Hi all
Hope you don't mind me refreshing an old post. I am new to the forum and just came across this page. Seeing nathj's video bought back many memories for me.
I too bought a Platypus back in the 80s. I remember because I got the speed controller and battery for my birthday. I decided to go with electric due to ease of use as it was my first RC build. It was a great boat although battery run time vs charge time drove me nuts. I had it for a few years before I went for a rebuild. I scaled the plans up around 1.5 and rebuilt it with balsa wood and fibreglass. It ran an OS .58 with a 10 inch 3 blade prop. It still required the lead in the front for stability but it handled really well and got up a nice plane. Best boat I ever had.
It is still in the shed with a broken prop and rudder piece after jumping sandbanks down the river. Hoping to one day get it going again perhaps with a brushless setup this time round. I have a photo from just after build with fresh paint.
Regards
Rod