which boat?

[CK9887]

I have only had r/c cars and im thinking about a boat for a small pond. I want electric. Whats a cheap boat that has decent speed and run time?
Is the traxxas blast any good?

[MoPower]

Yes, I just looked that one up and it looks like a nice boat. For $160, comes with a 2-stick AM radio, electronic speed control (no reverse), and Traxxas' outdrive system, looks like the one used on the popular Villian IV. You still need batteries, 6-cell, and a charger.

Kyosho EP Viper R can come RTR for $159, with a Futaba pistol grip radio, 6-cell battery, and an AC/DC charger. The speed control is a microswitch, one forward speed only. :rolleyes:

http://www2.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/WTI0170P?I=KYOB1410

Keep looking around, the prices on RTR have really come down these days.

I used to have a viper.. several years ago when they first came out. It was a great boat and had an easy life... and then one day I thought I would play mad scientist and put 12 cells in it. The little prop spun so fast that it boiled (cavitated) the water around it. The boat just sat there and hummed in the water, sounded like a blender, with bubbles coming from the transom. The speed control stuck 'on', and the driveshaft siezed in the stuffing tube, and then the motor's windings melted. Now, none of this was Kyosho's fault, I knowingly abused the boat. I knew I would end up with a blown boat, but didn't really care. By then, I had decided that nitro was for me.

[CK9887]

what about the kyosho wave chopper? its only 180$ rtr. It also has a 540 motor and probably weighs less than most other boats with the same motor.

[MoPower]

Well, it's your call. They are all nice RTR electrics. I guess you'd have to ask yourself, "How do I want to drive my new R/C boat?"

In My Humble Opinion:

If you want to spin around and splash water... the Wave Chopper would do that. But it's not as aerodynamic as the Blast or the Viper. I don't think it will go as fast..

If you want good handling and speed, I think the other two would be better.

Wave Chopper:
Length=19.7"
Weight=3.3 lbs

Viper:
Length=25.6"
Weight=3.1 lbs

Blast:
Length=24"
Weight=???

I wouldn't worry about weight. Personally, I would go with the Blast, because I like that surface peircing steerable outdrive and proportional electronic speed control. However, I don't prefer the 2-stick transmitter, but hey, this is economy RTR.

The Viper Combo comes with a pistol grip radio, battery, and charger.

[CK9887]

there are so many choices.
heres the list that i might consider:

kyosho jet arrow.
great planes dagger.
great planes wave rocket.
Kyosho wave master(has dolphin 550 outboard motor)
Kyosho speed vee 800(has dolphin 550 outboard motor)
kyosho wave chopper
Traxxas blast
great palnes stinger ss(has two inline 550 motors)



These are all close to the same price, so i mainly just want the fastes one. It seems like the stinger ss would be fast cause of two 550's.

[MoPower]

The Jet Arrow is an entry level boat, and it is said to do only 12mph.:(

http://www.kyosho.com/reviews/kyob1300-rcbm.html

The Great Planes Dagger is DISCONTINUED.

Great Planes Wave Rocket... I can't find much on this one.

Kyosho Wave Master- that's a nice tunnel hull that you can get good speed from, but it might not like choppy water. If your lake/pond has some chop to it, stick with the deep-vee's.

Speed V- A nice deep vee boat, 37" long!! Has the outboard, Kyosho makes a water cooling coil for electric motors that will work well with this outboard motor (the water cool pickup is already molded into the outboard frame)

Wave Chopper- this is the personal watercraft that we have been talking about. Looks simple and reliable.

Traxxas Blast- this is the once I prefer.. because if you want to go fast with a deep-vee, you need a surface-piercing prop setup. This boat has it. This means, that at full plane, the prop is half in and half OUT of the water, and this actually gives you more potential speed than a fully submerged prop. A submerged prop like in the Viper or Wave Chopper will cavitate (boil) the water if you allpy too much power to it. AND.. when you have a submerged prop, not all 100% of the motor's power is being used to produce thrust. Some of the power is lost, used up, by trying to spin the underwater prop. Not all of this power is converted to rearward thrust.

A surface prop is pretty efficient, because all of the motor's power is used to make rearward thrust, and a nice big rooster-tail.:D

And last, and least, the Great Planes Stinger has been discontinued for some time now.

(pssst.... get the blast...):cool:

[CK9887]

thanks for the help,

[CK9887]

http://www.horizonhobby.com/products/description.asp?prod=PRB2150&pc=PRB2150&tag=ni

what about this?

[MoPower]

Looks like a nice boat. Comes with a pistol grip JR (python probly).

Says stock is 14 MPH but I am sure you can get 25 out of it with new motor, prop, and more cells...