Dumas Miss Circus Circus? (Kit# 1325)

[thumper5102]

Is this a good kit? Bashing? Racing? Upsides, downsides, Handling? Also can you put a 26cc gas engine in this boat without any problems? If not what gas (not nitro) engines will work? What servos and equipment do you recommend to get started?

[Hydro Junkie]

I would recommend starting with scratch building from plans. The Dumas boats are fairly good to learn from, but beyond that, I wouldn't recommend them. They are framed with 1/8th inch mahogany ply and 1/16th birch ply skin. They are heavy to the point of not being really fast unless you know how to really shave off the excess weight. I would recommend getting plans from Roger Newton at Newton Marine. He has plans for almost every unlimited ever built and raced. As for putting in a gas motor, I'm building a 1/6th scale 2003 Oh Boy! Oberto. If you blow up Roger's plans, you would probably be able to drop a 26 right in. I'm building mine to scale, measuring the real boat(thank heaven it's here in Seattle for Seafair a week early) to make sure I get the dimensions right. If you're new to building, I would recommend you get a boat with symetrical sponsons for the first one, as the assymetrical hull can be confusing. As for radio gear, any good quality two or three channel will work fine. You will need a high torque servo for the rudder(preferably over 100oz-inches), while a standard servo will work for the throttle. If you want to go this route, you can reach Newton Marine at www.newtonmarine.com. Be patient with Roger, as it may take some time to get back to you. He is crew chief on the U-25, so he will be busy with the big boat for a while.