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Radio Controlled Boats

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic (by 0 people)   Your rating: 1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic

Ranked #3706 in DIY, #78550 overall

Rated G. (Control what you see)

RC Boats

 

For some reason, being able to control a miniature boat as it skims over the water of a local lake is something that many people find very appealing. It does not matter whether you are a kid or an adult; Radio Controlled boats (RC boats) are universally fun. On top of that, nothing is more fun than undergoing a huge and daunting project, and eventually seeing the results come through.

Therefore you should consider building radio controlled boats on your own, out of materials that you can buy from any local craft or hobby store. If you are here, you have likely already considered this prospect. It is more than possible, and probably easier than you would think.

Since you have taken the more interesting route and decided to build your own radio controlled boats rather than buy one pre-made, you will have quite a few more challenges facing you that you would not have run into otherwise.

However, all of the hard work that you put into your radio controlled boats will pay off in the end, and you will feel like you have really accomplished something when you take it out to a lake for a day and it is able to successfully navigate the treacherous waters. You will probably be frustrated along the way as your boat falls apart, or even sinks into the water never to be seen again. However, if you persevere you will be glad that you did.

Unless you have experience in the construction of Radio Controlled boats, you will probably want to use plans that someone else has created. You can find plans for remote control boats all over the place - on the internet, in magazines, or in books. You may even use the plans for a full-sized boat, and make a scaled model of it.

As long as you are confident that the motor and radio components will not interfere, this is a good route to take. Regardless of where you get your plan, you will need one that is utterly clear in every aspect. Even the slightest typo or misreading could result in your boat sinking, or spinning in circles struggling to stay afloat.

As you build your radio controlled boats, you will need quite a few supplies, first, the wood is a very important part. If you are using custom plans, wood is probably the material you will be working with. You can find quantities of light wood such as balsa at your local hobby store.

You should always get extra, since a wood that light is prone to snapping when you least expect it. The wood is held together using glue, and you will start with a hull-shaped structure then plate it with sheets of wood. After it is all done, you caulk the holes and cracks with some sort of putty, then spray it all with a sealant to make it waterproof. After that, you are free to paint it however you see fit.

The motor equipment on Radio Controlled boats must have more attention paid to it than other remote controlled projects like cars or planes. If even one droplet of water gets into the electrical components, your entire project will be ruined, and you will have to buy new (possibly expensive) radio equipment.

Waterproofing the motor equipment is fairly difficult, and you should always test it with no electricity involved before you actually go out on your maiden voyage. It is usually accomplished by having the motor extend an arm through a waterproof sealant that will prevent any water from getting in.

There are many parts to the process of creating Radio Controlled boats, and each one needs to have close attention paid to it. As long as you can invest this time, you should have a great experience. You don't want the little sailors in your boat frantically tossing things overboard as they try to stay afloat, do you?

Morten Hansen has been working with the Radio Controlled Hobby area for several years and is mainly writing about subjects, that makes it easier for Internet users to learn about Radio Controlled Hobby subjects. For more details about the Radio Controlled Hobby Area visit our website www.RcHobbyTips.com

Radio Controlled Ocean Runner Speedboat - 1:64 Scale 

Radio Controlled Ocean Runner Speedboat - 1:64 Scale

1:64 Scale 5 1/2" Long; Outdoor and Indoor Use; 50 Foot Operating Range; Full Function Radio Control; Runs 12-15 Minutes After Charge; Dual Built-In Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries; Takes 1 9-Volt and 4 AAA Batteries Not Included; Quick Charge System Complete with Power Cord; Each Speed Boat Comes with Insta-Charger and Full Function Controller.

 

18'' Sea Explorer II Radio Control Boat - Red (49 Mhz)

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Amazon Price: $62.49 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $39.99

22'' Super Air Nautique 210 (orange) w/Power set (27 Mhz)

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Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $59.99

Nikko RC Vixen Boat w/9.6VBP&C

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Amazon Price: $69.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $69.99

18'' Ocean Runner w/Figures (49 Mhz)

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Amazon Price: $44.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $44.99

21'' Escape Velocity Offshore Racing Boat (27 Mhz)

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Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $109.99

Radio Controlled River Rat Speedboat - 1:64 Scale 

Radio Controlled River Rat Speedboat - 1:64 Scale

1:64 Scale 5 1/2" Long; Outdoor and Indoor Use; 50 Foot Operating Range; Full Function Radio Control; Runs 12-15 Minutes After Charge; Dual Built-In Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries; Takes 1 9-Volt and 4 AAA Batteries Not Included; Quick Charge System Complete with Power Cord; Each Speed Boat Comes with Insta-Charger and Full Function Control.

 

28'' 110-Foot Island Class USCG Patrol Boat (27 Mhz)

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Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $99.95

18.5'' USCG 44-Foot MLB w/Figures (49 Mhz)

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Amazon Price: $68.29 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $89.99

Nikko RC Bass Boat

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Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $14.99

Swimline WaveRunner RC Racing Boat

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Amazon Price: $47.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $47.99

Nikko RC Banana Boat with raft

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Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $29.99

Great Stuff on eBay 

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High End RC Boats 

Hobbico AquaCraft V24 Gas Vee RTR

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Amazon Price: (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $1,199.99

ThunderCat 31 RTR with .32 Marine Engine & Radio

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Amazon Price: $399.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $599.99

DOLPHIN R/C Power Speedboat (Nitro Power Boat - Remote Controlled)

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Amazon Price: $399.99 (as of 10/10/2008)
List Price: $399.95

New Guestbook 

alsationlover

Thanks for putting together such a cool RC lens. I'm really interested in radio controlled vehicles especially the xmod rc cars, but these boats look ace. Have followed a few links through to Ebay cos i fancy giving this a try

Posted August 29, 2007

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