Milton's Tips
Milton says, "I need a tip! Do you
have a really spiffy idea that may of interest to other hobbyists?
Send me an E-Mail
explaining your suggestion, idea, etc. If we publish it on our
website or in our newsletter, we'll send you a
$5.00 gift certificate to spend in our store!
Not all tips will be printed -- only those that we
think are the best!"
Be sure to check our books and
magazines on boats. Find great "how to" advice from the
experts for both the beginner and "pro" alike.
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 R/C
Boat Primer
Radio controlled boats run the gamut from small pond racers to
large, powerful hydroboats. Boats are powered by electric motors,
glow fuel or gasoline engines.
R/C boats can be ready-to-run or they can be kits that you
build, much like a real boat. Prices range from $85.00 to
$2,000.00 and up!
Many of the terms used in R/C boating come right from the real
boat world. The following is a small basic guide to miniaturized
boating:
Hulls
Displacement Hulls
Displacement hulls have round-bottoms with large underwater
profiles, which are designed to move slowly through the water.
Generally, these boats need to be outfitted with a deep keel or
stabilizers to prevent rolling.
Planing
Hulls
Planing hulls are designed to rise up and ride on top of the
water when power is applied. These hulls run much faster because
they encounter less resistance. There are three types of planning
hulls:
- Monos: single planing surface:
- Flat-bottom: used for small utility boats and high speed
Crackerbox racers which have a shallow draft.
- Deep-V: tend to have a sharper entry into the water
(generally with a v-angle greater than 15 degrees) and require more
power to achieve the same speed
as shallow-v hulls.
- Shallow-V: these hulls are generally faster in the
straight-aways because they ride higher in the water and encounter
less drag, but they are not as good in cornering.
- Multi-hulls: boats with more than one hull (that's an easy
explanation). These boats, such as catamarans, tunnel hulls and
pontoon boats are more stable because of their wide stance in the
water.
- Hydroplanes: These are the fastest boats and are designed
to run fast and high out of the water and thus, encounter the least
amount of drag.
Motors & Engines
Inboard
The engine or motor is mounted in the hull toward the center.
Inside a stuffing-box, it is connected to the shaft that goes through
the hull and is attached to the propeller.
Inboard/Outboard
Also referred to as "stern drives". The engine or motor is
mounted inboard and an outdrive that's attached low on the transom
swivels to steer the boat so no rudder is needed.
Outboard
The motors are bolted into place on the transom. The entire unit
is a self-contained propulsion system and it swivels to provide
steering.
Jet
Drives
Without using propellers, the inboard engine or motor takes in
water that flows through an impeller and is discharged at high pressure
through a nozzle to propel the boat forward. The nozzle swivels to
provide steering.
General Terms
- Beam: The point at the boat's greatest width.
- Bow: Front of a boat.
- Draft: The depth of water a boat draws.
- Keel: The hull's centerline that runs from the front
to the rear of the boat.
- Stern: The rear (aft) part of the boat.
- Stuffing Box: A metal tube, often stuffed with grease
that supports the drive shaft and seals the hull.
- Transom: The stern cross-section of a square-stern
boat.
- Boot Top: A painted line that indicates the water
line.
- Coupler: A device that connects the driveshaft to the
motor or engine.
- Displacement: The weight of water displaced by a
boat, i.e.: the boat's weight.
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