Before buying a rc model boat realize they come with different assembly requirements. Builders' kits are for the serious hobbyist, while the almost ready and ready to run kits, require only basic tools and skills.
You'll find the lower priced plastic models, such as the Traxxas Blast, only require installing the radio receiver batteries. Other than that these rc boats are ready to go right out of the box.
Even though the electrics are the easiest to use and maintain, some of us, who like tinkering with 2 strokes but not the boat assembly part, prefer the ready to run gas or nitro rc boats.
Just so you can get an idea of what to expect as far as assembly goes, what follows is what I had to do to get my first gas rtr rc boat ready for the water. This is a hobby grade boat that will go 50mph with no modifications.The assembly required is pretty typical for this kind of boat.
For this example, the boat I bought was the 48" Osprey with the Zenoah 26cc gas engine. This boat will go 50 mph without any modifications. Like a lot of these fast rc boats you can buy online, they are manufactured in China, so the directions are not the best.
After about an hour of figuring out the directions, the Osprey was ready to go. It was really simple, I should of been able to complete everything in 20 minutes max. Sometimes you find you're missing parts. Luckily, this time, it was only a standard allen wrench.
The engine had 4 nuts and bolts that just had to be checked for tightness. Then there was the radio box. On this model there was nothing to do but install the batteries. On some models you have to glue the radio box in place as well as install and attach the servos. So after that, all you have to do is attach the rudder and propeller hardware and that's it. Oh yeah I forgot ...if you see a straw like tube that's for the antenna wire .
At this point you are either ready for the lake or depending on what type of engine you're using, there might be a recommended breaking-in procedure. Go online and find out what's the best way to accomplish this. In my case the Zenoah did not need to be broken-in, it had been done at the factory. My first day at the lake was a total success.
So you are never going to get a "ready to run" boat in the strict sense of the word.. There will be some assembly require, but it's real basic (sometimes only installing the batteries) and usually takes under an hour.
You'll find the lower priced plastic models, such as the Traxxas Blast, only require installing the radio receiver batteries. Other than that these rc boats are ready to go right out of the box.
Even though the electrics are the easiest to use and maintain, some of us, who like tinkering with 2 strokes but not the boat assembly part, prefer the ready to run gas or nitro rc boats.
Just so you can get an idea of what to expect as far as assembly goes, what follows is what I had to do to get my first gas rtr rc boat ready for the water. This is a hobby grade boat that will go 50mph with no modifications.The assembly required is pretty typical for this kind of boat.
For this example, the boat I bought was the 48" Osprey with the Zenoah 26cc gas engine. This boat will go 50 mph without any modifications. Like a lot of these fast rc boats you can buy online, they are manufactured in China, so the directions are not the best.
After about an hour of figuring out the directions, the Osprey was ready to go. It was really simple, I should of been able to complete everything in 20 minutes max. Sometimes you find you're missing parts. Luckily, this time, it was only a standard allen wrench.
The engine had 4 nuts and bolts that just had to be checked for tightness. Then there was the radio box. On this model there was nothing to do but install the batteries. On some models you have to glue the radio box in place as well as install and attach the servos. So after that, all you have to do is attach the rudder and propeller hardware and that's it. Oh yeah I forgot ...if you see a straw like tube that's for the antenna wire .
At this point you are either ready for the lake or depending on what type of engine you're using, there might be a recommended breaking-in procedure. Go online and find out what's the best way to accomplish this. In my case the Zenoah did not need to be broken-in, it had been done at the factory. My first day at the lake was a total success.
So you are never going to get a "ready to run" boat in the strict sense of the word.. There will be some assembly require, but it's real basic (sometimes only installing the batteries) and usually takes under an hour.
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If you would like to read more about remote controlled boats, Tony thinks you might also appreciate this article about, remote Controlled Boats 101.
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