Back to old school

[blueskyracer]

Well the wife suggested now that it is winter maybe we should get back into a sport we use to do.. It was a lot of fun and easier on the old body.. We dug out the only boat we had left from out racing days in the 1990's.. We had to clean out a lot of rat sh*t and it looks pretty good.. I am finding enough parts to put together three OPS motors and we ordered some stuff that had rotted away like the fuel, and water lines plus we gave away a lot of stuff when we got out.. Plus are radios were out dated.. We have applied for the registration on two boats.. One we have and another I will have to build but I have built close to 50 of these suckers..

A little history is this class all has to duplicate a Unlimited that raced.. Nobody can have the same boat as another person so you have to apply for the boat you want.. They are all controlled by a two channel radio and run with a .67 water cooled two stroke motor.. They run in a clockwise direction since this class originally started with airplane engines so the torque is opposite of a outboard.. The main thing is the boat has to look like the real one.. Paint codes and decals must be a perfect match.. Drivers have to have helmet and driver suit and they go between 60-65MPH

[blueskyracer]

Here is a link to the biggest club in the USA https://www.youtube.com/user/rcunlimiteds

[blueskyracer]

Throw back Thursday.. This picture is about 1992 with our daughter.. We plan to run some next year

[Aussie Steve]

Looks like fun Mike !!

[blueskyracer]

It is a lot of fun and a lot easier on a person but can get expensive if you have to have someone else do all the work.. If you have nothing one of these boats with motor, paint job and radio will run $2000.. The motors are $550 alone

[Slowboat510]

Watching the RC Unlimiteds is something I've always enjoyed. I can remember going to Green Lake when I was about 12. While we were there, these guys were running RC boats. I specifically remember seeing a scale model of the new picklefork Pride of Pay N Pak (gold & orange). That was it. I was hooked! I've been into RC ever since.
I've found that racing RC is the same game, same type of atmosphere, same kind of participant. Just a different size of boat.
As far as Miss KYYX, I remember seeing that boat test at Seafair. I believe it's the old U-95 hull that was converted to a piston engine.

[JBM]

We went up to Bellingham to watch a similar race a while back. The boats were all electric though. Walking down to the lake I thought I could hear the motors winding out, only to find out it was the prop noise cutting the water. Very cool!!

[blueskyracer]

Nice button.. I did not think they had enough money to have buttons back then.. I remember going to Green Lake and watching Roger Newton run his scale boat back then.. He started the scale hydro class back then.. I remember how unreliable the radios were.. Things have greatly improved.. Yes John they now have a class called FE that is a electric version of these boats.. All of these boat range in length from 43-50 inches.. They have 11cc or .67 cubic inch motors and run in the low 60's on 50-60% nitro with tuned pipes.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DDDJOtjTbQ

Are there kits or plans to build the Hydros?

[blueskyracer]

Yes you can get plans at this link:: http://www.newtonmarine.com/ They are complete full size plans with the paint layout for that particular boat

[UThree]

When I crewed the U3 Miss Thousand Trails 1981 the Miss KYYX was being driven by a woman, Brenda Jones, maybe. Though I crewed, we did not go east and I only did Tri-Cities and Sea Fair.

[blueskyracer]

Brenda Jones was the driver and her name is on the side of our scale boat.. You can even see U-Tube video of the 1981 Seattle race

[blueskyracer]

well we have gotten to the test fit stage..

[blueskyracer]

More progress.. Tanks test fit and bottom installed

[nbranews]

RC boats are way fun. Since I moved to the east coast and no longer am involved in the NBRA I have began racing with NAMBA(North American Model Boaters Assn) and race 10 times a year around PA, NJ, and MD. I run a 32" mono hull with a "slightly modified" 26cc 2 cycle engine. runs speeds around 60MPH. This winter if I can find plans I want to build a Jersey Skiff boat.

[blueskyracer]

I am doing pretty much the same thing only with the scale boats... Like you said we can do ten races with a lot more racing for the money on the weekend.. What you need to do is find a jersey skiff and take measurement and design your own.. Thats how they do the scale unlimiteds