The Kyosho
Jet Stream GP .16 Nitro
This was my second nitro boat
and it turned out to be the most reliable one. However, I lost
it in a rough day on Lake
Ontario.
Hull and Hardware
I've always loved the look
of a slim deep vee. I've watched numerous offshore races on TV
with 200 km/h deep vees slicing
through rough water. Believe it or not, Kyosho did an awesome job
in giving the Jet Stream that
look. For a boat that retails so cheap, it has fun written all over it.
I
wouldn't put it head to head
with a big nitro racer.... but I'd rather pay $300 than $800.
The Jet
Stream's hull is the seamless kind that has to be trimmed before using.
It uses a pivoting
outdrive to transfer power
to a surface piercing propeller. The .16 engine goes through a 1.32:1 gear
reduction system giving it
the added torque to turn a larger prop. I used a Prather 215 prop.
I think an Octura X640 would
work even better.
Building The Kit
The radio
box is the only poor design of this boat. I use the word "box" very
loosely. The Jet
Stream has a platform near
the stern that holds all of the radio equipment. It is definately not waterproof.
However, this stable vee didn't
take on an ounce of water during its short use. I guess I shouldn't complain
too much.
The kit
construction went very well. Everything seemed to fit together perfectly.
This boat probably
took longer to build than
most because of the outdrive and gear reduction system. It was well
worth the wait.
The First Run
I first ran this boat in Peterborough,
Ontario (hometown of Bryston power amplifiers - if any one else is
interested in high-end audio).
My wife was finishing her post graduate studies at a museum there. It is two hours
away
from our home in Kingston
- six hours in a bad snow storm that came later.
The Jet
Stream started on the fourth pull and I broke it in slowly (about 2 or
3 tanks). I noticed right away
that it vibrated like crazy
- I was told this is normal. There isn't any anti-vibration hardware inside
and the
motor mount is epoxied solid
to the hull bottom.
However,
it had an excellent ride attitude and sliced through the rough water near
Trent University.
I'm not sure how fast the
boat was going but it is supposed to go 22 mph or 35 km/h. My run time
was about
10 minutes and the whole time
I had a nice 2 to 3 foot roostertail.
Final Thoughts
Once again, Kyosho value is
unbeaten. The Jet Stream is highly stable and is very exciting to drive.
The
roostertail is a great hit
with kids and the engine's roar is breathtaking. I would have to
say that there
are more things to go wrong
with this because of the outdrive and gear system. I would suggest that
modellers use some thread-lock
where possible and make sure that their epoxy is solid. The entire engine
mount is dependent on it.
My nightmare
came when the boat stalled at full speed. There must have been air in the
fuel line. The boat
was taken over by a large
wave in Lake Ontario and disappeared out of sight. That was the last
time I saw it.
I felt even worse when I was
told by another boat modeller that he's afraid to take 45" hulls in Lake
Ontario.
It's nice to know that now.
I've learnt my lesson.
