The shocks found on toy RCs are often for little more than show although some may provide a little bit of cushioning. But with hobby-grade RCs the shocks can become much more complicated and important to the operation of the RC. Even if you never have to build a set of hobby-grade shocks (and suspension) from scratch -- one of my least favorite parts of building an RC kit -- you should know a little about how shocks work and how they differ among different RCs. Learn more about the basics of RC Suspensions - Shocks and Springs. If you're only familiar with toy RCs, check out the exploded view on the last step of this walk-through that shows you how much is involved in a hobby-grade RC shock.

Not likely to be on the toy shelves anytime soon, but if you'd like to fly RC helicopters but can't quite master the controls then this little robotic quad-copter might be just what you need. It's controlled by voice commands. In this video it's abilities are demonstrated using first an iPhone then a headset to tell it where to go. (Hackaday)

I've been doing a lot of research lately on both RCs and airsoft guns. They could be a lot of fun if the two were combined. This guy took the idea and scratch built himself a replica RC tank. The RC tank from the looks of it can haul a good amount of weight. In the video on his webpage he had what my guess would be is his daughter taking a test run to see how well the RC would perform. Overall this is something I would consider doing in the near future. In my case though I would be adding a lot more gadgets than just a working cannon. For now though I think my wife would be leaning more towards something smaller like these other two videos.

• RC Airsoft Tank
• US M41A3 Walker Bulldog, an RC Airsoft Tank

This is not one I'd heard of before but if you think about it, it's not that odd... using personal lubricant when you run out of shock oil. That's a tip shared by a reader in our Reader's Tips on Must-Have RC Tools and Supplies. Has anyone else tried this?

Reader eggrollbelly shows off a Team Losi Mini-T.  This one is a 1:18 scale Baja RC Buggy/Car. According to its owner "This is a great starter car but also a great racer with lots of hop ups."

It's snowing in Central Texas. That's not something we see much of around here. A flurry or two every few years, maybe. But it's been snowing for hours and hours now. Not being a cold weather person, I probably won't be taking my RCs out in the snow. But that's not true for everyone. Before you do, make sure you've protected your RC and its electronics from the snow, water, mud, and other wet stuff. Electrical tape, balloons, and silicone sealant are your wet weather friends.

RC helicopters and projectiles.  A fun and volatile combination. Anytime I go into a Target or Walmart -- no matter what the reason for the trip -- I always have to swing through the toy aisles. On a recent trip through the toys I discovered one of the newer indoor helicopters from Air Hogs. A bit different from the usual Air Hogs helis, this one has a plastic body, is styled like the Airwolf helicopter from TV, and the best part -- it shoots missiles. Even comes with targets (to entice you not to shoot at things you shouldn't be shooting at). So, of course, I had to buy one. Here's my full rundown on the Air Hogs Sharp Shooter Micro RC Helicopter, complete with a min-rant on the packaging.

_{Air Hogs Sharp Shooter
Photo © M. James}

It's raining. Again. I can still play with my indoor RCs but after awhile I want more room than our kitchen or living room provides. So... I go on my computer for some RC racing that's virtually, well, endless. And weather doesn't matter (unless maybe a thunderstorm has taken out the electricity.)

RC racing games are sort of like other kinds of car racing games on the computer (or PlayStation or XBox or whatever) except they're different. They feature RC cars. You can often hook up your own RC transmitter for more RC realistic control. And the tracks are typical of what you might find at a real RC race track. But you get to stay out of the rain or the snow or the hot sun. Find out how far virtual RC car racing games have come since the days of 8-bit Nintendo games like RC Pro-AM.

More RC Games

• RC Helicopter Games
• Games to Play With RC Cars & Trucks
• Games You Play With RC Vehicles (Submit Your Own Games Too)

To be precise, toys that use infrared technology aren't really RC since they aren't radio control. But in most other ways they are like radio controlled toys. However, the Air Hogs Vectron Wave moves even further away from RC with their infrared UFO. That's because there is no transmitter, infrared or otherwise. Once you get past the sort of "wow, that's kind of cool" use of infrared sensing technology though, you're left with a toy that really doesn't do all that much. I normally like Air Hogs toys, but this one just isn't all that great where it really counts - the fun factor after day one. Check out my review of the Air Hogs Vectron Wave IR UFO. And if you disagree or have a different perspective on this toy, submit your own review.

Do you have crooked toes that angle out to the left or right? You probably walk just fine that way. But with RC vehicles, toe angle can affect how the RC drives. A little toe-in can provide stability while a little toe-out may provide more responsive steering on the curves. As with all things, you don't want to overdo either toe angle.

And this end our January month of daily RC terms. There's still more to learn though so visit the Radio Controlled Vehicles Glossary.