Remote Control Boats

Remote control boats just might be the thing for you if you're looking for a nice slow peaceful time sailing in your backyard pool or town pond, or a fast paced afternoon zooming across a lake in the towns annual remote control super speed boat race,

Your town doesn't have an annual remote control super speed boat race? You know what that meanes don't you? You have the whole lake or pond to yourself.

If you want, you can power your remote control boat with anelectric motor and battery packs, and because electric boats have adequate interior space to accommodate two batteries, running times of 1-2 hours can be achieved with lots of models.

And with speeds up to 20-25 mph, these boats can really move!

If you want superior performance and realism in terms of speed, sound and for those of you that crave it, smoke, then a gas powered boat is the thing for you.

The outboard engines are pretty easy to install: just bolt the thing on, hook it up and just like that, it's ready to go.

Inboard engines however require running hardware, a flywheel and a water-cooled cylinder head.

But guess what, never inboards engines are now coming with integrated pull-start units which makes firing them up a snap!

How great is that?

The 'running hardware' which means how the boat works, i.e., how the engine turns and makes the thing go.

Now the 'running hardware' of the boat can be a mystery to some novice, at least that's what a lot of other sites are saying.

However I thing if you were actually able to have the luxury of seeing a real remote control boat running whilst you read this, that is as opposed to imagining the whole thing in your mind, the 'running hardward' just might make a bit more sense to you.

If you already have a remote control boat, and you're able to print this and bring it outside the next time your boats a float, I thing you'll get a really good understanding of the 'running hardward' of your remote control boat and it won't be such a mystery to you.

How a remote control boat works

The power produced by the inboard engine is transferred to the propeller by what is called a drive shaft. It exits through a 'stuffing box' which is a tube that is packed with grease.

The 'stuffing box' lubricates the shaft and keeps water out of the hull. And some 'stuffing boxes' have needle bearings for better performance.

There are some remote control boats that 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, and this, believe it or not, eliminates the use of universal joints beneath the water.

Beneath the hull, there there's a strut, which supports the drive shaft and provides a solid mounting for the propeller and also absorbs the thrust from the propeller, transferring it to the boat.

Immediately behind the propeller, is the rudder for steering, along with the water 'pick-up tube'.

Water expelled by the propeller is caught by the 'pick-up tube' and routed through the engine's water jacket to cool it.

The heated water is then expelled overboard and this process can look pretty cool on some remote control boats.

Sailboats:

Like real sailboats, remote control sailboats get their power from the force of the wind. The wind blows, the sail catches the wind and the boat moves.

Remote control sailboats come in all different sizes, ranging from under 20" in length to over 32" long with a 49" mask that can stand an impressive 6 feet tall!

Scale RC Boats:

T hese boats are actually really cool, they are full replicas of a full-size boat.

Obviously, the greater the skill of the builder, the more the model will resemble the original, with features such as planked decks, chrome or brass deck fittings and even cloth flags and ladders.

These look so cool, you might wanna just sit it on a shelf.

Airboats:

Oddly enough, are powered by an airplane engine and prop mounted high above the stern. Hull bottoms are flat (or at least almost flat) and steering power may come from a water rubber, vanes on the fan, or both.

Tunnel Hulls:

These are a variation of the three-point design.

However, the sponsons (which happens to be a light air-filled structure or winglike part protruding from the hull) extend the complete length of the hull similar to a catamaran which is a boat with two parallel hulls or floats, or a sailboat with two parallel hulls held together by a single deck.

The effect is that the hull is partially supported by a cushion of air trapped beneath the boat.

This helps the boat to move faster by requiring less hull for flotation.

Deep V-Hulls:

Like the famous "Cigarette" off-shore racing rc 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.

Now, on to the minis

Mini remote control boats are just plain awesome for so many reasons.

• they're small enough to fit in your pocket - about 3 inches - so you can take'em almost anywhere.
• after only about 3 minutes of charging, you get about 15 minutes of racing.
• for such a small boat, it's powerful and fast!
• you can race'em in your bathtub if you want!
• and best of all, they don't cost that much.

And remember, in order to race more than one boat together, the frequency needs to be different for each boat.

Okay, so there you have it, the 411 on remote control boats. I really hoped this has helped anyone who's actually taking the time to read this far.

Wow, did you really read this far?

Good luck in your remote control sailing, or speed boat racing hobby or both and hey come back again.

I'll be sure to have some information on real boats, you know the ones that inspired the hobby.

Now git yourself out there and have some relaxing fun sailing or rip up some water racing!