Aquacraft Motley Crew Cat

[louleslie]

::Gurus predictions on the new CATfrom Aquacraft, due from Tower early April?

1. Top speed stock?___________________

2. Will it run smooth without any aberations unlike the M.G.

3. Will you have to replace the rudder and upgrade flex cable per M.G?

4. Will you have to replace everything in it to be fun like everything else
that comes down the pike with the possible exception of SV 27

Basic cost $350
Lipos 150
Upgrades 300
Total $800

[louleslie]

[IMG][/IMG]

[Darin Jordan]

MG Jabs are completely uncalled for. Why can't you just appreciate what AQ has produced, if that's your thing, without having to cut down other people's hard work??

1) 40-42
2) MG runs fine when you know what you are doing with setup. I suspect the MC will work the same way.
3) No need to change the rudder on the MG if you don't want to, and the cable is fine. I suspect the MC will work the same way.

4) No... again, if you know what you are doing, you are likely going to be able to get more out of the MC with setup, good batteries, and a correct prop.

[Fluid]

I tested a prototype last year. Based on that experience:

1. 36-38 mph, easily increased 6-8 mph with a different prop.

2. Probably, although I do not know what differences there will be between the prototype and the production boat.

3. Running gear is basically the UL-1 stuff, no problems with that.

4. No silly boy. This boat is extremely fun right out of the prototype box. Again the production may be slightly different.

Your glass-half-full approach is just so boring......

.

[LarrysDrifter]

Predictions arent necessary. Buy one for yourself and find out.

[Jeff Wohlt]

It is a little disheartening when buying these RTR boats that they are not handling better out of the box. This is why these questions are coming up...people are now worried. Look at other forums...EKOS, etc.

We have seen at least 3 that needed extensive mods just to run close to what they promote. This is no way to get people that HAVE to buy RTR rigs starting in the FE fun world.

We should not expect them to offset rudders and fix cracks or wonder why their boat is full of water from a cooling can that could have been 100% for $6.95.

Sorry but I tend to agree with the poster that a little more R&D should be done to make sure the boat runs out the way it is intended.

UL1....do you really know how many when back because of issues with water cooling, cracking, strut bushings, etc?

We are skilled in this and most are on this board. But you can't do this and expect to not get some crap from newbies.

[Darin Jordan]

Sorry but I tend to agree with the poster that a little more R&D should be done to make sure the boat runs out the way it is intended.

If you had any idea how the process works, you would understand that NO amount of R&D, short of Grim or I building and assembling each boat ourselves, can make them 100%... NOT for the low, LOW price that these things have to sell for. Once we send the final, VERY R&D'd versions to the manufacturers, it's out of our hands.

The phrase "would bitch if hung with a new rope" comes to mind.

We have some FANTASTIC RTR options out there... complain if you want, but it's only getting better each year. Lest we forget what USED to be available (if anything...)

All that said... I can promise you that, if it's within our control, I KNOW that both Grim and I, and everyone else involved, is trying like CRAZY to make these boats be satisfying, right out of the box. I believe we have been getting it pretty close to right lately.

No amount of R&D is going to make up for a user not taking the time to make the necessary adjustments. All we can do is get it right based on an AVERAGE situation, and provide enough adjustments for the end-user to tailor the setup to THEIR situation.

If that's not good enough, then I don't know what to tell you.

[louleslie]

Aquacraft Motley Crew Cat

Hey Darin, Larry, & Fluid or is that Moe?

Sitting here with my glass half full of fine Kentucky bourbon, gazing on my backyard lake. Ordered a Motley Crew from Tower, the day they became available.
Running, crashing, rebuilding and having a hell of a time with my: Pursuit, thanks to Diesel and Jan, Traxxas Spartan, Supervee 27R, not a Spektrum in sight. I embrace RC Boating as a plesant mental illness but draw the line at religion. Sometimes I know what I'm doing. Seem to be getting some dialog, which was my intention.

Lou

[Jeff Wohlt]

You seem to be using excuses....the old rope issue is nothing but some lame excuse to get the attention off quality. I would prefer a new rope but any will do...it is how you use the rope....knot on the side or behind the head. One does it right and one does it the wrong way ...which is sloppy and you strangle instead of having your neck snapped...the right way. But enough with that horror.

Bringing in the money issue to sell something is just telling me CHEAP is poor quality. Have you seen the replacement parts on the UL1...a can cooler for the that kind of money...do car makers build cars to last forever...nope...parts and service is where the money is.

I can tell you after a proto is tested and items are made for production then inspected by the buyer BEFORE final approval and manufac process begins you also should get a production model to test AGAIN. You should have had this option. Maybe HH was really the final say and inpectors....I do not know.

...do we just throw the blame on China? Do we blame design and final protoype testing on you? Wrong wound flex cable? Did you really get a final boat "from" production to test, run, inpect parts and all that...since you are the designer then seems you would have had a hand in this with HH for final sign off.

I started out just picking on all the parts RTRs with issues but seems we are on the MG and I apologize for that but he who puts up needs to back it up.

This is NOT personal to you, Darin...just help me understand. How this can happen instead of telling me I do not not understand production.

Sorry guess it is really just another friggin toy boat...maybe we should just chaulk it up to more china crap that can't follow specs. Not our fault.

[Fluid]

Well, a couple more added to my ignore list. Good luck boys.



.

[Darin Jordan]

You seem to be using excuses....

BS... I'm not making excuses... I'm telling you how the things work. I don't have anything to make excuses for. These boats from Aquacraft and ProBoat are HEADs and TAILs better than any RTRs we've ever had available, and they keep improving.

I can tell you after a proto is tested and items are made for production then inspected by the buyer BEFORE final approval and manufac process begins you also should get a production model to test AGAIN. You should have had this option. Maybe HH was really the final say and inpectors....I do not know.

You are making assumptions that this doesn't ALREADY happen! WHY do you think the Stiletto delivery was delayed?? OH, yeah... you buys BITCHED about that too... Perhaps there MIGHT have been a good reason??

Wrong wound flex cable? Did you really get a final boat "from" production to test, run, inpect parts and all that...since you are the designer then seems you would have had a hand in this with HH for final sign off.

YES, I DID get a final copy, and I DID check the cables, and it WAS NOT reverse wound... I have NO control over how they translate a final approval into a production process. Either way, BIG DEAL! Horizon and ProBoat stepped up BIG TIME and get the problem fixed as SOON as they possibly could. If that's not good enough for you, again, rope...

This is NOT personal to you, Darin...just help me understand. How this can happen instead of telling me I do not not understand production.

Well... I'm taking it personally, and you do NOT understand the ins and outs of dealing with Chinese Production, as clearly illustrated by this post. WHY do you think that things change in the MIDDLE of a production run (UL-1 motors, BJ26 Motors... etc.)?? Do you think that's planned? Could it be sourcing?? Could it be production mistakes? Stuff happens, and YES, it might JUST be possible it's out of some of our hands.

This "designer" stuff is a HOBBY for me... I'm not paid staff... I'm not on-site... I do this stuff in my garage, in my spare time, and I don't get to go to the production facility and inspect every boat off the line. You don't have the $1,000/ boat that that would cost if that's how things were done.

Stuff happens, and when Grim, or I, or whoever, gives our final buyoff on a design and production sample, it IS possible that things can be "altered" after that point. It doesn't happen all the time, but it does happen (flex cable, turn fin glass, Stiletto issue that none of you knew about because I caught it on the first production sample and set the fixing process in motion, causing the delay in availability... ) We do our best...

And, by the way... both the Stiletto AND the Geico do EXACTLY what they were designed to do. They go 35-36 MPH out of the box, and MUCH faster if you know what you are doing. They will run in their Out-of-the-box configuration for decent runtimes, without risking the electonics, and they run and handle well in that configuration. AND, they can both be improved upon by users inclined to do so, with simple upgrades that don't require a lot of modeling or boating skill to achieve.

Sounds like pretty well designed base platforms to me...

[louleslie]

Fluid,
Passive-Agressive is a sum zero game, besides you can't
ignore quality concerns. It's an elephant in the room.

[Doby]

Sepeculation is the fools way to feel important.

Only a few of us have seen/run/raced against this boat.

Has anyone else had this boat in there hands? I think not.....as to quality issues.....there is no elephant in the room for this new boat as no one has one.

Another stupid thread that leads nowhere.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Well thanks for helping me understand...more. I do understand changes in production and I do understand that you took it personally. Sorry for that. I am thinking of the newbies and what it does for getting them going. Maybe slower is the key.

Fluid, I am so surprised by your response. Just ashame you have that attitude to just turn and off people like a faucet.

[Darin Jordan]

Sepeculation is the fools way to feel important.

Only a few of us have seen/run/raced against this boat.

Has anyone else had this boat in there hands? I think not.....as to quality issues.....there is no elephant in the room for this new boat as no one has one.

Another stupid thread that leads nowhere.

Where is the "Like" button??

Well stated.