depending on what operation you want it to perform.---Brian

 

[rcfreak177]

Here's an engine built for a model RC tank - it doesn't get much better than this..

.

That same guy has a whole series of short video's with that engine installed in a tank. I just watched them all.

I have never seen them before, Thanks for sharing.

Baz

 

[Jasonb]

Although that tank has a v12 like the original it is not a scale model of the engine.

Someone on another forum building a spaceframe Chevelle in 1/5th scale at the moment to take his scale chevy V8 complete with transmission, back axle etc so yes it can be done with a scale engine.


Couple more examples of scale engines in tracked models

http://digilander.libero.it/liguori/holt.htm

http://digilander.libero.it/liguori/fiat.htm

I've also seen miniature turbines in model helicopters so its only a case of linking the drive to a set of tracks rather than a rotor

 

[charlesfitton]

You mean the Germans didn't use oil pressure and temperature gauges that were a meter across?

Who'd a thought?

f

 

[stevehuckss396]

It can be done but I don't think you would be able to use it as an RC other than short runs. Heat is a problem. The radiator would look out of scale or you would have to get fancy with cooling tanks with ice. I would go with a boat because you will have an unlimited supply of cooling water. If you just want it in a car so it looks cool and you can start it and see everything work, Then we are a lot alike.

 

[canadianhorsepower]

Dam Steve!
you sure know how to chose easy project Rof}Rof}Rof}
I've search the dictionary to express my opinion can't anything else but
it's @#$%@! awsome Thm:Thm:

 

[Walsheng]

Sure it's possible. Here is a Stuart 10H mounted on a 600 size RC helicopter.
Still trying to figure out where to mount the boiler!

John

 

[MechMan183]

Wow, this is great, so it can be done. Thank you for the information people

It can be done but I don't think you would be able to use it as an RC other than short runs. Heat is a problem. The radiator would look out of scale or you would have to get fancy with cooling tanks with ice. I would go with a boat because you will have an unlimited supply of cooling water. If you just want it in a car so it looks cool and you can start it and see everything work, Then we are a lot alike.

Is there a proportionality issue with heat for RC models? Like a normal-sized vehicle, in proportion to its size, needs a much smaller radiator then a scale-model version of the vehicle? Also that is some really nice workmanship you've got there. Is all that custom home machine shop work? Also is that going to be a working vehicle?

 

[MechMan183]

Here's an engine built for a model RC tank - it doesn't get much better than this...

f

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGZjxvrnVLk

Wow that is awesome, and someone else mentioned he has videos of the tank with the engine inside too, which I watched.

 

[charlesfitton]

Sure it's possible. Here is a Stuart 10H mounted on a 600 size RC helicopter.
Still trying to figure out where to mount the boiler!

John

You had me guessing there - looks like it belongs...brings to mind a Polish joke from my youth...

 

[purpleknif]

I used to run 1/4 scale R/C cars with weed whacker motors. 40 lbs. minimum weight. You'll need heavy duty servos for the steering.

 

[stevehuckss396]

Wow, this is great, so it can be done. Thank you for the information people



Is there a proportionality issue with heat for RC models? Like a normal-sized vehicle, in proportion to its size, needs a much smaller radiator then a scale-model version of the vehicle? Also that is some really nice workmanship you've got there. Is all that custom home machine shop work? Also is that going to be a working vehicle?

Not an engineer but it seems that the smaller the engine the larger out of proportion the radiator needs to be.

Yes all custom made so for. I don't know how far i'm going to go but if I make a piece for it, it has to work like the real one.

 

[MechMan183]

Not an engineer but it seems that the smaller the engine the larger out of proportion the radiator needs to be.

Yes all custom made so for. I don't know how far i'm going to go but if I make a piece for it, it has to work like the real one.

I see, thank you for the information. Good luck with making it work!

 

[LongRat]

This is correct. Small displacement multi-cylinder engines have more internal surface area in proportion to the swept capacity. So a greater fraction of the chemical input energy is lost as heat, both via friction and conduction. This means the radiator doesn't scale with the engine in the same proportion. I'm planning to build an RC car powered by a home made engine, using a chassis which is itself a fluid-containing heat dissipative element. Of course this is kind of difficult if you are also trying to make a scale chassis.