What Hydro Kit for a Bonzi Sportz G26?

[Terry Heddin]

Recently acquired a Bonzi Sportz G26 and want to build a scale or semi-scale hydro to put it in. Been looking at the SLR Missile from Zippkits.
What other kits are out there? I want something that can be made, to somewhat replicate a vintage hydroplane.
I have built a few small scale Dumas, and other boats over the last 30 years and I have built a lot of giant scale gas and electric R/C aircraft, so I don't think the build is out of my comfort zone.

 

[FloridaScaleBoater]

Look at ML Boat works.
Many Lazer cut kits.

 

[ChrisHerzog]

Rick is correct, ML had a ton of different hulls you can build.

Keep in mind that the ML kits are not complete kits. They are only the pre cut frames. You can get the plywood from them to skin the boat but the plywood is not cut out you have to do that. The kits do not come with a cowling and Mike does not sell them. You have to look and see if anyone makes a cowl for the kit that you want to build and see if they are available. For that look at RC Boat Company or Phill Thomas hydros just to name a couple people that offer cowls. If you can’t find a cowl you will be on your own to make a cowling. In that case contact Newton Marine and they have some drawings that will help you. The kits can get pricey too. I built a boat from ML, the kit was like 180.00, with the skin shipped to me was right at 300.00 and the cowl was right at 200.00 shipped to me. I then got a decal kit that cost about 100.00 and I haven’t started building anything yet meaning you still need to make a jig, buy epoxy and CA.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ML kits, just know what you’re getting into first. Also the older boats from the late 70’s and 80’s are much easier to build than the newer turbine boats. I would strongly recommend doing one of them first before trying to tackle a newer hull.

Last thing, go look up M5 Preformance Hydros on Youtube. Scott puts out tons of how to build vids with a ton of great ideas for building these scale boats. The vids are great for both beginners and experienced builders.

 

[Terry Heddin]

Rick is correct, ML had a ton of different hulls you can build.

Keep in mind that the ML kits are not complete kits. They are only the pre cut frames. You can get the plywood from them to skin the boat but the plywood is not cut out you have to do that. The kits do not come with a cowling and Mike does not sell them. You have to look and see if anyone makes a cowl for the kit that you want to build and see if they are available. For that look at RC Boat Company or Phill Thomas hydros just to name a couple people that offer cowls. If you can’t find a cowl you will be on your own to make a cowling. In that case contact Newton Marine and they have some drawings that will help you. The kits can get pricey too. I built a boat from ML, the kit was like 180.00, with the skin shipped to me was right at 300.00 and the cowl was right at 200.00 shipped to me. I then got a decal kit that cost about 100.00 and I haven’t started building anything yet meaning you still need to make a jig, buy epoxy and CA.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ML kits, just know what you’re getting into first. Also the older boats from the late 70’s and 80’s are much easier to build than the newer turbine boats. I would strongly recommend doing one of them first before trying to tackle a newer hull.

Last thing, go look up M5 Preformance Hydros on Youtube. Scott puts out tons of how to build vids with a ton of great ideas for building these scale boats. The vids are great for both beginners and experienced builders.

Yeah, been studying the site and that is pretty much what I can see. Being it will be my first big boat, I may go with the Missile, simply because there is so much info and so many build threads.
Thanks for the reply.

 

[ChrisHerzog]

Zip kits sells really nice complete kits. I don’t know anything about your motor or what your intentions with the finished boat are so just keep this in mind.

That hull is a really nice and competitive hull, but it’s a Thunderboat. If you race and you want to race your boat, that class requires you to run a stock motor in the boat. Like I said though, I don’t know what your intentions are to do with the boat. If it’s just for play and you don’t race then go for it! You then might also want to check out Blazer Marine. He also sells a great Thunderboat kit as well as a couple great Gas Sport Hydro kits that your motor would be a good fit with.

Here are some pics of my Blazer Thunderboat and a couple ML kits that I have built.

 

[Terry Heddin]

Zip kits sells really nice complete kits. I don’t know anything about your motor or what your intentions with the finished boat are so just keep this in mind.

That hull is a really nice and competitive hull, but it’s a Thunderboat. If you race and you want to race your boat, that class requires you to run a stock motor in the boat. Like I said though, I don’t know what your intentions are to do with the boat. If it’s just for play and you don’t race then go for it! You then might also want to check out Blazer Marine. He also sells a great Thunderboat kit as well as a couple great Gas Sport Hydro kits that your motor would be a good fit with.

Here are some pics of my Blazer Thunderboat and a couple ML kits that I have built.

No racing, just playing around on the local lake. It's a large lake and tends to get too rough for my smaller models, if any breeze at all, so looking for something to run on "other than glass" conditions.

 

[Rich Jones]

Rick is correct, ML had a ton of different hulls you can build.

Keep in mind that the ML kits are not complete kits. They are only the pre cut frames. You can get the plywood from them to skin the boat but the plywood is not cut out you have to do that. The kits do not come with a cowling and Mike does not sell them. You have to look and see if anyone makes a cowl for the kit that you want to build and see if they are available. For that look at RC Boat Company or Phill Thomas hydros just to name a couple people that offer cowls. If you can’t find a cowl you will be on your own to make a cowling. In that case contact Newton Marine and they have some drawings that will help you. The kits can get pricey too. I built a boat from ML, the kit was like 180.00, with the skin shipped to me was right at 300.00 and the cowl was right at 200.00 shipped to me. I then got a decal kit that cost about 100.00 and I haven’t started building anything yet meaning you still need to make a jig, buy epoxy and CA.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the ML kits, just know what you’re getting into first. Also the older boats from the late 70’s and 80’s are much easier to build than the newer turbine boats. I would strongly recommend doing one of them first before trying to tackle a newer hull.

Last thing, go look up M5 Preformance Hydros on Youtube. Scott puts out tons of how to build vids with a ton of great ideas for building these scale boats. The vids are great for both beginners and experienced builders.

Great post Chris, this is exactly what the hobby needs. Good advice.

 

[Rich Jones]

Zip kits sells really nice complete kits. I don’t know anything about your motor or what your intentions with the finished boat are so just keep this in mind.

That hull is a really nice and competitive hull, but it’s a Thunderboat. If you race and you want to race your boat, that class requires you to run a stock motor in the boat. Like I said though, I don’t know what your intentions are to do with the boat. If it’s just for play and you don’t race then go for it! You then might also want to check out Blazer Marine. He also sells a great Thunderboat kit as well as a couple great Gas Sport Hydro kits that your motor would be a good fit with.

Here are some pics of my Blazer Thunderboat and a couple ML kits that I have built.

Also great info. Another add on the TBoat whether zippkits or Blazer or other, a mod motor is ALOT of motor for the vintage style hydros like the Lauterbach etc… I watched Brian Blazer put a 29.5 mod into his LB and it was BLAZING fast (see what I did there?) but every time he let off the throttle the transom would drop and the boat would blow over. Stock 26 is what you want for the TBoat class. Even if you’re just gonna play. You can get that hull close to mid 60’s with the right set up and using a stock motor.

 

[Terry Heddin]

Thanks for all the replies.
I have a stock G260, and don't intend to race, so I decided to go with the SLR Missile.
The kit has been shipped and should be here Saturday. Can't wait to start on it.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Personally, I prefer to build from Newton plans. You can scale them up or down as desired and, if you chose to do so, changes in frames are basically free. If/when you do build a scale like boat, don't start building until you have the required cowl. If you start building without it, other than the sponsons, you may have to take everything apart and rebuild or add blocks to the hull to make the cowl to tub joint look correct.