Finally scored one- setting up for NAMBA P-Ltd Cat Sprint race

[properchopper]

Now that there'll be a P-Ltd Cat Sprint class at the FE Nat's this June, I've been experimenting. I set up a MM with a 2030KV AQ; runs 45mph with a M445 (& cooling fan on motor). Runs & handles very well but I picked up a used MC in the swap. After hearing of some production flaws I was apprehensive, but this one is el perfecto beautiful. I had my choice of dropping in the 1800KV AQ motor, but I'm starting out with the 2030 to see if she'll hold sprint race time. Probably begin with the 42/55 but since the MM held the M445 I may give it a cautious try as well with the 2030.

Glassed the inside of the hatch. Put in a UL-1 rudder and opened up the water inlet some.Had a spare FCR 140A speedy so dropped it in. Has stock flex; tinned the end but will be ordering an upgrade shaft (what's up with the stock shaft ? - heard it has issues) One sponson tip had a slight crunch so a little Formula27 & red tips now. Sponson bottoms not too bad; might blueprint some. Set strut @ 3/32" & level to start.

Comments/advice welcomed. Will vid & post soon.

Tony :tiphat:

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[longballlumber]

Tony,

You may find that moutning/installing the controller infront of the motor on the other side of the motor mount and rotating the batteries (all connections forward) might be easier to manage. You will end up moving the batteries forward before you move them rearward.

Later,
Mike

[properchopper]

Tony,

You may find that moutning/installing the controller infront of the motor on the other side of the motor mount and rotating the batteries (all connections forward) might be easier to manage. You will end up moving the batteries forward before you move them rearward.

Later,
Mike

Thanks Mike - I'll give it some thought - I just took the easy way out with the speedy location - I also have a stock 60A AQ speedy I might put in- they have always worked really well 'tho these setups routinley pull 80A + yet the AQ 60A seems to handle it.

[detox]

Set the hull up on the loose side (lighter weight lipos mounted more rearward and strut angle/depth) for max speed and less strain on motor using the higher kv 2030 motor. Per Grimracer

[Grimracer]

Tony,

Keep us posted on your progress. It’s fun to see and hear about the boat in use.

As you all know we had the 2030 out on the market before the Motley Crew. During testing I was just not all that happy with the current draw with the 2030 in the crew. Sure it would have worked but I wanted just a tick more run time and a little less current draw.

I messed with props and started testing the new 1800 we had been working on in the boat.. BINGO.. just right.. A great balance of speed, power and power consumption.

I have quite a bit of data logged regarding the testing of the boat.. fun to look back at all the hours of design and testing that went into that boat.

BTY.. EVERY ASPECT of the hull and hardware were designed and tested here in the US BY ME.. no pulling the wool over the eyes of anybody.. If it sucks.. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBLITY.. if its fantastic.. the same.. No pointing fingers or any of that BS..
To bring it to market however adds a ton more people..

Have fun with the boat tony!.. love the tip paint!


Grim

[properchopper]

Mike,

Thanks for chiming in, always good to hear from you. I figured that the decision to use the 1800 motor in production versions was to afford the sport boaters less amp draw/more run time with the ability to experiment with prop options and stay in the safe zone. For sprints the 2030 with the right prop should be the ticket.

I'm really jazzed to finally get a MC - It just lights up my workbench. Like my first UL-1, I know I'll get max use/grins from this boat.


BTW FE Nat's June 6/19 - 6/23 at Legg Lake

Two Words, Bro : ROAD TRIP :wink:

[Grimracer]

Mike,

Thanks for chiming in, always good to hear from you. I figured that the decision to use the 1800 motor in production versions was to afford the sport boaters less amp draw/more run time with the ability to experiment with prop options and stay in the safe zone. For sprints the 2030 with the right prop should be the ticket.

I'm really jazzed to finally get a MC - It just lights up my workbench. Like my first UL-1, I know I'll get max use/grins from this boat.


BTW FE Nat's June 6/19 - 6/23 at Legg Lake

Two Words, Bro : ROAD TRIP :wink:

I suck at FE racing.. I will have to send my hired gun.......... THE SNOWMAN!

Take care!

Grim

[Darin Jordan]

i will have to send my hired gun.......... The snowman!

GULP!! :blink: :help: :scared: :frusty:

Hahahaha... :lol:

[properchopper]

First test on smooth water. Run #1 she bobbed some; moved batt's forward to motor mount & adjusted strut to point nose down a tad. Ran Wet. Moved batt's back @ 2/12" & ran really nice. Hull runs really wet in turns (like gas cats). Did 45.7 mph compared with exact setup on Mean Machine which ran 44.4 (M445) ( I noticed the cooling lines were dry on the first two runs, this run they had water in them-more on that to follow)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKJLl3c3azQ

I decided that the rudder pickup (rudder from UL-1) was high; I lowered it, installed larger diameter cooling lines, and moved the outlet to the side so I can see output better. [If you want to know how I got the larger diameter hose through the transom & hull side holes, It'll cost 'ya :wink:]

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[properchopper]

I didn't like the sound of the stock driveline - seemed to have some buzz, so I replaced flex with an Octura .150 and installed lead-teflon bushings in place of the brass bushing. Some may argue with this, but I run lead-teflon in nearly all of my non-stinger struts and they're ultra-smooth and easy to replace.


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I re-did the servo linkage to make it easier to adjust center point and reduced the rudder throw ratio - helps calm down straightline jittering (which is more my fault than the boats)

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Now that I can count on the cooling system, I hope to find a few more mph. We'll see.

She sure is purdy :

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[Grimracer]

Tony.. looked stuck.. the RPMs seemed a tick off too.. make sure you round the bottom of the rudder blade.

Cool vid! Did you see the one I did for Scott Roman.. allbeit all stock its really running well.

Here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucNxF6VyX8&feature=plcp&context=C47052b5VDvjVQa1PpcFP7moHPTLJNvLHSq3yIJF0p vakVq7_G_Yg%3D

Keep the info coming.

Grim

[Darin Jordan]

I didn't like the sound of the stock driveline - seemed to have some buzz, so I replaced flex with an Octura .150 and installed teflon bushings in place of the brass bushing.



Tony... when you say "teflon"... you mean LEAD-Teflon, right?? You aren't running straight Teflon bushings, are you??

[properchopper]

Tony.. looked stuck.. the RPMs seemed a tick off too.. make sure you round the bottom of the rudder blade.

Cool vid! Did you see the one I did for Scott Roman.. allbeit all stock its really running well.

Here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucNxF6VyX8&feature=plcp&context=C47052b5VDvjVQa1PpcFP7moHPTLJNvLHSq3yIJF0p vakVq7_G_Yg%3D

Keep the info coming.

Grim

Mike, thanks for the feedback; I agree with you on both points. I need to play with strut height/angle and CG to loosen things up a bit - the run in the vid was on glassy water and I've found that stepped sponsons like granular water to break loose. I'm setting up for the cat sprint class so If I loosen up too much for smooth play water I may go too far in that direction.

Also, I'll be trying my favorite "spec" prop, the Grim 42/55. The M445 loads more than I like on this hull (so far as I can tell). In addition, my "seat of the pants" (and ear) impressions tell me that the stock AQ speedy works best with this motor so I'm switching back to it as well.

I'm really impresed with this boat, visually it's killer, and needs NO mods out of the box for max use ( I'm a compulsive modder, so what I've done is unneccesary for most users). A really important side benefit I've found for efforts to promote and introduce FE to the general public is the fact that when a Father and Son come up to my table at the lake and ask about dollar investment, instead of pointing (and wincing) to my purpose-built raceboats, and explaining the cost, which will scare away most Dads , I can show that a totally cool boat like the MC can be had without breaking the bank.

More to come :smile:

[properchopper]

Tony... when you say "teflon"... you mean LEAD-Teflon, right?? You aren't running straight Teflon bushings, are you??

OOps - lead-teflon it is !

[Darin Jordan]

oops - lead-teflon it is !

phew! ;)

[properchopper]

Tony.. looked stuck.. the RPMs seemed a tick off too.. make sure you round the bottom of the rudder blade.

Cool vid! Did you see the one I did for Scott Roman.. allbeit all stock its really running well.

Here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucNxF6VyX8&feature=plcp&context=C47052b5VDvjVQa1PpcFP7moHPTLJNvLHSq3yIJF0p vakVq7_G_Yg%3D

Keep the info coming.

Grim

Good ear. Just discovered timing was set to 7 degrees. Reprogrammed to 11 degrees - sounds better on bench.

[Grimracer]

roger that..:rockon2:

Grim

[Darin Jordan]

ITztVTM1_V8


:biggrin: :lol: :cool2:

[properchopper]

Those were Tyler's EXACT words to me at the launch during a P-Mono heat (Tyler in Yellow, Me in White); watch (and listen to his voice) at exactly 1:46 in the vid :tongue:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0ixeztr-wE

[Darin Jordan]

Hahahahahaha! This is going to be FUN!

[runzwithsizorz]

Tony.. looked stuck.. the RPMs seemed a tick off too.. *make sure you round the bottom of the rudder blade.
*
Cool vid! Did you see the one I did for Scott Roman.. allbeit all stock its really running well.

Here it is
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ucNxF6VyX8&feature=plcp&context=C47052b5VDvjVQa1PpcFP7moHPTLJNvLHSq3yIJF0p vakVq7_G_Yg%3D

Keep the info coming.

Grim

Please explain more, round the entire bottom, or just the leading edge? Was about to do the latter, figuring it would reduce the chance of snagging, and holding onto weeds etc. But was warned against doing so by members here, and a
rudder manufacturer. Was told the bottom should remain squared, and flat, "to reduce lift, and drag".

[properchopper]

Please explain more, round the entire bottom, or just the leading edge? Was about to do the latter, figuring it would reduce the chance of snagging, and holding onto weeds etc. But was warned against doing so by members here, and a
rudder manufacturer. Was told the bottom should remain squared, and flat, "to reduce lift, and drag".

Can't guarantee this is the correct shape, but this is how I did it for the MC

75040

[properchopper]

By applying ancient Oriental practice of "Too-ning" (taught to me by Masters Darin-San and Brian-San) got first number on GPS to read "5" :banana: (other number not to be revealed because of secret pact with underground Spirit :wink:).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RWB9wSlyMU

This will be a fun race even for driving-impared peeps like me :olleyes:

[detox]

445 prop? Did you bend the prop in any way? :spy:

[siberianhusky]

Lookin' good! They do run nice when dialed in. Just got my first run in on the weekend with my Drifter S. Fast right off the bench with a lot more to come once it's had some tuning voodoo.
Your rudder is done about the same as mine, I ditched the stock crap motor mount and went with a standard glue in style, trimmed the stuffing tube cause I moved the motor back closer to the "hump", then added a pair of rails. Really stiffened up the floor of the tub, lol you can adjust the strut without the inboard end of the stuffing tube moving. Now you can pick up the boat by the motor and give it a good shake, nothing moves or bends. My stock motor mount bent in an about 50 mph crash with the stock setup.
Also ditched the plastic braces inside the hatch and went with some carbon rod as well as another layer of glass, no stuffed in hatches since that mod.
Glad the finish on your is good, I wish I had a later version, mine is really rough.
All that aside I think the boat runs great, and fast with some tweaking and tuning!
Guess it really comes down to not being a RTR kind of guy, I like things my way and done to my standards which are higher than mass production will allow.

[Doby]

Looks good Tony, now just get it running when there's a bit of consistent ripples on the water and she will loosen up a bit more for a bit more top end.

[properchopper]

445 prop? Did you bend the prop in any way? :spy:

Yup; just pitched it up a teensy bit with a "tip tweak" - kind of a "poor man's mod" - I'm still a little lost in the art of prop magic

75081


Temps seem ok with the upgraded cooling - a 445 on some spec powered hulls get the motor quite hot. I still need to do a full 2.5 min test to confirm that temps will be sustainable for a full race..

[properchopper]

Looks good Tony, now just get it running when there's a bit of consistent ripples on the water and she will loosen up a bit more for a bit more top end.

With seven boats entered in the P-Ltd Cat Sprint class , there'll be enough ripples to keep things loose :thumbup1:. Actually, it's a bit of a challange to set up/predict how handling in racewater will be while testing with just one boat on the water. Our P-Ltd Sport Hydro and P-Mono heats being run during the H20 Gasser events occur in between the big gasser heats and the water is rife with rollers, freak waves, whirlpools and holes which keep things uber-loose :sinking-guy:

[properchopper]

Lookin' good! They do run nice when dialed in. Just got my first run in on the weekend with my Drifter S. Fast right off the bench with a lot more to come once it's had some tuning voodoo.
Your rudder is done about the same as mine, I ditched the stock crap motor mount and went with a standard glue in style, trimmed the stuffing tube cause I moved the motor back closer to the "hump", then added a pair of rails. Really stiffened up the floor of the tub, lol you can adjust the strut without the inboard end of the stuffing tube moving. Now you can pick up the boat by the motor and give it a good shake, nothing moves or bends. My stock motor mount bent in an about 50 mph crash with the stock setup.
Also ditched the plastic braces inside the hatch and went with some carbon rod as well as another layer of glass, no stuffed in hatches since that mod.
Glad the finish on your is good, I wish I had a later version, mine is really rough.
All that aside I think the boat runs great, and fast with some tweaking and tuning!
Guess it really comes down to not being a RTR kind of guy, I like things my way and done to my standards which are higher than mass production will allow.

I'm with you on the motor mount thing ! I just found out that the motor mount can easily flex forward, and coupled with what I discovered as a loose front motor endbell and insufficient (looked good on bench) dog-to-strut clearance, look what
happened when the dog met the strut:

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I'm taking the easy way out and reinforcing the stock mount to keep it flexing forward - a bottom mount, as you correctly observed needs the flexible bottom to be reinforced but it seems the stock mount is secure on the sides and should stay put once reinforced. Some CF plate should do the trick - doing it today and will post.

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[Darin Jordan]

Tony, not a bad idea, but that's still a pretty wide expanse to make rigid in that plane... You might consider doing something with some angle to "I-Beam" the mount instead... or simply make a couple of longitudinal braces for it to attach to the mount and down to the bottom of the hull... That's how I'd proceed... Then, once that was rigid, I'd cut those damn side pieces out and give myself some room in there without the lateral pieces spanning the interior... (In other words... I'd take that motor mount out and put in an OSE style one... ;) )

But, that's just me... :D

[properchopper]

Tony, not a bad idea, but that's still a pretty wide expanse to make rigid in that plane... You might consider doing something with some angle to "I-Beam" the mount instead... or simply make a couple of longitudinal braces for it to attach to the mount and down to the bottom of the hull... That's how I'd proceed... Then, once that was rigid, I'd cut those damn side pieces out and give myself some room in there without the lateral pieces spanning the interior... (In other words... I'd take that motor mount out and put in an OSE style one... ;) )

But, that's just me... :D

Darin, I have tons of this cool angle stock & tried to figure a way to employ it. The CF reinforcing seems quick & workeable - the CF plate I have is quite thick and rigid as a [ insert metaphor , may use term Viagra if needed]. The bottom mount needs to have bottom deck really stiffened; it's very flexible.

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[Brushless55]

Good ideas from both you guys on that mount!

[properchopper]

Here's the CF reinforcing plate. I will laminate with G-Flex as well as being anchored by side bolts and motor attachment bolts. Clean, simple (could be an inventoried add-on) and RIGID. This is a spare mount I did; when I pulled the original one off it WAS bent.

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[detox]

Yup; just pitched it up a teensy bit with a "tip tweak" - kind of a "poor man's mod" - I'm still a little lost in the art of prop magic

75081

Temps seem ok with the upgraded cooling - a 445 on some spec powered hulls get the motor quite hot. I still need to do a full 2.5 min test to confirm that temps will be sustainable for a full race..

Thanks Tony. Picture is saved.

BTW i use a STRONG pair of reading glasses (+3.00) whenever i thin and sharpen my props. You can buy these really cheap at Walmart.

[properchopper]

Thanks Tony. Picture is saved.

BTW i use a STRONG pair of reading glasses (+3.00) whenever i thin and sharpen my props. You can buy these really cheap at Walmart.

Good idea. I always wear magnifiers for up close work while my contact lenses are in. I get them at the .99 Cent Only store.

[detox]

I wonder if you make the rear riding surface more sharp and square edged, would that make hull faster. Also sand hull bottom with 1000 grit paper may help. These are Old ideas, but everything helps. You could probably do this without messing up factory finish too badly.

[properchopper]

The CF plate bolted/laminated to the stock motor mount did the trick - way strong & no more flex. Seemed like a clean and easy solution. Supported the shaft with nifty goodie. Epoxied lightweight aluminum angle rails to stiffen floor. Did the trick-no more trampoline floor. Time for a cheeseburger :thumbup1:


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Note to all :

All these mods were done 'cause I like to play with boats and I'll be racing against the best of the best so so a little bolstering was in order 'cause I intend to push this boat hard. For most purposes they weren't all that necessary. Actually this boat is so striking that I hate to get it in traffic :unsure:. The MC right out of the box is very cool as delivered, and along with several other recent rtr's has really raised the bar for all of us.

Git 'Em Wet, Amigos :rockon2:

Tony

[properchopper]

I wonder if you make the rear riding surface more sharp and square edged, would that make hull faster. Also sand hull bottom with 1000 grit paper may help. These are Old ideas, but everything helps. You could probably do this without messing up factory finish too badly.

Did the light sand & coated with my "secret sauce" :spy:

[Brushless55]

Tony,

Keep us posted on your progress. It’s fun to see and hear about the boat in use.

As you all know we had the 2030 out on the market before the Motley Crew. During testing I was just not all that happy with the current draw with the 2030 in the crew. Sure it would have worked but I wanted just a tick more run time and a little less current draw.

I messed with props and started testing the new 1800 we had been working on in the boat.. BINGO.. just right.. A great balance of speed, power and power consumption.

I have quite a bit of data logged regarding the testing of the boat.. fun to look back at all the hours of design and testing that went into that boat.

BTY.. EVERY ASPECT of the hull and hardware were designed and tested here in the US BY ME.. no pulling the wool over the eyes of anybody.. If it sucks.. I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBLITY.. if its fantastic.. the same.. No pointing fingers or any of that BS..
To bring it to market however adds a ton more people..

Have fun with the boat tony!.. love the tip paint!


Grim

I have one of these on its way from Tower!!
would a M447 be to much on the stock motor?
I don't have a M445 yet, but I do have a X645 along with the M447 to try.. :tiphat:


The CF plate bolted/laminated to the stock motor mount did the trick - way strong & no more flex. Seemed like a clean and easy solution. Supported the shaft with nifty goodie. Epoxied lightweight aluminum angle rails to stiffen floor. Did the trick-no more trampoline floor. Time for a cheeseburger :thumbup1:


75119 75118

75117 75115 75116


Note to all :

All these mods were done 'cause I like to play with boats and I'll be racing against the best of the best so so a little bolstering was in order 'cause I intend to push this boat hard. For most purposes they weren't all that necessary. Actually this boat is so striking that I hate to get it in traffic :unsure:. The MC right out of the box is very cool as delivered, and along with several other recent rtr's has really raised the bar for all of us.

Git 'Em Wet, Amigos :rockon2:

Tony

Ok Tony, have you had a chance to race this Cat yet? :rockon2:

[properchopper]

I have one of these on its way from Tower!!
would a M447 be to much on the stock motor?
I don't have a M445 yet, but I do have a X645 along with the M447 to try.. :tiphat:




Todd,

There's some propping discussions here; check them out. The 1800 motor should spin a 447 but you know the drill : run for one minute/check temps. The hull does run fairly wet, so be carefull not to load the motor too much.

Ok Tony, have you had a chance to race this Cat yet? :rockon2:

My plan is to race it at the Nat's in the Ltd Cat-Sprint class. I took it to the 2-lap last weekend for P-Ltd Offshore, but Tyler ran his 26" DF mono and was untouchable - I did burn up a 2030 motor with an MM545 'tho.

[Brushless55]

Todd,

There's some propping discussions here; check them out. The 1800 motor should spin a 447 but you know the drill : run for one minute/check temps. The hull does run fairly wet, so be carefull not to load the motor too much.



thank you!
sorry to hear about the HOT 2030 motor... :scared:

what is a good way to loosen up a Cat other than moving the packs farther back?
My MM ran very wet.. :confused1:

[Darin Jordan]

I took it to the 2-lap last weekend for P-Ltd Offshore, but Tyler ran his 26" DF mono and was untouchable

I really, Really, REALLY think it's time to re-evaluate some of these "record" titles and start calling them what they really are.... It seems silly to me, and this is coming from someone who has held "Offshore" 2-Lap records, to be setting 2-Lap... or SAW, records... for a class called "Offshore", which really isn't a "class", but is, rather, a RACE type/format...

Records should be held for HULL types and Power system levels... not for "race formats"...

With that said... I think it's time to establish a "Cat" class... :cool2:

[properchopper]

thank you!
sorry to hear about the HOT 2030 motor... :scared:

what is a good way to loosen up a Cat other than moving the packs farther back?

Add castor oil to the cat food - Oh wait ! Truth is both my MM and the MC appear to run wet; it's a product of cg and strut angle to get the sweet spot. I'm setting mine up "wet" for the race; racewater and headwinds will cause a balanced-for-smooth water setting to get badly upset. :sinking-guy:

Gas cats run really wet and plow through the corners but can corner at WOT. Seems both the MM and MC are designed to duplicate this. My Drifter barely touches the water on the straights but corners like King Henry VIII :ohmy:


My MM ran very wet.. :confused1:

You'll have fun with the boat; a little test/tune is always part of it.

[Darin Jordan]

You'll have fun with the boat; a little test/tune is always part of it.

Tony... did you get a chance to test the skagged strut??

[properchopper]

Tony... did you get a chance to test the skagged strut??
Darin,

Haven't used one so far; corners really nice for sprint course radius turns given that the end point/dual rate is dialed in correctly. I'm finding that cats do corner at different radii with the same rudder deflection depending on the speed of turn entry. The skeg strut might help in this. Different than piloting a mono through turns and takes some practice/retraining on the wheel.

[Brushless55]

You'll have fun with the boat; a little test/tune is always part of it.

:tiphat:

[Grimracer]

Tony.. regarding the rudder blade.. Dead on bro... looks great!

Grim

[Grimracer]

I really, Really, REALLY think it's time to re-evaluate some of these "record" titles and start calling them what they really are.... It seems silly to me, and this is coming from someone who has held "Offshore" 2-Lap records, to be setting 2-Lap... or SAW, records... for a class called "Offshore", which really isn't a "class", but is, rather, a RACE type/format...

Records should be held for HULL types and Power system levels... not for "race formats"...

With that said... I think it's time to establish a "Cat" class... :cool2:

One up!

[properchopper]

Tony.. regarding the rudder blade.. Dead on bro... looks great!

Grim

Did some practice driving yesterday; the MC is running BADASS & can't wait to get it on the course. No vid, but did some strut & CG tuning and LOOKOUT :thumbup1:

[Brushless55]

I got mine, and I'm going to start with a x642 :rockon2:
http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/ww39/filmmaker2009/003-16.jpg

[Grimracer]

Tony,

How is this coming along? Is the boat ready?

Just need an update.. the Nats are fast approching!

grim

[properchopper]

Tony,

How is this coming along? Is the boat ready?

Just need an update.. the Nats are fast approching!

grim

Mike, the MC is ready to rock the 6-lap Sprint, but B & D will be hard to beat :unsure:

Am considering it also for entry in P-Ltd Offshore; just happened to have a larger SPD rudder which (go figure) just BOLTED ON the stock MC bracket for more control in the lefties. Added a funny little goodie in front of the motor as well :wink:

Will be doing more test/tune this weekend. Keep 'Ya posted :cool:

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[Grimracer]

Looking good.. keep us posted!

Grim

[ray schrauwen]

I think it's time to establish a "Cat" class... :cool2:

Ya haaaa!!!! Due time!

[ray schrauwen]

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In the third picture I like those battery straps. Where did you get them????

Bought some from China, never to be seen so far after 30 days.... never again...

[properchopper]

In the third picture I like those battery straps. Where did you get them????

Bought some from China, never to be seen so far after 30 days.... never again...

Ray, I got mine at the PureTech booth at RCX - you can order direct from them; they're in California. The double straps sewed to velcro ont he bottom are slick; have them in my JC30

http://www.puretechproducts.com/ptproducts.htm

http://www.puretechproducts.com/ptproducts.htm

[properchopper]

Got stuck indoors today Did a little bottom blueprinting. Was pretty decent out of the box, but had to keep busy !

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[Brushless55]

Got stuck indoors today Did a little bottom blueprinting. Was pretty decent out of the box, but had to keep busy !

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Awesome..
I'm thinking of doing the same :thumbup1:

[siberianhusky]

I did mine last year, Had some fun with mine today, Castle 1512 1800kv with a tuned x645, swordfish 120. FAST!
Went out early and had perfect no wind glass smooth water. Was on the edge!

[properchopper]

After blueprinting the bottom (and putting a slightly larger rudder on) took her out for testing. This time I had the strut @ 1/8" above sponsons and 3-4 degrees positive to keep the nose up under full throttle but the cg a little more forward to let the hull settle for turns by letting off the throttle a tad. Very pleased (as was my pitman, Bowser Woofmeister who voiced his encouragement during the run - after all he was watching a Cat do its thing:smile: )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezGYkCaaj2U

[Brushless55]

Looks awesome Tony!
what prop are you using?
thanks

[properchopper]

Looks awesome Tony!
what prop are you using?
thanks

Todd, thanks. The prop's an M445 that's been modded some :spy: I'm thinking that the boat breaks loose and really gets going when the hull lifts the front steps out of the water - may not be the ticket for racewater and the headwinds on the back straightaway of the Legg Lake course. I'll be shifting the CG forward some but leaving the strut where it is so it lifts under power but I can set it down by backing off the throttle.
Really looking forward to the Cat Sprint race - I know that there'll be some stiff competition with others bringing their top game :laugh:

[Brushless55]

thank you for your info Tony..
it really helps me setup my MC the first time out

[properchopper]

Just for a little anti-acrobatic insurance, I threw on what my guess is at what an air dam should be like. Somebody here on OSE, I forgot who, suggested a wiper blade. Seemed like a really good idea, so I epoxied one to a piece of G-10 & double-sided stickied it on in where I think it will do the most good :noidea: Will test Monday on the :tape: hidden-wind backstraight at Legg.

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[Rumdog]

Should work well, tony. You may have to make a few trim adjust ment after adding it, but it will help a lot in avoiding blow overs.

[properchopper]

Should work well, tony. You may have to make a few trim adjust ment after adding it, but it will help a lot in avoiding blow overs.

Hope so. Nothing more maddening than looking good in a heat and then doing a backflip. At least the wiper blade( or maybe it should be re-named the Turtle Tickler) might be kinder to those hard-shelled mines lurking on the course :swear:

[xlandguy]

What a great thread for me, a Motley Crew owner. I hope to be able to do pretty much all these mods. If you could set me off in the right direction, what type of epoxy do you suggest? Did you put anything under the alum. angle, or is it epoxied directly to the hull? What is the thickness of the CF plate used on the motor mount? I have on back-order one of those tube support "goodies" too. I also would like to upgrade my ESC to one with more amp capabilities. I have a few goodies installed from Kintec, shaft, strut bushing, and thrust bearing. I have sharpened the rudder, and S&b'd my 42-55 prop. I was thinking of laying carbon fibre inside the hatch compartment too. Seems this boat would be one of the easiest to do that to. Very clean layout inside.

[properchopper]

The ONLY epoxy I now use is West Systems G-Flex. The rails were laid in after scuffing the mating surface. The CF plate is roughly 1/8" or 3 mm. If you use the stock 1800KV motor (which I'd recommend) the stock speedy is fine; it's underrated at 60 amps. As I've mentioned, the boat right out of the box is a great runner - I'll be competing with some of the best tuner/drivers in the country so I took things to a level not really needed for sport running. Keep in mind that the boat was created to give an excellent level of performance at an accessable price point and isn't meant to be pushed over it's limits. Enjoy ! :thumbup:

[xlandguy]

Thank you, and I have to confess. I am TOTALY going to copy your Red tips, too cool!!!:beerchug:

[properchopper]

Thank you, and I have to confess. I am TOTALY going to copy your Red tips, too cool!!!:beerchug:

While you're at it, the boat seems to need the addition of another red "highlight". Should be obvious from the picture :wink:


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[ron1950]

ok so what happened with the spoiler? back flip? been there done that lol

[Stinger9D9]

While you're at it, the boat seems to need the addition of another red "highlight". Should be obvious from the picture :wink:


78000

I definitely need to copy your idea on the tips Tony. Mine went under in about 4 feet of water on the lake up north last year and she came up with a tip completely missing (enough that the hull was breached a bit letting water in) must have hit a rock on the bottom - about 4 feet deep I guess?

What did you use to build up the tip? I have it sealed with 5 minute epoxy no problem, but epoxy is too thin to build up the tip to a point.

[properchopper]

I definitely need to copy your idea on the tips Tony. Mine went under in about 4 feet of water on the lake up north last year and she came up with a tip completely missing (enough that the hull was breached a bit letting water in) must have hit a rock on the bottom - about 4 feet deep I guess?

What did you use to build up the tip? I have it sealed with 5 minute epoxy no problem, but epoxy is too thin to build up the tip to a point.

West Marine : expensive but what isn't about this hobby ? (this stuff is used to repair full-size hulls - fast cure, sandable and strong.)

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[Stinger9D9]

West Marine : expensive but what isn't about this hobby ? (this stuff is used to repair full-size hulls - fast cure, sandable and strong.)

78473

Thanks! That stuff is perfect. It sets up fast and is ready to sand in 20 minutes! I found it at a place called Noah's (what a great name for a store that sells boat building supplies!) and fixed her up today. I also shamelessly copied your red paint idea for the tips of the sponsons. She's nice and perky again now. :biggrin:

78563

Another tip I got from this great thread was about the motor mount flexing forward. I noticed my mount had pushed forward over 1/8 of an inch. I added a piece of angled aluminum to the back side of the mount to stop it from getting bent forward while still being able to twist the motor upward a bit to make sure the motor lines up perfectly with the stuffing tube. I also have a thrust bearing on the motor to take the load off the endbell.

78564

Thanks for the posts! Helped me with stuff I'd never thought of!

[properchopper]

Glad you got it fixed-looks good. Actually the red tip idea comes from full-sized raceboats; they're painted red (or orange) so when they go down they usually (hopefully) stay tip up from the trapped air pocket in the sponsons and can be found (or seen) and not be run down by other boats on the course :ohmy:

[xlandguy]

I've been getting alot of great info from this thread. I have a couple questions for ProperChopper. How do you think the strength of the hatch compartment is now with the angle alum, as opposed to doing the inside with carbon fiber or glass cloth and resin? I have been thinking of installing an OSE style motor mount, but as the "floor" is now, no way. Much to thin and flimsy there. Also, what about foaming the inside of the hull? Would this add strenght or rigidity? Ha, I should probably just forget it and get a DF, or Fightercat hull. Something already very strong and sturdy. But I do love my MC, and it runs great. I just like the peace of mind I get from strengthening and modding it to the max. You should see all the mods and such I've done to my Summit.

[ray schrauwen]

I don't know the hull well but, if it is and I think it is a double wall on the bottom, it would be fairly simple to make a slice down the middle of the inside and then you could shimmy in a wood plate the correct thickness with 30 minute eopxy between the 2 layers. Let id dry and the bottom would be solid as a rock. Of course it is easy for me to say this without one in front of me.

Just tossing ideas out there.

[xlandguy]

What about epoxying in a sheet of 1/8 or 1/16 plywood over the whole deck?

[Darin Jordan]

Guys... wood and epoxy and silicone are HEAVY... All this weight adds up...

If it were mine... I'd bore a couple of holes in strategic places, and pour in some 2-Part expanding foam JUST right and let it tie the surfaces together. You have to be super careful doing this, but if done right, the boat would also be solid, and you wouldn't add a ton of non-floating weight.

Frankly, I'd run it like it were stolen and let what happens happen! This is RACING!! Got to go for it to GET IT!!

[xlandguy]

Frankly, I'd run it like it were stolen and let what happens happen! This is RACING!! Got to go for it to GET IT!!

Ha, but I don't race. Only run for fun and to show-off, lol. Or, to piss of the Park "ranger" that hates my boat and RC Monster Truck. :banana:
I just like to mess (things up) around with my toys, making them as bullet proof as possible. I am going to buy another boat, higher quality in the near future. But I also am getting an amphibious plane so another boat may wait till after that. Maybe a Pursuit, but I really have my eye on a CF Fightercat hull. :drool:

[Darin Jordan]

Ha, but I don't race. Only run for fun and to show-off, lol. Or, to piss of the Park "ranger" that hates my boat and RC Monster Truck. :banana:

You need to race! EVERYONE needs to race!! ;)

[properchopper]

I use 3/32" birch ply for motor beds on flexible bottoms. Easier than all that fiberglass/CF/Kevlar laminating and stronger in the long run. Weight for the MC just keeps it planted better; I'm running 2 x 4S 4000 mah for P-Ltd and keeps it (I hope) more survivable in racewater. Truthfully, the MC, and for the most part all rtr's are meant to provide max performance at an accessable price point but may not be as durable as higher dollar dedicated race hulls. Don't go crazy in the overpowering department, run it (or race it like Darin says) until it breaks, then go from there.

[xlandguy]

Thank you, no I won't go too crazy, I think maybe a UL-1 motor and and upgraded ESC will be about it in that dept. But, I may sand down and paint the hull this winter. Today I fabricated a motor mount brace out of flat aluminum bar stock. Really stiffened up the mount. Thanks for the idea properchopper. I didnt have any CF on hand so used the alum.

[Doby]

Guys... wood and epoxy and silicone are HEAVY... All this weight adds up...

If it were mine... I'd bore a couple of holes in strategic places, and pour in some 2-Part expanding foam JUST right and let it tie the surfaces together. You have to be super careful doing this, but if done right, the boat would also be solid, and you wouldn't add a ton of non-floating weight.

Frankly, I'd run it like it were stolen and let what happens happen! This is RACING!! Got to go for it to GET IT!!


Foam is the way to go...no weight and adds a heck of a lot of structual strength... My MC has been driven to death in both bashing and racing, been flipped, rolled and run over and is still in on piece...other than the foam and prop, no other mods required to have one of the fastest P Spec Offshore boats on the water....but then again, fastest doesn't always win the race..

[Doby]

You need to race! EVERYONE needs to race!! ;)

Exactly....until you have tried it, you'll never know why we say that...

[xlandguy]

What type of foam did you use? And is there a good tutorial that anyone knows of on how to use the two part foam? Thank you.

[xlandguy]

Reinforced motor mount: got rid of the flex, and I enlarged the holes both where the motor mounts and where the mount attaches to inside of hull, to allow for some adjustment. I think my shaft lines up a whole lot better now. After a run last evening it seemed to run more smoothly, and after almost 5.5 minutes I still had good juice left when I quit. I am soooooo loving this boat. I have heard some say that "it only turns one way" or , it doesnt handle, but mine? Turns both left and right like its on rails. I love the way this thing handles, it is a blast to drive and a real attention getter. But pretty much any FE boat is, right?
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q555/xlandguy/Motley%20Crew/cb33b0e7.jpg
http://i1163.photobucket.com/albums/q555/xlandguy/Motley%20Crew/5bb261c6.jpg

[properchopper]

At some point you might want to consider replacing the 4mm connectors from motor to SC with 5.5's. Just a little extra insurance.

[Stinger9D9]

At some point you might want to consider replacing the 4mm connectors from motor to SC with 5.5's. Just a little extra insurance.

Blueprinting the wires where they exit the motor, where they make that nasty bend (the way Tony posted about a while ago) is a great idea too. I do it with all my AQ motors. Had a used UL-1 motor laying around I had bought a while ago and when I looked at it tonight, 2 of the 3 wires had bare spots on them.

[Bullwink]

Well Tony, your post impressed me so much, I bought a MC from a member here at OSE. I put a UL1 motor with a Sea King 120A ESC and a X442. 4S2P. All I can say is WOW!. What a great boat. 43 MPH. The X442 cavitated at the start so I will try a M445 next after I do some of the tweaking you and Mike (Longballer) have done. I ran this exact set up in my P-LTD Mono Impulse 31 with no heat issues.

Unfortunately, I can't make it over to Nationals but hopefully we can talk Newland into adding the P-LTD Cat class to the Winter Warm-ups. :-)

[properchopper]

Mike, since you get notifications in this thread, here's a photo that AQ might like. E-mail me at rcboatbuild@hotmail.com & I can send you the jpg.

BTW just LOVED racing the MC. (Brian's hard to catch - we both went in to the final round with two firsts and a second; Stephen (Geico) & Wilmer (??) got tangled up & Brian outran me for the heat and class win but I'll take a second behind Brian any time :rockon2:

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[Grimracer]

Tony,

Frist congrats and thank you.

It was fun to see you get the boat race ready and sharing that with everybody, and then to get this result is fantastic.

I think I can "copy" the pic off of here and send it to the powers that be. I will let you know however.

What a fun picture.. Congrats to all those that choose AquaCraft.

P.S. I bet we see a few more of those Revolts at the nats next year!

Take care and thanks again!

Grim

[xlandguy]

Motley Crews and Revolts, Yeah baby!!!:rockon2: Too cool. What a great picture. Is that girl a racer too? Congrats! :beerchug:

[Grimracer]

Motley Crews and Revolts, Yeah baby!!!:rockon2: Too cool. What a great picture. Is that girl a racer too? Congrats! :beerchug:

Not only is that a girl, but thats Miss Girl to all if us!.. Kylie is your new NAMBA Limited OPC national champion! And using a AquaCraft TS3!...

Congrats young lady (Miss Kylie.... scuse me..................)

I LOVE IT!

Grimracer

[properchopper]

Motley Crews and Revolts, Yeah baby!!!:rockon2: Too cool. What a great picture. Is that girl a racer too? Congrats! :beerchug:

Kylie is most def a racer ; won the National OPC Ltd. Class beating out Darin, Brian, David and Ken to name a few. Not bad for a 15 year old gal :thumbup:

[xlandguy]

Wow again, and congratulations, again. That is just so impressive, for all of you. And Miss Kylie? Unbelievable! What a great thing, she should get some sort of endorsment deal for sure.

[RCnerd]

Thanks! That stuff is perfect. It sets up fast and is ready to sand in 20 minutes! I found it at a place called Noah's (what a great name for a store that sells boat building supplies!) and fixed her up today. I also shamelessly copied your red paint idea for the tips of the sponsons. She's nice and perky again now. :biggrin:

78563

Another tip I got from this great thread was about the motor mount flexing forward. I noticed my mount had pushed forward over 1/8 of an inch. I added a piece of angled aluminum to the back side of the mount to stop it from getting bent forward while still being able to twist the motor upward a bit to make sure the motor lines up perfectly with the stuffing tube. I also have a thrust bearing on the motor to take the load off the endbell.

78564

Thanks for the posts! Helped me with stuff I'd never thought of!

Can you tell me what kind of paint to use for the red tips? THANKS!

[properchopper]

Can you tell me what kind of paint to use for the red tips? THANKS!

Got it at Hobby People :

81495

PS : While you're at it, there's one more red highlight/tip I did that adds another small "cool touch" - see post #70 :spy:

[RCnerd]

Got it at Hobby People :

81495

PS : While you're at it, there's one more red highlight/tip I did that adds another small "cool touch" - see post #70 :spy:

Thanks!! Your thread is really helpful!

[properchopper]

Thanks to our FE friendly NAMBA D19 Director Ted McKay, we're running four heats of P-Ltd Cat 6-lap Sprint this Sunday at the Legg Lake Scale Thunderboat race. Two Geicos, a Mystic, a MM, and my MC will swing it out on the oval. Yippee !!!

[properchopper]

OMG - Hard to believe the last post in this thread was 17 months ago with a lot of water under the sponsons since. Turns out P-Ltd Cat is alive, well and sprouting wings in SoCal. 2012 was the first P-Ltd Cat trial race class as mentioned in the last post and it was pure fun. Thanks to the the good graces of the D19 SCSTA [Southern California Scale Thunderboat Association] we had a 4-race series of P-Ltd Cat in 2013 and the good times kept rolling ! And ( with all modesty aside) my MC was the gift that kept giving [despite copious buoy smacks and rail bounce-offs:ohmy:]. It just doesn't quit :biggrin:

As of now there's 4 more P-Ltd Cat race dates on the calendar for 2014 and we'll likely have six (or maybe even) 7 entries competing. Seems the class is attracting gas/nitro guys/gals crossing over - great news but the only downside is that they know how to DRIVE ! :crying:

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[ray schrauwen]

Me likee P-Limited Cat too Tony.

Modded Geico, AQ 1800kv motor SF120 esc, 2 x 4S 3000Mah 30C Zippies and a modded x447 D/T etc... Motor came back dang hot though, needed after cooling with icewater from a squeeze bottle.

[nitro557]

wow great wealth of info in this post thank you for bringing it back up . I had a impulse 31 that I had running good but met its maker in the form of a turtle at high speeds ,bought a mc hull swapped everything over and was so excited about how good it ran and handled that I didn't check heat and melted a motor and esc running a m445 prop .I was reading on here and thinking of cutting out the tub to hold down a ul1 motor but after reading this im gonna two part between the tub and bottom and use a ose front and rear mount ,im looking forward to spring now and looking into some club racing.the bikes keep me busy enough but speed is a addiction :thumbup1:

[properchopper]

wow great wealth of info in this post thank you for bringing it back up . I had a impulse 31 that I had running good but met its maker in the form of a turtle at high speeds ,bought a mc hull swapped everything over and was so excited about how good it ran and handled that I didn't check heat and melted a motor and esc running a m445 prop .I was reading on here and thinking of cutting out the tub to hold down a ul1 motor but after reading this im gonna two part between the tub and bottom and use a ose front and rear mount ,im looking forward to spring now and looking into some club racing.the bikes keep me busy enough but speed is a addiction :thumbup1:

Keep it light & loose. The mount you describe should help with the "trampoline bottom" , also the two-part mod. Jack the strut up a few degrees to raise the hull up under power to reduce drag & load on the electronics. You shouldn't have probs with the 1800KV motor & a 445 (make it sharp as possible). We run 2030KV motors with that prop for the mill + 6 lap races but things do heat up a bit.

Nice scoot ; more pictures ?

[btw Legg Lake also has copious turtles who just won't learn] :crying:

[nitro557]

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[nitro557]

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[nitro557]

109408


this is my street toy ive been building tuning and racing bikes for years ,might also be adding tuning a nitro Harley to the resume next year

[properchopper]

As long as we're going off topic (but worth it) Here's my baby - had her for 23 years and still wins trophys (only while standing still :wink:)

109409

OTOH there's no substitute for cubic inches (with giggle gas) :doh:

109410

[nitro557]

I got a lot of info for tuning laughing gas we have sprayed as much as 275,nice toys you got

[nitro557]

Guys... wood and epoxy and silicone are HEAVY... All this weight adds up...

If it were mine... I'd bore a couple of holes in strategic places, and pour in some 2-Part expanding foam JUST right and let it tie the surfaces together. You have to be super careful doing this, but if done right, the boat would also be solid, and you wouldn't add a ton of non-floating weight.

Frankly, I'd run it like it were stolen and let what happens happen! This is RACING!! Got to go for it to GET IT!!

darin THANK YOU ,what a great idea floor is very solid and so is the whole boat really made a difference ,I put the motor mount with burnt motor for mock up the rest of the parts will be in tomorrow ill be doing a build up thread on this one soon

[nitro557]

floor solid and new mount installed

[rayzerdesigns]

hey tony..can you post a pic of your strut angle and height

[properchopper]

hey tony..can you post a pic of your strut angle and height

varies with prop, CG, etc. Normally center of shaft up 1/8" from sponson bottom ; 3 deg up at back

[Brushless55]

varies with prop, CG, etc. Normally center of shaft up 1/8" from sponson bottom ; 3 deg up at back

I watched your video again Tony and that bugger is a screamer!
Great job!! :rockon2:

[rayzerdesigns]

thanks tony

[rayzerdesigns]

gutted..sanded..2layers of fiberglass to stiffen floor

[rayzerdesigns]

heres completed inside..just ran..gotta work on more weight towards back..don't want to put batteries in sponson..im at 2 degrees up on strut..but also bottom of strut up a little over 1/4 inch..might try lowering stut height..and a little more positive angle

[rayzerdesigns]

well first race on the crew this weekend..boat is really fast..won 1st 3 heats..had crash in first corner in 4th..still had enough points for win in district race..very happy with boat

[properchopper]

Hey Ray,

Nice :thumbup1: C'mon out to Legg Lake on May4 for SCSTA P-Ltd Cat and show us SCFE guys how it's done :wink:

[Grimracer]

Well done rayzer..

[properchopper]

Dont'cha just hate it when you're leading the race and go upside down ? My new mod has that covered so I can keep going :tongue:

114405

[longballlumber]

Hey Tony,

How does that air dame work?

[rayzerdesigns]

hey tony..im really hoping to make it out there..im hoping to have my modern done also..would be cool to meet you finally..im sure you can give me a run for my money..lol//and thanks mr grimm

[rayzerdesigns]

will you guys have power there..or a generator I can plug into..if modern isn't done..i still might come out with just cat..

[properchopper]

Hey Tony,

How does that air dame work?

So far so good ! Haven't blown over yet although not a controlled experiment since I never ran without it - I put it on when initially race prepping it before ever running it.

[properchopper]

will you guys have power there..or a generator I can plug into..if modern isn't done..i still might come out with just cat..


We'll cover you - we have a gen + others will too. At the SCSTA races only a few classes run so it's best to have 2 sets of batteries or be prepared to quick-charge at 2C since the heats run quickly in sequence.

[rayzerdesigns]

awesome..i have plenty of batteries..and can charge at 20 amps..

[longballlumber]

So far so good ! Haven't blown over yet although not a controlled experiment since I never ran without it - I put it on when initially race prepping it before ever running it.

ahhh, gotcha.

[rayzerdesigns]

I think I just got your pic tony..looks to be a little top heavy...but great idea..lol

[rayzerdesigns]

here she is fresh off the water last month in Tucson district 19 win..yes tony..trying to get out to cali before nats..maybe the 1st..still depends on work..btw..i never got your email with directions

[rayzerdesigns]

gonna try testing batteries in sponsons..just to see if it changes way handles

[properchopper]

After finishing High Points in this series last year, I wanted to repeat this year but a bad case of the flu kept me from the first event so my points were insufficient. Raced the rest of the season with gremlins popping up (note to self : PRACTICE MORE OFTEN :doh:].
More gremlins at yesterday's final event so going into the fourth heat I got seriously determined to get at least one first place heat finish. Got a decent start but Dave H. dogged me for about three laps. Coming out of turn one on (I think) the third lap I gritted my teeth, tried to hold my inside lane, then kaboom. Both the CD and my pitman said keep going (I was sure I wandered into Dave). I took the first place heat win, brought her in to be drydocked until next season, but :

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I guess I'll retire hull 1.0 and deploy my backup hull (2.0) for next year.

120974

I've never had so much enjoyment from a RtR boat ; took Second overall P-Ltd Cat in the 2012 FE Nationals, plenty of podium finishes all year, SCSTA 2013 P-Ltd Cat High Points and just plain grins all around.

Motley Crew 2.0 will be up & running and ready for next season soon with nary a change from 1.0 - it's just perfect the way it's been.

Tony:thumbup1:

[Brewbud]

No worries, that will buff out. Congrats on the heat win though.

[rayzerdesigns]

Hey tony..i know how u like to build boats..i got a few changes i made..u might like to try..

[properchopper]

After finishing High Points in this series last year, I wanted to repeat this year but a bad case of the flu kept me from the first event so my points were insufficient. Raced the rest of the season with gremlins popping up (note to self : PRACTICE MORE OFTEN :doh:].
More gremlins at yesterday's final event so going into the fourth heat I got seriously determined to get at least one first place heat finish. Got a decent start but Dave H. dogged me for about three laps. Coming out of turn one on (I think) the third lap I gritted my teeth, tried to hold my inside lane, then kaboom. Both the CD and my pitman said keep going (I was sure I wandered into Dave). I took the first place heat win, brought her in to be drydocked until next season, but :

120973 120972

I guess I'll retire hull 1.0 and deploy my backup hull (2.0) for next year.

120974

I've never had so much enjoyment from a RtR boat ; took Second overall P-Ltd Cat in the 2012 FE Nationals, plenty of podium finishes all year, SCSTA 2013 P-Ltd Cat High Points and just plain grins all around.

Motley Crew 2.0 will be up & running and ready for next season soon with nary a change from 1.0 - it's just perfect the way it's been.

Tony:thumbup1:

Decided rather than deploy the spare hull, to fix "old faithful"

Threw on some stickers & a pinstripe to compensate for the lost graphics :

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[properchopper]

Season's over & the trusty MC takes Second Overall in the four event 2015 SCSTA P-Ltd Cat Series. Mike S. takes third, Dave H. sweeps all four races with a very stock"ish" Lucas, and Ray's El Fasto cat chose not to do the 900 mile rounder to enter each event and build points.

Four years of racing, Four podiums with a boat I bought used for $120.00. Limited racing is where its at :thumbup1:

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[Darin Jordan]

Four years of racing, Four podiums with a boat I bought used for $120.00. Limited racing is where its at :thumbup1:

139382

Yeee Haw! :)

Nice work, Tony!!

[longballlumber]

Those are some good looking trophies! These are the stories that make me call BS on those that continue to poo poo RTR boats.

Nice work Tony!

[Doby]

Those who "poo poo" RTR boats really haven't a clue.:thumbup1:

[properchopper]

After four race seasons it was time. Also time to finally 'fess up to what motivates me the most:

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Ray - Don't forget what you must bring to the first event.......:wink:

[rayzerdesigns]

So new season new bet?? What do i have to do this season.. Not sure i can top lapping the field in a limited cat class..but u know me.. Im always up for a challenge

[properchopper]

So new season new bet?? What do i have to do this season.. Not sure i can top lapping the field in a limited cat class..but u know me.. Im always up for a challenge


Geez Guy, didn't you read the fine print on the SCSTA Entry form ? : P. XII, 3,b, iii ; " Anyone who, during the course of a heat manages to lap an entire field must in the entire ensuing season add an extra lap to his/her race completion count, now 7 laps to the wire..." e.g. :tt2:

Enough of a "challange" 'fer ya Mr. Fastypants ?? :Shame_on_You:

[rayzerdesigns]

this might be fun...lol..see ya soon..and there might just be a faster cat coming..not mine..i just got my a.. handed to me..see if I can get him to come race la

[wickedcrew727]

Hey guys-new to the whole thing and getting into it with a rtr crew. Great forum here for helping out getting it goin. Getting into Setting up the hull/ride a little better and was just wondering about alterations to the rudder??? Proper did you replace because of all the 'slop' associated with the stock setup; or can same concept be applied to stock rudder.....????

[properchopper]

Hey guys-new to the whole thing and getting into it with a rtr crew. Great forum here for helping out getting it goin. Getting into Setting up the hull/ride a little better and was just wondering about alterations to the rudder??? Proper did you replace because of all the 'slop' associated with the stock setup; or can same concept be applied to stock rudder.....????

Welcome Aboard :thumbup1:

When I built the MC for the 2012 FE Nationals (I bought it used with just rear hardware) I popped on a spare Speedmaster rudder (bolts right on to the AQ mount btw) because #1) It had a water pickup (didn't like the sponson pickup) and #2) my thought was that a rudder with more blade area would hold it better while bouncing through racewater turns. It's been there since BUT I race with some folks who just use the stock rudder and it seems to work out just fine {which is another way of saying that I get my:tape: kicked by stockers :unsure:}

My MC on top of spare boat with stock rudder & Proboat BJ in background

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[wickedcrew727]

Thanks for the help. Another 'newbie' question..... Looking into getting it goin a little bit. Was wondering about the esc's??? Should this be upgraded before any thought of motor upgrade is considered??? And if the esc is going to be upgraded; is there any reason not to go ahead and buy the 'bad boy' 180a model(just to have the 6s 'option')and get it over with???? I've read that motor size isn't always the answer, but was thinking of the aq 2030kv down the road.....does it fit right in there with the original MC motor mount????? Anyway, sorry bout the elementary-ness of the ???'s, but any help would be appreciated...............

[properchopper]

Thanks for the help. Another 'newbie' question..... Looking into getting it goin a little bit. Was wondering about the esc's??? Should this be upgraded before any thought of motor upgrade is considered??? And if the esc is going to be upgraded; is there any reason not to go ahead and buy the 'bad boy' 180a model(just to have the 6s 'option')and get it over with???? I've read that motor size isn't always the answer, but was thinking of the aq 2030kv down the road.....does it fit right in there with the original MC motor mount????? Anyway, sorry bout the elementary-ness of the ???'s, but any help would be appreciated...............

The AQ 2030 has the same bolt pattern (25mm spacing X 3mm threads) and drops right in. The AQ 60A ESC is actually what comes with and powers the AQ 2030 in the UL-1 Sport Hydro and will be fine if you step up to a 2030 in the MC. We've run 2030's for heat racing but they've been unreliable for some reason so most of us run the AQ1800 and a nice prop like an Oct M445. May give up a mph or two but will finish the race.

[wickedcrew727]

Gotcha-reliability is key. Just been watching those 70mph MC's on youtube.....lol. Correct me if i'm wrong, but those guys run-times can't be very much??? Anyway, i have done some minor upgrades(reinforce motor mount, 5.5 bullets, ose flex, and 42-55 grim prop) and been working on the 'ride' a little. Maybe next step ought to be touching up the props?? Just found where the local club runs and gonna go watch them dodge the gators down here in fla tomorrow morning. Hopefully there are some guys running fe and i am able to see whats out there to learn from, but from what i heard its alot of nitro guys. Thanks again.............

[properchopper]

Gotcha-reliability is key. Just been watching those 70mph MC's on youtube.....lol. Correct me if i'm wrong, but those guys run-times can't be very much??? Anyway, i have done some minor upgrades(reinforce motor mount, 5.5 bullets, ose flex, and 42-55 grim prop) and been working on the 'ride' a little. Maybe next step ought to be touching up the props?? Just found where the local club runs and gonna go watch them dodge the gators down here in fla tomorrow morning. Hopefully there are some guys running fe and i am able to see whats out there to learn from, but from what i heard its alot of nitro guys. Thanks again.............


Dylan,
You're not wrong - pushing a nice rtr designed to go maybe 48mph up to 70mph is possible but not good for "all-around" running . The power now available with brushless motors and lipos can entice anyone to overpower anything. You could make a 2 X 4 go 70 mph, which btw is 102 feet/second - how long can you run until you lose sight ?

We run nicely sharpened Octura M445's with the AQ1800 motor and it works nicely. Always check temps when trying new props BTW.

You're in Fla - one of the coolest FE race Clubs ever is :

http://www.waveblasters.org/

Ken Haines is a really good guy so if you're anywhere near get ahold of him.

[TRUCKPULL]

Dylan

We are running in Bradenton on Sun. Morning
we are an all FE club
WE are one this Forum here;
http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/showthread.php?53810-2016-West-Florida-Model-Boat-Club/page3

West Florida Model Boat Club

Larry

[wickedcrew727]

THANKS for all the great information propper/larry(good luck this weekend btw; larry) Guess i have to get the 'maxxed out' thoughts outta my head (just natural;lol) and get into tuning up some props and work on the ride with the power i have............

[wickedcrew727]

BTW...........what is the 'danger zone' when it comes to checking electronics temps???? Did i read that anything under 125* is safe.....????

[properchopper]

THANKS for all the great information propper/larry(good luck this weekend btw; larry) Guess i have to get the 'maxxed out' thoughts outta my head (just natural;lol) and get into tuning up some props and work on the ride with the power i have............

At first it's fairly common to want to chase the speed demon. With so much power available it's not hard to do. Overpowering entry-level rigs is where some start, then building dedicated gofasters may follow with more experience. If your path leads to club racing you may find a whole other world of FE excitement opens up for you.Whatever gets your toes to tappin' is good !

As far as motor temp is concerned, conventional wisdom (whatever that is) often cautions temps over 135 Deg. F should be avoided although higher end motors can sustain higher temps but bear in mind the duration of extended temps also plays a role.

[Pau7060]

Hi Nitro I used too Top Gas Drag Bike out in the West .

[wickedcrew727]

Any thoughts on hull reinforcement. I know there are numerous posts on this subject, but was more interested on it pertaining to MC hull. I'm more interested in getting the bottom of the 'tub' a little more secure. My thoughts were maybe using the 2 part foam to get between the hull and tub bottom by drilling a couple holes in various places to apply it as even as possible(and as little as possible at a time). Next line the tray area with some CF/resin combo to help strengthen a bit more and cover the holes. Is there anything located under the tub to worry about damaging with drill/foam or is it pretty much hollow??? If I'm going to put the effort into the tube area with the foam, should I just plan on taking it all the way-doing the front of the hull also(as it seems pretty flimsy also)???

[properchopper]

Any thoughts on hull reinforcement. I know there are numerous posts on this subject, but was more interested on it pertaining to MC hull. I'm more interested in getting the bottom of the 'tub' a little more secure. My thoughts were maybe using the 2 part foam to get between the hull and tub bottom by drilling a couple holes in various places to apply it as even as possible(and as little as possible at a time). Next line the tray area with some CF/resin combo to help strengthen a bit more and cover the holes. Is there anything located under the tub to worry about damaging with drill/foam or is it pretty much hollow??? If I'm going to put the effort into the tube area with the foam, should I just plan on taking it all the way-doing the front of the hull also(as it seems pretty flimsy also)???

No doubt one of the enjoyable aspects of this hobby is performing mods/upgrades to stock rtr's, and I have no intention of discouraging you from reinforcing your hull if that's what you choose to do- BUT if you want my opinion (based on lots of experience on the race course) I'd say it's not necessary, particularly if you keep the power system in a sensible realm (e.g. AQ 1800 or 2030 KV motors). If you succumb to the temptation to overpower it, besides getting an ill handling beast you'll eventually find the hulls weak spot(s). Reinforcing some areas will just make the next spot succumb to impact damage . I've raced my hull for four years in heavy traffic, sustained LOTS of hits (see post 132 in this thread), and performed a relatively easy repair, and I'm going into my fifth season with this same hull. I've actually got a second hull (purchased used for a reasonable amount) just in case my original hull is damaged beyond sensible repair which seems a better idea to me than trying to reinforce my original hull.
As long as I'm at it, let me say that one of the plusses of the MC hull is that it employs monocoque construction which results in a highly rigid chassis. Foam inside won't appreciably enhance this rigidity, and in a crash the foam won't prevent the outer shell from splintering at the point of impact.

[wickedcrew727]

Gotcha-thanks again!!! New issue-I'm finding im having a problem in the alignment dept. To the eye, you can see that the stuffing tube isn't lined up the best(height seems ok, but veering off to the right side pretty bad) with the motor coupling. This issue is causing the teflon liner that sticks outside the stuffing tube (bout 1/2 in worth) to get cut up on the end of the copper tube as the flex seems to be rubbing on it. Trying to gently bend tubing dosen't seem to help and I've looked around for the stuffing tube adjustable bracket, but that doesn't seem to be available or sold out since I've looked into it. This is how the boat came out of the box, as I'm about to replace teflon tubing for the 3rd time. I know alignment is key so trying to get this gremlin squared away. Any suggestions or remedies to get on top of this issue.............?????

[properchopper]

Gotcha-thanks again!!! New issue-I'm finding im having a problem in the alignment dept. To the eye, you can see that the stuffing tube isn't lined up the best(height seems ok, but veering off to the right side pretty bad) with the motor coupling. This issue is causing the teflon liner that sticks outside the stuffing tube (bout 1/2 in worth) to get cut up on the end of the copper tube as the flex seems to be rubbing on it. Trying to gently bend tubing dosen't seem to help and I've looked around for the stuffing tube adjustable bracket, but that doesn't seem to be available or sold out since I've looked into it. This is how the boat came out of the box, as I'm about to replace teflon tubing for the 3rd time. I know alignment is key so trying to get this gremlin squared away. Any suggestions or remedies to get on top of this issue.............?????

Often this lateral misalignment is caused, during assembly, by the stuffing tube rotating off-axis. The cure is to chip off the cement sealing the tube on the bottom of the hull (I've done this carefully with a ball-tip dremel bit), and do the same inside. Re-align by slightly rotating and re-cement the tube. I use JB Quick on the bottom & plain GFlex inside.


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[properchopper]

Gotcha-thanks again!!! New issue-I'm finding im having a problem in the alignment dept. To the eye, you can see that the stuffing tube isn't lined up the best(height seems ok, but veering off to the right side pretty bad) with the motor coupling. This issue is causing the teflon liner that sticks outside the stuffing tube (bout 1/2 in worth) to get cut up on the end of the copper tube as the flex seems to be rubbing on it. Trying to gently bend tubing dosen't seem to help and I've looked around for the stuffing tube adjustable bracket, but that doesn't seem to be available or sold out since I've looked into it. This is how the boat came out of the box, as I'm about to replace teflon tubing for the 3rd time. I know alignment is key so trying to get this gremlin squared away. Any suggestions or remedies to get on top of this issue.............?????


http://kintecracing.com/Motley_Crew.html

[wickedcrew727]

Proper-you are 100% right!!!Taking a closer look where the copper tubing comes out the bottom of the hull and to the strut you can see the 'twist' in the tube. I guess Dr. Dremelbit will have to prep for surgery.....lol!!!

[TheShaughnessy]

Proper-you are 100% right!!!Taking a closer look where the copper tubing comes out the bottom of the hull and to the strut you can see the 'twist' in the tube. I guess Dr. Dremelbit will have to prep for surgery.....lol!!!

I've found that putting a soldering iron in the stuffing tube for a bit softens the resin right up and you can usually just twist it out, no dusty dremel grinding required, though you will likely need to clean the hole up a bit after removal. Just another way to skin the cat. You might even be able to heat and rotate it if it just needs a little rotation

[wickedcrew727]

WOW-you guys were right on with going to the octura m445!!!! Ordered up a new m445 and also x445. Did some research and found the m445 may be the more 'refined' prop out of the package, so decided to start with that one. What a noticeable difference!!!! Woke that animal up quite a bit......thanks for advice!!!! Sooooo whats the difference between x and m style props besides all the factory flashing I can visibly see on the x prop??? I'll probably try and do some exploratory s&b work on 42x55......worth trying to detounge and sharpen?????

[properchopper]

Real quick ; conventional wisdom is that Octura X props have some tongue which is useful to get heavier boats moving from rest. Now FE boats (the "F" standing for fast) usually don't (as in with the MC boats) require much tongue so de-tonguing an X prop (if no M version is available) will free up some initial low end and allow higher top end. That being said, in general, the Octura M props are de-tounged versions of the X prop of the same size and pitch. We've compared the 42/55 to the M445 on the MC for heat racing (did so yesterday in fact on a Geico) and the M445 is faster overall. The 42/55 was the go-to prop for P-Ltd OPC's a ways back and might still be..

[wireless]

How do you post photos on here?

[JimClark]

http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/showthread.php?401-How-to-post-a-Picture


How do you post photos on here?

[properchopper]

Slow news day, so.....:

The Ex Rayzerdesigns Motley Crew from Arizona, now part of the Los Angeles Cinquegrani Race Family Fleet (Driver : young Mike) getting refurbed-race prepped on the RCBOATBUILD bench.

Now I get to be humiliated once again by this boat (but can only blame myself................:wink:)

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[rayzerdesigns]

if anyone deserved that boat it was mikey...though im sure tom loves electrics..do my ole race horse proud mikey..I will have to come out and see it race..hopefully we can get a few electric classes to run at the d-19 heat race in july

[Darin Jordan]

Sweet, Tony! Makin it happen one new racer at a time!

[Brushless55]

That bugger was fast in Colorado last year !

[properchopper]

This boat is like the Energizer Bunny - It just keeps Going, Going...Going...

Easily the best $120 (used) I've ever spent - FIVE years of racing (plus a few motors:wink:)

The 2016 SCSTA/Nitro/FE Series ended last Sunday, 8/28/16 and the MC Donut Hunter finished a respectable Second Overall (first place loser:noidea:)

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As a way of recommending this class (even though some conversations continue to discuss it's pro's and con's and rule updating), the first place winner , Mr. Russ Stark, piloted a basically store-bought stock Lucas (except for a T-120 and nicely done M445) and just ROCKED the oval with no other "race-modding/prepping."

This series is just so much fun and Kim's food is so yummy that it continues to be one big bliss-fest :hug1:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhxLmlsqWPg

[Mxkid261]

I just picked up a MC last week from the tower scratch and dent section $130 no esc and some slight scratches. I love it and was shocked when I first got it wet. Handles like its on rails. Wide open the whole time in an oval. Can't decide between a T120 or a 180, may just get the 180 for more headroom.

[properchopper]

I just picked up a MC last week from the tower scratch and dent section $130 no esc and some slight scratches. I love it and was shocked when I first got it wet. Handles like its on rails. Wide open the whole time in an oval. Can't decide between a T120 or a 180, may just get the 180 for more headroom.


This looks great, unbeatable price ; I have one going into a P-Ltd Mono oval raceboat for a customer right now -:

http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/products.php?cat=OSE+Raider+Esc%27s

[Mxkid261]

Hmm those came down in price they use to be like $90 I think? I have 3 boats with a T180, so I might have to give one of the raider's a shot

[properchopper]

Going into the first race of 2018 with my MC (which I bought used minus sparky stuff for $120 seven years ago) I came to shore a little too hot and impaled it on a metal starting table (ESC glitched & stuck WFO). Viking funeral planned. Pretty sure I got my money's worth

( & I just might repair it :wink:)

157949

[JimClark]

Going into the first race of 2018 with my MC (which I bought used minus sparky stuff for $120 seven years ago) I came to shore a little too hot and impaled it on a metal starting table (ESC glitched & stuck WFO). Viking funeral planned. Pretty sure I got my money's worth

( & I just might repair it :wink:)

157949Yellow duct tape will fix it Tony

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[fweasel]

Tony - 7 more years ready to go!

https://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/showthread.php?59027-Motley-crew-almost-new

[properchopper]

In seven years I'll be 80 going on 81 years old. Probably be drooling on the xmttr by then:huh:.....

[fweasel]

In seven years I'll be 80 going on 81 years old. Probably be drooling on the xmttr by then:huh:.....

gotta be good at something! :laugh:

[properchopper]

Couldn't let the old gal go to seed:sad:
159049

Buffed right out & SHE LIVES to race another day:thumbup1:
159050

[JimClark]

Couldn't let the old gal go to seed:sad:
159049

Buffed right out & SHE LIVES to race another day[emoji106]1:
159050Nice job Tony

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

[properchopper]

Nice job Tony

Sent from my Moto G (4) using Tapatalk

Thank you Sir :thumbup:

[ray schrauwen]

What is a good strut height position for this boat?

[properchopper]

What is a good strut height position for this boat?

Ray, set up for P-Ltd Cat - 4S2P 3600's Aq 1800 massaged M445 I like to elevate strut to slightly unload prop & some positive to air out hull for more mph

164218

[ray schrauwen]

Very nice, thank you.

[BThompson]

I know this is an old thread - I still use it for reference a lot though. I have 2 MC's and 2 Lucas Oils - absolutely love 'em!!
Just wondering - do you still have yours?

Thanks again for the great info!

[Bande1]

man what the heck happened to this forum in the past 3 years? it used to have such cool stuff going on and its just dead now.

[Peter A]

man what the heck happened to this forum in the past 3 years? it used to have such cool stuff going on and its just dead now.

The covid etc lies. There are people not here anymore since covid happened. :sad:

[ray schrauwen]

People took to FBook to communicate.