Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Yachts and Sail => Topic started by: Seacommander on August 11, 2013, 02:58:28 pm

Title: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Seacommander on August 11, 2013, 02:58:28 pm


OK,

My 10 year old daughter has been sailing a small 'footie' with some of the members of the club and has asked for a boat for her birthday, well it beats the Dolls House !

So with time restraints ect, what are your recommendations for a RTR or almost RTR model, not to worried about cost size or looks, I want something that is solid and will withstand a bit of action...

Thanks in anticipation

Cheers

Mark
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Shipmate60 on August 11, 2013, 05:01:04 pm
Sail or Scale?


Bob
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Netleyned on August 11, 2013, 05:05:44 pm
Or semi fast electric?

Ned
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Seacommander on August 11, 2013, 05:45:27 pm


Sorry Guy's

Sail !

Thanks

Mark
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Netleyned on August 11, 2013, 05:55:52 pm
The DragonForce RG65 looks about right.

Ned
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: jaymac on August 11, 2013, 07:02:15 pm
Thunder tiger ''Victoria '' not RTR  new but usually a couple on Ebay ready to go I got mine for £50 and she  might even race it with the big boys
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Shipmate60 on August 11, 2013, 09:30:24 pm
Any use?


http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KYOSHO-FAIRWIND-R-C-MODEL-SAILING-YACHT-/111141992319?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item19e094377f (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/KYOSHO-FAIRWIND-R-C-MODEL-SAILING-YACHT-/111141992319?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item19e094377f)


Bob
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: mrpenguin on August 12, 2013, 09:02:22 am
@SeaCommander:
 
The DragonForce65 looks a good call, should come with a (limited distance) radio - however they are just released (the version 2 model) and will go like hot cakes I predict.
 
You did not mention what size of boat - after a footy, any bigger boat should be a snap for her to sail... but transport might be a consideration... also the depth of the pond??
Down the budget end of the market, the HobbyKing boats(http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__285__254__Boats_Parts-Sail_Boats.html (http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__285__254__Boats_Parts-Sail_Boats.html)) are worth a look (Surmount 800mm, Legend and Monsoon 900mm, Phantom 1000mm) - they need a little work to get them reliable though (sealing the hatch and replacing the rigging are the key ones), also they need a radio and ballast. I own a Surmount and two Monsoons, great boats with mods as above...
 
The Joysway Focus (1000mm) is also another contender perhaps...?
 
Shipping time may also be an issue depending on your location...
Hope this helps...
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: tigertiger on August 12, 2013, 01:55:38 pm
I would say that some of the smaller very cheap RTRs don't sail too well. They also often come with a 'broad' 27mhz toy grade radio that will get swamped/jammed by other more powerful hobby grade radios (that have specific narrow channels in the 27mhz range).


And ARTR should be a better bet. Victoria is smaller than one meter boats and sails well. They also need an aftermarket (you chose) radio.
If you buy on ebay check to see if the have a radio supplied, if you need a two channel set up.


In a similar size, the Graupner Micromagic seem to have an excellent reputation. Not sure if they come with radio. Do a search on here there is a thread on these boats.


As has been suggested, think about size. The 1 meter boats are also about 2m tall from keel to mast tip. They don't always break down easily for transport.
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: slug on August 12, 2013, 06:50:24 pm
the dragon force would be my choice have taken 5" off keel ,hasnt made a lot of difference to sailing quality.they now come with full range radio  tony
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Seacommander on August 12, 2013, 10:45:03 pm


HELLO !!

Thanks for some excellent suggestions !!

I'm not toally sure at this time what I'm foing to do, but I have some time and will look at all of the options. I have also been looking at Fleabay - The big draw back with this option is that may have to travel a distance to collect. I take the point that I could buy something with better radio and that is 'sorted' for less than a new model, which may not be what I had hoped for.

Also, looking at all of the model shop pages on the net, I wasn't aware that there were so many??

Anyhow, this is going to happen so I'll kep you posted   

Many thanks

Mark
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: jaymac on August 13, 2013, 05:47:13 am
Hi another source is model boat clubs often have a For Sale  section on their websites
http://www.mes-marine.co.uk/mt/models/clubs/index.htm (http://www.mes-marine.co.uk/mt/models/clubs/index.htm)
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: rem2007 on August 13, 2013, 05:00:45 pm
I recently acquired an Aquacraft Vela, which is stated to be a 1 metre yacht but I have been told is not competitive in this class as it has a tapered keel. I have only had it out once and it was quite gusty and I was still getting use to the rigging, but initial reports are positive.
I am sure once the rigging is more familiar and getting used to the handling it will bring me many hours of enjoyment.
I purchased the Vela off the SWAMBC site for £145 and it was fully assembled and never sailed. So it seems to be a bargain. :-))
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 13, 2013, 10:37:15 pm
A very popular boat over the years is the Seawind produced by Kyosho. These boats have been sold in the past as kits. Over the last year they were pulled out of production and became very difficult to find.
The good news is that Kyosho has announced that are re-releasing the Seawind again to be sold as an RTR. I can give you the US factory link to take a look http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/SEAWIND-READYSET_p_22749.html (http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/SEAWIND-READYSET_p_22749.html)

I understand that the Kyosho UK site is accepting orders in advance of the stock arriving. May be worth a look see. Posted a few pictures of the newest version.

I have had two Seawinds, the first was their Carbon Fiber Edition and the one I currently own is their time tested ABS model.
Couldn't find any noticeable difference in how the two boats sailed. The CF version was quite pricey compared to the standard ABS construction model. The new model is ABS and appears to be the sames as previous models, only now it comes fully painted and ready to sail. Price will very from dealer to dealer.

I would think this would be a very good choice to consider. Sorry about the picture but it is a copy from the factory web site which restricts copying images for some reason. The web site has some good images for those interested. I posted a file photo of a previous Seawind to give you an idea of what they look like. The new and previous are the same - just different graphics as far as I can tell.

Boomer
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: tigertiger on August 14, 2013, 03:17:52 pm
The news on the Seawind is fantastic news.
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 14, 2013, 04:44:20 pm
Correction - In my previous post I mentioned hearing that Kyosho UK was accepting orders for the new Seawind in advance of their stock arriving. It was actually Germany not the UK. Sorry about that. Age thing! %)    It is not clear yet as to exactly when they'll be available, regardless, it is good to know they are coming back!  :-))    It would be nice if other manufacturers would follow this action by bringing back some of their very popular models now on the discontinued lists. Boats like Megatech's Nirvana ll, or the Micro Magics' or Tamiya's Yamaha RTW and others!    Just sayin.................it would be nice. O0

I am fortunate to have these boats, but I am asked regularly "where can I get one of those?" Sadly, my answer is you have to search the internet and hope that someone decides to sell one of their treasures. :((

Boomer
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Seacommander on August 14, 2013, 06:29:11 pm


Hi Guy's

Great Pic's there Bloomer!! Thansk for that

I'm getting more and more excited about this.

Just one point, of all of these boats, which of them are the toughest and strongest ?

Just a point, as this boat is going to get some  'Use'


I have my Ten year old in the Garage now,  painting a boat stand - Well have to get them started somewhere  !!

Cheers

Mark
 
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Netleyned on August 14, 2013, 06:38:43 pm
Get a Fiesta share the build and keep clear of
Chinese kerap which need loads of modification
to sail without lying flat as soon as someone
has a flatulence problem.
Natural progression Footy Fiesta IOM :-))

Ned
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: bjoehendy on August 14, 2013, 11:17:03 pm
my thought if you can build a kit boat boat from instructions the fiesta is the best all round boat out there .
good to sail as a starter but will hold its own against much more expensive boats
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 14, 2013, 11:32:49 pm
Would one of you chaps post some pictures of a Fiesta IOM? I don't recall seeing one. Is there a web site that sells the kits or is it a build from plans boat?

Mark, not sure what you mean by "Just one point, of all of these boats, which of them are the toughest and strongest ?
Just a point, as this boat is going to get some  'Use'."

Does this mean it will see a high frequency of use? Or very challenging sailing conditions? Or perhaps, youthful handling rather than, adult handling?

One of the most durable boats I have sailed is the Nirvana - here in the U.S. there have been thousands of them sold over the years. But like all good things, it looks like they are gone or at are at least on hold for now. Many of the boats that have been discussed here can be set up to sail in very challenging conditions. Without knowing specifically what the boat will be facing, it is hard to pinpoint just one boat for you. {:-{

Boomer (no L)  O0
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: tigertiger on August 15, 2013, 12:56:23 am
My Victoria has been greatly abused :embarrassed: . Never broken down for transport.


The shroud anchors needed regluing a couple of times,  I think you need to break the surface with the glue to get them to stick fast with the original adhesive, but mine are now solid.


I think part of the reasoning for discontinuing some of the models is that they were no longer competitive in their class.
But there are classes for specific models. And not all of us want to race competitively. That was a market perhaps forgotten about.


I also tend to think that non-competition boats tend to be less fragile. Maybe a wrong assumption.
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 15, 2013, 06:17:42 am
One of our largest online hobby companies has just begun selling RTR Victoria's for $199.99 with free shipping. Here is the link to their web page advertising with the details of this new offering.
Here's the link: http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXDPHZ&P=0 (http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXDPHZ&P=0)

I don't know if this is a limited offering to the U.S. market or if Thunder Tiger is offering this internationally.  The radio is only described as being a 2 channel - I'll call them in the morning to get more details.
To me this is a very attractive package. Look out Hobby King!  O0
Boomer
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Netleyned on August 15, 2013, 08:30:09 am
http://fiestayachts.homestead.com/Review.html (http://fiestayachts.homestead.com/Review.html)




Hi Boomer 
Link to Fiestas above.


Ned
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 15, 2013, 03:52:20 pm
I think part of the reasoning for discontinuing some of the models is that they were no longer competitive in their class.
But there are classes for specific models. And not all of us want to race competitively. That was a market perhaps forgotten about.
I also tend to think that non-competition boats tend to be less fragile. Maybe a wrong assumption.

Tigertiger,
My take on why some boats end up being discontinued is due largely to the manufacturer seeing a loss in revenue generation from that boat. There seems to be a life cycle to these items and when a particular boat (product) ceases to produce sales/revenue at the level needed to maintain it's viability, the manufacturer opts to stop production.

Examples that may tend to support this theory would be the Nirvana, Seawind, Fairwind perhaps the Micro Magic. These boats are all are "one design" classes and therefore wouldn't fall into the category of being non-competitive. As well the Yamaha and it's siblings the 40EX and Innovator didn't reach a sanctioned class status. The first three boats have been shelved on a few occasions, to be relaunched some time later with new graphics and perhaps a few other minor tweaks designed stimulate new interest in these boats.

The Micro Magic it appears, was a victim of the manufacturer going broke. There is a chance this venerable craft will reemerge since another company purchased Graupner's products and the rights to make them. We can hope! :-))

The recent news of Kyosho bringing back the Seawind and Thunder Tiger adding an RTR Victoria suggests their marketing folks see RTR boats are the current trend and replacing kits. I like having choices - but having these boats available is a good thing.

The vast majority of RC sailboats sold are not raced in formal settings such as club racing or regattas. I believe racing does help promote sales of boats but is not the primary market driver. I am not familiar with all the classes to know which boats may have been discontinued do to performance. What would be an example of one or two? Only my thoughts - could be wrong - would be the first time {-)


Hey Ned
Thanks for the link! How are the hatch openings sealed on the Fiestas? They look similar to the Tippecanoe T27 and T37 kits.

Boomer
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Seacommander on August 15, 2013, 11:41:32 pm


 Guy's this is turning out to be an interesting and entertaining thread!  Thanks all of you, for your input.
 
 I want to get something that will sail well and whilst the attraction of taking something out of a box and sailing it, is appealing, I also want to do the right thing, in truth, I'm not sure what that is now, but it’s got to sail well and be robust.
 
 Boomer,
 Sorry, I've not made myself clear. The boat will get sailed by both myself and my youngest, on quite a regular basis, I'm a total sailing novice, and my daughter is young hands, although she's not to bad when it comes to being sensible with my other models. I also believe in using models and want to use any boat in good and not so good conditions, just adds to the fun, so its a ‘yes’ to all of the answers.
Your comments on production and life cycles of products have to be agreed with, and I also like having choices, having these RTR boats available is a good thing. The way technology is progressing into the hobby market, laser cutting and CNC production is becoming evermore affordable; obviously a further and greater range of products is inevitable, another good thing. 

  I want to get a quality boat that will last, take some knocks and not break on me. If that is a boat not out of the box, then that's that.

Ned, thanks for the link !
 
As I said earlier, this is very interesting to me and thanks to all that have contributed.
 
 Cheers
 
 Mark
 
 
   
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: tigertiger on August 16, 2013, 03:40:35 am
My preference would be something smaller than a 1m as they are much more of a handful on dry land.
This was an issue for me, with my 1m.
But less than 600mm IMHO tend not to sail to well. There are a few exceptions, but they are few.
Generally speaking, bigger sails better, but this must be balanced with practicalities. You daughter needs to be able to handle it easily, and you need to be about to transport it easily.


Also think of storage at home. If you want to display in room, the Vic is manageable (see Boomer's pic).  A 1m will sit on a coffee table and almost touch the ceiling. Or you need to keep it on the floor.


When thinking of size of a model, think of volume/cube/cube root for a moment. A 500mm boat may be half the length, but it is only a quarter of the size of a 1m boat.


The TT Odyssey (610mm) looks very small next to the TT Victoria (780mm).
The TT Victoria looks small next to a 1m.


TT Vic (Boomers pic will give an idea of size)
Length:       30.7"  (779mm)   Mast height:  42.8" (1086mm)   Width: 7.7"  (197mm)    Weight: 4.6lbs (2100g)


TT Odyseey
Length: 24.01" (610mm)    Beam: 7.87" (200mm)      Mast Height: 31.10" (790mm)     Sail Area: 268.2 sq in (17.3 sq dm)

Overall Height: 41.34" (1050mm)     Overall Weight: 3.5lb (1.6kg)

Typical 1m
Length: 39" (991mm)     Beam: 6.75" (172mm)     Sail Area: 744 sq in (48 sq dm)    Mast Height: 51.4" (1306mm)    Overall Height: 67" (1580mm)    Overall Weight: 7.7lbs (3.5kg)
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: jaymac on August 16, 2013, 05:45:18 am
Mark
 as already said the Victoria is pretty hardy there is a step by step build guide on this forum amd a website in canada devoted to her with all the info a materials  regarding improving
http://www.okanaganmodelsailboat.org/Step-by-Step.html (http://www.okanaganmodelsailboat.org/Step-by-Step.html)
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Netleyned on August 18, 2013, 03:12:40 pm
Just a thought.
If she is sailing a footie with others is there another
tier of sailing above this and if so what are they sailing.
Better to get the same if there is competition.

Ned
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 25, 2013, 07:30:54 pm
Just a thought.
If she is sailing a footie with others is there another
tier of sailing above this and if so what are they sailing.
Better to get the same if there is competition.

Ned


Ned
If by "another tier of sailing above this" you mean in size, sure. Next in my mind would be the Micro Magic at 21.7" "the next tier." It is hard to explain what exactly makes this little boat such an amazing sailor. These little buggers sail as well as most 1 Meter boats I have sailed. The kits themselves are a little challenging to put together compared to others I've built. The effort is more than worth it.   

As I have said before, it is really sad when a good thing come to an end. The manufacturer of this and many other RC boats and related products went out of business late last year. Another company purchased their tooling and the rights to build their products and it is hoped they will bring back these truly amazing little warriors!   Their popularity is world wide even sporting a world wide association. If you could find a kit or completed boat on E-bay that would be a great catch and an ideal boat. I have had two V - 12 Footys - fun kits to build, but these boats are strictly for light winds - contrasted to a Micro Magic which can be sailed in 20mph + conditions. Really there is no comparison in performance between these two.
   
Boomer
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Netleyned on August 25, 2013, 07:46:31 pm
Hi Boomer,
I was asking if there was another bigger yacht being raced where she sails.
 No good having a one of a kind if the others a racing something else.

Ned
Title: Re: Advice on RTR Boats
Post by: Boomer on August 25, 2013, 10:28:00 pm
Hi Boomer,
I was asking if there was another bigger yacht being raced where she sails.
 No good having a one of a kind if the others a racing something else.

Ned

Ah I got it. Sorry about that. Can't help you on that one. The MM would still be a great choice.
Boomer