Race at home with an RC car simulator
An rc car simulator is a great way of practicing those driving tricks at times when actually driving your rc car or truck isn't possible, for whatever reasons.
Radio control simulators have been around for a few years now, but were always limited in what they could do and in particular were very limited in their realism.
But nowadays, with thanks to powerful home computers and high speed graphics, the rc car simulator can offer driving conditions and experiences that are as close to the real thing as you'll get without actually going to the track!
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And given the popularity of home computers these days, rc car simulators - along with rc flight simulators - are finding their way in to more and more homes of rc enthusiasts.
The great thing about modern day rc car simulators - or any kind of rc simulator for that matter - is that they use a completely realistic transmitter (pictured above) rather then relying on computer keyboard, mouse or joystick control. The transmitter is connected to your pc via either a USB cable or a standard connector found on, for example, a games joystick, and drives the powerful simulation software.
For added realism, the best rc car simulators offer 'add-on' CDs that greatly increase your driving options. These can include more choice of car and car set-ups, track and even weather conditions. In many cases the characteristics of the vehicles can be edited so that you can match the simulated car or truck to your own.
A good quality rc car simulator is the Duratrax RealRace. This offers outstanding performance with a range of electric and gas powered, on and off road cars, buggies and trucks.
The RealRace also allows the aforementioned modifications to be made to your virtual rc car or truck, with options such as different tire choice, suspension set-ups and even clutch and transmission settings to be altered.
Also, this particular rc car simulator offers you a choice of the more common pistol grip style transmitter or the traditional 2-stick one, which is still favored by many rc car drivers.
Below are some screenshots of the RealRace rc car simulator in action (click images to see larger shots in a new browser window), they give you a good idea of what to expect from a modern rc car sim...
(Images are property and copyright of Hobbico Inc., used with their permission)
An rc car simulator can of course also be used just as a game, in fact the RealRace lets you go head-to-head with other rc drivers via the internet. This is a great idea, because all the time that you're racing friends, you're practicing those real-life rc driving skills!
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Related pages
RC flight simulators - learn to fly RC on your PC!
Electric rc cars - an overview of electric cars and buggies.
Nitro rc cars - if you prefer more speed than electric.
RC Monster Trucks - for true off road action.
