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antipodi
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Joined: 25 Jan 2006
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Wed Mar 08, 2006 4:34 pm
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 Starting Out ....Tell me Whats Your Float
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Starting Out ....Tell me Whats Your Float
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The first step is to pick your area of interest. From vintage racers, modern sport boats and cutting-edge hydros to scale tugs, warships and fishing boats, to sailboats and pleasure yachts, almost any type of craft can be made as an RC model. The type of boat you choose and the function you want it to perform will determine what you need.
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Boat kits are available in various materials and in all stages of completion, from raw plans to complete ready-to-run (RTR) boats. For beginners, RTR kits are a good starting point. The hulls are formed plastic (usually white) and don't require painting. RTR boats tend to be sport boats rather than racers and emphasize simplicity and reliability over all-out speed or meticulous scale detail. The idea behind these designs is to make things easy for beginners: just drop them in the water and enjoy!
Kits that require building may have plastic hulls, or they may be of fiberglass and have a gelcoat finish. Painting and waterproofing are not required with these, though you may have to apply decals. Plan on some light assembly work; some parts may have to be glued, trimmed, sanded, drilled, or screwed together. More advanced kits usually have wooden hulls that have to be built and painted. These can be plank-on-frame, mimicking full-size construction techniques, or they may employ die-cut sheets for the hull surface. Both types work well but require more effort to assemble, sand, prime and finish. Most kits come with a radio box to protect the electronics from water.
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• Powerboats of various types make up the lion's share of RC craft. This group can be divided into two classes: sport boats and racers. Sport boats are designed—first and foremost—to be fun. Performance is certainly important, but not at the expense of operator enjoyment. Likewise, many sport boats have scale-like features, but authenticity takes a back seat to function. Sport boats are probably the best choice for inexperienced modelers, because they are designed with an eye toward easy and reliable operation with a healthy dose of speed mixed in.
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Racing boats are more uncompromising and, therefore, more temperamental. The priority in a racer is performance; appearance and ease of operation are secondary. These boats are the fastest, but they are also the most high-maintenance and the most demanding to drive.
• Scale boats are different in that their first priority is authenticity. Performance is important, but only as a way to increase realism. The objective with a scale boat is to make it look and perform like the full-size version rather than to maximize speed or ease of operation. Any full-size boat can serve as the inspiration for a scale project; many of the most popular are historical craft, warships and commercial vessels. These types of models tend to have some of the more creative functional details—working lights, sounds, deck equipment, etc. If artistry and precision detail appeal to you more than raw speed, this is the type of model to build.
• Sailboats use RC for control, but they are powered only by the wind rather than an on-board drive system. They can be scale, sport, or racing boats with the same characteristics as their powered counterparts, but sailing is a different discipline and requires different skills. If you're used to powered craft, be prepared to learn a new set of rules, even if you're experienced.
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