Nitro - The Fuel, the Engine, the RC

Non-electric radio controlled vehicle engines use a methanol-based fuel that contains nitromethane so the term nitro or nitromethanol refers to the fuel, the glow engine that uses nitro fuel, and any radio controlled vehicle that has a nitro engine.

A reader asks, "how do you determine the cc of an engine if it is measured in so many different ways?" The confusion comes in the way the engine size is expressed by different RC manufacturers. Some might use something like 2.5cc or 4.4cc while others use a number like .15 or .27. How do these numbers compare to each other?

Nitro fuel becomes unusable when exposed to too much moisture and sunlight. How nitro fuel is stored is more important than how long it is stored.

There are two basic types of non-electric RC vehicles. The most common non-electric radio controlled vehicles have glow engines. There are also some RCs that use gas-powered engines with a spark plug that operate much like regular gas-powered automobiles. But these two non-electric RCs do not use the same kind of fuel.

The type and amount of oil in the nitro fuel is what determines whether it is better suited to RC cars and trucks or aircraft.

Nitro or glow engines use nitro fuel but it's actually a mixture of fuel and air that goes into the engine. The right fuel/air mixture keeps the engine running at its best.

To start a nitro RC you need to turn on the transmitter switch then receiver switch, add fuel, prime the engine (get fuel to the carburetor), ignite the glow plug, then start the engine by rotating the flywheel using one of three methods.

Proper nitro engine break-in is critical for long-lasting performance of your RC. Every new nitro engine should undergo a break-in procedure.

Although silicone tubing used in nitro engines has many auxiliary uses, it's primary use is to deliver fuel. A typical nitro engine has two lengths of tubing.