Stiletto Race Prep

[Darin Jordan]

OK Gang... I have a Stiletto here so it's time to start racing it, and documenting any mods I decide to make.

Here are a bunch of initial pics. This is a bigger hull than most P-Limited OPC hulls out there... it's a full 30", compared to 27" to 28" for many of the others. As such, it carries a little more weight than those other hulls as well. Empty hull, RTR minus batteries, is 5lbs 5oz, which really isn't too bad, especially for a RTR mass produced hull. Looks VERY sweet!

[Darin Jordan]

Radio box is a little cramped, but the battery area is quite roomy. Two 5000mah 2S hardcase packs will fit end to end in the bottom of the battery area, or a single 5000mah 4S hardcase pack will fit just foward of the ESC. Both setups provide a balance point right at 8 3/4"-9", which is about perfect.

ESC is a new ProBoat 60A unit that is programable for Lipos and other settings, just like their BJ26 45A unit. Contacts are still the 3.5mm for the motor, and Deans for the battery.

Radio Box lid is a clear platic piece that slides in under the steering cables and presses down similiar to tupperware. It is NOT, however, nearly that secure, and I would still suggest that people use some tape on it to keep it in place. It won't keep out ALL of the water, in the event of a flip, but it should prevent the compartment from flooding.

Steering is a Pull-Pull cable system, using an aluminum pull-pull wheel on a ProBoat/Spektrum steering servo. Cable is slightly larger than a 4-40 sized, and should hold up nicely.

[Darin Jordan]

The outboard is really a pretty sweet unit. It's cast halves are machined on the mating surfaces and the fit is clean. It's a very stout unit that should easily handle some decent power. A little heavy for a pure racing outboard, but no too bad for the scaleness of it. I weighed it previously, but now can't remember if it was 1.5lbs... or 1lb 5oz... I'll try to get an exact weight the next time I have it apart.

The outboard uses a standard K&B 3.5 length .150 flex with square-drive ends. Coupler is similiar to the REK or Hyperformance Products units. The example here is stainless. I believe this is how they come, so it's a little heavier, but no nearly as prone to wear, as the others. Also let's them be made smaller in size.

Motor mounts to an aluminum "X" plate, which then mounts to the lower unit. Pretty simple, but effective mounting that works, and should allow upgraded motors without any hassles.

Water cooling comes in through a pickup in the cav plate, and is routed up through the system internally inside the lower unit. Exit is a simple water line, exiting alongside the motor.

Stub Shaft is a standard 3/16" sized, K&B style 3.5 stub shaft. Aftermarket replacement stubshafts should all fit. I've test fit it with a Hyperformance Products stub and it fit fine. The shaft length on the stock piece was designed to be long enough to fit pretty much any prop you might want to run. Centerline to cav-plate clearance is enough to fit at least a 50mm prop. Should be more than enough room there.

Stock prop is a new ProBoat Stainless prop, which comes fairly prepped. More work could certainly be done to it, but it looks like it could be used right out of the box to good effect. It is basically their Miss Elam or stock BJ prop, cast into Stainless. I believe those were basically Prather 215s. They look VERY similiar.

The small grub screws on the side plates near the prop are drain holes for the lower. The two halves are not sealed to each other, so water can get inside the unit. I'll try running it with these screws removed and see if water ends up being forced in, or whether it will get drawn out.

NOTE: There is suppose to be a small water pickup tube in the cav plate. I didn't have it installed when I took these pictures, but I assure you that it's there. I'll try to get some more pics to show that part.

[Darin Jordan]

Bottom is very clean. Sponsons are quite rigid and there is very little flex in the tunnel. Glass work is quite nice for a RTR boat, and the surfaces are quite flat and even reasonably true. This should perform very well right out of the box. I suspect I'll be doing a little bit of block sanding to the ride surfaces to scuff them and make them dead flat, but I honestly don't think much will actually be required. A quite look on my setup board shows that the sponsons are very true just the way it sits. On a glass boat, there is ALWAYS a little room for perfecting the setups.

The sponsons are A-symetrical, but the boat drives very well either direction. Obviously, it's optimized to turn right, but again, it corners VERY well to the left as well. Almost makes me want to run an offshore style course..

Stuble/Recovery blocks are ample and nicely placed. White finish on the entire hull is really quite nice.

Cowl includes a smoked windscreen with a driver in the cockpit; a FUN little styling touch. Cowl is held on with two aluminum thumb screws. Motor tucks in nicely inline with the cowl. Motor cover is also made from fiberglass and has a nice glossy-black finish.

[Darin Jordan]

OK, so... I'm going to run this boat out of the box for the first race, which will be June 26th with NAMBA District 8. After I get that baseline, it's game on.

Some of the very first things I know from experience will need to be done are the following:

1) Upgrade the battery contacts to either 5.5 or 6mm (I use 6mm, just because that's what my batteries already have.)

2) Upgrade the motor contacts to 5.5mm. This upgrade helps the contacts stay cooler and ends the "de-soldering" that happens on these spec boats when you run them at their limits.

3) Block Sand true and scuff the sponson ride surfaces.

4) Prop... Time for a little R&D on Props... I know what works with the BJ26 motor, which was around 1625KV... This one is 1800KV, so we'll see what kind of prop this one likes.


I'll start there, after the first outting, and we'll see what else might need to be done to get this boat competitive with the front-runners.

[Doby]

Nice, I like the way the cooling on the lower unit in integrated into the housing.

[johnf]

Darin,

Did you notice if the fitment of the plastic tupperware style cover on the Miss Geico cat has the same seal, or lack of? As in, hatch tape will still be necessary to seal it from water?

Thanks,
John

[Darin Jordan]

Darin,

Did you notice if the fitment of the plastic tupperware style cover on the Miss Geico cat has the same seal, or lack of? As in, hatch tape will still be necessary to seal it from water?

Thanks,
John

NONE of these tops will completely seal the compartments from water. It would take a real tupperware lid to make that happen. However, on the Geico, it was much easier to create a lip on the hatch opening to provide more of a "snap" fit, compared to the tunnel. The top deck of the tunnel has the battery box built into it, and trying to provide a "snap on" type lip would have prevented it from releasing from the mold.

I would recommend a little bit of tape on both. The first Geico I tested lost the inner cover during a serious flip, when the outter hatch ripped off and the water sucked the inner hatch off. It sinks, by the way! ;) A little bit of tape on there would have prevented that.

On the tunnel, I would run a tape along the sides. That should keep out most of the water. Everything in there is water-resistant, however, so a little water isn't going to hurt anything.

[johnf]

Thanks for the info Darin! I know I've been pestering you a lot lately about that cat, but I'm just pumped up about it! I planned on using some hatch tape anyway, but I may just seal the whole cover with tape.

BTW, are you trying to hint that you sent a Miss Geico to the bottom??? LOL

ALSO, to keep things on topic here, that Stiletto looks nice. The outboard is sweet looking!

[Darin Jordan]

BTW, are you trying to hint that you sent a Miss Geico to the bottom??? LOL


I'll continue the sidebar to answer your question... ;)

ALMOST! Not me, but my neighbor... He took me over to his Dad's place on Lake Sammamish, and I was testing there. I wanted him to drive it as he had NEVER driven an RC boat or even a car really, and I wanted to see how it would be have for a complete novice. Worked GREAT. VERY forgiving and he was having a blast.

I had him do some high-speed fly-by's and during the last one, the boat hit a bad wave, and did a roll in the air, landing on the top HARD. Ripped off the hatch. By the time I got to it, it was just the tips of the boat out of the water.

I recommended that they add WAY more floatation, which they have!

OK, back on topic... :banana:

[Steven Vaccaro]

Thanks for the detailed pictures and info!

[Darin Jordan]

Thanks for the detailed pictures and info!


No problem... I hope to have some more detailed pics of the inner workings of the lower unit shortly. I have some now, but they are of the prototypes, which are machined and an earlier design, so there are bosses and structure inside that aren't in the new ones. Plus the Production versions are cast, not machined. I'm trying not to show anything that isn't just what you get when you open the box.

The yellow zip-ties on the example boat above, however, are mine... the ones you'll get will be white... :tongue:

[johnf]

I'll continue the sidebar to answer your question... ;)

ALMOST! Not me, but my neighbor... He took me over to his Dad's place on Lake Sammamish, and I was testing there. I wanted him to drive it as he had NEVER driven an RC boat or even a car really, and I wanted to see how it would be have for a complete novice. Worked GREAT. VERY forgiving and he was having a blast.

I had him do some high-speed fly-by's and during the last one, the boat hit a bad wave, and did a roll in the air, landing on the top HARD. Ripped off the hatch. By the time I got to it, it was just the tips of the boat out of the water.

I recommended that they add WAY more floatation, which they have!

OK, back on topic... :banana:

hah, funny stuff! Glad to hear it was recovered.

[Rumdog]

Man, You guys really did a great job with these 2 new rigs! They both look great and appear to work really well too! Damn, I want both! I love that Proboat beat Aquacraft in building the first true FE tunnel. I have to say, I didn't see it coming. Curious, did the same guy come up with the idea for these 2 new boats, or was it more of a collective decision? Way to get me back into RTR's guy's! Darin, what size is the stock Stiletto prop?

[Darin Jordan]

Man, You guys really did a great job with these 2 new rigs! They both look great and appear to work really well too! Damn, I want both! I love that Proboat beat Aquacraft in building the first true FE tunnel. I have to say, I didn't see it coming. Curious, did the same guy come up with the idea for these 2 new boats, or was it more of a collective decision? Way to get me back into RTR's guy's! Darin, what size is the stock Stiletto prop?


The short version of the story goes like this... ProBoat contacted me and said they had a boat they wanted me to evaluate. A very odd looking OPC arrived. I evaluated it and essentially told them that it needed to be a total redo. I asked if they would like ME to do a design and build them a plug. A year or so later, we have the Stiletto.

On the cat... Kind of the same deal... I got a note, saying another hull was on the way. After a review, the top looked good but the size and scale and geometry were all wrong for RC (water doesn't scale... you can't... CAN'T... just scale down a real boat... doesn't work)... I asked it they wanted me to draw something up. I drew up a set of full-scale drawings of the bottom and told them to adapt their deck to the lower hull I had drawn up. The Geico is the result.

So... the seeds for both of these project were started at ProBoat. I only got involved after they had already received initial prototypes that didn't really do the trick. I still have them at home, as a matter of fact...

[johnf]

Good stuff Darin. Glad you got those designs in line.

[rchippie]

Darin What is the width & height of the battery box ?. Will the Turnigy 4s 5000 lipos fit. http://hobbycity.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=10307&Product_Name=Turnigy_5000mAh_4S_40C_Lipo_Pack

[Darin Jordan]

Darin What is the width & height of the battery box ?. Will the Turnigy 4s 5000 lipos fit.

Yup... I don't see why not. I think I mentioned above that I tried it with a ThunderPower 50C 5200 mah HardCase 4S1P pack yesterday and it fits in with room to spare... Balances correctly as well. Quite a bit of room in the battery area.

If one wanted to substitute an aftermarket ESC for the stock one, then the shelf the ESC sits on could also be removed, (lay the ESC on the batteries or something) and I think one could fit TWO 4S packs in there, though I have no idea why you would want to do that... ;)

[rchippie]

Yup... I don't see why not. I think I mentioned above that I tried it with a ThunderPower 50C 5200 mah HardCase 4S1P pack yesterday and it fits in with room to spare... Balances correctly as well. Quite a bit of room in the battery area.

If one wanted to substitute an aftermarket ESC for the stock one, then the shelf the ESC sits on could also be removed, (lay the ESC on the batteries or something) and I think one could fit TWO 4S packs in there, though I have no idea why you would want to do that... ;)

Thats great i just wanted to make sure . Because the Turnigy 5000s are so wide compared to other lipos.

[Darin Jordan]

Thats great i just wanted to make sure . Because the Turnigy 5000s are so wide compared to other lipos.

The ThunderPower pack is 45.2H x 46.5W x 138L... And there is still room above the pack. The Turnigy is 49H x 37W x 149L, so I think it should fit. Can always lay it on it's side.

[BakedMopar]

This one is beautiful Darin. I think I may just get one. Would be my first tunnel.

[Grimracer]

Darin,

The boat looks great.. great job!

take care brother..

Grimracer

[electric]

Yup... I don't see why not. I think I mentioned above that I tried it with a ThunderPower 50C 5200 mah HardCase 4S1P pack yesterday and it fits in with room to spare... Balances correctly as well. Quite a bit of room in the battery area.

If one wanted to substitute an aftermarket ESC for the stock one, then the shelf the ESC sits on could also be removed, (lay the ESC on the batteries or something) and I think one could fit TWO 4S packs in there, though I have no idea why you would want to do that... ;)

Looking at the picture, I am wondering whether those turnigy's will indeed fit. Mainly because the turnigy's have those big honking wires that feed out of the side which impedes the side to side width. I can barely squeeze them into a UL1 for the same reason.

I will break out the batteries(and account for the side wiring) with the ruler tonight and see or like Darin said you can lay them on their side.

Congrats on the Boat Darin!

[6S HYDRO]

Darin i thought on your personel tests that the bj26 motor a36561500 really was around 1800kv, so is this new 1800kv version in this new boat really just the same thing?

[Darin Jordan]

Darin i thought on your personel tests that the bj26 motor a36561500 really was around 1800kv, so is this new 1800kv version in this new boat really just the same thing?


Nope... the BJ motor tests around 1625-1650 actual KV. The SV27 around 1525-1550KV... I haven't tested this new one for actual KV, but it's a new wind, and should be 1800KV or more. I'll try to setup my test bench again one of these days to get the actual numbers... It's definitely a new motor wind. I had them annodize it and the ESC a different color so they'd be easier to differentiate.


electric - The internal dimensions of the battery tray (Width and Height) are 2 3/8" and 2 3/8". There is right at 1" between the bottom of the tray and the bottom of the ESC platform as well. A 2S pack or a 6-cell NiMH pack will slide up under there...

[6S HYDRO]

im almost positive you said it was at 1799 or somthing around that for the orig. bj

[Steven Vaccaro]

Here is his chart.

[AndyKunz]

The BJ is a low-RPM motor, much lower than the AC one.

Darin may have said he WANTED an 1800Kv motor. I know we had lots of e-mails going back and forth to get the 1800 he wanted in this one.

Andy

[6S HYDRO]

well i was pretty close, on extreme timing

[Shane_744]

Great information and great write up on the new boat.

How does it feel to have your name and picture on the box!?!

[Darin Jordan]

How does it feel to have your name and picture on the box!?!

I leary of it, to be honest with you. Guess it's going to depend on how well received the boat is once people start getting them! :spy:

[AndyKunz]

It's not just on the box...

Andy

[Doby]

They should have put Darins face on the driver in the cockpit!

[AndyKunz]

NO WAY!! We want to sell boats!!!!

:rofl:

Andy

[H2OCamel]

Nice looking boat!

[sjslhill]

Darin,

Nice boat, I am going to order one of these........

thanks,
Steve

[LiPo Power]

Me three.....

[Brushless55]

This thing looks sexy! :tongue_smilie:

[Brushless55]

Will these bind to a DX6i ?

[skellyo]

Will these bind to a DX6i ?

Yep, the MR200 will bind to all DSM2 aircraft radios according to the manual.

[AndyKunz]

Marine receivers bind with Aircraft Transmitters.

Aircraft receivers do NOT bind with Marine transmitters.

Andy

[skellyo]

Marine receivers bind with Aircraft Transmitters.

Aircraft receivers do NOT bind with Marine transmitters.

Andy

You mean I can't fly my MCX2 with my DX3S? :crying:


:just-kidding:

[Brushless55]

Yep, the MR200 will bind to all DSM2 aircraft radios according to the manual.

Kachinga! :rockon2:

[sailr]

Is the hull fiberglass or wood over foam?

[AndyKunz]

Fiberglass with wood reinforcements (transom, etc).

Andy

[sailr]

Great! Thanks.

[AndyKunz]

Do you need me to take pix of mine (what's visible, anyway)? It's a proto, but I'm pretty sure it's the final non-painted one and should be the same construction as production.

Andy

[sailr]

That would be great Andy. I hope they will offer them in unpainted but I doubt it. I hate that. every one looks the same!

[Darin Jordan]

That would be great Andy. I hope they will offer them in unpainted but I doubt it. I hate that. every one looks the same!

They are all painted white... the color is all decals and they peel off very easily... oh, except for the silver on the top of the cowl... it's paint as well...

What are you looking for pics of?? Let me know, I'll see what I have to post.

[LiPo Power]

Darin
Just make bunch of good quality close ups if you have little time......
Will have to satysfy ourselfs with pictures for now....
Thanks in advance
Robert
(driver of one of them when available in Canada)





They are all painted white... the color is all decals and they peel off very easily... oh, except for the silver on the top of the cowl... it's paint as well...

What are you looking for pics of?? Let me know, I'll see what I have to post.

[Larry Kirby]

Darin, You have worked hard to contribute to the hobby. This is just another example. Thanks...
Larry Kirby

[Darin Jordan]

Darin, You have worked hard to contribute to the hobby. This is just another example. Thanks...
Larry Kirby

Wow... thank you Larry! I couldn't have done any of this if it wasn't for all the help I got starting out from you and Dick, and the rest of the PSFEMBC gang. We miss you out there. Hope to see you again VERY soon!

[Darin Jordan]

OK, let's get down to business....

First race weekend out, with some very minor updates, and the results are very promising.

Out of the box, simply because I just KNOW this needs to be done, I replaced the contacts with 5.5's for the motor, and 6mm for the battery. Again, I'd used 5.5's on the battery as well, but all of mine were previously setup with 6mm, and I'm too cheap/lazy to replace them all.

That's it... that's all I did to it.

Results... well.... I first ran it with the stock stainless prop. Handling was good, and the speeds were right around 40mph. For many people, they could race it right there and be in the mix in many clubs.

However, in our club, we have to go much faster, so the prop work begins... After fumbling around with it on Saturday at the NAMBA D8 race hosted by PSMBC in Lakewood, WA, where I was running in second behind Brian Buaas in several of the heats before I rolled the boat each time, not finishing one of the 4-heats, we discovered that the style of props I was trying was all wrong for this boat.

I had been working with round-eared props because that's what seems to work on the VS-1 setups, and on my WoodStuff 28. However, when I tried them on this hull, with the somewhat abrupt startup power of the PB ESC, the boat would almost flip on startup, making just launching it difficult.

Went back to an X-Series, and things got better.

After Saturday, I went home and spend some time blue-printing the bottom. This involved simply block sanding the sponsons and, using a flat setup board, making sure they were completely true. After talking to Eric Bourlet and Mark Anderson and Mike Hughes at the D8 race on Saturday, they told me that MOST tunnels on the market need to have this done... even the mightly Lynx, so I took my time and got the sponsons very true and very sharp.

WOW, what a difference. For the second half of my double header this weekend, I raced with my Puget Sound Fast Electric club at Mirror Lake in Federal way, and the results were MUCH different. I ended up second on the day, behind Greg Schweers and his freaking FAST Cobra w/ UL-1 package, but more importantly, the boat handled great, drove great, didn't do anything stupid, and showed that it has a lot more speed in it with some good setup time and the right prop.

I'm not going to say yet what prop I used all weekend, because frankly, it was a little too much load for the motor. Motor temps were fine, but the wires got HOT, and I don't want to recommend anything yet until I'm sure everything will survive. Frankly, one weekend's worth or running isn't enough to make any recomendations anyhow.

I'll get some pics of the bottom work I did tonight and post them. Here are some shots of the contact replacements. I have some more advice as well. Some things that I would recommend updating if you are going to race this, but I'll post that all later as well.

[Darin Jordan]

A couple more tidbits...

Batteries - I ran ThunderPower 40C 5000s using two 2S hardcase packs, for most of the heats. Also ran it with a single 45C 4400 4S1P pack, and then with a single 40C 5000 4S1P hardcase pack...

In all cases, the balance was the same, and the boat drove the same. Might have been just a TAD more stable with the two 2S packs, due to a lower CG, but I think the effects of this were minimal.

Used around 2400-2600 mah during the course of a 1-mile race, but keep in mind that the setup is NOT operating at a good efficiency yet due to the prop I was running. Once the setup gets dialed up, I expect temps to lower and the battery usage to stabilize.

[Darin Jordan]

Jerry Dunlap was nice enough to send me some pics he took over the weekend...

GREAT SHOTS, Jerry! Thank you!!

Prop used for these pics was a slightly backcut Grim 44x66... Had good speed, but handling was not great in the turns. Might have been the rest of the setup, I can't say yet, but nothing got hot, so it was good in that respect.

[Doby]

Pretty.

[Eodman]

Oh man - his picture is on the box - look out guys you are gonna have to make the doors to the meeting hall bigger!!!!! Just to get his head inside!

Just kidding Darin!

[AndyKunz]

It's not just the box ...

Andy

[D. Newland]

I'm curious...what's the fine print say above the side of the windshield?? Driver something something??

[Darin Jordan]

I'm curious...what's the fine print say above the side of the windshield?? Driver something something??

Apparently, someone in the PB graphics department was being cute...

Luckily, the decals can be peeled off with relative ease!

[Darin Jordan]

Oh man - his picture is on the box - look out guys you are gonna have to make the doors to the meeting hall bigger!!!!! Just to get his head inside!

Just kidding Darin!

Very funny... :banana:

Going to take much more than just a picture on a box... vainity really isn't my thing... I screw up too much to think that much of myself, and I can't drive!! :laugh:

If people LOVE it, however, and start winning races with it and really enjoying owning it, well... then we'll see... :thumbup1:

Right now, I'm in that nervous state of "I sure hope this works out the way I had planned it to" mode... :Praying:

In the meantime, I'm keeping myself busy with a couple of other little projects... :spy:

After this weekend, however, I'm fairly optimistic that most will find this to be a very nice RTR platform. It can definitely be taken out of the box, and with almost no additional prep work, go out and be a strong performer in the class. I didn't have any data on it, but I'm pretty sure I was getting all of at least 40-mph with the stock prop... which is essentially a Prather 215. It's not super sharp, but is stainless and should be easy to fully sharpen.

I'm hoping that, with a little additional prep work, it can be a front-runner, but that remains to be seen. Those Cobras, and VS-1s, are really fast...

[Brushless55]

Question..
are these still coming out this month? :Praying:

[Deserthobbies]

Another Question,

Will the proboat programming card work on the 60 amp esc?

[Darin Jordan]

Another Question,

Will the proboat programming card work on the 60 amp esc?

I can ask. According to the ProBoat site, the 60A ESC comes pre-programmed for Lipos.

According to the ProBoat site, there is a seperate part number for the 60A programmer, so I can't say for sure if the 45A card works. I'll ask.

[Darin Jordan]

I decided to tinker a little in preparation for my next race...

First, I believe that the hole in the motor cover for the wires needs to be opened up. They can cut into the wires otherwise.

While I was at it, I opened a hole in the top of the cover so I can access the top of the motor with my temp guage. This isn't necessary, but since I'm on the leading end of racing these things, I thought keeping closer track of temps might be a good idea.

There are two small grub screws in the lower unit... one on either side near the stub shaft. Take these out. They are drain holes and I tested running without them and it works great. Any water getting into the unit is drawn out of these holes at speed.

While you are removing these, take one of them and add it to the steering arm. These come with two threaded holes, but only one set screw. The extra screw helps assure it stays set in place. You can grind a small flat if you feel it's needed.

[Darin Jordan]

I also wanted to add the ability to oil the flex shaft without taking it out. So, I pulled the lower unit apart, and replaced the teflon with a new stuffing tube made of brass.

To bend the brass, which is right at .187ID, I slid in a .187 flex shaft, which JUST fits, and carefully and slowly bent it around a mandrel to shape. I had lightly anealed the brass first.

Once I had it bent to fit, I drilled a small hole near the back of the top, and soldered on a 5/32" tube for a fitting. I will simply attached some larger sized water tubing to this, which will allow me to use a syringe to inject oil into the flex shaft. I'm going to exit the tubing out the back of the outboard so I can service it without taking the cover off.

Once you have the stuffing tube built, mark the placement of the oil tube on both halves of the outboard and grind/file the material away at this point.

[Darin Jordan]

I decided, while I was in here, to make a water exit port IN the outboard, so I took an extra water exit fitting I had laying around and placed it into the back of the unit.

The last shot shows the water exit, and where I'll place the oiling fitting. Have to find a suitable fitting for the oiler first. May just use a piece of 5/32 brass tubing for now.

[Darin Jordan]

One piece of advice... The unit works fine as it comes, but I decided that it would be a good idea to double check the fitment of the flexshaft. If you take the unit apart, you can assemble just half of it, as shown here, and really dial in the fitment of the flex.

I made the flat on the motor output shaft a little longer (toward the motor face) to allow the coupler to be slid up the shaft some. This will allow more adjustment for aftermarket or other than stock flexshafts.

I'm going to fit mine with a Lawless flexshaft, which are a tad longer. I'm using this version because they have a shorter flat section which won't extend into the stuffing tube. Some others have a longer flat section, which prevents the shaft from being able to bend in that section of the shaft, sometimes causing binding.

I'll get some pics of the different shafts tomorrow to show you the difference.

[JimClark]

Both call for the same programmer PRB3311

Jim


Another Question,

Will the proboat programming card work on the 60 amp esc?

[Deserthobbies]

I can ask. According to the ProBoat site, the 60A ESC comes pre-programmed for Lipos.

According to the ProBoat site, there is a seperate part number for the 60A programmer, so I can't say for sure if the 45A card works. I'll ask.

ok i was just wondering because sometimes the esc in my fastech gets out of wack all by itself and it needs to be reprogramed with the card, can i possibly have a defective esc in my fastech, and as mentioned above are they stll going to be out this month, thats a Beautiful boat you done a fantastic job on it, bet proboat sells the crap out of them.

[Doby]

Darin;

Anymore updates on how its running and holding up?

[Darin Jordan]

Darin;

Anymore updates on how its running and holding up?

Actually... I have some more pics to post of some tweaks I did, but just haven't gotten to it yet.

Basically, after doing the outboard tweaks recently, it's really running GREAT! Almost no friction in the lower unit and it's nice and quiet (especially with the motor cover on). Handling is great now that I've blueprinted the bottom. Just a little block sanding to get it nice and flat.

I'll post a full update here in the next few days.

[Doby]

Cool..............

[Flying Scotsman]

Well done Darin, from the pics it looks well designed, great looking motor. I will pick one up, if there are no hull issues on the production models.

Douggie

[Darin Jordan]

Well done Darin, from the pics it looks well designed, great looking motor. I will pick one up, if there are no hull issues on the production models.

Douggie

I think you will find that is is a VERY solid hull. I'll be interested to see what people think once they have them and start really beating on it.

The only thing thus far that I'm really not completely jazzed about is the battery cover. The whole "tupperware" thing really wasn't implemented as well as it could have been, and it still needs to be taped. Maybe one of you out there can come up with a better solution. I think I might actually just make myself a flat cover out of G10 or something, since it has to be taped on if you want to keep water out anyhow.

The ESC, however, is water proof, so if you are going to flip it in stock trim, you just have your cells that will get wet. The ESC will be fine.

I have some additional water proofing and setup tips to post, just have to get time to do it.

[Flying Scotsman]

Darin, another point I think it was really smart to not include a radio...spend more money on the whole boat and bring it in still at an attractive price point and sell some Spectrum radios...result more cash to the LHS and a quality radio to the end user and for seasoned boaters let them use their own radio.

Douggie

[Darin Jordan]

Hey guys... I FINALLY got some video of my boat in action. Did some testing after the race this weekend, and had my buddy, Byron Pimms, film a few laps.

Boat here is setup with an Octura X440/3, backcut about .030" and pitched up slightly. Batteries are ThunderPower 45C 4400mah 4S1P placed all the way forward. I added an additional 1oz of lead up in the nose of the cowl.

After this run, the motor temp was 108-degrees, as were the batteries. Used about 2200mah.

http://www.banzaihydrosports.com/video/ProBoat_Stiletto_Test_Run_Aug_29_2010.wmv

Boat is still running a little nose-high for my taste, so I'm working on slowly getting the setup where I like it.

[Deserthobbies]

Nice vid Darin, That looked like quite a few laps to only use 2200mah of your battery but thats a good thing lol. when you get it setup can you give us some top speed readings. thanks again for the vid sweet looking boat.

Nice to see it stayed right side up in the first lap spinout,

[Flying Scotsman]

Darin, I have a Y537/3 and thought of sticking that puppy on....any comments?

Douggie

[Darin Jordan]

Darin, I have a Y537/3 and thought of sticking that puppy on....any comments?

Douggie


Douggie,

I have the same prop, both stock, and one that is radically tweaked, that I was going to try. Might be interesting. I'm worried that the diameter will be getting a little too small, but I would certainly try it. I'm going to.

We've been running 2-blades for a couple of years now. I just thought it was time to go back to playing with 3-blades again. Seemed to help in the turns, which is an important part of the race with a tunnel...

[monarch]

Hi
Being a newbie am very interested in all the great work you have done on this boat and thanks for sharing it all with us.
Can someone please tell me the OD of the new brass tube fitted or the wall thickness.
Keep up all the great work, will be ordering One soon.
Monarch

[Darin Jordan]

Hi
Being a newbie am very interested in all the great work you have done on this boat and thanks for sharing it all with us.
Can someone please tell me the OD of the new brass tube fitted or the wall thickness.
Keep up all the great work, will be ordering One soon.
Monarch

I can't recall exactly, but will look when I get home. That modification has made a VERY positive difference in the lower unit. WAY easier to keep lubed, and about as friction free as it gets. Seems to be holding up well too...

[ron1950]

darin what kind of speeds are u getting now that u have had some time to do your thing? looks like strightaway speeds are really fast

[JimClark]

Clearly looks faster than the time I saw it in July

[Flying Scotsman]

I just picked mine up, for an almost RTR boat well done Darin. I will do the mods you suggest. The hull looks rock solid and I love the scale motor look. Also very well packaged

A happy Douggie

[simo71]

How many Poles does the motor have? 4? 6?

[vasy]

How many Poles does the motor have? 4? 6?

I though it was 2.

[Darin Jordan]

I though it was 2.

It's a 6-pole motor... The KV actually measures around 1880KV, as opposed to 1800. More RPMs, less torque, than a Geico motor = needs smaller prop with less pitch.

[GP73]

Hey Darin,

Could you elaborate on "smaller'? Smaller than a X440? Or a X640/X642? Have you done any more testing by any chance? :thumbup1:

I was running with a X438 and X440, just B&S (and not the best job), I didn't see any noticeable difference between the 2, probably because of the very small difference in diameter.

But it did seem to me that the X438 runs a little hotter.

I've tried the stock prop as well and it looks slightly quicker than the above, I might try to de-tongue it and see what happens. :bounce:


So many things to do and never enough time. :huh:

[Darin Jordan]

I mean smaller as in both diameter, and pitch, compared to the BJ26 motors.

Too small, however, and it may cause the boat to not have enough lift/thrust, etc., and might not run as freely.

Like I've said before, I've had good luck with the 440/3 and with the 42x55. Still lots of playing around to do before I figure out exactly what I like on her... The 440/3 had been pitched up slightly as well...

[ron1950]

darin school me here....mine ran hot on 440/3 stock but s and bal.....is it running too fast or just putting too much strain on the motor and esc ot what? went back to stock prop.....ran well no heating issues but went to linier (spelling lol) on esc and went about as fast as the 440 had made it on slower setting....explane what would cause hotter running ...too big or too small etc and whateffect will the 642 do for me if u can predict oh great swammie! :bowdown: thanks

[GP73]

I mean smaller as in both diameter, and pitch, compared to the BJ26 motors.

Too small, however, and it may cause the boat to not have enough lift/thrust, etc., and might not run as freely.

Like I've said before, I've had good luck with the 440/3 and with the 42x55. Still lots of playing around to do before I figure out exactly what I like on her... The 440/3 had been pitched up slightly as well...

Good stuff, so you never got around to trying that Y537/3 I take.

I thought 42x55 was too big, but I'll try one now! :biggrin: As soon as I can find a replacement flex shaft. :glare:

Thanks! :beerchug:

[Darin Jordan]

darin school me here....mine ran hot on 440/3 stock but s and bal.....is it running too fast or just putting too much strain on the motor and esc ot what? went back to stock prop.....ran well no heating issues but went to linier (spelling lol) on esc and went about as fast as the 440 had made it on slower setting....explane what would cause hotter running ...too big or too small etc and whateffect will the 642 do for me if u can predict oh great swammie! :bowdown: thanks


Ron, there are a lot of factors that can come into play. Driving style, etc., all come into play.

If you are our running around, making a lot of tight turns, using partial throttle a lot (like when you turn the ESC down to logarithm... you are only getting 80% throttle), the boat won't be running as efficiently as it would if it were flying fast and loose.

My setups are for racing. Long straights, followed by 35' radius turns, all usually at or near full throttle, and the boat running as light as practical.

Anything less than this, and you'll need to detune some.

In my experience thus far, with this hull, and with this motor, is that it can be run all day long on the stock prop when setup correctly. As you start to tune it up, and make it faster, temps will build. Of the props I've tested, the 42x55 seems to be a good compromise for speed vs. temps, but even that is going to take away some run-time. The X642 should perform well, but it has more pitch yet, (67mm vs 55mm), so it may further reduce run time and increase heat.

[D. Newland]

I'll just throw this out there. On my older OPC (TS-2), when I changed from an X642 to a X440/3, it required a much different drive trim setting. I don't recall exactly what change was necessary, but the prop lift characteristics w/the X440/3 were different than an X642.

[Darin Jordan]

I'll just throw this out there. On my older OPC (TS-2), when I changed from an X642 to a X440/3, it required a much different drive trim setting. I don't recall exactly what change was necessary, but the prop lift characteristics w/the X440/3 were different than an X642.

Certainly. As I've stated before, mine was back-cut about .030" and had some pitch and a little cupping added.

Guys... I've only run this boat for a short time (less than a season) and certainly don't have it all figured out. You'll need to play around with it to see what works for you. I am only giving you starting points.

The majority of the initial testing, prior to production, was working with an out of the box setup, with a little testing with some slightly bigger props. That's why I recommend the 42x55 as a nice starting point for upgrading. I know the boat works well with this, and it shouldn't be too much for it. You'll have to play with things from there.

As David points out, props aren't just a matter of bolting on one and having it work, vs. another.... they are pretty complicated pieces that I don't even come close to fully understanding yet.

Another prop that might be a good upgrade would be to stay in the Prather series. The stock prop is basically a Prather 215, so you might try a Prather 220, or 225 as an upgrade. These would have similar lift characteristics, but more diameter and pitch as you go up in numbers.

[50mph]

I picked mine up on Monday, ran on Tuesday using 1 x 4S 4000 30C, ran this 6 times about 5 minutes per run. I did nothing for adjustments, everything stock and setup as the manual suggest. The water was good with a slight breeze. Poor ducks didn’t know what to think when this starting running around. The boat handles well and can be driven around turns with ease.

I don’t think I was doing 40mph, still fast enough to have fun, but I also want to try and adjust the tilt and see what changes. I will make the next runs with a 42x55 and adjust the tilt to bring the nose down, just a tiny bit. I am pleased with this boat; I like the looks, better battery compartment than others found on the net (Well the others I was looking at), it’s a blast to drive and looks great screaming around on the water.

I am not impressed with the paint job, (not a deal breaker) the hull has areas that seemed to be missed or wasn’t prepared properly. I may have 6 to 7 areas that the paint didn’t coat along edges and 2 or 3 spots looked like someone spot painted with a dab of paint, almost like they used a small brush. It does not leak (I sealed the spar holes) so it is sealed, I only took the advise posted here and seal the front spar holes with Shoo Goo. These are not sealed because air will go in one side with the other plugged and enter the inside.


Just my 2 cents

1. Seal the spar holes up front where the hatch slides into. Darin mentioned this
2. As posted here, remove the two small grub screws in the lower unit for drainage. Darin mentioned this
3. Use one of the set screws to secure the rear of the steering arm. Darin mentioned this
4. Take a piece of heat shrink and cover the three wires to the motor where they enter the cover, leave a little overlapping on each side, this will help prevent the wires from being cut by the motor cover.
5. Not that it does not work, but the battery compartment cover could have been done better. Darin mentioned the possibility of looking into an idea of making one. I am waiting on his idea to appear.
6. Not sure what the hole was for between the RXVR compartment and battery compartment, I sealed it.

[Darin Jordan]

I am not impressed with the paint job, (not a deal breaker) the hull has areas that seemed to be missed or wasn’t prepared properly. I may have 6 to 7 areas that the paint didn’t coat along edges and 2 or 3 spots looked like someone spot painted with a dab of paint, almost like they used a small brush.

Paint seems to be inconsistent, it would appear. I just received a brand new, directly out of stock one yesterday, and it looks fantastic.

Make sure you feedback to ProBoat/Horizon if you notice anything like this. Take a few minutes and call the customer service and let them know so they can provide an additional feedback path to the manufacturers.

Glad you like it, and thanks for your honest assessment.

[ron1950]

my paint was pretty good so no complaints there.....i do have to agree with the batterycompartment cover though...it could have just been a flat peace like the rx compartment for easer tapeing.....

[GP73]

my paint was pretty good so no complaints there.....i do have to agree with the batterycompartment cover though...it could have just been a flat peace like the rx compartment for easer tapeing.....

:iagree: That would have been fantastic!

BTW, 93 views to my clip and not a single comment, you guys suck! :lol:

[ron1950]

i liked the vid ...not enough of em out there for my taste id love to see more of the stiletto on u tube but i cant make a vid and drive the darn thing at the same time lol...too bad your lake is frozen over all ready aaah? just kidding post some more....

[Darin Jordan]

The cover didn't turn out quite like we had planned. Was suppose to be more like that on the Miss Geico.

[ron1950]

ya i am not blaming anyone it works well just kinda hard to tape up lol

[GP73]

Quick question: what would be a good motor upgrade for the Stiletto? Nothing too crazy, just a little more power...

Maybe something that can run comfortably on 5S without overheating too much?

[GP73]

i liked the vid ...not enough of em out there for my taste id love to see more of the stiletto on u tube but i cant make a vid and drive the darn thing at the same time lol...too bad your lake is frozen over all ready aaah? just kidding post some more....

Yep, almost time to get the snowmobile out! :lol:

I'll try to make more videos, but I have your same problem... :biggrin:

[simo71]

Quick question: what would be a good motor upgrade for the Stiletto? Nothing too crazy, just a little more power...

Maybe something that can run comfortably on 5S without overheating too much?
Don't run this boat on 5s It does not need it & was not intended to be run on 5s. As for motor's if you want to keep it 'spec' (I would) then anything up to around the 2080kv maximum. Or you could swap out the ESC to see if it improves the power of the stiletto motor.

Do you race or intend too?

[Ub Hauled]

Darin,
wanna congratulate you (and Proboat) for this fantastic F1... it's about time "the money" talks to people that actually know what they are doing in the FE world. Jerry D. did a good job on the TS boats, but it was a bit "raw" for FE, I think the Stilleto is a great achievement, thank you.

PS: I hope you bring her down to the 2 lap or SAW, whichever one you participate... she looks fast on the video man and it has room for more!

[GP73]

Don't run this boat on 5s It does not need it & was not intended to be run on 5s. As for motor's if you want to keep it 'spec' (I would) then anything up to around the 2080kv maximum. Or you could swap out the ESC to see if it improves the power of the stiletto motor.

Do you race or intend too?

I don't race, but I don't exclude it in the future.

I have an Aquastar 90 ESC and I could try that on 5s.

Are you saying that stock spec on 5s I would fry it? :eek:

[Doby]

If you do race in the future, it won't be on 5S,,only 4S...so if you plan to race, set it up properly on 4S, learn to drive it properly and you'll be set when you want to compete.

[Darin Jordan]

I don't race, but I don't exclude it in the future.

I have an Aquastar 90 ESC and I could try that on 5s.

Are you saying that stock spec on 5s I would fry it? :eek:

I'm not sure the motor would hold up long under 5S, would be my main concern.

This motor actually turned out hotter than was originally thought... It test at 1885KV or so, unloaded... so you are looking at around 31,000RPM on 4S. That's already pretty hot.

If you want to go to 5S, which I believe people have done with PB ESCs, then I'd suggest you put in a BJ26 motor instead. You'll get the higher RPMs, but also will benefit from a motor that already has a little more mass and more torque.

[GP73]

Thanks! :thumbup:

I'm going to try a 1500Kv on 5s, if you see smoke call the firefighters! :biggrin:

[ron1950]

ok i know we have gone over this but too lazy to re read 4 pages......first time water was decent for a few weeks so took out the stiletto with a new prop grim 42/55.... slower then the stock prop as i recall.....i have a 642 is that too much or too little prop for this boat>>> the mg ran outstanding on a chuck prepared 642....give me some suggestions pls ...i dont want to burn it up just go fast as mg does.....the wires after 4 min were warm but not anywhere near hot at all seems this motor doesent like this prop at all......oh ya hitting a fish or turtle and knocking the motor angle all the way back didnt help i guess after 3 min or so....
has anyone tryed the prather 225? was wondering if its too much or what?????maybe i should just get my 440/3 cut like darins (.030 and cupped and so forth.) hmmmmmm

[Darin Jordan]

ok i know we have gone over this but too lazy to re read 4 pages......first time water was decent for a few weeks so took out the stiletto with a new prop grim 42/55.... slower then the stock prop as i recall.....i have a 642 is that too much or too little prop for this boat>>> the mg ran outstanding on a chuck prepared 642....give me some suggestions pls ...i dont want to burn it up just go fast as mg does.....the wires after 4 min were warm but not anywhere near hot at all seems this motor doesent like this prop at all......oh ya hitting a fish or turtle and knocking the motor angle all the way back didnt help i guess after 3 min or so....
has anyone tryed the prather 225? was wondering if its too much or what?????maybe i should just get my 440/3 cut like darins (.030 and cupped and so forth.) hmmmmmm

Ron,

Give the X642 a try. It's more pitch than the 42x55 and the same diameter. The Prather 225 might work too. Where is your lower unit setup in relation to the sponsons?

[ron1950]

best i can tell with a stright edge i have the prop shaft in line with the bottom of the sponsons

[heli123]

Has anyone actually tried running this boat stock on 5s yet.I want to try but little concerend,also do i need the programming card for the esc or can it be done through your transmitter-Thanks

[GP73]

I'm waiting for my batteries to arrive... :biggrin:

[50mph]

I have only run 4S, things get hot running 4S. I am not the expert but I would keep an eye on everything if you plan on pushing up the voltage. When I ran mine on 4S every wire and the deans were hot, maybe not too hot to worry about but heat is something I try and stay away from. As others have mentioned here, replace the deans with a larger bullet. It is strange that even on 3S the wires get hot; I am thinking the motor really pulls high amps, nothing the ESC can’t handle, but the wires should have been a lower gauge(bigger) for the higher amp draw.

[50mph]

As for the programing, the only way to program your ESC is to use the program card. Your transmitter cant be used to pragram the ESC.

[heli123]

Yea I still run deans for plugs they do get hot and they should not.My buddy runs 6s in his boat and everything is cold using deans.I think something is up here with the electronics in this boat ,not quite sure what it is yet and for a boat that does barely 35mph

[Darin Jordan]

Yea I still run deans for plugs they do get hot and they should not.My buddy runs 6s in his boat and everything is cold using deans.I think something is up here with the electronics in this boat ,not quite sure what it is yet and for a boat that does barely 35mph

A LOT has to do with setup on these boats, and also the quality of the cells, etc.

Also, the higher the voltage, the lower the amps that are required to make the same amount of power, so by upping the voltage, you are actually lowering the amps.

Also, when a boat is running freer, and faster, it has less drag on it and therefore, less heat. The key is to try to get it balanced correctly so that you have the right prop to get the speed you are looking for, without overloading the motor.

As an example... on our P-Limited Hydros... and H10 is a FAST prop, but the motor temps can run upwards of 125-degrees. If you actually PITCH UP that same prop and tweak on it a bit, (in other words, add some more pitch to it), the boat gets quite a bit faster, but actually runs about 15-degrees COOLER.

You just have to find the right combination.

OH, and, especially on these OPCs... , driving style REALLY comes into play as well...

[50mph]

OH, and, especially on these OPCs... , driving style REALLY comes into play as well...

That is the best comment I have read. My driving isnt one to follow, ducks, weeds and sometimes the dock gets in my way.

[simo71]

As for the programing, the only way to program your ESC is to use the program card. Your transmitter cant be used to pragram the ESC.

I think you will find that you can...Just follow the manual for the ESC that was included with the documents that come with your stiletto.

[ron1950]

just got back from lake.....a news paper photo guy took some nice pics of stiletto and mg hope to post one or two when he sends them along.....stiletto is still alot slower then the mg....still needs a prop that wont make it get too hot and still run faster....tryed a 642 and plugs got very warm but not hot....may have to try it again...today was stock prop......


open to all suggestions on props....440/3 ran HOT 642 ran Warm but not too bad....whats everyone else running that seems to go faster? thanks

[heli123]

This boat is starting to annoy me I rarely run it anymore high amp draw and no speed 35mph is the best I can get,if you are racing you better change electronics or you will loose every time.This boat is a toy for kids!

[Rumdog]

Why don't you take the time to learn about proper setup before you go dissing the boat. Tunnels are not the best choice for beginners.

[ron1950]

instead of everyone comeing down on each other why dont you share with me what is working prop wise on this boat...642 has worked best for me so far but will get warm....

[Rumdog]

Ron, there are a lot of factors that can come into play. Driving style, etc., all come into play.

If you are our running around, making a lot of tight turns, using partial throttle a lot (like when you turn the ESC down to logarithm... you are only getting 80% throttle), the boat won't be running as efficiently as it would if it were flying fast and loose.

My setups are for racing. Long straights, followed by 35' radius turns, all usually at or near full throttle, and the boat running as light as practical.

Anything less than this, and you'll need to detune some.

In my experience thus far, with this hull, and with this motor, is that it can be run all day long on the stock prop when setup correctly. As you start to tune it up, and make it faster, temps will build. Of the props I've tested, the 42x55 seems to be a good compromise for speed vs. temps, but even that is going to take away some run-time. The X642 should perform well, but it has more pitch yet, (67mm vs 55mm), so it may further reduce run time and increase heat.

Here ya go. Not coming down on anyone. Just stating fact. If you don't like the performance, once it is set up proper, then make upgrades. Easy enough. It is a RTR. A 45mph rtr tunnel would have even more setup issues. You cant expect to pull it from the box and pop on a prop and have it run perfect.

[ron1950]

tryed the 42x55 didnt care for that one as it seemed slower then stock prop....no gps or anything.....i will prob stick with 642 right now....what do u think of a 440/3 on the miss gieco? heat or a problem? it really caused high temps on stilleto.

[Brushless55]

This boat is starting to annoy me I rarely run it anymore high amp draw and no speed 35mph is the best I can get,if you are racing you better change electronics or you will loose every time.This boat is a toy for kids!

It's all in your setup :thumbup1:

[GP73]

I'm using a X437/3 S&P and I like the results, I really can't tell the speed but it's not that hot after each run, I'll check the temps again tomorrow and let you know.

It was getting hot with the GrimRacer 40x52/3, but I was using that raw.

What temps are you getting with the X642?

Has anyone noticed if the drive shaft is getting looser with time? I can move shaft about 2mm in each direction.


tryed the 42x55 didnt care for that one as it seemed slower then stock prop....no gps or anything.....i will prob stick with 642 right now....what do u think of a 440/3 on the miss gieco? heat or a problem? it really caused high temps on stilleto.

[ron1950]

i dont have speeds on the 642 but deans get high warm but not too hot to touch etc. noticable speed increase over stock prop.

[Doby]

Ditch the Deans.

[GP73]

I bought one of these at a LHS for $20:

http://www.horizonhobby.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=DYN2529

It's probably not very accurate, but it will give you an idea...

Doesn't take much to get deans hot, so yes, ditch them and use 5.5mm bullets (or bigger).


i dont have speeds on the 642 but deans get high warm but not too hot to touch etc. noticable speed increase over stock prop.

[ron1950]

got a few more problems now then i had yesterday lol.....took out the stellito today,,,,,ran well till i didt see a real boat wake come into the cove....boat hit wake wave and flew sideways stil on gas and it ran up on the rocks..flipped over and had some bad damage to the right sponson,,,,,a fiberglass man can fix it but thats not me........bummer . sence i was only 6 feet off shore when i hit the wave there was no time to even let off trigger......
ordered a new hull today lol...also noticed after the crash that the driveshaft is wobbling at the prop maybe moves a mm or so...anyone else haveing that problem?

[Rumdog]

Have you done the lower unit mods that Darin suggested?

[ron1950]

as a mater of fact...yes

anyone ever order a hull only from proboat? how bare hull only is it anyway? just fiberglass and paint or what>?

[AndyKunz]

Depends on the hull. You get what the picture shows. Usually that means all the glass parts, plus what is needed that's actually part of the hull.

Andy

[ron1950]

andy still not pics on your site of stiletto parts etc...any idea if i have to order a couple of packs of boots?

[AndyKunz]

My Stiletto came w/o boots. It was hull, center section, and radio box lid.

Andy

[ron1950]

thanks andy

[Darin Jordan]

thanks andy

One thing I was thinking about on this boat is actually getting rid of the rubber boots, especially around the steering cables, and using teflon tubing inside of aluminum or brass there instead, then running the teflon/nylon tubing the whole length of the cable... More like they do on the VS-1. I think this would give better clearance around the battery cover, and would also look cleaner, and likely be easier to seal. Just haven't gotten around to doing it yet.

[AndyKunz]

Ron,

You have to enable PM's if you want me to reply!

Andy

ron1950 has chosen not to receive private messages or may not be allowed to receive private messages. Therefore you may not send your message to him/her.

If you are trying to send this message to multiple recipients, remove ron1950 from the recipient list and send the message again.

[ron1950]

sorry andy thought they wer on ...at least they were before the server kept going down...ill try again thanks

thanks think i got it fixed now

[ron1950]

andy, got my new hull today and set it up as best i can without the boots.....heres what the bare hull includes 1) bare hull with decals applied! thats it......i was most disapointed with the fact that it has a drain hole in it but no rubber gasket or drain plug......come on for 138 dollars at least give a guy a water tight hull.....also no battery cover or reciver cover but i did have those from wrecked boat....u know how hard it is to get the old drain plug rubber gasket out without wrecking it? lol.....now i may be all wet here (pun intended) but i would think it could have been a little more generious ...just my 2 cents

[simo71]

I'm not to sure why you guys are finding the boat slow? While mine is not a bullet I had no problems playing with a 40" cat last saturday which runs leopard 40mm power on 4s.

What I have I done to mine?
After it torpedoed a larger gas boat that decided to turn left in front of me I block sanded the bottom of sponsons apart from the repairs that I did.

I got rid of the sheer pin on the drive dog & tapped it, added grub screw & filed a flat spot on the prop shaft...It now has a small amount of play but is much more free. & I am able to now pull the stub apart for maintenance.

I run a grim three blade 40/53

I have set my motor height at 88.5mm (boat set on stand & measure from setup bench to base of cav plate)

Motor angle is set at 12.5mm from center of adjust bolt (bottom for motor trim) to edge of motor mount.

The boat now is a dream to drive & does not hook in the turns.

[AndyKunz]

Ron,

Drain plugs are PRB4004 - $2.99.

Personally, I think the hull package for $135 is a pretty good deal.

Andy

[ron1950]

ya then why is it 122.oo on the net? and your free shipping that is 13.95 handling? id say i got taken lol

[Rumdog]

I'd say if you're that worried about a few bucks, then maybe you should be more frugal shopper.

[ron1950]

u got that right...i always find the deal after i buy retail lol.. i was just looking to see where he parked his goat anyway lol

[GP73]

Motor angle is set at 12.5mm from center of adjust bolt (bottom for motor trim) to edge of motor mount.


That sounds almost straight, do you mind posting a picture from the side? Mine is probably not setup correctly then:

95mm for the table to the bottom of the cav plate, measured at the back of the plate

26mm from the motor mount plate to the center of the lower trim bolt.

Which means that it's probably too high and too much positive angle. I do mount both batteries in front, which batts are you using (weight?) and how do you position them?

:beerchug:

[ron1950]

i got about the same measurements and the motor is very close to stright

[simo71]

That sounds almost straight, do you mind posting a picture from the side? Mine is probably not setup correctly then:

95mm for the table to the bottom of the cav plate, measured at the back of the plate

26mm from the motor mount plate to the center of the lower trim bolt.

Which means that it's probably too high and too much positive angle. I do mount both batteries in front, which batts are you using (weight?) and how do you position them?

:beerchug:The measurement I used was from the center of the trim bolt to the outside of the motor mount so towards motor.

I did not use the mount on the transom for the trim measurement, only the bracket for steering & trim.

[GP73]

The measurement I used was from the center of the trim bolt to the outside of the motor mount so towards motor.

I did not use the mount on the transom for the trim measurement, only the bracket for steering & trim.

Mine is at 1cm exactly then. Here is a picture, it's a little blurry. :sorry: that gives me more positive angle than you, I'm curious to try your setup and see the difference.

Anyone else willing to share their measurements? Darin perhaps? :biggrin:

Tonight a ran with a 2000Kv generic motor (from the Surge Crusher) on 4S with an X437/3, I took few videos with a tripod but they didn't turn out that great.

Again, it's hard to gauge the speed without a GPS/radar gun, but it looked definitely faster. Temps were 84 motor/ESC, 91 caps and 113 on batteries (2x 2S Flightmax 4K 30C), water temp was around 55.

I'll try to upload the videos later.

Tomorrow I'm going with a 5S on a Turnigy 1500Kv, weather permitting.

Wish me luck... :thumbup:

[GP73]

i got about the same measurements and the motor is very close to stright

Same as me or Simo?

[GP73]

Tomorrow I'm going with a 5S on a Turnigy 1500Kv, weather permitting.

Wish me luck... :thumbup:

WOW, with the Turnigy 1500Kv and a 5S 5K 30C Flightmax it was flying over the water! Using a GrimRacer 40x52/3.

Also very easy to hook and flip in turns. :sad:

After a 2 mins run temps were around 120F for everything.

I've tried Simo setup, 85mm and 12mm angle and it was running way too wet, stable in the corners but literally lost all the speed. Also the battery went down in just a minute or so.

The LVC on the stock ESC didn't kick in at all and the cells were in between 3.35v and 3.25v, not good. But the battery is not puffed at all and it's balancing fine as I write this, i just have to make sure to bring her in as soon as it slows down

So now I have 11mm angle as discussed before and 16mm up trim measured from the bottom of the leg mount to the top of the hull.

Pic is better than words, apologies for the quality:

[simo71]

If you are running it with 5s then the setup will probably not work due to the extra weight...so your on your own with that one.

Mine carries the nose in the straights & sets down in the turns dropping the inside sponson in...nice! People think I'm running a third channel for trim.

[GP73]

Understood, I just weighted the batteries:

2x 2S1P 4000mah 30C Flightmax hardcase: 531g

2x 2S2P 5200mah 30C Turnigy hardcase: 688g

1x 5S1P 5000mah 30C Flightmax: 670g


I'll avoid using the 4K ones, that should give me a more consistent weight to work with. Which batteries are you using?

BTW, I was doing some reading about tunnel hulls, according to what I'm reading a good starting point is having the prop shaft 1/8" above the bottom of the sponson and 1º negative angle. I'll reset mine to that and try again tomorrow.

:beerchug:

[GP73]

BTW, I'll listen to you guys and run on 4S from now on :smile:, I'll just put back the 2000Kv motor I was using yesterday...

Video is coming. :thumbup:

UPDATE: Here it is
t3vTzDQklOc

[GP73]

Did I kill this thread? :lol:

:sad:

[ron1950]

dont think so......did u see the vid on here somewhere of the ul-1 motor in the stilleto? looked pretty fast..it mght be the way to go.....

[GP73]

Yes, that's where I got the idea of using a 2000Kv motor I had lying around. Next is going to be a 2075Kv with M440 (4S) and a 1620Kv with X642 (4S and maybe 5S).

I've also ordered an outrunner, I'm wondering if I can use that on the Stiletto: :eek:

Eventually I want to try changing ESC and running on 6S with a 1300Kv unit, just for the fun of it. :lol:

[Brushless55]

Yes, that's where I got the idea of using a 2000Kv motor I had lying around. Next is going to be a 2075Kv with M440 (4S) and a 1620Kv with X642 (4S and maybe 5S).

I've also ordered an outrunner, I'm wondering if I can use that on the Stiletto: :eek:

Eventually I want to try changing ESC and running on 6S with a 1300Kv unit, just for the fun of it. :lol:

Keep us posted, I love the looks of this hull :thumbup1:

[Zlui]

Hi Guys, hi Darin,

I’m Christoph (or Zlui), I live in Germany, and I have followed your discussions on the Stiletto from day 1 – I was about to buy a small cat in June when I heard about this boat, and I ordered one. It has finally arrived yesterday (probably one of, if not THE first in Germany), and I will set it up over the weekend, trying to follow your advice …

The first things I noticed were the decals that are not applied right (bubbles and waves), paint seems to be OK, manual is only in English (which is not a problem for me, but might be for others), and another thing that I dislike is the fact that the Dean connectors are totally uncommon in Europe. None of my batteries fits … oh well. :crying:

But what annoys me the most: I find the Tupperware lid and the pull-pull cables that scratch over it really are a bad joke - I don’t know if Thunder Tiger Bandit boat sells in the US, but there you can see how that issue should have been solved. Take the time and google for pics of it, their solution is just brilliant (unlike the rest of that boat, though – I was considering to buy one before I heard of the Stiletto). Apart from that, the Stiletto looks fine and I’m looking forward to running it.

Only two question (for now), you guys suggest to block sand the sponsons, don’t you have to paint them again after that, or are you more polishing than sanding the surface? And would you say that initial changes are needed to the stub shaft in order to have the prop run freely, do I have to grease it, or can I start right out of the box?

Btw, I am being a little off-topic here, but you might be interested to see what other nice things we are doing here in Old Europe; take a look: :buttrock: http://www.dmax.de/video/die-modellbauer-episode-13-1/

TV series on rc modeling, showing (among others) a Mystic Cat, 1,85m (~6ft), 2 gas turbines with 8 kW each, 175 km/h (>100mph), made up of parts for 15.000 EUR (~20.000 US-$) … pretty neat. For the launch see 2nd half of episode 5.

Have a good day
Christoph

[ron1950]

after a crash into the rocks i noticed my propshaft has a wobble in it....i ordered the drive dog and stub shaft and brass ferral but wondered what made it so lose etc..... the prop never hit the rocks as far as i can tell as it was upsidedown after the nose hit the rocks.....anyone need a slightly damaged stiletto hull cheep? lol

[GP73]

I have the wobble too, about 2mm in each direction. I never crashed mine, so it could be a wear issue.

I bought a Hyperformance stub shaft here on OSE: it's a drop-in replacement and very well built, but it doesn't turn as freely as the stock one, even after greasing it. I'm hoping it will loosen up a little with usage.

Did you try the M445? How is it?

[ron1950]

the m445 is huge compared to the 642 not sure i want to burn up a motor or esc right yet ...lol

[Darin Jordan]

I have the wobble too, about 2mm in each direction. I never crashed mine, so it could be a wear issue.

I bought a Hyperformance stub shaft here on OSE: it's a drop-in replacement and very well built, but it doesn't turn as freely as the stock one, even after greasing it. I'm hoping it will loosen up a little with usage.

Did you try the M445? How is it?

The stub on these is basically the same as a stock K&B stub... which also wore out very quickly. The Hyperformance stub is the WAY to go on one of these. It'll last forever, and also has a little extra length for those larger prop hubs.

[AlanN]

I have the wobble too, about 2mm in each direction. I never crashed mine, so it could be a wear issue.

I bought a Hyperformance stub shaft here on OSE: it's a drop-in replacement and very well built, but it doesn't turn as freely as the stock one, even after greasing it. I'm hoping it will loosen up a little with usage.

Did you try the M445? How is it?

I bought a hyperperf stub shaft and found that the flange on the squared end rubs against the lower end. You could sand it lightly to have proper clearance.

[ron1950]

where does one get the hyperperformance stub end?part number etc?

[Darin Jordan]

where does one get the hyperperformance stub end?part number etc?

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=hpi-psa35

I'd recommend either trimming down the grubs or getting some shorter ones...

[ron1950]

thanks.....figured out what the grubs are and wow why do they stick out like thumbs on that drive dog? lol

[GP73]

I bought a hyperperf stub shaft and found that the flange on the squared end rubs against the lower end. You could sand it lightly to have proper clearance.

I was wondering if getting a Hyperformance Angle Drive would be better overall. Less weight, better construction, no teflon tube, awesome look. :biggrin:

[Darin Jordan]

I was wondering if getting a Hyperformance Angle Drive would be better overall. Less weight, better construction, no teflon tube, awesome look. :biggrin:


Has a different transom to prop distance. I think it's tucked up tighter, if I remember correctly. I have one at home, I'll try to look tonight.

Pull the Teflon and do a brass liner like I showed previously. ZERO drag and super easy to maintain.

Better Looking??? I SCOFF at that notion... :Shame_on_You: :doh:

:beerchug:

[GP73]

Has a different transom to prop distance. I think it's tucked up tighter, if I remember correctly. I have one at home, I'll try to look tonight.

Pull the Teflon and do a brass liner like I showed previously. ZERO drag and super easy to maintain.

Better Looking??? I SCOFF at that notion...


Yeah, I've tried that as soon as I got the Stiletto... Turns out I'm not very good at bending brass tubing... :doh: :biggrin:

I'll try again at some point, I have the entire winter anyway. :sad:

And look is subjective, isn't it? :tongue_smilie:

Thanks for a beautiful boat! :beerchug:

[Darin Jordan]

Yeah, I've tried that as soon as I got the Stiletto... Turns out I'm not very good at bending brass tubing... :doh: :biggrin:



Next time you try... heat the brass to an orange glow and then let it cool. That will anneal the metal and it'll bend without any issues. Once you get it shaped, I think you can harden it again. I just annealed mine, bent it to shape, and then put it in. Seems to be holding up great!

Looks are subjective... ;)

But watch for that prop setback. These boats don't always like that to be changed...

[GP73]

Next time you try... heat the brass to an orange glow and then let it cool. That will anneal the metal and it'll bend without any issues. Once you get it shaped, I think you can harden it again. I just annealed mine, bent it to shape, and then put it in. Seems to be holding up great!

Looks are subjective... ;)

But watch for that prop setback. These boats don't always like that to be changed...

Yes, I don't think I made it hot enough. That's why I need to retry with a new piece. I should really blueprint the sponsons too, but I've never done it and I'm afraid to ruin the hull. :eek:

No plans of buying the angle drive for now, but if you get around to check the measurements on your unit that would great!

About the stub shaft: I was surprised to see the grub screws sticking out that much, what would be the reason for that? They run out of shorter ones? :lol:

[Darin Jordan]

About the stub shaft: I was surprised to see the grub screws sticking out that much, what would be the reason for that? They run out of shorter ones? :lol:


I think, actually, that the longer ones are CHEAPER... I just stuck them on the end of an old allen wrench, and sanded the ends down until they were shorter. Works fine.

Next time you try to do your brass... heat it up, then slide a piece of 1/4" flex (I think that's the right size), down inside the brass before you bend it. On mine, it was a "just fits", fit, and it keeps the tubing from kinking. I just worked it very slowly until I got it where I wanted it.

[forescott]

Darin, Which lawless flex did you use for the stilletto? I found K&b/3.5 K&b/7.5 & a flex for the g-drive?? My stock flex has a pretty good "kink" where the square end was pressed. So I might as well upgrade.

[forescott]

I received 2 stilletto outboards today w/o motors. The first thing I noticed is that the prop shafts are very difficult to turn by hand. They should spin pretty easy without a motor attached. So I took one apart and tried spinning the flex shaft by itself inside the teflon. Still difficult to spin! I can see this being very difficult for any brushless motor to spin any prop with this much resistance. I think adding the brass tubing in leu of the teflon is going to be a "must" for the stilletto.

[forescott]

I also found that my flex cables have a pretty good "kink" where the square end was pressed. This can't help either!

[Rumdog]

OH. That's no good!

[GP73]

Question: I have a Castle 1520 and as you know it comes with cooling fins on the can; do you think it could run on the Stiletto without water cooling?

Temps around here are in the 60F these days, would that be enough to cool it down?

Just wondering....

[Rumdog]

I think it would sink. Can you fit 6s in that hull?

[GP73]

I also found that my flex cables have a pretty good "kink" where the square end was pressed. This can't help either!

I have 3 flexshafts from PB, they all look like that.

You might want to buy the Hyperformance 3.5 flex shaft instead.

BTW, when I turn my PB flex shaft in the OB without motor installed I don't have much resistance, I'm sure it's better with brass tubing instead of teflon, but it's not as bad as you described. At least on my unit...

[GP73]

I think it would sink. Can you fit 6s in that hull?

I think you're right! :lol:

There is a LOT of space for batteries: it's 60mm wide and 65mm deep, minus some space for the "hatch".

I haven't checked the length, but you can fit two 145mm long batteries end to end. So it's at least 29cm long.

[Brushless55]

Question: I have a Castle 1520 and as you know it comes with cooling fins on the can; do you think it could run on the Stiletto without water cooling?

Temps around here are in the 60F these days, would that be enough to cool it down?

Just wondering....

Oh wow! :banana:
that motor on this hull possibly would not need any extra cooling

[GP73]

Oh wow! :banana:
that motor on this hull possibly would not need any extra cooling

I don't really think I'm going to do it... Rumdog is right, the whole thing would probably sink! :lol:

But it would be fun to try! :banana:

And BTW, the pond where I usually run is only 4 feet deep. It would be easy to retrieve from the bottom... :rofl:

[Brushless55]

I don't really think I'm going to do it... Rumdog is right, the whole thing would probably sink! :lol:

But it would be fun to try! :banana:

I would make for some fun video! :w00t:

[Brushless55]

A CC1515 2200kv could be sick :laugh:

[forescott]

I have 3 flexshafts from PB, they all look like that.

You might want to buy the Hyperformance 3.5 flex shaft instead.

BTW, when I turn my PB flex shaft in the OB without motor installed I don't have much resistance, I'm sure it's better with brass tubing instead of teflon, but it's not as bad as you described. At least on my unit...

Yah, mine is pretty hard to turn. I think brass is the key. I think its because of the sharp bend. If you think about it. Why teflon anyway? Its on the inside of the case so it isn't necessary for keeping water out. If you can imagine even a slight bit of resistance when turning by hand is gonna be huuge when the motor is trying to turn that prop shaft @ 30,000rpm.

[Doby]

Yo GP73;

Hopefully you plan on joining us on some club races next year in TO and Kitchener, if you do, then concentrate on 4S setups so you will fit in the OPC class. Tunnels are a drivers boat......

[GP73]

Oh I know, you mentioned it before. :smile:

Not sure if I'll ever race, just having fun for now. :biggrin:


Just adding something here: A Stiletto with a UL-1 motor and a single 4S 40C pack would be legal for racing?

[forescott]

Darin, can you confirm the outside diameter of the brass tube that you used to replace the teflon. In one post you stated a .187 cable fitting snug inside, and in another post you said you thought you used a .250 flex inside the brass. I'm thinking its 7/32 o.d. but want to be sure.

[Darin Jordan]

Darin, can you confirm the outside diameter of the brass tube that you used to replace the teflon. In one post you stated a .187 cable fitting snug inside, and in another post you said you thought you used a .250 flex inside the brass. I'm thinking its 7/32 o.d. but want to be sure.

It's the first one... the .187 cable size... It's a little bigger than actually needed for the .150, and the .187 fit, but snugly.

Sorry for the confusion.... :doh:

[Darin Jordan]

Just adding something here: A Stiletto with a UL-1 motor and a single 4S 40C pack would be legal for racing?

Yes! P-Limited (or P-Spec) OPC Tunnel... Should rock!

[Zlui]

Can anyone say what happens to runtime when using a UL-1 motor and a Grim 42x55 prop?

[Darin Jordan]

Put a Losi Xcelorin 1/8th Scale motor on the stock outboard tonight. 2400KV 4-Pole, very similiar to a Neu in construction. Used a Neu 1509 water jacket on it, which fits perfectly. Just have to remove the endbell screws to slide it on, the reinstall.

ESC is now a Hydra 240.

Fabbed a plywood radio-box top to replace the platic stock one. I needed a little more room under the lid, and also figured this would be easier to tape down. Would have liked to have made if from some G10, but I didn't have any that was thin/light enough, so this will do. Put a coat of laminating epoxy on it, and it's ready to go.

Going to play with this tomorrow at the Puget Sound Model Boat Club's NAMBA D8 2-lap event. Going to throw an Octua 440/3 on there, a 5200mah ThunderPower 50C 4S1P pack, and see what kind of 2-lap time I can navigate.

This could be interesting! :thumbup:

[Brushless55]

I hope someone gets a video for you!

[ron1950]

darin...ran the ul-1 motor and the new hull tonight...(long story on the hull lol)....faster but still needs some trim work on the motor....do u have pos trim in your motor?mine is nutral and seems like there is more speed there somewhere....maybe some up and some pos trim will do it good luck with that horse u just created

[JDCrow]

Put a Losi Xcelorin 1/8th Scale motor on the stock outboard tonight. 2400KV 4-Pole, very similiar to a Neu in construction. Used a Neu 1509 water jacket on it, which fits perfectly. Just have to remove the endbell screws to slide it on, the reinstall.

ESC is now a Hydra 240.

Fabbed a plywood radio-box top to replace the platic stock one. I needed a little more room under the lid, and also figured this would be easier to tape down. Would have liked to have made if from some G10, but I didn't have any that was thin/light enough, so this will do. Put a coat of laminating epoxy on it, and it's ready to go.

Going to play with this tomorrow at the Puget Sound Model Boat Club's NAMBA D8 2-lap event. Going to throw an Octua 440/3 on there, a 5200mah ThunderPower 50C 4S1P pack, and see what kind of 2-lap time I can navigate.

This could be interesting! :thumbup:

I just cut some thick lexan sheet to make a new battery box cover. Now I can effectively tape completely around the box.

Also packed the push pull cable bellows with marine grease, as well as the esc cable bellow to restrict flooding the radio compartment.

Darin - regarding blueprinting the sponsons. Do you sand all three ride surfaces?

Thanks,
JD

[JDCrow]

Still having a leak into the receiver box. Time to put a boot over the switch, or put in inside the box.

Darin, would it not be better to have the canopy attaching pins affixed to the hull and the locating holes on the canopy?

My lexan battery hatch cover

[ron1950]

Darin, would it not be better to have the canopy attaching pins affixed to the hull and the locating holes on the canopy?

i aggree on the pins being in the hull sealed instead of two holes below the water line into the hull......i know its not hard to seal but dont see why i should have to lol

like the lexan cover i may have to get busy on one myself///

[Darin Jordan]

Darin, would it not be better to have the canopy attaching pins affixed to the hull and the locating holes on the canopy?

I don't know. Couldn't hurt. I never get water inside the hull, but I'm still getting it inside the battery box and radio box, and I can't really tell where it's coming from.

By the way... the Losi 2400KV Xcelorin 1/8th scale motor... 440/3... HOLY CRAP! Need to work on setup, because it accellerated itself right off the water! Time to do some testing and get it setup...

[ron1950]

i guess i said that cause i am also getting water in batterybox and a few drops into the rx area....and also i cant find where its comeing from....now tell us more about the beast with the big motor..

[JDCrow]

I rolled over today, and when I recovered it, the hull had lots of water in it.

Im thinking its either getting in from the canopy pin locations up front (although inspection tonight they appear to be plugged already), or the culpret is the blind nut locations for the motor mount or canopy screws.

Ran the 40x52/3 prop today. Like the speed and turning, but had too much tilt on the motor. Carried the nose really high and Lots of cavitation once you set the front to turn tight (felt like slipping clutch).

X442 Octura was nice. I'll raise the motor depth a little next time to see about getting some more speed.

Make-A-Wake took a few videos. Maybe he will post them up of the runs.

Only thing I had to compare to was a few Ms Gieko's that are screaming.

[Brushless55]

I don't know. Couldn't hurt. I never get water inside the hull, but I'm still getting it inside the battery box and radio box, and I can't really tell where it's coming from.

By the way... the Losi 2400KV Xcelorin 1/8th scale motor... 440/3... HOLY CRAP! Need to work on setup, because it accellerated itself right off the water! Time to do some testing and get it setup...

This just sounds so wrong and right at the same time! :hug1:

[GP73]

I don't know. Couldn't hurt. I never get water inside the hull, but I'm still getting it inside the battery box and radio box, and I can't really tell where it's coming from.

By the way... the Losi 2400KV Xcelorin 1/8th scale motor... 440/3... HOLY CRAP! Need to work on setup, because it accellerated itself right off the water! Time to do some testing and get it setup...

Do you get water in those compartments just by running her? I never get water anywhere unless I flip it, I used to get some water in the hull before, but not since I plugged the holes in the front with silicone.

I was running a Feigao 11L today (2300Kv) on 4S and a M440, it was running great until I hit LVC, or at least I thought I did, I brought her back in and when I opened the hatch there was a little bit of smoke trapped inside. One cap blew and the other was puffed.

Lesson learned: don't even try to take the stock ESC apart, it's one solid block of epoxy :doh:, if you need to replace the caps just wiggle them until they get free of the epoxy and carefully pull them straight out leaving the contacts attached to the PCB. You can then solder the new caps on those contacts.

I might end up replacing the ESC anyway, but I'm not very happy that a perfectly good ESC can become useless because you can't replace $1 worth of caps... :mad:

[GP73]

I forgot one thing about the hatch: if you trim the stock one by cutting along the ridge it becomes much easier to tape and much more waterproof.

[ron1950]

i was getting water into the battery compartment and couldnt find out where it was comeing from....could only be from the water cooling tubes so a friend suggested to wire tie the hose onto the the metal cooling tips of the esc and next run ...no water so guess i found my leak...

[JDCrow]

I believe Ive found the source of flooding the receiver box.

The first correction is stop capsizing. But more controllable is the lack of watertight seal on the switch. Just inspected it, and there is plenty of gap between the insert and the threaded rod. There is a tag on the ballend of the pull rod, but something appears to be missing. Time to review the manual and see what, if anything is suppose to be attached to it.

Time to practice safe boating and put a raincoat over the switch.

[Zlui]

I bought a Hyper Performance 3.5 Bullet Shaft, but found that the Allen screws do probably not match the metric system; my 1.5mm Allen key was too small, the 2.0mm too big. Do you have a different system of units for Allen keys in the US, and what would the right key be? ...

[Darin Jordan]

I bought a Hyper Performance 3.5 Bullet Shaft, but found that the Allen screws do probably not match the metric system; my 1.5mm Allen key was too small, the 2.0mm too big. Do you have a different system of units for Allen keys in the US, and what would the right key be? ...

I'm pretty sure the Hyperformance unit is standard sized allens, not metric.

[Zlui]

Well, "standard" is a question of standpoint, or rather continent, in this case :confused2: ... in Continental Europe Allen keys is all metric. What size in inches would I have to buy, which is between 1.5 and 2.0mm ...?

Thanks!
Zlui

[Darin Jordan]

Well, "standard" is a question of standpoint, or rather continent, in this case :confused2: ... in Continental Europe Allen keys is all metric. What size in inches would I have to buy, which is between 1.5 and 2.0mm ...?

Thanks!
Zlui

I suppose..., but "standard" is what they are called here! It's either "metric", or "standard"...

Since 1.5mm is 0.059055", and 2mm is 0.07874"... I'd say you would be looking for a 1/16" sized, which is 0.0625"... Just a bit bigger than 1.5mm, and a bit smaller than 2mm...

Standard (SAE) sizes are: 0.050", 1/16", 5/64", 3/32", 7/64", 1/8", 9/64", 5/32", 3/16", etc....

[Zlui]

OK, thanks, I'll be looking for one of those then. Btw, great boat, overall! :laugh:

[LiPo Power]

So did anyone try M445 and UL-1 motor on stiletto yet???

[JDCrow]

Here is mine using the kit motor and a Grim 40x52/3 blade

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14tOaM2BnB8

Still learning the boat.

[ron1950]

the m445 is way too big a prop at 45 cm.....i tryed it and a 42x55 and both were way slow cant get the rpm up....so when to a 640 detounged and cutback slightly... it was with the ul-1 motor//...it screems...i almost ran it out of the pond i was so delighted(small pond but u have to turn at the end lol)..so just my 2cents worth but go small size with lots of pitch....

[Darin Jordan]

the m445 is way too big a prop at 45 cm.....i tryed it and a 42x55 and both were way slow cant get the rpm up....

I'm going to disagree with this... the 42x55, back-cut .090", slightly de-tongued, and pitched up to 3.8 or 3.9" is one of the fastest props I've seen behind a UL-1 motor. Now, that was on a VS-1, but still... Stock, then maybe you are right, but if you are going to work the prop... work this one!

[GP73]

I'm wondering if egneg could prepare some 42x55s with these specs for us... :smile:



I'm going to disagree with this... the 42x55, back-cut .090", slightly de-tongued, and pitched up to 3.8 or 3.9" is one of the fastest props I've seen behind a UL-1 motor. Now, that was on a VS-1, but still... Stock, then maybe you are right, but if you are going to work the prop... work this one!

[ron1950]

have to send my 42x55 off to egneg as it is useless to me right now..thanks darin for the stats on that prop....

[duckbum]

Approximate speed for this Tunnel out of the box w/2 2S 30C's?
Thanks!

[mickvk]

Approximate speed for this Tunnel out of the box w/2 2S 30C's?
Thanks!

I got 35 on day 1 (rough conditions). A little tuning with the height/pitch my get a couple more. I may also replace the teflon with brass to gain some efficiency like the boss recommends. :)

[colormegone]

I'm going to disagree with this... the 42x55, back-cut .090", slightly de-tongued, and pitched up to 3.8 or 3.9" is one of the fastest props I've seen behind a UL-1 motor. Now, that was on a VS-1, but still... Stock, then maybe you are right, but if you are going to work the prop... work this one!

So is this a good prop for my Stiletto with a UL1 motor.
I'll send one out to get prepped if this is the case.
Thanks, Roy

[hazegry]

So is this a good prop for my Stiletto with a UL1 motor.
I'll send one out to get prepped if this is the case.
Thanks, Roy

look like thats what he said to me.

[mickvk]

February RC Driver just hit my mailbox.... Review of the Stiletto on P. 132.

The article's ok but I have to admit I buy it for the pictures :)

[duckbum]

Jees...I have a PB Boeing 787 hull...cowl never cut...is yours FE?
If so, sure would be interested in the set-up!
Thanks!

[colormegone]

look like thats what he said to me.

Not sure if that is a UL1 motor behind a stiletto or ?
that's why I ask :confused1:

[hazegry]

he was talking about a ul1 motor on a different tunnel sounds like a good place to start

[Darin Jordan]

Guys... I have never run a UL1 motor, or any other AQ motor, on my Stiletto. I've tested the 1800KV and 1500KV ProBoat motors, as well as a 1/8th scale Losi Xcelorin 2400KV setup.

My comments on the 42x55 were for that prop on a UL-1 motor powering a VS-1 tunnel. That is a much smaller, and much lighter setup. I'm not sure how it would work on a Stiletto, but it should be a safe place to start.

[colormegone]

My prop guy says it can be cupped to that number but will not have that much pitch..to small.
I'll give it a go....................

[Darin Jordan]

My prop guy says it can be cupped to that number but will not have that much pitch..to small.
I'll give it a go....................

If someone actually measures a 42x55, they will find that it has a LOT more pitch than it's advertised to have... I'm not sure where they got their 55mm number (2.16"), but the one I measured has 3.1675" at the 60% point, and 4.1442" out at around the 80% point (about 1/4" in from the tip, I'm guessing on the % part... ;) )

This is a stock prop with just a hair of bending done out near the tips on the trailing edge.

I found similiar results with the 45x55 I measured.

In fact... I don't trust prop charts anymore at all, because most of the props I've actually measured seem to defy the prop charts when actually measured. It's some very interesting and useful data once you start documenting things.

[colormegone]

Ok great, thanks for the info.. I quess I'll find out when I send him a prop. Then he can see what's up with the size and go from there.

[Winzracing]

guys , quick question , is the ESC already programmed to use LIPO Batterys ?? Thks

[colormegone]

Yes it is... I called Pro Boat before I took it out yesterday for it's maiden run

[lonneyb]

Hey guys newbie here just got the Stiletto ..She is straight outta the box.....I was wondering how i hook up only 1 battery...I have 2 Brand new just got them last week.....
Turnigy Nano-Tech 6000mAh 4 cell 14.8 volt 25c-50c


and i want to run it in this boat ...but we have 2 battery connectors and no instructions on how to hook up just one...Any help would be appreciated...

Also i watch a youtube video of the boat with a Grim Racer 40x52/3 prop ....can i just order this and use it ...or do i have to do something to it?

[mickvk]

Hey guys newbie here just got the Stiletto ..She is straight outta the box.....I was wondering how i hook up only 1 battery...I have 2 Brand new just got them last week.....
Turnigy Nano-Tech 6000mAh 4 cell 14.8 volt 25c-50c


and i want to run it in this boat ...but we have 2 battery connectors and no instructions on how to hook up just one...Any help would be appreciated...

Also i watch a youtube video of the boat with a Grim Racer 40x52/3 prop ....can i just order this and use it ...or do i have to do something to it?

The easiest way is to solder up a reverse Y harness. But I don't recommend that. Deans connectors are right on the borderline of not being able to handle the current that this model draws. The best way is to remove the pair of deans and install bullet connectors. Such as the Castle Creations 6.5mm ones. Then it's also easy to use two 2s packs in the future or your single 4S pack with out using any inefficient Y harnesses.

I don't recommend upping the prop size. The motor is already working hard on the current prop. The outdrive height and pitch affect the ride quite a bit, so get the feel for it and let us know how it goes.

[lonneyb]

Thanx for that but being TOTALLY NEW ..i dont think i understand the lingo hahaha......you said no Y harness and NO Deans ..this didnt come with deans
this is what i have ...also the wire to the ESC is only 14 ga and the battery is 10ga.....I dont see how that is at the upper current level for a deans....We use Deans in 1/8 E Buggy with a 1900kv motor and the same battery with deans and never a problem...NOT arguing just trying to be sure my friend...Also they would have given bigger than 14ga i would think if the current was really that crazy no?........and REALLY on the prop?...from all the threads i have read it seems to be what people change the most also this battery comes with 4mm bullets with 10ga wire..so i think the 6.5 may be excessive What i thought was just take the red from one side and the black from the other connector and make 1...I have Deans but no Bullets like on the battery but they can be ordered if that s the best way to go
http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y172/flamminhots/DSC09707.jpg

[mickvk]

That's interesting. Mine came with connectors that are different than your black ones, those are called Traxxas High Current Connectors.

Well, even though I like castle bullet connectors, you are probably best off choosing to go with the Traxxas connectors because they're already soldered on your ESC or the red one because it's already on the battery. Those are 4mm bullets.

If you go Traxxas, the gold blades are very firmly inserted but can be pushed out. Hold the case with pliers, push the gold blade back through the wire hole. I've used a straight edge screw driver, but be careful not to stab yourself. Only do the wire that's not connected to the esc. Now grab the other connector and push both wires out. Take the other wire attached to the ESC and insert that blade in the housing so you're down to a single connector. Cut the connector off your battery, solder on a traxxas. Check voltage polarity before soldering and again before connecting.

If you go with the 4mm bullets, I don't know where to get those red connectors.

The prop: long story, but yeah, everybody wants to go faster. I looked at the draw for this class motor and she's givin it all she's got. If I was gonna go faster I would change the motor.

[lonneyb]

That's interesting. Mine came with connectors that are different than your black ones, those are called Traxxas High Current Connectors.

Well, even though I like castle bullet connectors, you are probably best off choosing to go with the Traxxas connectors because they're already soldered on your ESC or the red one because it's already on the battery. Those are 4mm bullets.

If you go Traxxas, the gold blades are very firmly inserted but can be pushed out. Hold the case with pliers, push the gold blade back through the wire hole. I've used a straight edge screw driver, but be careful not to stab yourself. Only do the side that's connected to the esc. Now grab the other connector and push both wires out. Take the other wire attached to the ESC and insert that blade in the housing so you're down to a single connector. Cut the connector off your battery, solder on a traxxas. Check voltage polarity before soldering and again before connecting.

If you go with the 4mm bullets, I don't know where to get those red connectors.

The prop: long story, but yeah, everybody wants to go faster. I looked at the draw for this class motor and she's givin it all she's got. If I was gonna go faster I would change the motor.

Cool thanx for that! ...So in essence i am going to eliminate the red wire that connects the 2 connectors together and make 1 connection from the 2 wires(red/black) from the esc...Correct?

[Darin Jordan]

I have NEVER seen a Stiletto that came with those Traxxas connectors... That's a new one...

To run a single pack is very simple... One side of the ESC wiring harness should have either two red, or two black wires going to it. Just make a jumper to tie these together on one side of the harness, and then plug in on the other side.

OR, if you want to solder on new contacts, just cut the red wire, and the black wire, near the existing contacts, and solder on a single set to the black and red wires.

As for Props... Jury is still out for me as to what is the "right" prop, but the Grim prop I tested in that video had a little bit of work done to it. Sharpened, balanced, back-cut, detounged, etc... There are lots of other prop options that will also work. An Octura X440/3 works well too.

[Darin Jordan]

Here is how I have my contacts for my ESC... I do this on all of these RTR ESCs...

[lonneyb]

I have NEVER seen a Stiletto that came with those Traxxas connectors... That's a new one...

To run a single pack is very simple... One side of the ESC wiring harness should have either two red, or two black wires going to it. Just make a jumper to tie these together on one side of the harness, and then plug in on the other side.

OR, if you want to solder on new contacts, just cut the red wire, and the black wire, near the existing contacts, and solder on a single set to the black and red wires.

As for Props... Jury is still out for me as to what is the "right" prop, but the Grim prop I tested in that video had a little bit of work done to it. Sharpened, balanced, back-cut, detounged, etc... There are lots of other prop options that will also work. An Octura X440/3 works well too.

Hey thanx for this!!...Well i got it in Canada where i Live so maybe those connectors are a Canadian thing?...hahaha....Im going to solder new connectors ...Im going with the deans as they work well for the 1/8 E buggy with the same battery no problems....and a Friend of mine in the field says the deans will handle as much as any other connector out there.......I cant wait for the lake to melt hahaha...and i dont know alot about props....the Octura x440/3 i can just buy it and put it on?
Thanx again

[lonneyb]

Here is how I have my contacts for my ESC... I do this on all of these RTR ESCs...

Awesome ..I just did the same but with the deans

[Darin Jordan]

the Octura x440/3 i can just buy it and put it on?
Thanx again

You'd be better getting one that is prepped. The Grim props tend to be closer to ready to go than the Octura. Steven may have some prepped stuff here on the OSE site.

Otherwise, it'll be out of balance and have dull edges, none of which will help you drive this boat.

[lonneyb]

Ok im new to boats ..dont want to change the motor out or anything just want it to perform the best it can with the minor stuff....Someone mentioned changing the flex cable and the prop ....so i thought Just the prop would help...and sorry to be so naive but how do i find the Store and steven you speak off.....and which grim with prep specs should i ask for?
Thanx again

[Darin Jordan]

Let me give you some advice, especially concerning this boat... Just go run it STOCK! Get the lower unit adjusted and the balance figured out, and go run it, stock prop and all.

It's going to be good for between 35-40mph, will run there for a decent amount of time, and will be tame enough for you to learn to drive this. It's NOT trivial to drive an OPC Tunnel. It wouldn't have been my first recommendation as a starter boat. The Miss Geico would have been a better entry point.

You have to learn to drive this, as well as get it setup correctly, as these aren't nearly as forgiving. Forget about trying to add speed to it... It's going to be faster than you can handle as it comes.

Drive the boat hard down the straights, EASE off the throttle SLIGHTLY to set the nose down and get it to start turning, then GENTLY EASE back onto the throttle as you go through the turns. If the boat starts to fly the nose in the turn and slide to the outside too much, resist the urge to add too much steering input, as it will eventually bite and roll on you. Instead, ease off the throttle to get the nose to bite again, then turn a little more, then get back into the throttle.

This should get you started. Go have some fun.

I'd also recommend you tape up the battery cover as best you can. You ARE going to end up upside down at some point, and water can get in there.

Look over the various threads here. People have already gone through all of this stuff. You can learn a lot.

When you get used to driving it like this, then we can start working on props.

In my opinion, the motor/ESC are fine for some really decent speeds. You just have to know how to setup the boat.

[lonneyb]

Thanx for that ...Ok ill run her as she goes...I did have a Tunnel hull not sure what "OPC" Tunnel is ..it was nitro with a K&B outboard which i still have ....thats why the Electric tunnel appealed to me.....When i had that i just drove it ..my dad set it up....so im trying to learn a bit about it ....but i will take your advice and just leave it stock and go play...and i REALLY appreciate the driving tips!...thats GREAT info to know where to start solving problems!
Thanx again

Lonney B

[Darin Jordan]

With the stock prop, once the lower unit is all setup correctly for height and angle, you should be able to "just drive it"... it will pretty much just fly through the corners at full tilt at that level of prep... It's when you start dancing on the edge with hotter setups that it becomes a little more of a challenge to drive! ;)

[mickvk]

Cool thanx for that! ...So in essence i am going to eliminate the red wire that connects the 2 connectors together and make 1 connection from the 2 wires(red/black) from the esc...Correct?

Right. By leaving one wire connected it ensures that the polarity stays the same, then you add the other wire and you're all set with the ESC side.

The battery will be a little trickier. Search youtube for how to solder a traxxas connector.

let us know how she runs.

[lonneyb]

what does opc mean Outbord Powered ?