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GET WET MICRO BOAT GUIDE | data center |
| MANUFACTURER: HobbyZone |
| DISTRIBUTOR: Horizon |
| Hobby Inc. |
| MODEL: Zig Zag Racer |
| BEST BUYER: anyone; beginners |
| to experienced boaters |
| LENGTH: 15 in. (381mm) |
| WIDTH: 5.75 in. (146mm) |
| WEIGHT: 16 oz. (454g) |
| POWER: 380 electric motor with a |
| |
| pack |
| RUN TIME: 10 to 15 min. |
| PRICE: $79.99 |
| HORIZON HOBBY INC. |
| (800) |
HobbyZone Zig Zag Racer
data center
MANUFACTURER: Megatech
MODEL: H2O
BEST BUYER: Those who are looking for the ultimate in
LENGTH: 9 in. (229mm)
WIDTH: 4.75 in. (121mm)
WEIGHT: 9 oz. (255g)
POWER: 280 electric motor with a
RUN TIME: 15 or more min.
PRICE: $99.99
MEGATECH (201)
Megatech H2O
Easy fun is the name of the game with HobbyZone’s Zig Zag. If you can master inserting AA batteries into the included radio and plugging the included
72 The hull is made of rugged plastic, so the occasional collision
minisµs | between enthusiastic racers won’t pose a problem. The 380 | |
motor has plenty of power for a boat this size, and we were | ||
| ||
| surprised just how quick these little suckers are. | |
| The Zig Zag comes with three floating buoy balls so you | |
| can set up a racecourse, and there’s even a bumper attach- | |
| ment for buoy retrieval. If you detach a buoy’s anchor weight, | |
| you and a few other Zig Zags can use it to play water soccer. | |
| The boat comes with a wall charger and one battery pack; | |
| extras are available from the manufacturer. |
WATER LOG
These little boats are defi- nitely big fun! They are fast, nimble and very durable. On smooth water, the boat is foolproof; it rides
tried. On rough water, it is even more fun as it bounces and skips along. You don’t have to worry about wiping out; if the boat takes a tumble, just wait a second for it to roll over, nail the throttle and you’re off again.
It steers so easily that someone who hasn’t ever driven an RC boat can pick up the technique in only a minute or two. The throttle is fully proportional, so you can go as fast or as slowly as you like; remember, though, that at slow speeds the rudder doesn’t have as much water flowing over it, so the response will be softer. Overall, the Zig Zag offers a lot of fun in a small, affordable package.
COOL FACTOR | min. | max. |
PERFORMANCE min. | max. | |
SKILL LEVEL | everyone intermediate advanced |
Now we’re talking micro! This little race
The H2O relies on a 280 motor and a
WATER LOG
Looking at the size of the H2O, I was afraid it would be at a serious dis- advantage in performance. Boy, was I wrong; this little bad boy hauls! It lags behind the others slightly at the top end, but its compact size and crisp handling allow it to make up ground in the corners. It bounds over waves; watching it climb and then plummet off
COOL FACTOR | min. | max. |
PERFORMANCE min. | max. | |
SKILL LEVEL | everyone intermediate advanced |
73
winter 2003
data center
MANUFACTURER: Ace Hobby Distributors Inc.
MODEL: Sport Cruiser
BEST BUYER: beginners who are looking for a stylish cruiser for pond or pool
LENGTH: 14.75 in. (375mm)
WIDTH: 5.75 in. (146mm)
WEIGHT: 16 oz. (454g)
POWER: electric motor with a
PRICE: $79.99
ACE HOBBY DISTRIBUTORS INC.
(949)
Ace Sport Cruiser
As you can tell from the photos, the Sport Cruiser is definitely the beauty queen of the bunch. Its
The Sport Cruiser’s control system is less sophisticated than those on the other mini boats, and that somewhat limits its performance. Neither the throttle nor the rudder is proportional; the throttle is either full on or off, and the rudder is either full right, full left or straight. This makes precision driving quite challenging. The Sport Cruiser does have reverse though, and it’s the only mini boat that does. This greatly improves its maneuverability in tight spaces such as swimming pools.
WATER LOG
The Sport Cruiser’s emphasis is definitely on cruising. It trundles along at a walking pace; it doesn’t compete with the others in top speed. Turns are plenty sharp; since the rudder angle is all or nothing, you have to pulse the steer- ing input if you want a wider arc. The Sport Cruiser sits down in the water like a real boat and bobs and rolls with the current. This is fun to watch, and at the speeds the Sport Cruiser travels, it doesn’t present a danger of flipping over. This would be a good choice for younger boaters and for those who value style and
COOL FACTOR | min. | max. |
PERFORMANCE min. | max. | |
SKILL LEVEL | everyone intermediate advanced |