The first step is to pick your area of interest. From vintage racers, modern sport boats and cutting-edge hydros to scale tugs, warships and fishing boats, to sailboats and pleasure yachts, almost any type of craft can be made as an RC model. The type of boat you choose and the function you want it to perform will determine what you need. Boat kits are available in various materials and in all stages of completion, from raw plans to complete ready-to-run (RTR) boats. For beginners, RTR kits are a good starting point. The hulls are formed plastic (usually white) and don't require painting. RTR boats tend to be sport boats rather than racers and emphasize simplicity and reliability over all-out speed or meticulous scale detail. The idea behind these designs is to make things easy for beginners: just drop them in the water and enjoy! Kits that require building may have plastic hulls, or they may be of fiberglass and have a gelcoat finish. Painting and waterproofing are not required with these, though you may have to apply decals. Plan on some light assembly work; some parts may have to be glued, trimmed, sanded, drilled, or screwed together. More advanced kits usually have wooden hulls that have to be built and painted. These can be plank-on-frame, mimicking full-size construction techniques, or they may employ die-cut sheets for the hull surface. Both types work well but require more effort to assemble, sand, prime and finish. Most kits come with a radio box to protect the electronics from water. • Powerboats of various types make up the lion's share of RC craft. This group can be divided into two classes: sport boats and racers. Sport boatsare designed—first and foremost—to be fun. Performance is certainly important, but not at the expense of operator enjoyment. Likewise, many sport boats have scale-like features, but authenticity takes a back seat to function. Sport boats are probably the best choice for inexperienced modelers, because they are designed with an eye toward easy and reliable operation with a healthy dose of speed mixed in. Racing boats are more uncompromising and, therefore, more temperamental. The priority in a racer is performance; appearance and ease of operation are secondary. These boats are the fastest, but they are also the most high-maintenance and the most demanding to drive Now that you've selected the boat you want, it's time to choose your power. Obviously, if you're building a sailboat, the wind is your power. If your project is sport, racing, or scale, you have two options: fuel or electric. • Electric power is a good choice for beginners and scale builders for several reasons: first, it's inexpensive. RTR boat kits often include a motor, but even if you have to supply your own, it is the least expensive type of powerplant. Second, it's clean and smooth; there's no fuel, oil, exhaust, or vibration to worry about. For beginners, this means less setup and cleanup time, fewer supplies and less maintenance. For scale builders, this means fewer things to mess up your beautiful detail work. Also, most electric power systems include a reverse throttle. Third, electric power is quiet and compact. You can run your boat pretty much anywhere without having to worry about disturbing others. For scale boaters, this means no engine noise or bulk to intrude on the authentic appearance, allowing the use of onboard sound effects to enhance the presentation. The downside of electric power is that run times are shorter than with fuel-burning engines, and the battery packs require a suitable charger. • Fuel-burning engines fall into yet another pair of categories: glow and gas. Glow and gas are internal-combustion engines. Glow (also called nitro) engines burn a mixture of methyl alcohol, nitromethane and oil; gas engines burn a mixture of gasoline and oil. These engines vary greatly in size and power. Glow engines are slightly more powerful than gas engines for a given size, so they tend to be faster. Both glow and gas engines are quite reliable; they can last almost indefinitely if cared for properly, whereas electric motors wear out. Engines allow considerably longer run times than electric motors; they are limited only by fuel-tank size. However, with fuel and exhaust to deal with, they are somewhat messier than electrics. They are also more expensive. Glow fuel is more expensive than gasoline, and glow engines burn fuel faster. Gas engines are slightly more complicated mechanically because they have spark plugs and magnetos. In the end, the choice is mostly a matter of personal preference. | 
