Introduction: Duct Tape RC Airboat

About: My name is Simon Sörensen and I am the creator of RCLifeOn. I´m 19 years old and live in a town called Trollhättan, located in the southwestern part of Sweden. I´ve been in the RC hobby f…

I went to my local hardware store and came across some sheets of foam. Earlier that day I had been working with my old airboat and realized how terribly built it really was. That's when I came up with the idea to make a super light, basically indestructible and powerful airboat. To my surprise it was actually easier to build than I initially thought. Since it's only a sheet of foam, it's not exactly rocket science to build one yourself. Try it, you won't be disappointed!

Step 1: The Construction

Simply, take the sheet of foam and draw the following dimensions. Length:75cm or 29.5" Width: 35cm or 13.8"

With these guidelines it should be quite easy to successfully make the first step of the build. Note: Make sure to have a sharp knife while cutting!

Make a 45 degree bevel on all the edges, except the back edge. Make the sharp corners soft with some sandpaper .

Step 2: Cover the Sheet

Cover the entire sheet of foam with duct tape, this will give a long lasting airboat, and make it practically indestructible. Make sure to rub the duct tape firmly onto the foam.

As you apply the tape, push the front of the airboat upwards, as this will give the nose a permanent pitch up and make it easier to go on water.

Step 3: Motor Mount

You don't need to make a more advanced motor mount than this. Even after a couple of crashes (flips), the mount for the motor has been intact.

You need a brushless motor, speed controller, servo, receiver, transmitter and a battery. You also need to make your rudder with some spare foam. I used depron and a 2mm steel rod to connect the servo and rudder. The gyro makes the airboat more stable but it's definitely optional.

Step 4: Install the Electronics

Install the electronics and you are done! It's now ready to run and will work on grass, sand, asphalt, water and dirt. It doesn't take more than a couple of hours to build and will be a blast to drive. Make sure to build one yourself!

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