Anyone Know What this is?

[Hydro Junkie]

Gentlemen, I'd like to thank you all for your insite on this boat as you've made someone very happy. Here's his last post in the other forum:

I'm going to leave it as is, from what I can gather these have always been highly respected boats. One big thing I found out last night while searching my feeble brain out was that 30 years ago when this boat was the one to have, they held major races at a place called just add water boats in Indianapolis Indiana. That business is 4 miles from my house, I bought this boat from a neighbor on my street and as previously stated he said they raced at a nearby pond. I'm thinking this boat was most likely in the water with some real titans of the time. Also Indianapolis was where crapshooters were made for some time. The whole "indy hydro" thing. I have no clue what the value is but it seems like a little piece of local history. Which is priceless and imo we are caretakers in situations like this, our job is to preserve and show our kids how things used to be. I have vintage rc's from the 50's, 60's and 70's I feel the same way about. Run them a couple times a year just out of respect for the guys (and gals) that helped get this hobby to the extreme point we're at now. I know I'm a nerd! I'd like to know what hydro junkie or Mr Brown would do with this boat? Gotta find a set of those wicked crapshooter decals from back in the day after I figure out what to touch up or recoat with.

I already put my response to his question about what I'd do with the boat in the other forum. If any of you have other thoughts feel free to tell me I'm wrong as I've posted my response below:

For me it's very simple:
1) Remove the engine, radio gear and hardware from the boat and give it all a thorough cleaning/checkup
2) Clean the hull, inside and out
3) Take the hull to an automotive paint shop and have them match the color of the paint
4) Strip the old paint off the hull, check for rot or oil damage in the wood, repair as needed
5) Seal the hull with fresh epoxy, prime and repaint
6) If you can find the "Crapshooter" decals you want, install them and clear over the top to protect them
7) Install everything that was removed and head to the pond.
One thing you may want to do, if you plan to run this boat, is replace the radio gear with modern equivalents to what it has now. If it's that old, the servos may not work well and I'd be willing to bet the receiver is wide band, making it non-FCC compliant
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[brad nichols]

Sounds like a good plan just replace all the radio box seals and it could be any colour he wants.

Brad

 

[David Bryant]

The exhaust system is the K&B muffler with the end plates removed. That is the way racers (Marty Davis, Ed Hughey, Don Pinckert) used them back in the day....

sure that must have generated a huge burned-fuel mess inside the fuselage? Were'nt those engines (crankcase) capable of rotating exhaust port 180 degrees? (and the front housing rotated sideways, to move carb position away from exhaust port?)

 

[brad nichols]

I still vote it's an Avenger.

Brad

 

[Andy Brown]

I still vote it's an Avenger.

Brad

Brad, Note the position of the rear booms on Wayne two Avengers (close to rear of sponson). The "mystery" boat has a long distance from the boom to rear of sponson, which is late model Marty Davis Crapshooter or Gregg Hughey Crapshooter. Most likely they are Greg Hughey version Crapshooter sponsons.

I am not sure about the tub. Need to see a side profile shot.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I'll see what I can do about getting a picture Andy

 

[BRANDONMCKINNEY]

Hello all. I'm the "mystery boat" owner hydro junkie has been referring to. First I'd like to thank all who have contributed to figuring out what this boat is etc. Absolutely couldn't do this with you. Here's a pic that might help.

 

[brad nichols]

Changed my mind, it's not an Avenger from that side shot for sure.

Brad

 

[rctinman]

I've owned a few Crapshooters in my time, and that is as close to one as you can get. The cowl is the front half of the vintage Crapshooter cowl.

Steve Ball

Now that I've seen all of the pics, this is definitely a Crapshooter, possibly a limited laydown version.

 

[dr gary turner]

It is short and looks like a C/S SPRINT boat that I had in the past

 

[BRANDONMCKINNEY]

It's 29 inches long not counting rudder bracket and 14 inches at its widest. I can't find any info or pictures on a crapshooter limited laydown.

 

[SayMikey]

If it was a laydown boat there would be a hole in the left side for the glow plug. Other than that it looks like a laydown boat. I had a red one busted more cranks then k/b could build

 

[PaulHail]

The exhaust system is the K&B muffler with the end plates removed. That is the way racers (Marty Davis, Ed Hughey, Don Pinckert) used them back in the day....

sure that must have generated a huge burned-fuel mess inside the fuselage? Were'nt those engines (crankcase) capable of rotating exhaust port 180 degrees? (and the front housing rotated sideways, to move carb position away from exhaust port?)

Yes, when the K&B 21 was adapted for use with a pipe the cranckase was rotated 180 degrees, the crankshaft was changed for an o/b crankshaft to get the correct timing with the front rotor rotated 90 degrees and an exhaust throttle and venturi or carb used.

 

[BRANDONMCKINNEY]

Speaking of that exhaust throttle, this engine looks like it originally had one. Normal carb setup on the engine looks original to my newbie eye. Is the exhaust throttle of any benefit in this application? Excuse my ignorance but all my experience is with nitro cars and trucks, non of which used such apparatuses.

 

[PaulHail]

The configuration I remember for the K&B 3.5's was the same as this pic I grabbed off the net

Front intake with venturi, front exhaust with exhaust throttle and can muffler. Early r/c engines used venturi's and exhaust throttles, I don't know the exact reasoning but likely simpler machining and they worked wel enough.