Airplane and helicopter models soar high in the air — so, for the most part, Aircraft Engines escape abuse from the elements. But R/C car and especially buggy engines have to perform right down in the dirt.

Under normal use, all glow engines must be able to handle the stress of high operating temperatures. High-nitro car fuels turn up the heat. Add in the punishing effects of rough terrain and flying dust, and the going gets even tougher. Boat engines? They face the challenge of performing in water.

In many ways, car and marine engines are very similar to those used in aircraft. But they are not interchangeable. Many of the differences you’ll see are there to give “land and sea” power plants the ability to survive harsh conditions.

Also, your options for how to start the engine include a few choices. Lots of car and buggy engines, as well as some marine engines, come equipped with a built-in recoil starting unit. This is just like the “rope” you pull to start your lawnmower — a great convenience that saves you from having to buy a 12V Electric Starter or a Starter Box.

Electric 12V Starter

Starter Box

Super Start

DuraTrax Kwik-Pit Super Starts Push. Press. Start! Super Starts make engine starting that easy. Their dual 540 motor/dual battery design supplies twice the starting torque of single-motor starters. Rugged steel gear drive and ball bearings offer smooth operation and longer life. A safety guard prevents the on/off switch from being accidentally pushed — and a spring-loaded rocker design snaps off when the switch is released.

Car, Truck and Buggy Engines

Unlike R/C airplanes, cars and trucks come in a fairly narrow range of sizes — the most popular choices are 1/10 scale and 1/8 scale. So it’s not surprising that there are also fewer different engine sizes to consider when you set out to equip your R/C vehicle. The 1/10 scale models most often use .10, .12, .15 or .18 cubic inch engines. Drivers of 1/8 scale machines use a .21 to .30 cubic inch displacement.

Nevertheless, there are still many different versions to choose from. For example, some chassis require an engine with a side-mounted exhaust system, while others are designed for a rear-mounted exhaust.

Engine styles also differ in the design and color of their cylinder heads. The cylinder head is the portion of the engine with “fins” that increase surface area, enabling more air to pass over the engine and carry away heat. Car and buggy power plants quickly become hot, so effective cooling is critical.

But air must be able to REACH the head. So in most cases, the cylinder head sticks up and out from a hole in your vehicle’s body. Because it’s visible, how the head looks is only slightly less important to some drivers than how well it cools. Car and buggy engine manufacturers aim to satisfy everyone by offering a variety of cylinder head shapes, fin configurations and colors.

A few newer glow engines, have a “laydown” design that allows the engine to be fully concealed inside the body. A built-in fan unit helps cool the engine, whose reduced height lowers the car’s center of gravity so it can better grip the road.

Finally, car and buggy engines must be protected from dirt and dust. If those get inside your engine, they’ll cause grinding in the working parts — which increases wear and shortens engine life. Air filters must be used to trap such debris.

Boat engines
It’s true with R/C cars and trucks, and it’s equally true with model boats: Nitro power offers greater speed and performance than electrics — and, thanks to their sound and smoke, greater realism. Two main types of engines are used in marine modeling.

Outboard engines, found primarily on high-performance racing boats, bolt directly to the rear of the hull. The propeller, rudder and drive system are already integrated into the engine’s design.

Inboard engines, such as the O.S. 18CVR-MX, are mounted within a compartment inside the boat’s hull. They require a more elaborate drive system, called “running hardware,” to get the engine’s power down through the hull and out to the propeller.

Inboard Running Hardware
Running hardware can be a mystery to the novice. Power produced by the inboard engine is transferred to the propeller by a drive shaft. The shaft exits through a “stuffing box” — a tube filled with grease, which lubricates the shaft and keeps water out of the hull. Some boats use a flexible, cable-type drive shaft that eliminates a few linkages beneath the water. Other components of the system include a strut that supports the drive shaft and provides a solid mount for the propeller. Behind the propeller is the rudder, used for steering, and the water pick-up tube. This tube captures water expelled by the propeller and routes it through the engine’s water jacket. Like cylinder head fins, a water jacket is a mean of cooling. It surrounds the cylinder head with cool water, which absorbs heat and then is expelled overboard.

Glow Plug

What accessories will I need?
For whatever car, buggy or marine engine that you order (or is included with your model), check the “Accessories Needed” link on its towerhobbies.com product page. There, you can quickly find out what additional items are required to run it.

All glow engines will require glow fuel, fuel line, spare glow plugs and perhaps a muffler or tuned pipe. Marine engines will also require boat propellers — and with car and buggy engines, you’ll need an air filters with replacement elements.