Hanson Hydros

Hanson Hydros Specializing in 6” hydroplane models, and 3” yearly fleets, handmade and handpainted out of bass and balsa wood.

Got a boat or fleet you would like to add to your collection? Send me a message to get a quote on your custom order!

1964 Notre DameDriven by legend Bill Muncey, the Notre Dame team was in good hands for the ‘64 season. It started off br...
05/27/2026

1964 Notre Dame

Driven by legend Bill Muncey, the Notre Dame team was in good hands for the ‘64 season. It started off brilliant in the first race at Guntersville, Alabama where Muncey piloted the hull to victory, in what was considered an upset win with beating the heavily favored Miss Bardahl team.

The first race might have given the Notre Dame team false hopes though. The boat proved to be very fast through the season, but it was also described to be rough riding and incredibly difficult to handle at speed, making Guntersville the only win of the year for them. With the ill riding boat and lackluster results, Muncey’s relationship with the team fell apart halfway through the season and he was eventually replaced by Rex Manchester.

Some might think it’s a very basic hull and paint but I personally love the look. The light blue is one of my favorite colors to use and with the white it just looks so clean.

Thank you Brent!

Have a boat you would like to add to your collection? Send me a message to get your custom order started!

Very productive weekend in the shop!One boat cleared, a couple in the paint process, four built, and three more cut out ...
05/25/2026

Very productive weekend in the shop!

One boat cleared, a couple in the paint process, four built, and three more cut out and ready to build.

Any ideas on what the four in front will be?
Hint: They are in order by year in picture, earliest on left, to newest on right.

Does the dad in your life talk about the glory days of boat racing every chance he gets? Are you stuck every single year...
05/22/2026

Does the dad in your life talk about the glory days of boat racing every chance he gets? Are you stuck every single year trying to figure out what to get him for Father’s Day? Look no further.

Over the last 3 years, I’ve made countless models for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions. Seeing people give them to dads, grandpas, husbands, and friends has honestly been one of the coolest parts of doing this.

Every boat I make is handmade with detail and personality built into it. Whether it was his favorite boat as a kid, a boat he crews on, or just one that takes him back to the “Good old days” it would be a prized piece in his collection and something he would be proud to show off, guaranteed!

Send me a message if you want to get one in time for Father’s Day, only a few spots left!

05/20/2026

🚨 It's that time! Your May Giveaway Winner Is.....

Thank you everyone for participating, we had over 550 entries! WOW!

Thanks again David with Roostertail Talk for going all in with giveaway! I've got a few more lined up for the summer months so make sure you keep an eye on the page, you don't want to miss your chance on the next!

2019 Oberto “Super Salami”This beautiful paint scheme ran prior in 2018 with the Wiggins race team, but with their catas...
05/19/2026

2019 Oberto “Super Salami”

This beautiful paint scheme ran prior in 2018 with the Wiggins race team, but with their catastrophic crash in Seattle, the hull was not race able in 2019. So for the first time in Miss Madison team history, they fielded two separately sponsored hulls in a season, giving hydroplane fans a final, thrilling look at a classic sponsorship that had previously netted the team six national high-point championships.

It may not look like it, but it was incredibly hard to paint this model. The red and green on the real boat was a reflective foil wrap and getting a color match was extremely difficult, along with making sure the huge letters along the deck matched up and were symmetrical on both sides. But usually the tough ones are the best looking in the end, and I was blown away with how great it looked when complete.

Thank you Vicky!

Have a boat you would like to add to your collection? Send me a message to get your custom order started!

The PrototypesThere’s a lot of new people here, so I figured I’d share how all of this started. Back in 2023 when my dau...
05/13/2026

The Prototypes

There’s a lot of new people here, so I figured I’d share how all of this started. Back in 2023 when my daughter was two, we had some toy hydroplanes that wouldn’t float in the pool because they were die-cast, and I remember thinking, “I can just make something”

What started as making a couple very basic boats for her turned into a fleet of prototypes. All the logos are stickers and paint detail is lacking, but they eventually turned into something I became genuinely passionate about with each one getting a little better than the last.

These are the originals that sparked this whole thing. As you’ll see the bottoms are destroyed from being launched across the floors and the wings have been repaired countless times from blow overs, but I think that’s what makes them special. Every mark on them came from time spent playing with them together.

I’ll go though the design changes on each picture to show the progression. No matter how many I make, or how much they improve, these will always be my favorites ones.

🚨GIVEAWAY TIME🚨Did you see the announcement yesterday? It’s Back!If you haven't already entered, you can do so right her...
05/07/2026

🚨GIVEAWAY TIME🚨

Did you see the announcement yesterday? It’s Back!
If you haven't already entered, you can do so right here!

HOW TO ENTER:
👍 Like this post
➡️ Follow Hanson Hydros and Roostertail Talk
🏷️ Tag a friend in the comments (each tag is an additional entry, maximum of 5)

The winner will receive one model and can choose ANY past or present hydroplane (Unlimited, GP, 350, 2.5)

Thanks to Roostertail Talk for this chance to have ONE OF YOU win a custom made model hydroplane! Drawing will be held on May 20th!

Good luck everyone, and thank you for all of the support!

(Please note all models are built custom and have a lead time between 3-6 weeks after draw

05/06/2026

🚨It’s Giveaway Time Again!🚨

I’ve been listening to the Roostertail Talk podcast for years and I always look forward to Tuesdays so I can catch up on new episodes, I’ve even worked on many models listening to it! I definitely recommend checking it out and thanks again David for the partnership!

Make sure to follow the steps to be entered!

1993 Circus CircusAfter debuting brand new in ’92 under “Coors Dry” and winning both its and driver Dave Villwock’s firs...
05/05/2026

1993 Circus Circus

After debuting brand new in ’92 under “Coors Dry” and winning both its and driver Dave Villwock’s first race in San Diego, the two wing hull campaigned by Ron Jones Jr. returned in ’93 with a familiar name. Circus Circus came back after a two-year absence, backing the promising, state of the art design. Unfortunately, the season proved tough, with a major crash in Detroit sidelining the hull, and it ultimately not returning for the rest of the season after Jones shut the team down mid-year.

1993 also marked the final exit of Circus Circus sponsorship from the sport entirely, which is a real shame considering how beautiful, and competitive the boats always were.

The first picture here is a “Before and After” if you will. You can see how each Hanson Hydro starts with multiple pieces of wood cut and shaped to make one complete build. Models can range anywhere from 12 to 28 pieces total.

Got a boat you would like to add to your collection? Send me a message to start your custom order!

I’ve been thinking about mixing in some different content along with the usual weekly boat posts.What would everyone lik...
05/04/2026

I’ve been thinking about mixing in some different content along with the usual weekly boat posts.

What would everyone like to see?

•Timelapse of builds or painting?
•Going live while I’m building a model and read/answer comments?
•How to build posts/videos?

Or something totally different? I’m open to ideas, I’m just curious what people enjoy watching.

Appreciate everyone that follows along each week!

Address

Madison, IN
47250

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Hanson Hydros posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category