# scale speed vs true speed



## edward 2 (Oct 6, 2010)

why is r/c cars able to go faster around flat turns, faster than there full size
counter parts.
on youtube i saw a road race where the cars were doing 65mph.
and the guy saiid they was going 650mph scale speed.
is it the size of the car or the size of the track.
which lets a rc car go faster in a turn.?


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## 440s-4ever (Feb 23, 2010)

Because even though the size of the car is scaled down 90%, several things remain the same.

Like the track. That turn is 90% gentler in a scaled down RC car. If the fullsize car had a 90% gentler turn it'd be running wide open, that's practically a straight.

You can't scale down air. Claiming scale speed of 650 totally ignores that the car's only experiencing a fraction of what 650mph air speed does to an object. Google cars that go 650, they're jets without wings, because 650 mph air is SERIOUS. 

Proportions. Most RC cars are all out of whack to try and restore stability lost by the 2,999 lbs that the RC car doesn't weigh. If fullsize cars were widened like an RC, they'd be too wide to allow passing!

And some other things. Mostly RC cars do well from low center of gravity and extremely light weight, that's what all full scale race cars are aiming to do. Lose weight and move what's there lower.

happy racing!


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## chuck_thehammer (Oct 24, 2007)

I fully agree...
also rc cars have wider tires and more grip than racing rubber.


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## Heliopolis (Nov 24, 2005)

Converting to a "scale speed" is misleading. If an object travels one mile in one minute, it's traveling at 60 mph. It doesn't matter if it's a little RC car, or a full size car. 60 mph is 60 mph.


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## solographix (Apr 28, 2009)

Heliopolis said:


> Converting to a "scale speed" is misleading. If an object travels one mile in one minute, it's traveling at 60 mph. It doesn't matter if it's a little RC car, or a full size car. 60 mph is 60 mph.


I agree I always thought it was ridiculous. :thumbsup:


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