Is this True?

[Chris Thomas]

Let me preface this statement. I seen this on F_c_book. But I'm hoping this is NOT something that Mike at ML did...

 

[Greg Wannamaker]

Maybe, there are many FE and gas enthusiasts who have been predicting the death of nitro for many many years and maybe we’re there, who can say for sure, we have had motor manufacturers have come and gone and we’re still here. Will some one step up and into the void, I hope so. In my opinion and if you want to identify a cause, on this point I agree, we did it to ourselves, I don’t blame those that pursued FE or Gas but in doing so we diluted our numbers and like it or not we are a finite and small group, so when we split our focus like that, its inevitable, the few manufacturers that we do have, have a difficult time making a long term profitable run at it. As for a solution, trying to get an eclectic group of hobbiests to agree on a solution would be a losing battle. So and as for me I chose to enjoy the days we have in front of us as everything changes, thats for sure, where we all end up in our hobby is not something that can be controlled, my experience and belief is that control is and always has been an illusion and all we can do is enjoy the ride and while it lasts.

There, that’s my 2 cents.

 

[Bill Gibson]

Maybe, there are many FE and gas enthusiasts who have been predicting the death of nitro for many many years and maybe we’re there, who can say for sure, we have had motor manufacturers have come and gone and we’re still here. Will some one step up and into the void, I hope so. In my opinion and if you want to identify a cause, on this point I agree, we did it to ourselves, I don’t blame those that pursued FE or Gas but in doing so we diluted out numbers and like it or not we are a finite and small group, so when we split our focus like that, it inevitable, the few manufacturers that we do have, have a difficult time making a long term profitable run at it. As for a solution, trying to get an eclectic group of hobbiests to agree on a solution would be a losing battle. So and as for me I chose to enjoy the days we have in front of us as everything changes, that for sure, where we all end up in our hobby is not something that can be controlled, my experience and belief is that control is and always has been an illusion and all we can do is enjoy the ride and while it lasts.

There, that’s my 2 cents.

I got involved in FE boats about a year ago, and I’m having a blast with them, but I have absolutely no intentions what so ever of getting rid of my nitro stuff.... it’s still too much fun for me!
What’s so bad about running/racing different power plants? I’ve got nothing against gas boats either... to each their own!
Nitro is not dead and with a little push from the right people it could easily creep back up in numbers. This has been a tough year to be sure, be we just have to keep moving forward....I sincerely hope Nova Rossi will comeback, and if the market could be competitive with more manufacturers, there would be more competitive pricing but it’s about the numbers or in our nitro hobby, the lack of......, but I still don’t see it collapsing all together anytime soon......heck, i’ll Run my old K&Bs if i need some motors to play with!!!!

 

[Mike Luszcz]

I should not have directed that post at NR, which after thinking more about how it was misworded incorrectly, was immediately deleted. So to Nova Rossi as a company, I will say I am sorry, and I hope things do work out. The post was screen shot by people, who instead of asking me directly why I would say this decided it would become another way to use something against me. This actually had nothing to do with No a. I am sorry, but again, I am not at liberty to explain my lashing out. You guys will unfortunately have to ponder. I can't go back and re-live 6-7 years ago, or I will just shut down ML Boatworks and walk away.

 

[ALLAN YUEN]

Question??? Alive or Dead for nitro motors
OPS
Picco
A/A
CMB
O.S
Build in factories
Need to info thanks

 

[Kris Flynn]

I should not have directed that post at NR, which after thinking more about how it was misworded incorrectly, was immediately deleted. So to Nova Rossi as a company, I will say I am sorry, and I hope things do work out. The post was screen shot by people, who instead of asking me directly why I would say this decided it would become another way to use something against me. This actually had nothing to do with No a. I am sorry, but again, I am not at liberty to explain my lashing out. You guys will unfortunately have to ponder. I can't go back and re-live 6-7 years ago, or I will just shut down ML Boatworks and walk away.

All good Mike. Those that matter, know the truth bmand reason behind your "outburst".
Everyone is guilty of saying/writing things and regretting how they went about about.

Time to stop stirring the pot gents...

 

[Greg Wannamaker]

Not stirring the pot and I don’t take exception to anything Mike and others have said, I just expressed an opinion, mostly from curiosity as to where it all goes from here. I still have 25 year old motors that are wicked racing weapons and am parted up to keep racing as long as I choose to. As for me, I have no intention of stepping away from nitro, boat building and racing. So very many adventures yet to have. Ok, that’s now 4 cents worth of opinions.

 

[Bill Gibson]

I should not have directed that post at NR, which after thinking more about how it was misworded incorrectly, was immediately deleted. So to Nova Rossi as a company, I will say I am sorry, and I hope things do work out. The post was screen shot by people, who instead of asking me directly why I would say this decided it would become another way to use something against me. This actually had nothing to do with No a. I am sorry, but again, I am not at liberty to explain my lashing out. You guys will unfortunately have to ponder. I can't go back and re-live 6-7 years ago, or I will just shut down ML Boatworks and walk away.

Well said Mike, and keep pumping those kits and designs out! This hobby NEEDS you for all power types of model boating!

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Okay Mike,
I know we don't agree on much and that is fine.
What I will agree on is your post above. Making a public apology like that says a lot about someone and, in this case, it's something good
I'm out of this thread

 

[Mike Luszcz]

Amazing how this morning went, a fellow member of my Church read the following verse to our congrigation and it hit me, I need to move on from the past and be following the right path better than I have done in the last week. I have to keep learning, every day.
Romans 12-

17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

From someone who has built a lot of model boat kits dating back to the .049 powered Miss Thriftway in the mid 50s, I greatly appreciate your contributions to the hobby.

JD

 

[Bill Gibson]

From someone who has built a lot of model boat kits dating back to the .049 powered Miss Thriftway in the mid 50s, I greatly appreciate your contributions to the hobby.

JD

I had so much fun free running my Thriftway and Atlas U-71 hydros....ahhh the smell of thimble drone fuel and hot .049 engines!!

 

[Alan Elzer]

Okay Mike,
I know we don't agree on much and that is fine.
What I will agree on is your post above. Making a public apology like that says a lot about someone and, in this case, it's something good
I'm out of this thread

Agreed

 

[don donikowski]

From someone who has built a lot of model boat kits dating back to the .049 powered Miss Thriftway in the mid 50s, I greatly appreciate your contributions to the hobby.

JD

Hi Jerry,
Don Donikowski here.
Been a long while since we last spoke but my kids are grown now and I get to play.
I'm returning to my beloved hobby-nitro boats- and noticed you too built
a .049 Dumas Miss Thriftway. That was my first boat kit! 1957 Now I'm actually looking
for one to build and add r/c to. Nostalgia is alive and well here. I used a Holland Hornet.
Nice you've remained in this hobby. You too have contributed immensely to many of us!
Thanx!
Don

 

[Kevin Burns]

Im astatic that rossi is going out. I am in the same boat I love nitro but do to the cost of some engines I'm forced to run old K&B, and or used engines. I get it, the cost of living has went way up so of course the cost of parts/engines has gone up. I have mentioned before if the machine guys/gals would help mecoa out and manufacture the missing parts for the engines (At a respectable labor/material cost) I mean even OS Max, 500 bucks for a 3 port overly built heavy outboard engine is way out of the ballpark. 250 for a 5 port inboard is doable but 500 plus for anything else is just goofy.
Yes, it is nice to have high quality engines available to us but not everyone can afford them, so people leave the IMPBA because they can't compete with that, and the ones who can simply buy up the stock so it is even harder to get the engine. The same people who buy up the stock of engines also run an unaffordable 70% nitro content.
Fuel cost aint bad, a gal of 40% RED MAX from HSoils is only 50 bucks.

Albeit I don't see it as the manufactures who did it to themselves but the boater and the IMPBA, also plays a part. If one buys all the engine, the manufacture has to hire more people to manufacture the engines, so profit goes down and cost goes up. I go to a race and see a bunch of ebay china hardware that forced out the USA made good stuff.
Even the cheap china stuff is not affordable.
A cheap rudder, the inferior alloys the threads strip out, the metals break, so constant rebuying gets spendy, I would rather spend 40 bucks on a good rudder and have it for life vs a 10 buck china rudder that I have to buy 20 of them in a 5 year time.
I hate FE, yes todays FE boats are fast but also at a cost, FE ain't cheap, even at a hobby fun run level.
200 for a speed control, 200 for lipos, 200 for a motor, etc, FE aint cheap when the speed controls burn up, and batteries catch fire.

I don't race anymore because it is impossible to get a high end engine or the aftermarket parts to enhance them. Because seller/outlets only sell to people they know, I guess to make sure their buddy can race while the normal guy has to wait.

And there is really no affordable stock class anymore.
The stock RTR hydro class looks cool but not everyone likes hydros. Plus if the stock boat came with the .16 engine your aloud to take the stock RTR engine out and run a .18? That boat would not be stock RTR anymore DUH.
I bought a stock hydro with a .16 engine, because it is ok, I tried to get the Super Tiger engine but guess what? Couldn't get it because a few people bought them all up, so I ended that project and never rejoined the IMPBA, because at .16 I could not compete with the .18's. I could have put in a the HPI .18 but I have had to modify the complete boat and it would not have been a stock boat anymore.

B- Stock Tunnel, might as well be B-modified Tunnel. A stock outboard is the power head and lower unit together as it takes both to propel the boat, somehow the officials have allowed clubs to let so called stock NR power heads to be bolted to a non stock os lower units and or allowed aftermarket lower units. That's not a stock engine. An outboard engine comes stock with a stock lower unit. So again, people leave the IMPBA and that lowers sales for the manufactures, thus pushing them out.
I don't even know what the OPS OB power head goes for, because I can't find one for sale. Someone has 15 of them in a closet. get what I am saying.
I have owned the OS and am not afraid to run a K&B against them. But the OS is a NR w/OS lower nowadays in a stock class.
I seen one 7.5cc outboard in a mod class that had a CMB inboard front drum/rotor non crank induction, cut crank and a starter belt, come on man, a crank induction can't run against that. And most won't go to that length so we don't run the 7.5cc outboard class, hence the hobby takes a hit. So when newcomers see that they walk away from the "Hobby".

I said this before too, there is no experience level break down eather, so a newcomer races against someone with 30 years exp, and or a sponsored pilot, and walks away. (Ill run with anyone) But a newcomer will just get embarrassed and walk away (Again killing sales) Killing the manufactures.

Proboat, the biggest junk in the world, hulls are crap, parts are cheaply made, it takes a rich man to run a proboat do to daily repairs.

You all did it to yourselves.

What I don't get is NR has a great following with the buggy engines, there are so many NR buggy engines out there that are affordable, one can look under any tree and find one. There are a lot of manufactures manufacturing buggy engines but wont manufacture a marine engine because NR cornered the market with marine engines, because other manufactures wont manufacture a marine engine "do to the gamble" if it will sell. And this is the end result.

Forget finding a CMB .21 and such.

People enter the hobby and leave, why?......I know why. A lot of arrogant people, secrets as to outlets to get stuff, people not wanting to help the newcomer, sellers deciding who can buy what and when.
All the above is just few reasons, in the end a newcomer enters and leaves, sales take a hit.

Example: I asked a simple question as to why a red K&B carb wont run with a gold head OB. Instead of just saying "Because the cooling fins won't cool the engine enough and the engine will overheat and lean out and die". No, I get a arrogant reply or no answer to my question. A newcomer would leave, wipe his hands and go to r/c cars. Sales go down and the hobby dies. I guess you all like racing the same 12 people every weekend.

The hobby has advanced and that's always a good thing, the biggest thing that is killing the hobby/sport is the IMPBA, the sport has advanced but the rules have not. It's like a free for all and the clubs get to decide and change rules.


Zip Kitts has done a great job trying to make rc boating affordable, while other outlets strive to get rich.

If anything above offends you, than maybe you needed to read it because you know it's true.

The best advancement and way to get more ppl into the hobby to buy stuff and bring the prices down, is to make it a easy entrance into the hobby. Instill some beginner classes and follow the rules and don't change the rules for what the racers want. It blew my mind when I herd you can take a stock hydro and change the engine. The racers decided that can be done and the IMPBA allowed it.

My opinion is mine and is not under argument and I will not apologise either. I count too.

 

[Bill Gibson]

Wow! You are one bitter dude........I mean you hate just about everything....maybe you should try a different hobby, because you certainly aren't happy in this one......and for some reason I don't think you would be missed! Oh, I will agree with you that Zip Kitts is a fine company, but I don't think that you will find anybody in r/c boating getting "rich" !

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Wow! You are one bitter dude........I mean you hate just about everything....maybe you should try a different hobby, because you certainly aren't happy in this one......and for some reason I don't think you would be missed! Oh, I will agree with you that Zip Kitts is a fine company, but I don't think that you will find anybody in r/c boating getting "rich" !

Bill, I read the above post earlier and said to myself, WOW is this dude out it touch?!
Thinking that a small few are hoarding stuff just so others cannot have it. Really?
Dead set against IMPBA, SOMEHOW the lack of equipment is there fault!?!?
I feel some of my best connections and help have come from people I have met (and not all face to face) through IMPBA & NAMBA.
People from coast to coast. North to South have contributed to my model boating fun and addiction.
Lighten up Kevin and join a club, make a difference instead of a pain in the ass of yourself

 

[Hydro Junkie]

I doubt anyone could have said that better, Rick.

 

[Terry Keeley]

Fact is that nitro r/c boat racing has become almost a "niche" hobby/sport.

It takes time, effort and yes a bit of cash to get a nitro boat running competitively and that's not for everyone, especially in today's "instant gratification" society.

That's a big reason why gas is so popular, and as prices come down so will FE.

Hell in 20 years we'll all be running FE if the "greenies" get their way...

 

[Brandon Atwell]

Since the other aspects have been covered;

IMPBA and NAMBA both split the tunnel classes
IMPBA- B sport. Engine must be sold as one unit (engine, lower, muffler) internal mods are okay but no aftermarket parts or bore changes. While Novarossi USA sells the OS engines, that design (aside from the extended muffler and can) hasn’t changed.
B modified and D modified, anything goes within correct engine sizing


NAMBA- A and B stock- no internal mods, engine must be straight from manufacturer. Parts used must be for the correct model engine and can not be swapped between series.

A and B mod- same as IMPBA rules. Where do you get that all classes are outlaw “run what you brung?”

While engine prices are on the higher end these days, an engine manufacturer potentially failing doesn’t lower costs by any means. Less options means less sales, thus lower supplies. Lower supplies with high demands equals price increases. A manufacturer failing doesn’t benefit anyone.

I will add this in, I promise a majority of people at a race will invite you into a tent, offer a drink and any advice they can give. In reference to the KB red carb thread, the intent behind words can get skewed as emotions aren’t conveyed through a text. One of the guys that replied to your question offered me a prop to run the first weekend I met him and the other shipped me his $700 radio on a moments notice when I ran into a last second problem, never actually meeting him prior to this. Hardly arrogant people by any means.
Like Rick said, come out to a race and meet some people face to face. We can’t control costs outright, but we can control the bonds we build. We’re always learning something new.