Aqua Craft Alligator Tours Air Boat

[Philderbeast]

The title says it all. I just aquired a Air Boat. It will be my first attempt at Nitro Marine. I may try to convert it to a VXL brushless later on cause nitro airplane fuel is not something I have found alot of round here. It has a few ruff spots on the hull, but looks to be in great shape with very little run time on the engine or boat for that matter. I need to grab up some fuel, to be sure it runs good. Does anyone know if I can use a little traxxas 20% surface fuel to just start it and give it a little throttle to check the engine? I am not sure if it would harm the motor or not. Here are a few poser pics next to the 1/10 revo for size comparrison. I can not wait to get her to the lake. I may be more into boats soon than I am into trucks. Later, thanx for looking, Phil.

[Philderbeast]

One more pic. Sorry if the quality of the pics are bad, took them with my Nokia e71x phone.

[TwiztidMetal]

i said a boat! LOOKS FUN!
is that homebuilt? I never seen one befor.

[Maxx man]

purdy sweet! and I have no idea about the nitro fuel (contrary to my name)

[roadrunnr43]

another one right. I will be expecting those 25 points in the mail, or I will accept any random box of assorted rc parts you have lying around. haha.

dont worry about fuel, its either air, or boat fuel that can get up to 70% nitro. the only thing is matching up you glow plug. having a super cold-plug with 20% aint gonna work, so you just need to change the plug to match.

[NHRCA_Revo]

Lol, there is one of those for sale at one of my LHS :eek:

they look pretty cool- only difference is that the one ear me dosent have those stickers

[Fiero_Man_121]

me likey:D

that looks like its going to be a lot of fun, a vid is in order asap!

[Philderbeast]

A vid will come as soon as I can run it. I may get to take it along with me to the job after next I do. I will be very near a large lake with lots of calm coves.
In the info from aquacraft it says use 10-15% aircraft fuel, but I just wanna know if I can start it for a minute or 2 with 20% traxxas top fuel? If it is going to hurt the engine, I do not want to do it. However, the only thing I could think of that may be different is type of fuel used to create the offroad vs. aircraft fuel and maybe even oil content. I am scared to start it up with the traxxas, and do not know when I can find airplane fuel, (or buy it for that matter).
I put the long side stickers on today, I thought it needed it to break up the aluminum look while being shelved. I know that in the aquacraft pics, it shows them with the stickers, both red and green, and it came with both. I also got a prop spinner(starter), battery for that, charger for the battery, controller, ,maunel, cradle or stand to set it on, and a few other things. It does have a broken linkage knuckle where the steering rod attaches to the left side flap. It looks very weak anyways, and I would have changed that before running it. It has a few small areas where paint was chippped, but recovered in the front and oe in the left rear. Bottom looks great, no scratches....(yet)!!!! Everything is clean, and looks to have had very little run time just like the dude said. He also installed a failsafe on it, so that is good. Now I just need a hump pack and charger, nitro, a few extra glow plugz, and an airfilter (did not come with one, but the 2 stage t-maxx filter should fit it well).
All in all, I am very glad to get it, and may trade in my wheels for some fins, lol. Now I just need those parts and some water. There is a decent vid of it on the towerhobbies and aquacraft websites. It looks like so much fun. Hey, anyone wanna race, I will even go on a slash corse against ya, lol, j/k:D

[Ron Olson]

The Traxxas fuel will be fine in this application. The oil content is too low for a marine engine but this is a plane engine so you should be cool.
As for the rest of the boat, there seems to be some problems as most RTR's of any kind seem to have them. The fuel will slosh around a lot so it may not get any and stall the engine, more so as it gets towards the bottom.
As far as needing an air filter, unless you run it on the ground, don't worry about it as planes and boats don't need or use them.

[Philderbeast]

Thanx Ron. I have been itching to take her out. Just got no where to run the ol girl yet. I need to grab up some Glow plugs. I am currently trying to save money to grab up an old vintage traxxas. Then it is on to batteries for E-Revo. I have been keeping an eye out for a good deal on those. I may just flood my back yard, (by accendent) and give her a little gas out there. I have been looking around for a neighbor with a pool. I am kinda scared to get her out in the lake till I know what the fuel slotch will effect her. So looking for something a bit smaller to try her out on. Maybe dad in laws pond, heck, it is only 3 ft at the deep end, that may be ideal. Anyhow, it sounds like fun. By the way, I need some decent, used traxxas waterproof electronics. Servo, esc, and reciever housing...(I may just buy that new). I will be trying to make a recovery boat from styrofoam. I need to find out what kind of resin or something people use on foam plane fuselages and such so I can streanthen the hull I will build some. It will be a kinda squarish barge type simple design. Maybe shave the front similar to the airboat just to help keep it from pushing water. I think I may just find a cheap small prop and attach it to a old junker 540 can motor to create a airboat type recovery boat, or if I can just find a cheap motor to prop setup and make it a regular outbaord typ deal. Just going cheap here. If anyone has some waterproof electronis they will part with cheap, lmk. Thanx, Phil.

[Ron Olson]

I was half-tempted to buy some of those Traxxas "waterproof" servos but changed my mind after seeing feedback on them. I use the term waterproof on them loosely as they're supposedly not as waterproof as you'd expect. I use a waterproofing spray like Corrosion X or The Stuph which are mineral oil based. I've got a small spray bottle of Aero-Plate that's no longer made and it has saved me a lot of RX's and servos. I've had radio boxes full of water, drained it out and went back to running like nothing happened.
The airboat should slide on wet grass and doesn't need much water to float but on grass you probably won't see much speed.
A buddy made a cheap airboat out of one of those tiny swimming pool surfboards sold in department stores. I should have a video of it running somewhere.

[Philderbeast]

All I need to run this bad boy is a glow ignightor and charger. I was going to pick one up the other day, but never got to the hobby shop. I want to pick up some plugs too.

[Fiero_Man_121]

ron, dont lose faith in those trx servos, took my monster pede out for a spin in my lake with the trx servo and esc (bolloned rx) and it still works fine. may do it again soon

[MAPAHaus]

I just bought that same Airboat from Aquacraft. Have you got a chance to try it on yet? I was able to try and I noticed that it can easily flipped as I did it. I checked out some other airboats in Youtube and noticed that they have made theirs with a much wider body. Now I understand why mine flipped. I will be attaching on something on each sides to keep it from flipping sideways. You really should be able to do quick 180 degree turn with these airboats, but not with the way aquacraft designed theirs.

I use 20% aircraft fuel with mine. The instruction manual state 10 - 15%, but mine came with a disc movie on how to operate the boat and it stated 10 - 20%. So, I figured the 20% will not hurt as it has a more oil content which is always good for your engine.

MAPAHaus