Nitro RCs run on small 2-stroke combustion engines called glow engines, which burn glow fuel. Glow fuel is a blend of methanol and a 2-stroke oil. Nitro fuel is the same as glow fuel, but with nitromethane added to improve the performance of the engines and make them easier to tune.
Nitro RCs can be cars, trucks, bikes, boats, airplanes, helicopters, and any other kind of model vehicle. This guide focuses exclusively on nitro RC cars and trucks.
Gas vs Nitro RCs
Nitro RCs are often mistakenly called gas RCs. This is incorrect as nitro RCs do not run on gasoline, but on glow fuel (aka nitro fuel). Gas RCs are generally larger and more expensive than nitro RCs. This guide focuses exclusively on Nitro RCs.
Additional Info
- Electric vs. Nitro RC Cars (rcplanet.com)
- Nitro engine (Wikipedia)
- What is the different between Gasoline and nitro R/C cars (rcuniverse.com)