You Can Navigate An R/C Boat!

Whether you crave action or relaxation, you'll enjoy radio-controlled boating. There's nothing quite as soothing as gliding your scale R/C sailboat across a pond, or for full-throttle excitement, you can race a gas- or electric-powered deep vee or hydro! Many of Tower Hobbies' model boats already come mostly prebuilt. To start making waves, just add water!

Boat Design Made Easy
Sailboats:
A sailboat gets its power from the force of the wind. Large sails catch the wind and move the boat in the same manner as a full-size sailboat. R/C sailboats range in size from less than twenty inches in length to the AquaCraft Paradise which is 26 inches long with a mast that towers 50.5 inches (over 4 feet) above the water!

Scale Boats:
A scale boat is an actual replica of a full-size boat. The greater the skill of the builder, the more the model can resemble the original, with features like planked decks, chrome or brass deck fittings; even cloth flags and ladders.

Racing Boats:
There are two main types of racing hulls: three-point hydros, and V-hulls. The different types of hulls require different water conditions. Hydros run best on smooth water where they can "Get on step" and plane properly across the water. Hydros have a surface running propeller which, at full speed, is half in and half out of the water kicking up the characteristic "rooster tail" of water behind the boat. If your lake or pond has some chop to it, consider a deep vee hull. They have a submerged propeller and can slice through waves without much reduction in speed.

Airboats
Oddly enough, an airboat is powered by an airplane engine and prop mounted high above the stern. Hull bottoms are flat (or nearly so); steering power may come from a water rudder, vanes on the fan, or both.

Deep V-Hulls
V-hulls, like the famous "Cigarette" off-shore racing boats, are mono hull boats and their hull is in the shape of a V - usually 150 degrees or less. They are noted for their ability to slice through rough, choppy water so that the speed of the boat is maintained.

Construction Basics
Wood, fiberglass and plastic are the basic boat construction materials. Wood construction varies from pre-formed panels to actual hull planking which is time-consuming to create, but the results are beautiful and realistic. Fiberglass boats build faster (some come with the hull and deck separate and some prejoined) and often have molded-in scale detail. RTR boats (Ready-To-Run) are primarily made of durable ABS plastic with prejoined hull and deck and come complete with running hardware, motor and decals. They are a great way for beginners to get launched into R/C boating quickly and affordably.

Pick Your Power
You can power your boat with an electric motor (or motors) and battery packs. Because boats have adequate interior space to accommodate two batteries, running times of 1-2 hours can be achieved with some models. Electric racing boats can go 20-25 mph and run for 4-8 minutes.

Gas power offers superior performance and realism in terms of speed, sound and smoke! An outboard engine is easy to install: just bolt it on, hook it up and it's ready to go. Inboard engines require running hardware, a flywheel and water-cooled cylinder head. Newer inboards are now coming with integrated pull-start units which makes firing them up a snap!

Running Hardware Does Not Have to be Confusing
The running hardware of the boat can be a mystery to the novice. The power produced by the inboard engine is transferred to the propeller by a drive shaft. It exits through a "stuffing box" (a tube filled with grease) which lubricates the shaft and keeps water out of the hull. Some stuffing boxes include needle bearings for better performance.
Some boats use a flexible drive shaft where the propeller and rudder are mounted behind the boat and power is transferred from the engine to the propeller by a flexible cable which exits through the bottom of the boat. This eliminates the use of universal joints beneath the water.
Beneath the hull are additional fittings. A strut, which supports the drive shaft, also provides a solid mounting for the propeller and absorbs the thrust from the propeller, transferring it to the boat. Immediately behind the propeller is the rudder for steering the boat and the water pick-up tube. Water expelled by the propeller is caught by the tube and routed through the engine's water jacket to cool it. The heated water is then expelled overboard.

Inboard Running Hardware

Tower Hobbies is the Choice!
More modelers buy their boats and accessories from Tower Hobbies than any other supplier in the world. We have the best selection, the best service and super-low prices. When you do decide which kit is for you, order it from Tower Hobbies!

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