Scale & Motion - RC Crawlers, Micro Upgrades, Model Kits & Scale RC Guides

Modellbau Universe carries thousands of plastic model kits, aftermarket parts, paints and tools, which is great for choice but not always great when you simply want to know what is actually worth building. This guide cuts through the catalogue with a selection of current kits from Airfix, Tamiya, Revell, ICM, Trumpeter and I LOVE KIT, ranging from accessible 1:72 aircraft to large 1:35 military projects.

The FMS FCX18 platform can be approached in three very different ways: buy a stock RTR directly from FMS, buy the same basic crawler through FairRC and build it gradually with BATRAZZI parts and scale accessories, or start immediately with a FairRC Mod RTR that already has much of the custom work done. None of these routes is automatically better — the right one depends on how much of the build you want to choose, install and discover yourself.

FairRC's Mod RTR approach gives RC crawler buyers an interesting alternative to buying a completely stock truck and upgrading every part themselves. The CR18P EVO-V2 Rock Van Red Mod and FCX18S K10 Stepside Mod are both 1:18-scale ready-to-run builds, but they take two very different routes: one prioritises compact trail capability and rugged hardware, while the other combines the FCX18 platform with classic Chevrolet scale style and a much more distinctive custom body.

Wheels and tires are among the few RC crawler upgrades that can change appearance, stance and real trail behaviour at the same time. BATRAZZI offers everything from compact 0.8" and 0.9" setups for micro crawlers to weighted 1.0" beadlocks, larger 1.2" options and full 1.9" combinations for 1/10 platforms such as the FMS FCX10.

The FMS FCX24 K5 Blazer is one of those small crawlers that makes modification feel almost unavoidable. The body already has the right ingredients: classic Chevrolet shape, removable-style SUV character, compact size, trail attitude and enough visual charm to work indoors, outdoors or on a shelf. That is exactly why FairRC’s K5 Mod RTR versions are interesting. They take a proven small-scale platform and turn it into something that already feels customised before the first upgrade order begins.

The Toyota Land Cruiser 80 is one of those RC bodies that makes small-scale crawling feel bigger than it is. The FMS FCX18S LC80 V2 gives buyers a detailed 1/18 Land Cruiser platform with classic trail-truck personality, while the FairRC FCX18S LC80 S Tri-Color V2 Brushless Mod RTR pushes the same idea toward a more upgraded, performance-focused route. Both make sense. The real question is whether you want the cleaner FMS starting point or the FairRC brushless Mod RTR approach. View the FMS FCX18S LC80 V2 at FMS Hobby (affiliate link) View the FairRC FCX18S LC80 S Tri-Color V2 Brushless Mod RTR at FairRC (affiliate link)

A square-body crawler works best when it looks like something you would actually keep driving. The FMS FCX18 Chevrolet K10 V2 and the FairRC FCX18S K10 S Stuntman Mod RTR both sit in that sweet spot: small enough to use almost anywhere, large enough to feel like a proper trail truck, and visually strong enough to photograph, tune and display. The real buying question is simple. Should you start with the stock FMS K10 and build it your own way, or choose the FairRC Mod RTR route and begin with a crawler that already has a stronger custom identity?

The best crawler upgrades are not always the most expensive ones — they are the ones that fix the right problem.

Not every upgrade makes the FMS FCX18 Land Cruiser 80 better. That is the first thing to understand with this 1/18 scale crawler. The FCX18 LC80 already has a strong foundation: scale hard-body presence, useful trail size, portal axles, a two-speed transmission and enough detail to work both as a driver and as a display piece.

If you've settled on the FCX18 platform — and our FCX18 vs FCX24 guide explains why that's often the right call for outdoor trail use — the next decision is which body to put on it. FMS currently offers two officially licensed subjects on the FCX18S chassis: the Toyota Land Cruiser 80 and the Chevrolet K10. Same chassis, same brushless-ready platform, but two very different on-road personalities. View the FMS 1/18 FCX18S Toyota Land Cruiser 80 RTR at FairRC (affiliate link)

FairRC New Arrivals is one of the most useful pages to check if you follow RC crawlers, FairRC Mod RTR builds, BATRAZZI upgrades, scale accessories, parts and RC aircraft updates. Instead of focusing on one single model, this page works more like a rolling snapshot of what has recently entered the FairRC catalogue.

Airfix military aircraft kits sit at the centre of classic plastic modelling. From Spitfires and Lancasters to Cold War jets and modern RAF subjects, this is one of the hobby’s strongest links between aviation history, scale detail and display modelling.

The FairRC 1/18 FCX18S LC80 S Tri-Color V2 Brushless Mod RTR takes the familiar Land Cruiser-style FCX18 platform and gives it a sharper technical edge. The shape is still classic expedition truck, but the V2 package moves the model into a stronger brushless trail direction.

The FairRC 1/18 Flatbed Classic Mod RTR takes the familiar FCX18 Chevrolet K10 platform and changes its whole personality. Instead of a standard pickup bed, this version turns the square-body K10 into a small utility-style trail truck with a 3D-printed flatbed, BATRAZZI wheels and tyres, and a more workhorse-focused scale look.

FMS EDF jets sit in one of the most exciting parts of the RC aircraft hobby. They look like jets, sound different from propeller aircraft and offer a faster, more committed flying experience.

FMS is well known among RC hobbyists for scale aircraft, warbirds, EDF jets, crawlers and trucks, but one of the most useful parts of the FMS catalogue is its beginner RC plane range.

The FairRC FCX24M Taco Black Mamba Mod RTR takes the compact Tacoma-style FCX24M platform and gives it a darker, more aggressive visual identity. Where some micro crawlers lean into bright colours or classic trail-truck styling, the Black Mamba is built around a stealth look: glossy black bodywork, a more planted stance and a custom Mod RTR personality straight out of the box.

Airfix figure sets are one of the most charming corners of classic scale modelling. They are not just small plastic soldiers or background accessories. Used well, they can turn a model into a scene, a display base into a story, and a simple kit build into a small piece of painted history.

Pro Acryl paints have become one of the most talked-about acrylic paint ranges in miniature painting, but they are not only useful for tabletop figures. For many scale hobbyists, the range also makes sense for plastic model kits, dioramas, display bases, RC scale accessories, figures, terrain pieces and small detail painting.

Corgi military aircraft models sit in a very different part of the scale hobby from Airfix plastic kits. They are finished die-cast aviation collectibles, designed for display, collecting and historical appreciation rather than cutting, gluing, painting and weathering.