MY AIRBOAT STORY

It has been my dream to create a 1/10TH scale airboat as close to the real thing as possible. Ive been around airboats most of my life, and have always been fascinated with making rc airboats. As a kid I would take apart Walmart rc cars and use the motor and AA battery to power simple airboats I made out of cardboard and hot glue. Over time as I got as I got older I would try to make boats out of balsa wood and brushless motors from power drills. While it wasn’t very practical, I thought it was very cool. As time went on, I would gain knowledge of rc from playing with my first real RC truck (a slash) and tmaxx 2.5 nitro monster truck I got for Christmas. I would use this knowledge to create my first fully functional rc airboat from a spiderman boogie board and an aluminum diamond plate motor stand my dad made me. I enjoyed that boat for a long time, but ultimately would just focus on scale trucks and monster trucks for the years to come. However my dream for a realistic rc airboat would reignite. While there were options for commercially produced rc airboats on the market at the time and I didn’t feel they were “good” enough. Maybe the design, handling or size was off. And many could not run land AND water properly. So, this sparked my creativity to get out and make my own. With use of my drafting and mechanical design knowledge I started drafting up plans and 3d models on and off over a 2-year span. Then one day I would finally pull the trigger, order materials and start fabricating my airboats. Through trial and error, and many ups and downs to the point of almost giving up. I finally came up with a prototype. I was not happy with the way it handled and would start from scratch to try a different design and fabrication method. After 6 more prototypes I finally came up with a model that works exactly how I imagined. The Swamp Slider, I call it. It is truly 1/10th Scale. You can even place a 6” action figure in the seat and it features realistic parts you will find on a real airboat. Such as a full metal motor stand, pancake cage, aerodynamic rudders, seat, gauge box, fuel tank (rx box), steering stick that moves with the servo, a hull made from wood and coated with finishing epoxy for added strength, and my favorite part, real airboat slick bottom to help it slide across land just like its real counterpart! Since every single part is designed, printed and fabricated by me, and hand assembled right in my backyard shop, you may find minor imperfections on the hull or other parts that addds to the character and authenticity of the boat .  It handles like the real thing, so be careful on that throttle!