Beginner’s Guide to RC Cars – RC Scale

Let’s chat about scale. Scale refers to the size of the RC vehicle in regards to it’s full size counterpart. So, 1:1 would mean the vehicle is exactly the same size as the real thing. A scale of 1/10 would mean that the RC car is 1/10 the size of the real thing, 1/8 would mean 1/8 the size, and so on.

Since there are no real ‘guidelines’ in place, RC Scale isn’t always accurate but more of an indication of the vehicle ‘size’, if that makes sense. Certain vehicles, like anything in a racing category, do have a set of specific rules to determine their legality in a certain scale class.

Another variable is the actual type of vehicle – a 1/10 scale touring car might look small next to a 1/10 scale trail truck (like a Jeep). Both are 1/10 scale but the Jeep needs to be designed in a way to keep its scale look which, in turn, might make it seem larger.

Here is a list of the most popular scales currently available (from smallest to largest):

• 1/32 Scale
• 1/24 Scale
• 1/27 Scale (Mini-Z)
• 1/18 Scale
• 1/16 Scale
• 1/14 Scale
• 1/12 Scale
• 1/10 Scale
• 1/8 Scale
• 1/4 Scale
• 1/5 Scale

Check out this list of currently available RC Cars and Trucks in all scales: https://bit.ly/3oDbLzm

Other Beginner’s Guide to RC Articles
• RC Car Categories
• Build Types: Kit, RTR, ARTR
• Electric or Nitro
• RC Scale
• Buying Your First RC Car
• RC Car Anatomy Files
• Before Your First Drive
• The Basics of Driving
• RC Car Glossary