The fun of radio-controlled play

By Peter Pernsteiner 

Radio-controlled models bring the thrill factor for enthusiasts of all ages. The offering for kids, kidults and tech geeks ranges from all-wheel drive, off-road SUVs capable of reaching almost 20mph to colourful starter models for preschoolers. 

Radio-controlled models of beloved movie characters

Even before Disney’s new Lilo & Stitch movie hit the theatres, Jada Toys had produced a charming radio-controlled toy for children aged three and older. Measuring 25 cm in length, the RC Surfer Stitch is very easy to operate and can travel forwards in a straight line on its two back wheels or in reverse on four wheels while turning. Stitch also rotates on his own axis – so if he happens to fall over at speed, this ability combined with the long paddle ensures that he can automatically right himself again. Two new racing cars from Jada Toys are also bringing the fun of the movies to children’s own homes. The Fast & Furious RC Nitro Powered Vapor comes in 1:24 scale. In addition to a radio-controlled turbo boost, it also has a water vaporiser for a realistic exhaust smoke effect. The yellow Chevy Camaro sports car is almost twice as long at 34 cm. In addition to functioning as a sports car, it transforms in seconds into an also driveable model of the upbeat Autobot Bumbleebee from the Transformers movies standing some 30 cm high – the ideal addition to the Optimus Prime truck Transformer, which is also radio-controlled and has been available on the market for some time now.

Award-winning autoball arena

In cooperation with the German football league,  Carrera Toys  has come up with a new arena for racing radio-controlled cars. The two 1:43 speedsters included with the arena can be equipped with two front scoops of different sizes, depending on driver skill, to help steer the ball into the opposition goal. Even children as young as six can easily operate the handheld RC controller. Accompanying sticker sheets can be used to attach the logos of 24 different Bundesliga clubs to the cars. Eighteen perimeter elements and two goals are also included. As the set is priced for the entry segment, the little racing cars reaching speeds of 3mph naturally have only simple tap-style remote controls for full-speed forward and reverse driving and for fully turning the wheels. A single charge of each car battery (via USB charger) should deliver 15 minutes of driving fun. The set, with the German title “RC Fußball Set Bundesliga”, also picked up a ToyAward in the SchoolKids category for children aged six to ten at this year’s Spielwarenmesse.

Slick drifting

For older kids and grown-ups with a need for speed, Kyosho has now produced a radio-controlled car designed for drifting. The Fazer D2 in 1:10 scale is modelled on the Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 built in the mid-1980s. Measuring 462 mm in length, the pre-assembled car comes with an elegant white/black paint finish, the requisite slick tyres and an enhanced steering angle. The set also includes a 2.4 GHz RC controller as well as a receiver, speed regulator, motor and drift steering servo. All that’s needed to put the car into action is a 7.2 volt drive battery pack as well as batteries or a rechargeable pack for the controller. Options include various tuning kits and a lighting set that can be used to showcase the pop-up headlights in action. Another pre-assembled set in 1:10 scale contains a 459 mm-long model of the 1972 Mazda Savanna RX-3 and comes with an FZ02L chassis with permanent four-wheel drive. The EZ series AXXE 2.0 buggy is the right choice for real off-road adventures. The model measures 410 mm in length and is available in a choice of orange or blue. The motor and controller for this are already designed for use in wet conditions.

SUV camper capable of up to 20mph

Another off-roader that’s a good bit bigger is the JK-07 Pro SUV pick-up in 1:7 scale from Rlaarlo, measuring 81 cm in length and 32 cm in width and height. The SUV comes almost ready to run and is manoeuvred with a 10-channel RC controller (included) that works the two-speed gearbox as well as numerous light functions – such as switchable low and high beam headlights as well as a light strip above the windscreen with various selectable effects. The model also has indicators at the front, rear and in the wing mirrors that are linked to the steering angle. Radio-controlled electric windscreen wipers add the final flourish. To stylishly stage the pick-up while taking a break from the fun of radio-controlled play, the tent mounted on the vehicle’s roof can be opened up, the side awning manually extended and the stowed camping table and chair set up. All that’s needed to put the ready-to-run set into action is to buy the right rechargeable vehicle battery pack depending on the desired endurance and operating time. This video report looks at many of the features and shows a test drive of the JK-07 Pro.

Rechargeable battery packs for every need

Since large RC vehicles are often sold without rechargeable battery packs, there is room in the market for providers focused on these. Genspow GmbH, for example, presented a number of products, including the Gens ace Redline Series batteries in the new 2.0 version with a reinforced hardcase and 5 mm bullet connector. The 7.6 volt lithium polymer battery packs now range from 4200 to 9600 mAh capacity. For vehicles with a 14.8 volt supply voltage, a hardcase battery pack with a 6750 mAh capacity that can provide 60 to 80 amps of starting current is available. This is supplied from the factory with a connecting cable with XT90 plug. To complement these powerful batteries, there is also a new power charger for real RC enthusiasts. The Gens ace iMars D1000 Smart Charger is seriously compact (186 x 174 x 95 mm), making it very useful when on the move as well. It has two controllable high-output fast-charging ports, each for up to 32 volts and 25 amps. Both ports also feature a balancing port for up to seven battery cells. Furthermore, the device supports the simultaneous controlled discharge of two rechargeable battery packs, each with up to 6 amps. Finally, it can be used as a digitally controlled power source for 5 to 29 volts and 0.1 to 25 amps.

Large HGV combinations

The right battery packs are also essential to enjoy the fun of driving the large HGVs and trucks in 1:14 scale from Tamiya. All the more so if, for example, you want to expand the radio-controlled Volvo FH16 truck into a truck-trailer combination with the new box body set and the also new tandem-axle box trailer. Even more impressive is a unit comprising an articulated truck and, for instance, the new metal construction kit for a three-axle construction trailer equipped with aluminium drop sides. But that’s nothing compared to the gooseneck low-loader coming in at a gigantic length of 1150 mm. A sophisticated electronic controller for the three steering axles was showcased as a new feature for this in 2025. This is based on a steering angle sensor for the base of the truck that also transmits RC data to activated light and indicator functions in combination with an infrared receiver. Among the tractor units recommended for the approximately 8 kg low-loader is the 61 cm-long four-axle Scania 770S 8x4/4 from Tamiya. With this, the full rig boasts an impressive total length of more than 1.5 m and an operating weight of over 20 kg. This should enable a payload of around 25 kg. For more on the truck trailer from Carson, check out the interview at the Spielwarenmesse. Interview with Markus Söllner from Carson-Tamiya 

Up and away

In addition to radio-controlled cars, boats, robots and toy trains, interesting flying models also came on the market in 2025. Freakware, for example, showcased Shape S2, its compact helicopter developed inhouse. The 400 mm-long model with a main rotor diameter of 445 mm and a 102 mm tail rotor has a take-off weight of around 310 g. It is equipped with a Nanobeast flight altitude control system, which allows it to be individually adjusted from tame to agile flight behaviour. In combination with the engageable altitude control and position stabilisation, the model is even suitable for beginners, who can also opt for the S2 starter package with an eight-channel RC controller. Revell provided a terrific example with lots of high-tech features in a very compact unit with its new quadcopter camera drone, which is aimed at beginners but designed to meet even more demanding requirements. The foldable Go! Video Pro 2.0 is 19 cm wide when ready for use and has a one-touch take-off and landing function. It is stabilised with a two-axis gimbal and even allows for stable hovering with the help of an optical flow sensor. The 2.4 GHz RC controller includes a smartphone holder for displaying live, real-time video footage in Full HD resolution (1080p) via Wi-Fi and app. With its four low-wear, brushless motors, the drone is designed to deliver 15 minutes of flight time per battery charge, with two battery packs already included as standard.

About the author

Peter Pernsteiner (Graduate engineer and freelance journalist) discovered his love of technology journalism while studying electrical engineering and soon after joined the editorial team of a major ICT trade magazine. Since 1994, he has been writing as a freelance journalist, particularly on technology topics - including for model railway magazines. In 2016, he also launched a YouTube channel for technology reports, which has since attracted worldwide attention.