March 24, 2002
Submitted By: Rapha Bailey
Subject: School Project

My name is Rapha Bailey I am 12 years old. I live in St.Kitts in the Caribbean. I need some advise on how to build a remote control car for a school project. I would like to know what all I should buy and where I could get them. It will be about 2 and half feet long and 1 and a half feet across so I need to know what kind of motor would be needed for this size car remote control and the best battery to buy. If you know of any sites I could get them please help. I need all the advice I can get. Thanks in advance.

John's Reply:

The first thing I should say is that building your own remote-control vehicle is not cheap if you plan on buying all your parts. I would suggest telling anyone you buy from that you are doing this for a school project, and ask if they have a student discount.

The best source I've found for radio control parts and kits is Tower Hobbies on the Internet. Their address is http://www.towerhobbies.com If you've never done this before, I would look for a radio control car "kit" package that has everything you need. Kit cars come in all sizes so you should be able to find one that fits your description. And you can even make your own body covering instead of using the one in the kit.

If you prefer to build everything yourself, Tower Hobbies also sells all the individual parts you need. And their staff is very helpful in
answering questions like "What kind of controller do I need?" or "What size motor is best for my car?"

If you want any custom-made parts, you should contact local metal-working companies. They will often do small jobs for students at
no cost. This will probably involve a lot of phone calls to find one that will help you, so don't give up.

Let us know if you have any other questions. And write back to tell us how your project goes!