Radio Controlled Boats...Gift Guide and FAQs

I have collected the most frequently asked questions about radio controlled boats that gift givers have asked me so they can get their heads around the vast array of choices.

Are all Radio Controlled Boats Ready to Run (RTR)? Broadly, radio controlled boats come in three different types of packages; RTR kits, ARTR kits, and Assembly kits. RTR or ready-to-run need little or no assembly. Some small adjustments may be needed depending on the make of boat e.g. batteries in the boat and transmitter and fuel but they are essentially ready-to-run. They are perfect for the novice enthusiasts. ARTR or almost-ready-to-run involve partial assembly by a person who is either familiar with radio controlled boats or willing to dig into the manuals and videos about the product. Assembly kits are obviously more advanced. They come with all the parts needed to prep the boat for running but they must be assembled. The level of assembly varies but generally you need to be pretty advanced to be able to do this.

So just to be clear...are most RTR boats complete and ready to run? Some RTR boats have battery packs chargers and everything else included in the price however oddly some described as RTR boats often require you to buy a battery pack for the boat and batteries for the transmitter so check carefully. I always make it clear what is required for my boats. I think some people define RTR as "its all included and you open the box and go" and others define it as "ready to run after you add the power packs". So forewarned is forearmed.

How are they Powered? Radio controlled boats are made in three main types: electric, nitro, and gas versions. Electric are more popular because they are so easy to operate. Nitro boats use Nitro-methane fuel and gas boats use a regular car gas and oil mix.

How Easy are they? I find that the faster the boat the better skills you have to have. To control the boat you have to make minute changes on a radio transmitter to make the boat do what you want it to do. Doing this at 20mph is far easier than doing it at 50+mph. If you have a huge space and nobody else around you can let loose but more often than not other people are around. Even though small they can injure and do damage if they hit somebody and something. So beginners usually start with electric boats. The bigger and more expensive nitro and gas boats also need maintenance and tuning so you also have to be prepared for that. If you don't want to tinker with an engine stick to electric at least to start and get a feel.

What are these boats like? Electric is the least expensive and easiest to operate. They do however get slower as the run time progresses and the battery power is depleted. Nitro boast are mid price range, fairly easy to operate and nitro engines deliver say 25 mins of run time per tank and it s all at full power while there is fuel in the tank. Gas boats get the highest speed and use simple pull start engines that run on regular car gas mixed with 2 cycle oil. They run for up to 45 minutes on a tank.

How fast do they go? This gets asked a lot. This will vary a lot depending on the boat and how or if you tune them but you can expect electric boats to get between 15-20mph, Nitro boats between 30-35mph and gas to reach 40 to 45mph range. There are boats that are fine tuned to go well over 100mph - but that's obviously an expert level.

Can I run them anywhere? How well do they run in ponds rivers etc? Radio controlled boats can run on rivers, ponds, the sea and even pools. However they face a big problem if pond or sea weed is in the water. Radio control boats use rudder and propeller systems that are submerged into the water and they get snagged by the weed. Now this is similar to real boats except that the real boat engines have a great deal more torque and can generally cut through or break the weed (but not always). A boat running in weeds will bog down and most likely get stuck - the moral of the story is to run in clear water which will give you so much more fun.

What are the most common accessories for boats? Most electric boats require at least one and sometimes two 6 cell 7.2V battery packs. And you will need a charger to recharge them once depleted. Nitro boats require special nitro fuel and a starter kit to get the engine going. Gas boats use regular auto fuel mixed with 2 stroke oil. Refer back to the second question about RTR boats and what that really means.

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