RC Airboats

[Chris S.]

Anyone here run rc airboats? Either mfg boats or handmade?

[Kmot]

Not currently. But I used to run a Marauder. One of these days I will get it going again.

[MILLERTIME]

Just a few. Chris what are you doing over here?

[Kmot]

Woops! Mine is not an airboat. Doh! :o

[Chris S.]

Kmot,

I've never seen the Marauder before. Is that a hovercraft?
Got any videos of it running?


MPO11,

Hello Don! Its been a while since I've been here....was hoping to find another airboat friend or two. :) :) Even seen something I have never seen before. :cool:

[Kmot]

Chris,

Yes, actually it is a hovercraft. I was confused about it being an airboat because it will basically do the same thing on water.

This was a kit available in the early 90's. I built this one in '90 or '91. I forget exactly what year. Unfortunately, it has been non-op for many years. Long before I ever had a camcorder. So no video of this one, until someday in the future when I have restored it.

It is large, and has a Fox .78 for power. The air blast is ducted to the skirt and lifts the craft as well as provides forward thrust. The shell is completely filled with carved foam (the air ducts had to be hand carved) and so if the engine shuts down it will float like a boat.

It was designed and sold by Whiteman Industries, which is more commonly known for their r/c helicopter training stand.

One more picture to show size reference. That is a 1/10 scale Trans Am next to it.

[Chris S.]

Thanks for sharing the info about the Marauder. If you get the chance, I would love to see it in action.

[red97]

i had a "missout law" but i traded it a few months ago

[thething84]

i hav made my own airboat. although it has never been tested or even finished yet. lol. made it out of some spare stuff i had about. whether it will work or not is another matter. we shall see

[GassPasser]

are those airboats any fun?
speed?

[Chris S.]

We have a blast with the lil airboats.
Here's a site if interested in exploring more. www.rcairboats.net

Speed wise....I have GPS-ed a 26" x 13" flat bottom boat at 35.3 mph across the grass. My fastest water boat is hitting close to 40, I haven't GPS-ed any on water yet.

Here's a link to a few pics and videos.
Selph-Inflicted Airboats (http://rcairboats.net/v-web/gallery/Chris)

Here is a link to a RC Airboat video and photo gallery.
RC Airboat Gallery (http://www.rc-airboats.com/gallery/)

[thething84]

hmmm you got me thinking bout making one now. i have a spare nitro engine sitting about with electrinic start. and i got a big sheet of ply.
hmmm so i am intrigued

[RS 38-40]

Jump rite in there and have some fun . This time of the year is great if you have any snow or the lake is frozen . I have been running a little electric on the snow and ice and having a blast . I'm going to bring my bigger nitro boats in the house and warm them up enough to get them started and give them a try on the white stuff . Here are some pics and videos . http://www.rc-airboats.com/gallery/view_album.php?set_albumName=album20

[Chris S.]

thething84,

If your not careful....the "Airboat Fever" will get you. And when it does, its impossible to shake, not that you would want to! :cool: :cool:

Let us know what comes about.

[wingnut163]

how about ice boats. and in the summer you could put wheels on and have a landyatch

[thething84]

hmm. i will think about it and design something up. so hard. i got so much work to do aswell.

[wingnut163]

would you like some links to ice/land boats?

[thething84]

yeh give me something to look at.

[wingnut163]

ok here
Ice Boats /Land Yachts
Cold Front Model Yachts
80 Florence Drive
Excelsior, MN 55331
Phone: 612-470-8818
[quarter scale, radio controlled iceboats and land yachts]


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Model Land Yachts Unlimited
Robert Weber
1177 Mt. Doble
Big Bear City, CA 92314
(909) 585-2372
[The 1/4 Scale Stiletto R/C Model Land yacht and the Stealth series land yacht Kit]
[See Stealth S2 at Steve Lang's RCLandyachts.com ]


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PERFORMANCE RC LANDSAILERS
KRIS SELUGA
195 Binney Street, Apt. 1103
CAMBRIDGE, MA 02142
[Three RC model Landyachts, LS-1, LS-2, and LS-3]


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RoboSailor
5920 Pasteur Court
Carlsbad, CA 92008
Ph: (760) 438-5282
Fax:(760)438-5286
[RoboSailor landyachts]


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Vexa Control landsailor
[The Screaming Reach, Rigid wing landsailer plans]


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http://home.earthlink.net/~tjc1n2/lyle2.html
Windjammer Labs
Lyle Lundberg
1562 Olive Avenue
Chula Vista, CA
(619) 421 6728
[Windjammer landsailor]



see below for better links

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[wingnut163]

better links,
http://iceboats.tripod.com/
http://www.modellandyachts.com/
http://www.rclandsailing.com/
http://www.robosailor.com/
http://www.vexacontrol.com/landsailer.html

[Kmot]

Robosailor heh-heh-heh.......... :D :D :D

[wingnut163]

when i find the fancy one i'll post it to.

[MILLERTIME]

I like Molly's land yacht!!!

[thething84]

ok not quite wot i was thinkng of. lol. well i have a .18 nitro enginer. well i think its .18. lol. either that or its a .15. ut anyways. wot sorta size airboat would i be looking at for something like this

[thething84]

well i sat here tonight designing the hull of my airboat.
its 550mm long and 300mm wide. made it to be a tunnel style hull.

[thething84]

right i have been informed to use a 8x4 or 8x5 prop on my engine. which i backed up by coming across it on a website aswell. Howwever i don't know wot size fuel tank to go for. If i can i wanna try and fit it into the support collumn under the engine. i was thinking of a 4oz engine. which will hold about 110ml.

[Chris S.]

MPO11....I like Molly's land yacht also!!! :) I wanna drive it. :D

Thething84.....glad to see you getting into airboats. I believe a 4 oz tank will be plenty for your vessel. Keep us posted on your progress. I would have to say a boat around 20" x 10" would do well, although I have never built using that small of a motor.

[thething84]

shall keep you posted. it will be a while before anything is done with it. as i have 3 other bots in progress aswell

[Maineiac63]

I guess you could call my Swamp Buggy an Air Boat :)

[Chris S.]

Yep! That classifies.

[Maineiac63]

I used to play with R/C boats a lot years ago, but now I'm more into flying off water with my float planes - now these are "AIR" boats cause you just float out into the lake - then put 'em right up in the air!! Still have a couple of deep vees and the swamp buggy though. Boats are fun but planes are even more fun cause you get another dimension!! :) Like my avatar? It's a quarter scale Piper J3. I have more planes than boats now. The wife still likes the boats better though.

[dgfisher2004]

I'm not really up to date on boat terminology so is an Airboat a hovercraft or a hydroplane? Or neither?

Well I just got into Hovercrafts and here is the build thread so far. It's over 4 feet long and has some extras planned for it.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=460934

I'm in the middle of building the bag skirt sections right now. If anyone has some input, help is always welcome.

Thanks guys,
Garrett

[Glenno]

Hi all,
I recently found this footage of a Marauder Airboat, by Whiteman Industries, going through its paces on a somewhat dusty stretch of dirt and have posted the link to it in this thread, as suggest by my friend Tom, aka Kmot.

Note: If anybody out there reading this has a Marauder for sale, perhaps in your garage gathering dust, or in any condition, please PM me, I'd be very interested in hearing from you, especially if you are interested in shipping to New Zealand.
( I hope this request hasn't broken any message board rules - I'm sorry if it has, please feel free to delete it if it mr. moderator)

Enjoy! ("Aircleaner" springs to mind.........)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xg-i00L_Yks

Regards

Glenn