Hey! Do you mind if I butt in? I've been peeking at this thread now for some time now. Haven't really found a good place to drop in, but I think that I'm ready now.
I own an RTR. My kid still uses it. Pacer .32 airboat. I started putting it together and had it skipping across the pond on the same day. Unfortunately, that is about the only RTR available here that you can depend on. I've seen some of the Kyosho boats, but they are a nightmare. They seem so easy, but in most cases, the people who buy them never grow into extreme RC boat freaks. They are usually disappointed at the first level, and decide that boating isn't for them. I wish that we had the selection that you do in the states. I would like to see some AC model boats, some seaducers, some microbursts ready to run. Then I could recommend a good starter to all the folks that come down to the pond where we practice wanting to know where we get are boats. When I tell them that I make all my Riggers from scratch, and that everyone else does, too, they get turned off. I don't want to recommend kyosho either. I usually give my boats away after I get tired of them. A few people who received their first boat from me have become builders themselves. One of them has even built a boat that won the national championships. I know that my RTRs have gotten some people interested. If you have a boat that is just sitting in your store room collecting dust, give it to someone who shows an honest interest in the hobby.
I know that out of the 15 or so guys in our club, most of them started with a hand me down. I guarantee you that if you came down to the pond where we practice, and you showed interest in what we were doing, we would all be more than happy to get you in the water.
I already gave that all carbon boat away. It is being repainted by the new owner. He had been to our pond a few times just looking, then one day he showed up with a KYOSHO .15 belt drive out board tunnel hull. Couldn't get it started at first, but we helped him out, and he had a good time until things started breaking. Then he said, I wish I had the knowledge it requires to build boats like your riggers. Right then, I said, If you want one, I have one at home just sitting in my store room. Not the best boat in the world, but it will be fun enough for starters. He excepted, and he will be in the water with it in a few weeks. I bet next season, he will be racing his own riggers.
Have a good one, Hammer
I am so particular that it would take forever for me to assemble everything and even then I wouldn't be happy. I am currently obsessing over the linkage for my TopSpeed. I want it just right so it will take me a couple of weeks to do. RTR is causing a boom right now in the land and air-based r/c community and more RTR boats that are NOT Nikko/Tyco-quality will draw folks near water into the hobby. This means more money for companies that are going to put out not only RTR but great kits too! This has been my $.02...I will get off the box now.
