WHH

Hi, Guys
The is Tony from Warehouse Hobbies and I would like to know some information on the interest level of the nitro / gas airboat market. Some of you may remember back in the mid 80's we made a fiberglass .40-.60 size airboat called the Enforcer Hurricane.
I would like to know what you guys look for in a model air boat, does it have to be scale? Can it look good and perform well off-scale? Price? I am asking because I may want to offer it or more models again in the future, maybe in kit form less engine, etc.
I normally do not get on the forums, I leave that to you guys, so hopefully this inquiry does not go against any site rules.
I am interested in hearing anything on the subject from all of you, and maybe we can start to make some more fun.
Thanks,
Tony C.
Warehouse Hobbies Inc.

Kmot

My Feedback: (24)

Hey Tony,

Locally at my pond and club there is a LOT of interest in airboats. 50% of the club has them. All are electric motor powered. Unfortunately, here in Southern California there is only ONE venue where gas/nitro can be used (Legg Lake). This eliminates 99% of all other bodies of water in So Cal for anything with an IC powerplant.

So, if you were to make a kit available, that had the potential for installing an electric motor in lieu of gas/glow it would open up a lot more opportunities.

WHH

Thanks for the head-up so fast. I fully understand and we have to cater to all markets these days. We also have full CNC capability here in the US to make easy to assemble wood kits in small or large quantitiies, and it seams that people are starting to build more again, and that is fantastic. I could easily make inexpensive wood kits for you electric guys as well as nitro. If you know anyone who has a good design and we can modify it for manufacturing, I would compensate for the rights to kit it, and also give credit where credit is due. I would normally sit down and design something but there may be some guys out there with some great designs to work from. I am always open for suggestions, we have to protect our industry and continue to make good domestic products, and that goes for Electric, Gas, and Nitro all inclusive of being model boaters. We as a group are all that is left to do the real advertising to assure the hobby stays alive.
Thanks,
Tony C.

Mr Cajun Gator

Tony since the M-AB-A started a few years back, the interest in the sport of RC Airboat racing is growing well. We still have a ways to go, and it looks really good. Like other rc the gasoline power plant is getting more attention lately. IMO the main reason the airboats had a hard time in the past is due to poor performance. In the beginning of the MABA would would only race 3 boats at a time, and now we have raced as many as 12 boats in a heat, because the boats are now handling so much better. The track size is 1/2 of what you would normally see for race boats, but we run 10 laps instead of 5.
We need more OEM for rc airboats to make this sport a success. Lately I have been getting calls and selling a few to the guys that are in the water prop race boat clubs. Most are saying that they want to add this sport to their clubs. We race what we call Sport Scale rc airboats, they are not perfect scale to the full size, but do look and are very close to scale, with the pusher set up and prop guard/roll cage.
[link=http://cajungatorairboats.com/id3.html]Pics and vids[/link]
We also are needing as much help as possible, to make the Sport of RC Airboat racing be all that it can be.
Harold Mcnett
President of the M-AB-A
Cajun Gator RC Airboats

WHH

Harold,
Sounds like fun. I will go to the site you sent me and start to become educated. I'd love to be part of a growing sport personally and on a business level, and we certainly could help boost it, especially if I had your guys help. I want to make good products, not something that resembles something covered with a bunch of stickers with the only intent of bottom line profit, we have enough of that now. I or my company will not bow to this new growing form of instant toys that look good and don't perform. It is good to see that there is an audience that wants or demands more. Please email me anything about your races, pictures, etc. I need to understand fully what you guys want, size, power etc. I rememeber showing the Hurricane at the Chicago show in 87' ,and being I live in Florida, we Damn near have to dodge full size airboats crossing the roads while driving. Where I live everybodies yard has one, probably the only toy I haven't owned, I've been thinking about it lately though. Anyway, the folks up North looked at it strange and I knew I was in troubble when a couple came up to the booth and the guys wife said, " Look honey isn't that the thing that was on Flipper". Some younger folks won't get that, just getting old.
Thanks,
Tony C.

Mr Cajun Gator

It is a blast. We are having a race Jan 17th and 18th this year location Ocklawaha, Fl. Im not real sure how for it is from You, if you are interested come check it out, good chance on having a extra boat if your interested in raceing. Give me a call, I'm willing to work with You.
Harold

WHH

Harold,
I will contact you so we don't clog up this forum. I will try to attend, I don't think I have any plans that weekend. Maybe Pam and I will take a nice bike ride with some friends.
Thanks,
Tony C.

mr. ilikehelp

ive looked at buying a nitro kit and one thinnng i want them to have woulod be like a engine upgrade or maybe for the CA folks a elecric model.

pinky_d_brain

Also check out RCAA
http://rcairboats.net/phpBB/index.php
It’s all about family and fun
Don’t think we are into scale as much

Selph-Inflicted

WHH,

We are neighbors, I'm from Okeechobee and have been playing with the airboats for a long time now. And now manufacture my own line of rc airboat kits.

Since the RCAA has started several years ago, the interest in rc airboats has really grown. Personally, I have built flat bottoms, stepped-hulls, V-hulls, and now hydros. I have had tons of fun with them over the years with my family and new found friends from around the world. I will say from my experience and what my customers ask for is....speed and performance. Without that, its no fun. 90% of my customers want the hydro style, simply because they are fast and handle great! We have seen speeds currently of 61.6 mph from one of my SI3 kits, with more speed to come out of them. With those speeds, we run on a track closely to the same size as the water proppers. I too have had numerous clubs that like the hydros vs the scale boats. In my opinion, the scale looking boats are limited on speed and especially handling (unless you use a water rudder on it). Maybe thats why the boat associations classified them as a "fun" boat, because they can get a bit out of control.

My website has alot more info than I have typed if your interested. If you would like, contact me personally, and we can discuss more efficiently...rather than having to type a lot.

We are gathering here at our local pond on Jan 24, you are more than welcome to come and run with us...or just hang out. Your just a hop, skip, and jump away from me. I look forward to talking to you more in the future!

WHH

I heard about you and often go the Okeechobee for rides. Yes we are within 45 minutes of eachother. Maybe it would make some good sense to kit some boats for you manufacturers, I don't need or want it all by know means, and understand that there are already players in this business that have put allot of effort in from what I have read. I have two very nice CNC routers and one is capable of 12' X 8' cuts. If you wanted us to, we could cut all of your sheet wood, it's so much faster than conventional. We do need to talk, and you may contact me anytime at: [email protected] as well as anyone else this interests. Once a program is written it is easy to modify it to make the boats larger or smaller.
The key to getting this segment bigger is to get the rest of the US aquainted with air-powered boats. Most modelers have no idea that an air boat can out run a gas boat, and with the right design and easy builds, I think WHH can get some interest, or we'll give it one Hell of a kick in the pants.
I took me over 5 years of serious ground pounding and advertising to get the gasoline concept somewhat accepted, and I met allot of resistance from my fellow nitro modelers in the early years. I don't even want to go there, you would not believe some of the childish comments and remarks that were made to me "waisting time" on string trimmer boats. I have very thick skin, and don't take the word no very well. The irony is, there are a couple still in business today, now making gas boats and or parts. I have never understood why it is so hard to try and accept a new concept in this business. Today gasoline model boating has dominated the worlds RC boating interests, and I would of never thought or intended for this to happened, I always thought it would be nice to melt two forms of model boating and people together to grow interest and club size.
I like your guys attitudes, that's the number one obsticle that we don't have to deal with. The rest just takes a bit of work and time. You guys are a different breed and you made my day today with all positive comments and open minds.
Let's get airboats popular!
Thanks,
Tony C.

WHH

Yes I understand, I have already been getting emails on the subject. I wish it can be done in a week, but give us a little time and I think we can come up with something for everyone.
Thanks,
Tony C.[8D]

lipdaddy

No matter what you decide to market, a prop gaurd of some kind is a must. I used to run without one and then one day I relized with my 3 yr old son running around and the ducks on the pond it wasn't very safe. It doesn't take much to make a good looking cage and it won't and that much more weight.

WHH

Your preaching to the chior, Pam was reading this with me and I glad it had a happy ending. It is a must that this done as safe as possible, even a 1.5" wide band should be around the prop OD on the race boats. I did it once, after all the years running nitro, I was out testing the Huricane with an employee, and I pulled it up on shore to tweek the needle. Robin picked it up and brought it to me, and out of the blue I stuck my hand dead into the prop going for the needle valve, pretty stupid ha? Now at the time I am in a serious Rock band in Fort Lauderdale and I put my pick holding hand into a freaken airplane prop. After many stiches and a couple of weeks later I was able to play again. If it would of been a large gas engine and an 18-20" prop my career would of ended long before Rap killed it.
That is first and foremost in my mind. Nice to hear you guys are safe too.
Thanks,
Tony C.

asmithnc

I agree with the prop guard if a youngster is operating it. Personally I would never use one since I like SPEED and CONTROL.

WHH .... I have seen your name before.. Jims or international waters!

Selph-Inflicted

When you start talking speed and performance, the cage has to go. The cage catches too much drag. Besides, the airplane guys don't use them and they have to start them and adjust needles just like we do. They face the same scenarios that we do when we run airboats.

As WHH said, big boats are in just about every yard here in S. Fl....sometimes 2 or 3.
Don't know if you have ever had to pull a full size boat, I have. And you can definitely feel the cage drag as you pull it.

As Andy said, if a youngster or beginner is just starting going or going to be operating the boat. Then, I would recommend a cage AND adult supervision.

But as for me and my boats, since I build and design for performance, there will be no cages on mine. In the 4 years that I have been selling my boats, I have not had a customer come back to me and tell of him being cut. And in the 8 yrs that I have been building and playing with the boats, I have only been bit once.

EDIT:
Cages are good safety for inexperienced boaters, but henders performance!

rblubaugh

My Feedback: (5)

My only experience with Air boats is the good old Dumas variety. What I have seen proposed in this discussion are "Rich Boys Toys", no insult intended. While this hobby CAN become very expensive, you can not forget the end of the spectrum of 'newbies' who may "start" with air boats and no prior experience with aircraft.

What about KIDS? Is Mom/Dad supposed to buy EVERYTHING for them, or is there a point where they learn to "earn for themselves"?

I just don't want to leave any part of this fascinating hobby behind strictly because of cost, hence the already proposed gas, nitro and electric elements. But don't forget "stand-off scale" (maybe sometimes 'far' stand-off) for entry level.

Just some thoughts, how ever irrelevant.

Bob

Selph-Inflicted

You have some good points there. And "SI" RC Airboats is well aware of this. Yes, we are selling boats, but know if we can get make available models that are more economical, we could reach more customers. Which would spread that much more fun! [8D]
"SI" Airboats have a couple more kits already in prototyping stages to reach a wider customer and budget range. We will be able to target all age and experience levels, just going to take us a little time to get everything prototyped and tested.

lipdaddy

I've watched many videos of your boats and they're impressive to say the least. I'm really interested in the SI mini. How long before it's available?

harrisdouma

My Feedback: (3)

Will we ever see a reasonably priced RTR electric air boat that would bring more
new people into the hobby?

Harris

Selph-Inflicted

Thanks for the compliment! We have tons of fun with them and love sharing that fun with others.
The first Mini SI3 prototype has been built and tested. We still want to do some more testing. We really like to test them to the fullest before we offer them as kits. We pride ourselves with offering a tried and tested kit to insure performance and 100% customer satisfaction. I would say give us another month or two and we should have it available.

Eventually "SI" RC Airboats will have a full line of SI3's, flat bottoms, step hulls, V-hulls, and a few other ideas.

WHH

Allow me to introduce myself and my companies formerly,
We / I have been in the industry for almost 30 years now. Warehouse Hobbies Inc. also owns Enforcer Mfg. Co. I started the gasoline model boating business formerly back in 1983 and we are celebrating our 25th year this year since the first production gas boat hit the market. The series or line is called ENFORCER and we are a full production company located in Lake Placid Florida, facilitated in many forms of manufacturing capabilities; CNC metal, CNC wood and pattern, Thermal forming, Injection molding, Fiberglass tooling and production, anodizing, powdercoating, all product assembly, product storage, and shipping. That's a mouth full.
The company originally started in Fort Lauderdale Florida in 1982 as a small hobby shop.
I have designed the majority of products used in gas model boating industry, and utilized concepts from full scale boating including introducing surface drive in 1981 to our local boat club in nitro and durring pre-production stages of the then called "string-trimmer" model boats.
My formal back ground is in electrical / electronic engineering, but when I toured the place I was supposed to work after school at age 19 and saw all these guys sitting behind scopes in little booths all dressed the same, I new that wasn't for me (no disrespect in any way for any of you guys in that industry, It's guys like you that get our rockets up and down safley).
There were excellorated programs in the 70's and I was fortunete to be accepted and dodged HS only having to take English and Math for four years and attend trade school full time.
I have a true passion to this hobby and industry and what we / I do and have done and achomplished, I am pretty certain that most of us domestic manufactures and designers in this indusrty feel the same way, or we would be working for NASA or equivalent.
My two sons Tony and Mike have now re-entered our company, Mike spent the last 4 years on a NASCAR team, but he wanted to be back with dad in our business, I need more pressure. I am always looking for new industry interests and have the ability to change directions or expand into more aspects of the business quickly.
I introduced the first production air boat in 1986 and sold a few, but most of the US didn't really accept it, so we pulled it after only one year of production. In 1995 I introduced a giant scale fiberglass air boat called "Big Al" with a 25cc or Tartin Twin 50cc, and he sold pretty well and even got a cover and review in Boat Modeler magazine.
After a couple of years interest started to decline, and he was also quite pricy. You can never give up, if a product doesn't sell well it doesn't necessarilly mean it is bad, it may be a bit ahead of the curve. That's the moral to the story of gasoling powered RC boating and WHH. Most people think I invented it, at least I read or even hear it, but that's not the case. The origonal concept was conceived by Tom Perzintka, owner of Octura Models in 1962, I was 2 years old. I had the ability and at the right time. Tom also conceived the model boat propeller(s), hardware, cool-clamp to convert model aircraft engines to marine, hydros, tunnels, etc. I have always acknowledged my gratitude to him, and I think all of us model boaters should pick-up the phone one day and do the same. As smart as his is, he is not on the Internet.
Back to air boats; you guys are doing a great job and I am very impressed watching the videos, and how family oriented you all seem to be. This might be the right time once again, and I think we / I can help get the publics attention. Warehouse Hobbies Inc. is probably the most respected company in gas model boating, and anyone who deals with us knows that we hold no secrets for our self interest. I own educating companys and my employees are trained to understand what the customer wants and also to refrain from business if not needed. I started with this concept of customer service 27 years ago and only the products have changed. On a closing note for the guy who talked about not forgeting the "Newbies"; We / I based our entire existance on the newbies, and folks on a budget, that is where the masses are, and continues to be our main focal point, and growth for our industry.
Thanks,
Tony C.
P.S. Eric, please put a spell check on here, I am showing my minimal English education.

Mr Cajun Gator

Tony I'm Looking forward to meeting with You and Pam. A couple from Airboating Magazine is also planning to be there, they also may be able to help You with a style of RC Airboat to get into the market. Check out their magazine Jan/Feb for some information on the last MABA race.
With You being in the business for 30 years, I'm sure that you have seen many start with rc airboats. Many either could not find others to run with or their boat just would not handle very well, so they would move on to water rudder boats, Today we changed that, we have many good people to run with, we have done a lot of R&D and now the sport scale airboat is fun to race, dry ground or in the water.

WHH

Harold,
Yes I have seen that. I think speed is fun, but I also think that even the slower models are very competitive because of the driving skill that is required as well as younger kids can enjoy the hobby. This can be a well rounded sport that can satisfy many types of modelers, and that makes me even more interested, since the market won't be so restricted.
Most important is that I think this family concept will bond the parents with the kids, and get the kids off the Vidiot games and to build along with their mom's and dad's, this is the only way we will save our industry.
We have tried all kinds of stimulation including the DIY Hobby show with Chris. Our industry can not support those kinds of media costs so the show is no more. We have terrible representation in specific magazines, hobby shops for the most part are stuck in the "Import RTR crap", and if it doesn't interest them, why would it interest you attitude. Hey, you guys will get to know me, no holds bared with me, just the truth. We are on our own and I need to keep our wheels turning too.
Thanks,
Tony C.

Mr Cajun Gator

The best feeling that I have ever got from this sport, at our last race. I had a grown man come up to me, gave me a hug and with tears in his eyes told me "Thank you" It had been almost 11 years since him and his son spoke, and it took this race/meet to bring them back together. It don't get any better than that, knowing that you took a part in bringing family back together.