Letters

Radio Control Boat Modeler, Oct 2005

FEEDBACK FROM OUR READERS

Shocked

I'm into RC cars and race a DuraTrax Evader electric truck. I saw the August issue of RC Boat Modeler at the hobby store with the Pro Boat Shockwave 36 on the cover and had to have it. Now, I think I'm hooked on RC boating, too. I have a couple of questions. I don't own any nitro vehicles yet. Do you think the Shockwave will be a good first boat as well as a first nitro boat? Also, what is the scale of the Shockwave? I think it would be cool to make a trailer for the boat and tow it with my 1/10-scale Evader.

TIM SHIELDS, MIDDLETOWN, RI

Tim, the Pro Boat Shockwave 36 is a great boat and would make any first-time nitro boater psyched to own one. It is loaded with high-quality features. The only things you'll need to get running are AA batteries, fuel and a glow starter. What you need to keep in mind is that just like with any nitro-powered vehicle, you must closely follow the instructions to help ensure success your first time out. Bypassing the engine break-in instructions will cause frustration and your boat to run poorly. Pro Boat includes a good-quality manual, and if followed, you will be happy with your RC off-shore racer.

Like your Evader, the Shockwave is not modeled after a real vehicle, so there is not a definite scale. To not leave you hanging, the helmets on the two figures in the boat are about 1/10 the size of a real helmet, so the boat would also be around 1/10 scale. With this being said, I think the Evader would look strange pulling a 36-inch boat. That would be like a little S-10 pickup pulling a 36-foot off-shore racer, fust my two cents! -Paul Onorato

Bluenose fever

You just had to print the Bluenose article in the April 2005 issue, and now I am completely captivated. Are there any plans available for Tom Pratt's model? Are fiberglass hulls available from his brother Tom or anyone else? Please help me cure my Bluenose lust! Thanks.

RAY [EMAIL]

I've been messing with RC boats since about 1980, and I've always said that I'd never build a sailboat; they're too slow and too much work. But, when I saw the Bluenose boats featured in "Scale Views" -wow! They are simply awesome. Is Tom Pratt selling the hulls or plans? This is one sailboat I would love to build and sail. Thank you for any info.

DAVID L. KUMEROW [EMAIL]

Unfortunately, Tom Pratt and his brother, Dick, do not wish to make or sell copies of their Bluenose hulls. The plans for the full-size ship, however, are available from the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water St., Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3J-1S3. Contact the museum for the price. The Pratts used those plans to build their models. -John Fryant

The Eagle has landed

I saw your article on the Dark Eagle in the June issue of RC Boat Modeler and would like to find out more about it. I'm new to RC boating, and any assistance will be very much appreciated.

LAMAR NEWTON [EMAIL]

Lamar, you're in luck. Gary Grollimund, the creator of Dark Eagle that was featured in "Final Moorings, " said he would be glad to hear from readers. You can reach him at darkeaglel@comcast.net. Also, check out our website, rcboatmodeler.com, for some very cool clips of Dark Eagle in action. -Matt Higgins

Screw'd again

I just received my August issue of RC Boat Modeler and, as always, I enjoyed reading it. In "Final Moorings," I was really impressed with the boat Totally Screw'd. How can I contact the person who built it? I enjoy building large-scale classic wooden boats, too, and any info would be terrific. Keep up the great work!

PIO SANTILLI [EMAIL]

I'm glad you like what you're seeing, Pio. You can email Jim Delaney, builder of Totally Screw'd, at james.delaney@snet.net or call him at (860) 645-6971. We were also just blown away when we saw photos of Jim's work. Make sure that you let him know you saw his work in RC Boat Modeler. -Matt Higgins

Tunnel time

I read your test report in the June issue on the AquaCraft Pro Fisherman Bass Boat with great interest and am especially interested in the outboard. How well do you think it would perform on an OPC tunnelhull? I own an old MRP Bud Light boat that goes back about 10 years. The outboard that came with it wore out after only two seasons because the materials it was made of were kind of cheap. The boat, however, is just fine and that AquaCraft outboard looks as if it could stand the test of time much better. What do you think?

TIM NEUENS, KENOSHA, WI

Tim, compared to all-plastic outboards, the AquaCraft outboard unit is heavy and built like a tank. I believe it will work great on some tunnelhulls. Unlike the MRP outboard, the AquaCraft unit doesn't use a flex shaft. The lower unit is cast aluminum, and the vertical and prop shaft are supported by ball bearings. The unit should last a very, very long time, and Jerry Dunlap has already proven it can handle brushless power. I doubt that you'll be disappointed with it. If you try it, let us know how it turns out, as I'm sure others will be looking to retrofit this outboard to their tunnelhulls. Good luck. -Matt Higgins