Who made the first production O/B Tunnel?

[Carl Van Houten]

I remember that somewhere in 1977-78 there was a guy building a wooden tunnel he called the Excaliber. In the 1979 December RCMB magazine plans were featured for this boat. I looked for it this morning but could not put my hand on it. Was the Excaliber the first production R/C Outboard Tunnel Boat? Maybe Jerry Dunlap can remember this and help or maybe someone out there can remember something about this boat. There was also an Excaliber II.

Jerry, was this one of your kits?

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

I remember that somewhere in 1977-78 there was a guy building a wooden tunnel he called the Excaliber. In the 1979 December RCMB magazine plans were featured for this boat. I looked for it this morning but could not put my hand on it. Was the Excaliber the first production R/C Outboard Tunnel Boat? Maybe Jerry Dunlap can remember this and help or maybe someone out there can remember something about this boat. There was also an Excaliber II.

Jerry, was this one of your kits? The Excaliber II was produced in fiberglass by Vic Drew from Medford, OR.

 

[Carl Van Houten]

The one I remember was built from a wooden kit. I would think the Ver I ? Who built the first r/c outboard tunnel kit?

 

[Geraghty]

The Excalibur one tunnel was designed by a guy by the name of Dave Nolan.....A fiberglass version of the Excalibur was made by a Oregon RC boater by the name of Vic Drew......The glass version was a metal flaked gell-coat boat that weighed about 6 pounds dry......
As I recall the Vic Drew glass boats were the first production tunnels...... All the wood Excaliburs were plans boats......
The excalibur two was a derivative by Dunlap.....

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Thanks Rod. I had that magazine and it may still be around here somewhere. I'll post the article if I run across it. I remember Jerry asking about it years ago in RCBM. The request I have attached would suggest that there were plans made available for the Ver II also.

By chance does anyone have this 1979 December RC Model Builder issue? It would be cool to post the article on here so that everyone could see where all this madness started from.

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Okay I guess I should have done a search on this one. I see where this subject has been mulled over on here already. Back to work...

 

[Manuel Xavier]

Thanks Rod. I had that magazine and it may still be around here somewhere. I'll post the article if I run across it. I remember Jerry asking about it years ago in RCBM. The request I have attached would suggest that there were plans made available for the Ver II also.

By chance does anyone have this 1979 December RC Model Builder issue? It would be cool to post the article on here so that everyone could see where all this madness started from.

Here is the article:

 

[Carl Van Houten]

I make and open PDF's all the time but I cant open any of these. Is anybody else able to open any of these PDF's.

 

[Clifton Gregory]

Carl I just opened all the PDF on my cell phone .

Cliff

 

[LohringMiller]

I built a vacuum formed hydro in the late 1950s. It was free running and powered by a K&B Sea Fury.

Lohring Miller

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Vacuum formed that long ago is cool. Any pictures?

 

[Mark Poole ModVP]

There was a little picklefork boat made by Midwest that probably precedes 1977. Powerboat magazine used to have a small section each month for RC boats. There are pics of tunnels in the '75-'76 issues.

 

[Kez]

There was a little picklefork boat made by Midwest that probably precedes 1977. Powerboat magazine used to have a small section each month for RC boats. There are pics of tunnels in the '75-'76 issues.

I think it was the Klampon Kai or something. I remember drooling all over the kit box at the local hobby shop back then...

 

[Kez]

So I remembered the name correctly. It's Klampon Kai. You can find product review here...

https://rclibrary.co.uk/files_titles/2382/RCM_1979_01_January_partA.pdf

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Funny that they would say "The angular aspect is a little disturbing at first" in the article about the build but it is a very accurate statement. That is one strange looking deck design for sure. Thanks for sharing the article. I read it and was going to read the continuation on page 162 but that part seemed to be missing. I wonder what the bottom looked like?

 

[Mark Poole ModVP]

Wow those pages are a blast from the past. Read some of the ads. Glow plugs, 6 for $3.50. One ad has 3.5 outboard at $59.00. The suggested retail of that tunnel boat is $44.00. Could probably get them for less than $40. Kind of surprised at the boats length. It says 31 inches. Probably a fun boat in its day.

 

[Grimracer]

$44.95 at the time...

Grim

 

[LohringMiller]

"Vacuum formed that long ago is cool. Any pictures? "

You've got to be kidding. I was around 12 at the time. I remember chasing it across the lake in our power boat. I'm not sure if it got lost or sank.

Lohring MIller

 

[XtremeRcBoats]

Carl, page 162 is part B of the PDF:
https://rclibrary.co.uk/files_titles/2382/RCM_1979_01_January_partB.pdf

 

[Jerry Dunlap]

$44.95 at the time...

Grim

STUDY PLANS BEFORE BUILDING - Seriously, isn't that like asking for directions when you know you're not lost in an unfamiliar city?(Which is why I try to avoid driving around Seattle)
JD