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AquaCraft RC boats built a real following through the 2000s and into the early 2010s, and the Wildcat EP Brushless catamaran is still the model most people mean when they search the brand name today. But anyone shopping AquaCraft in 2026 needs to know one thing up front: the brand doesn't make anything new anymore. Horizon Hobby's own product page lists zero active AquaCraft items, and the last boats to carry the name were designed over a decade ago.
That doesn't make AquaCraft irrelevant. Several of its hulls — a fast-electric catamaran that helped popularize LiPo power, a scale fireboat with a working water cannon, a gas-powered offshore V-hull — still show up used and are genuinely worth owning if you know what you're getting into. This guide covers what AquaCraft actually was, how it ended up dormant, which models hold up on the secondhand market, and what to budget for keeping one running now that factory parts are gone.
AquaCraft's Philosophy — A Hobbico House Brand Built for Fast Electric
AquaCraft was never an independent boat manufacturer. It was a proprietary house brand of Hobbico, Inc., the Champaign, Illinois hobby distributor formed in 1985 when Clint Atkins merged Don Anderson's Great Planes Model Distributors with Bruce Holecek's Tower Hobbies. Hobbico used house brands to control margin and product line across its distribution network — AquaCraft was the boat arm, sitting alongside sister brands for planes, cars, and radios. The Wildcat name itself predates the AquaCraft label: a twin-motor Great Planes Wildcat catamaran was already on the market under the Great Planes Marine name in the 1990s, brushed motors and FM radio included, before the AquaCraft brand consolidated the boat lineup.
Through the 2000s, AquaCraft built its reputation on two fronts. On one side, RTR (ready-to-run) boats aimed at casual buyers — the Mini Wildcat, the Wildcat EP. On the other, race-proven fiberglass hulls designed largely by Mike "GrimRacer" Zaborowski, whose competition tunnel hull VS1 dates to 1999 and whose hardware shows up across the SuperVee, UL-1, and offshore catamaran lines. The SuperVee 27 in particular earned a specific place in fast-electric history: RadioControlInfo's "Hull of Fame" credits it as the first mainstream RTR boat that could genuinely take advantage of LiPo batteries, around 2006, at a time when most RTR boats were still tied to NiMH packs and brushed motors.
The end came from the top down, not from AquaCraft itself. Hobbico filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on January 10, 2018, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Delaware. Horizon Hobby's $18.8 million purchase of Hobbico's RC assets closed on April 6, 2018, and Hobbico converted to Chapter 7 liquidation less than three months later. Horizon absorbed the AquaCraft name along with the rest of the portfolio but never relaunched it — as of 2026, Horizon's own AquaCraft brand page lists zero active products under a discontinued-items filter. No relaunch has been announced, and none of the specialty retailers that used to stock the line carry anything new.
For a buyer in 2026, that translates into a simple rule: treat every AquaCraft model as new-old-stock (NOS) or used only. There is no current-year Wildcat, no factory warranty, and no guarantee that a part number still exists anywhere but eBay or a forum classifieds thread.
The Wildcat Lineup — AquaCraft's Signature Catamaran
The Wildcat name covers three distinct generations, and confusing them is the single most common mistake in used listings.
Great Planes Wildcat (GPMB1001) — the vintage original
This is the 1990s ancestor, sold under the Great Planes Marine name before AquaCraft existed as a brand. The exact motor configuration varied by listing, but the drivetrain was brushed throughout, paired with 7.2V NiMH packs and an FM radio. It's a collector's piece today, not a runner out of the box; most surviving examples get restored with modern brushless conversions and generic hardware, since original parts haven't existed for years.
Mini Wildcat (AQUB19 / AQUB47) — the beginner pond boat
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length / Beam / Height | 14.8 in (375 mm) / 5 in (125 mm) / 3.5 in (89 mm) |
| Weight (RTR) | 16.9 oz (480 g) |
| Motors | Two water-cooled AquaCraft T-270 brushed motors |
| Props | Two 30 mm 2-blade FRP |
| Radio | 2-channel FM (AQUB19) or 2.4GHz (AQUB47) |
| Battery | 1100 mAh 7.2V NiMH (1600 mAh compatible) |
The Mini Wildcat is a self-contained twin-drive toy-grade racer rather than a project boat. Owners who try to hop it up with hotter T370-class motors report melted battery and ESC leads — the shared single ESC across two brushed motors simply can't take it. The community verdict is consistent: leave the Mini Wildcat as a beginner pond boat, and step up to the full-size Wildcat EP if real speed is the goal. It's frequently cross-shopped against the Pro Boat Mini-C, with AquaCraft generally credited for better hull sealing and less maintenance fuss from the twin-motor drive.
Perfect for: a first boat for a kid or a casual backyard-pond runner, bought used and expected to just work without modification.
Wildcat EP Brushless (AQUB1810 / AQUB1811) — the flagship
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length / Beam / Height | 26.5 in (673 mm) / 9 in (229 mm) / 5.5 in (140 mm) |
| Weight (RTR, no battery) | 32 oz (907 g) |
| Motor | 35-36-1800Kv brushless outrunner, water-cooled mount |
| ESC | 50A water-cooled, LiPo-compatible, stutter-bump |
| Radio | Tactic TTX240 2-channel (AQUB1810) or TTX300 SLT 3-channel (AQUB1811) |
| Drive | 1/8 in surface-drive shaft, 42 mm 2-blade FRP prop |
| Battery required | 11.1V (3S) 2100–3400 mAh LiPo |
This is the model most people mean when they search "AquaCraft" today, and 3D Insider still names it a "Best Value" pick among fast catamarans for the price-to-performance ratio it offered at launch. It's also the model with the best-documented flaw: the stock water-cooling jacket uses two small round tubes with poor aluminum-to-aluminum contact, and owners on Offshore Electrics forums have logged ESC temperatures around 150°F and battery temperatures near 115°F after just two to three minutes of running. One owner running 4S measured motor temperature dropping from 186°F to 122°F — with a corresponding speed increase from 22 mph to 37 mph — after adding an RC-car cooling fan behind the motor and swapping to a Swordfish 120A ESC.
The fix path the community has converged on is straightforward and cheap: replace the round cooling tubes with square K&S aluminum stock for better surface contact, add a small cooling fan and shroud if running 4S, and swap the breakaway plastic rudder shear bolts for stainless hardware before they strip. Popular upgrade targets are a 2800Kv motor or a 3650/3670-size unit, paired with a 60A+ ESC such as a Hobbywing SeaKing 60A or the Swordfish 120A mentioned above. Stock speed on 3S sits in the low 20s mph; a properly cooled, upgraded Wildcat EP gets into the upper 30s to 40s. The twin-rudder steering is commonly described as twitchy out of the box — dialing back dual-rate steering travel on the transmitter smooths it out considerably. The most frequent cross-shop comparison in forum threads is the Pro Boat Impulse 26.
Pros:
- Genuinely capable hull once the cooling is sorted
- Simple, well-understood upgrade path with cheap parts
- LiPo-compatible ESC out of the box
Cons:
- Stock cooling jacket is undersized — expect to modify it
- Twitchy dual-rudder steering until dialed in
- No factory parts support; NOS/used only
Verdict: A worthwhile buy for someone willing to spend an evening on the cooling fix, not a plug-and-play RTR for someone expecting Pro Boat-level fit and finish.
Perfect for: hobbyists who enjoy a bit of tinkering and want a fast, proven hull without paying current-market prices for a new catamaran.
→ Check current listings on Amazon
The Race Lineup — SuperVee, UL-1 and the GrimRacer Hulls
AquaCraft's fiberglass race hulls, mostly designed under GrimRacer hardware standards, have aged considerably better than its budget ABS boats — a pattern echoed throughout owner discussions of the brand.
SuperVee 27 / SuperVee 27R (AQUB17 / AQUB23)
A hand-laid fiberglass V-hull at 27 in (686 mm) and roughly 3.5 lb (1.59 kg) RTR, running a 6-pole 1800Kv brushless motor, a 45A brushless water-cooled ESC on a Deans Ultra connector, and a Tactic TTX240 2.4GHz radio. RadioControlInfo's "Hull of Fame" entry calls it the first mainstream RTR boat that could really benefit from LiPo power, arriving around 2006 — a landmark at a time when brushed motors and NiMH still dominated the RTR boat market. A separate nitro variant, the SuperVee 27 Nitro, used an .18-size marine engine instead and weighed in at 3.4 lb RTR.
Owners consistently describe the motor/ESC combo as bulletproof, with plenty of SV27s still running well over a decade after purchase. Consumable parts — couplers, rudder blades — surface periodically as NOS on eBay, and because the drivetrain used common standards, generic substitutes are usually a drop-in fix when original parts run dry.
Perfect for: a buyer who wants a piece of fast-electric history that's actually still reliable, not just a display piece.
→ Check current listings on Amazon
UL-1 Superior FE Hydroplane (AQUB20 / AQUB28)
A hand-laid fiberglass and ABS unlimited-light scale hydroplane, GrimRacer-designed, at 27.0 in (685 mm) length, 14.25 in (360 mm) beam, and 4.9 lb (2.21 kg) with batteries installed. Power comes from a custom 36-56-2030Kv 6-pole brushless motor on 4 mm gold bullet connectors, backed by a 60A water-cooled ESC with stutter-bump at 12V and cutoff at 11.6V. It's built around a CNC aluminum adjustable strut and a 2 mm aluminum GrimRacer turn fin, and runs on two 7.4V 3200 mAh 20C LiPo packs.
It's positioned squarely in the IMPBA/NAMBA FE Sport Hydroplane class and functions as a solid entry point into fast-electric hydro racing. The one known handling quirk: owners report the hull "takes off" — noses up and threatens to blow over — above roughly 50 mph in stock trim, and Offshore Electrics historically sold an add-on air dam specifically to address it.
Perfect for: someone entering FE hydro racing who wants a proven, race-legal hull rather than a scratch build.
→ Check current listings on Amazon
Motley Crew & Lucas Oil Catamarans (AQUB2100/2101, AQUB2105)
Two licensed offshore-race replica catamarans on fiberglass hulls with GrimRacer 2535 hardware, both running 6-pole 1800Kv brushless motors and 60A water-cooled ESCs. The Motley Crew has been documented by an owner hitting roughly 47 mph stock on 4S — a single-owner figure, not a lab measurement, but consistent with the class. A NAMBA District 20 racer reported winning his first races with a stock Motley Crew straight out of the box, calling it simply a "good running hull" for someone entering competitive racing rather than requiring immediate modification.
Perfect for: a racer-minded buyer who wants a licensed offshore look with genuine competitive pedigree, not just a display replica.
→ Check current listings on Amazon
The Scale & Gas Lineup — Rescue 17, Rio 51Z and the Rest of the Catalog
Not every AquaCraft model was built for speed. The brand's scale and gas offerings target a different buyer: someone who wants a display-grade boat with real presence on the water.
Rescue 17 Fireboat (AQUB5700 / AQUB5701)
A large-scale RTR fireboat at 38 in (965 mm) length, 10.25 in (261 mm) beam, and 8 lb (3.60 kg), built on a fiberglass hull with scale detailing — wire rope, ladders, a radar/radio mast, and searchlights. The working water cannon rotates 120 degrees and throws water up to 10 ft (3.05 m), backed by 17-piece LED lighting and a brushed motor on AquaCraft's multi-motor ESC. It needs an 11.1V 2200 mAh LiPo plus 8 AA cells for the various onboard systems.
Because the stock brushed motor is heavy on battery life and, by owner accounts, only just fast enough for the boat's weight, brushless conversions using motors like a Turnigy D3548/6 760Kv are a common rebuild. Owners who go this route typically wire drive, smoker, cannon, and bilge pump onto independent battery packs to keep any one system from dragging down the others.
Perfect for: display-focused collectors and scale-modeling enthusiasts who want a working feature (the cannon) rather than pure speed.
→ Check current listings on Amazon
Rio 51 / Rio 51Z Offshore Gas (AQUB40–42)
The brand's flagship gas boat: a large offshore deep-V hull powered by a 26cc Zenoah G260PUM marine gas engine, running GrimRacer anodized aluminum and stainless hardware, a 1/4 in flex-cable drive, an auto-oiler, and a remote engine kill switch, controlled via a Tactic TTX300 SLT radio. Aftermarket support remains findable specifically because the Zenoah 26 platform is shared across a wide range of gas RC boats — exhaust pipes, fuel tanks, and stands turn up regularly on eBay even though AquaCraft-branded parts don't.
Perfect for: an experienced gas-boat operator who wants big, loud, offshore-style running and doesn't mind sourcing generic Zenoah-compatible parts.
→ Check current listings on Amazon
The rest of the catalog
AquaCraft's official manual index confirms a much wider lineup than most buyers realize, spanning airboats (Air Force, Alligator Tours, Cajun Commander), scale workboats (Atlantic and Atlantic II tugboats, Bristol Bay trawler), competition hydros (Miss Seattle unlimited, Miss Vegas and Miss Vegas Deuce nitro), beginner self-righting boats (Reef Racer, Reef Racer 2), a nitro tunnel hull (VS1, GrimRacer's original 1999 competition design), and even a one-design sailboat (Vela One Meter) alongside a scale Fletcher-class destroyer. Parts for any of these are strictly NOS-or-nothing, but the sailboat and warship entries are worth knowing about if a listing turns up — they're rarer finds than the catamarans and hydros.
AquaCraft vs Pro Boat — The Honest Comparison
The realistic comparison for a 2026 buyer isn't AquaCraft against another dead brand — it's AquaCraft against whatever is actually in production today, and Pro Boat is the closest living equivalent in market position.
| AquaCraft (legacy) | Pro Boat (current) | |
|---|---|---|
| Availability | NOS/used only, no factory support | New, warrantied, active retail |
| Parts | eBay, forums, generic substitutes | Factory parts, OEM replacements |
| Cooling reliability | Documented issues on Wildcat EP | Generally adequate stock cooling |
| Price | Used-market variable, often lower | Full retail |
| Upgrade community | Small, forum-based, older threads | Large, active, current |
| Standout strength | GrimRacer race hulls (SuperVee, UL-1) | Broad current RTR lineup, fresh parts |
Buying an AquaCraft in 2026 means accepting used-market risk and a DIY parts strategy in exchange for a lower entry price and, on the race hulls specifically, genuinely well-regarded fiberglass construction that's hard to find at similar prices new. Buying a current Pro Boat means paying full retail but getting warranty coverage, guaranteed parts availability, and no guesswork about prior ownership or wear. For someone who has never owned an RC boat before and doesn't want a repair project as their first experience, a current Pro Boat is the safer starting point. For someone who already knows their way around a soldering iron and wants a specific proven hull — especially a SuperVee 27 or UL-1 — AquaCraft remains a legitimate option.
Which AquaCraft Should You Buy?
New to RC boating, want something that just runs: Skip AquaCraft entirely and buy new from a current brand. If a Mini Wildcat turns up cheap and complete, it's fine as a low-stakes pond toy, but don't expect factory support if anything fails.
Want a fast, tinker-friendly catamaran and don't mind a cooling upgrade: The Wildcat EP Brushless is the pick — budget for a cooling-jacket fix and stainless rudder hardware as part of the purchase, not as an afterthought.
Racing-minded and want a hull with a real competitive record: The SuperVee 27/27R or the UL-1 Superior Hydro. Both use proven GrimRacer hardware and have a strong reliability reputation among long-term owners.
Want a display piece with a working feature: The Rescue 17 Fireboat's rotating water cannon is unusual enough to be worth seeking out, especially for scale-modeling enthusiasts who also read guides on RC scale boats and hull classification.
Want big, loud, offshore-style gas running: The Rio 51Z, provided you're comfortable sourcing generic Zenoah 26 parts rather than AquaCraft-branded ones.
Considering an AquaCraft as your only boat with no backup plan: Reconsider. Every model on this list depends on the used market and generic substitutes for consumables — pair any purchase with a look at how to choose and upgrade an ESC and how to judge remaining motor life before committing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is AquaCraft still in business?
No. AquaCraft was a house brand of Hobbico, Inc., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January 2018 and converted to full liquidation later that year. Horizon Hobby acquired the RC assets, including the AquaCraft name, but never relaunched the brand — its own AquaCraft product page currently shows zero active items.
Q: Are AquaCraft boats worth buying used in 2026?
Selectively, yes. The fiberglass race hulls — SuperVee 27, UL-1 Superior Hydro, Motley Crew — have strong long-term reliability reputations among owners. The budget ABS boats, particularly the Wildcat EP, need a known cooling fix to run reliably, which is cheap but not optional.
Q: What happened to AquaCraft RC boats?
The parent company, Hobbico, went bankrupt in 2018 due to broader financial troubles, not anything specific to the boat division. Horizon Hobby bought the RC assets in the same year but chose to fold AquaCraft's lineup rather than continue producing it.
Q: Is AquaCraft the same company as Aqua Craft Products?
No. Aqua Craft Products is an unrelated aquarium marine-salt company with no connection to AquaCraft Models, the RC boat brand covered in this guide. The similar name is coincidental.
Q: Why does my AquaCraft Wildcat overheat?
The stock water-cooling jacket on the Wildcat EP Brushless uses two small round tubes with poor aluminum-to-aluminum contact, which lets the ESC and motor run hot within a few minutes of operation. The community fix is replacing the round tubes with square K&S aluminum stock and, on 4S setups, adding a small cooling fan behind the motor.
Q: Where can I find parts for an AquaCraft boat?
Original AquaCraft parts are gone from retail; the realistic sources are eBay NOS listings, forum classifieds (Offshore Electrics, IntlWaters, RCU), and generic substitutes. Because AquaCraft used common standards — Deans connectors, standard flex-cable sizes, 3/16 in prop shafts, and a Zenoah 26 gas engine on the Rio 51Z — most consumable parts have off-the-shelf equivalents.
Q: Is the AquaCraft Wildcat good for a first RC boat?
The Mini Wildcat is reasonable for a first, low-stakes boat if it arrives complete and working. The full-size Wildcat EP Brushless is faster and more capable but expects some technical comfort — new owners should budget time for the known cooling fix rather than treating it as plug-and-play.
Q: What's the fastest AquaCraft boat?
Stock, the Wildcat EP Brushless runs in the low 20s mph on 3S; upgraded with better cooling and a hotter motor/ESC combo, owners report speeds in the upper 30s to 40s mph. The Motley Crew catamaran has been documented near 47 mph stock on 4S, based on a single owner's reported figures rather than lab testing.
Conclusion
AquaCraft's story is really Hobbico's story: a house brand that rode a genuine wave of fast-electric innovation in the 2000s, then went quiet when its parent company collapsed in 2018 and was never brought back. That leaves 2026 buyers in a specific position — every model here is a used or NOS purchase, with no factory safety net, but several of them earned their reputation the hard way and still hold up.
The race-proven fiberglass hulls, especially the SuperVee 27 and UL-1 Superior Hydro, remain the strongest recommendation in the lineup: well-documented, mechanically straightforward, and backed by owners who've kept them running for over a decade. The Wildcat EP Brushless is worth it specifically for buyers willing to spend an evening on its known cooling fix. Everything else — the Rescue 17's working cannon, the Rio 51Z's gas thunder — comes down to whether the specific scale appeal outweighs the parts-sourcing effort.
For anyone weighing an AquaCraft against a new boat, it's worth reading up on what actually separates jet drives from prop drives and how motor and ESC choices affect real-world lifespan before deciding — those fundamentals matter more with a legacy boat than a new one, since there's no warranty call to fall back on if something goes wrong.
