Kyosho Twinstorn VE36

[Jersey Crewmax]

Has anyone had any experience with this boat? I can't really find any reviews on it. I'm wondering if it's too old a design since it appears to be the sane boat that used to use two 550 can motors but now just had one brushless power plant.

Thanks

[MR2NR]

It's a good medium speed boat. Kyosho got caught up in the twin line after the Villan but when brushless came around this boat got outdated fast. It's well made and can handle speeds up too 50 mph but if you want to go any faster than that you need to be looking at a cat or outrigger. Have you seen the new Jetstream.

Link (http://www.amainhobbies.com/product_info.php/cPath/4_956_1812/products_id/234201/n/Kyosho-EP-Jetstream-888-VE-ReadySet-Brushless-Boat-w-Orion-ESC-KT-200-24GHz-Transmitter)

[Jersey Crewmax]

I have seen the jetstream and it appears to be a good boat. I've just read a few comments around this forum (mostly about venom) that it's a land based rc company making a boat so it won't be very good, especially when compared to pro boat or aquacraft boat.

That being said maybe this will be a good boat, hopefully 30 mph out of box. Don't think my local lake is good for much more than that.

[MR2NR]

You also have to look at the fact that Proboat and Aquacraft are big players around here. I would put Kyosho as a good "value" boat. FighterCat, Toysport, and OSE being top of the line. You get what you pay for but I can't "sink" $1000+ in a RC :). Kyosho makes great hulls so run the stock and upgrade later if you are not rolling in $$$$.

[Jersey Crewmax]

Looks like I won the auction do I'm getting the brushless twinstorm. It's costing me $190 shipped so I can't complain considering its brand new. Might have to sell off some more toys to keep my rc collection manageable.

[MR2NR]

Congratulations. I think you will enjoy it and you did get a deal considering I see these go for $250 all day long. Is this your first boat? If it is I would study tips and tricks about waterproofing servos and ESC's to make it tough as nails. Have fun with it.

[Jersey Crewmax]

I currently have 1 1/2 traxxas Villains (on the hunt for a deck lid for one of the hence the half). Sold a Nitro Vee to purchase the twinstorm but I never actually got to run the nitro vee.

I'm looking forward to running the twin storm. Wondering what kind of battery life I'll get.

[Mattwarner]

I used to have a twin storm which I ran for about 6 months and after upgrading everything! Decided to do it properly and build my own and never looked back!

You will enjoy running it especially on lipo's but it wont be that fast and don't waste your time upgrading anything other than the prop and the cooling for reliability, if you get the urge for faster, sell it and buy something else as the hull won't handle more power.

[Flying Scotsman]

That was my first FE boat after many years of not running electric boats, apart from true scale boats...It is okay for a starter boat...but as one member stated build your own.

Douggie

[Jersey Crewmax]

Are you guys referring to the twinstorm with the 550 brushed motors or the one with the Orion brushless motors (the ve36 version) Reason I ask is because I assumed it was somewhat fast at least when compared to my traxxas villain. Also I thought the brushless one already had water cooling on the esc and motor, is it insufficient?

[Mattwarner]

Yes I had the twin brushed which I upgraded to traxxas Titans and 16.8v it struggled to do more than about 20mph, the brushless version I'd guess would do 25-30 ish which is still half the speed my 6s genesis or apparition will do.

There is a huge thread somewhere on this forum about the twin storm and a lot of it relates to the restrictive water cooling, by enlarging the water pickup in the rudder (I replaced with brass tube) and larger id piping it helped but standard gets little more than a dribble of water flow from the outlet and esc and motors would get hot

[Jersey Crewmax]

Got the boat today, hull is plastic like my villain's but appears thicker.

I was surprised that the esc it comes with is a 120 amp unit and the motor is a decent sized 2250 kv motor ( both Orion branded units). I'm looking forward to getting it in the water.

I see the issue with the water pickup being on the small side, especially when compared to the tubing diameter.

Before I get this guy in the water, anything else I should do/look into?

[Jersey Crewmax]

Got it in the water today and it moves not 50 mph but I was pretty content considering its box stock.

I def saw what you guys were talking about the water pickup being narrow. The motor however stayed fairly cool, not sure about the esc since its in a sealed compartment (sealed with hulk tape).

[Jersey Crewmax]

Hoping someone could help me with this. How do I lube the shaft on the twinstorm? Do I need to remove the prop, u joint, and spur gear?

What grease do I use, for my villain traxxas says light oil but kyosho specifically says grease.

[Mattwarner]

You will need to firstly remove the out drive then remove the spur gear and the shaft will slide out, be careful as there are bearings either end of the shaft and they will fall out!

Warning the grub screw in the spur gear will be loctited in so make sure you don't round it off and replace with a quality stainless steel one afterwards

[Mattwarner]

P.s post some videos as I am keen to see how the brushless version runs

[Jersey Crewmax]

Here is a video albeit not a good one being that I took it myself as I was controlling the boat. It is box stock.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/paulojac2000/2c4367b3.mp4

I did read through the manual and looks like the esc can handle 5s so I might give it a shot but only after I upgrade the prop and check esc/motor temps some more times.

Back to greasing the shaft, how often is that done and do I need a specific grease?

I plan on ordering some supplies so want to make sure I don't miss anything.

Thanks for all your help.

[MR2NR]

Looks good. Very good cameraman/operator skills.

I would find a reamer or file that just fits in that pickup tube and ream her out good with your tube disconnected so you can flush out the shavings. Giving it a huge flange on the rudder will help also.

Most hard core racers disassemble and re grease the whole drive train after every day at the lake. I let it completely dry and re grease my union, gears, and thrust bearings real good with this (http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=dh-prb0100). Works well on old Kyosho drive train ports. Yours probably still has one but don't know

I disassemble mine after every three or four runs. I'm not putting out the fastest speeds and use a solid shaft with a grease port.

If I was running 5s though I would probably re grease after a day of running.

[Jersey Crewmax]

Yeah this one doesn't appear to have a grease port like my Villain does. I've only run it twice but I plan on takeoff a look at the shaft before I run again.

I had already drilled out the water pick up tube, I'll see what I have that I can use to file it clean. Not sure what you mean by adding a flange though.

[Mattwarner]

i found that drilling out the stock water pickup did little to help so i drilled out and replaced with 4mm brass pipe which was bent slightly towards the prop, this worked MUCH better.

http://i1083.photobucket.com/albums/j397/mattwarner1979/P1000204.jpg

As for grease i use Quicksilver marine grease available from loads of places.

Prop up to a graupner 45mm carbon (but check temps) this made a big difference to mine and very cheap, you can probably see from the pic that i replaced the stock ball and cup joint with a stainless u-joint as the stock ones wear very quickly

[MR2NR]

I thought it had a rudder pickup so disregard the flange comment. But ya do what Mattwarner did with a larger intake pipe.

[banixj]

for my opinion you've purchased a very bad boat...
i love kyosho but is good for cars, not for boats...
that boat is a so old product, renewed with a bl motor...
at the end is very very slow and very expensive...
the top speed of the mpg is under 20mph....
my toy from joysway is brushed, run at +30mph and it costs less than 100usd...
my rocket from tenshock costs same of your kyosho and runs over 55mph...
believe me: 55mph are a lot and you're so far from that value...

[Jersey Crewmax]

I agree that the hull and hardware are an old design but this boat is definitely faster than 20 mph, I'd go as far as to say that it's 30 mph, not sure what brushed boat you have that does that. Regarding you 55 mph boat, how much did you pay for it? I paid $190 for mine.

[banixj]

Here you can see my brushed toy: i've never done flatout because there was many waves and it was not summer yet...
you can see speed and acceleration are double than kyosho...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rjJvVR5Ybc
here you can see my mono with top speed of 92.1kmh so more than 55mph...
i will have a full clip with gps shot too...
the hull is with two steps and the motor is a tenshock CZII so a very good race motor...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuVv1AXKmxY

[Alexgar]

Can you take pics of the inside and electronics

[Jersey Crewmax]

You are absolutely incorrect if you think that you first boat is twice the speed of the twinstorm. Leads me to believe that you've never seen the brushless twinstorm ve36 run.

[banixj]

i'm referring to the clip posted at the beginning of that post....
anyway with the money for kyosho you can purchase a tenshock like mine: to much faster than kyosho...

[Basstronics]

I think anyone has the right to do what they want. If the OP wants to hop up his Kyosho thats his prerogative.

I was recently bidding on one of these on E Bay a month or two back. Looked like an awesome rescue boat.

[Jersey Crewmax]

I was tinkering with the angle if the shaft and prop a couple days ago to see if I found get her riding a bit higher in the water. Didn't have much luck. Tried adjusting the trim tabs and that had her chine walking.

Any suggestions on an upgraded prop? How would I determine what the current size is so I could go up one. After each run the motor and esc are still pretty cool so I figure I can push them a little bit harder.

[Jersey Crewmax]

Appears this is the kyosho upgrade.

http://www.kyoshoamerica.com/Metal-Propeller-D40xP143Blad_p_10332.html

Can anyone translate: Metal Propeller D40xP1.4/3Blade and get me an equivalent non kyosho prop? I'm still very much a newb.

[tunnelvision]

I would first Step up to an octura x442 if the original prop is around 40mm or so. What's the kv of the brushless motor? What does it run on, 4s?

Side note, we are running on Sunday I you want to come down!

[Jersey Crewmax]

The motor is 2200ish kv on 4s.

I plan on making it down there. Never picked up other batteries so I might just hook the charger up to my car and run my villain on some nimh I have while my lipos charge. Sux my 8200 mah ones don't fit in the twinstorm.

[tunnelvision]

A x442 might be it though, not sure the amp rating on the esc. Might now have to much room there to prop up.

Cool, I am probably heading over to the lake around 10 or 11 am. Hope to get a few more boats setup by Sunday. Bring the kyosho would like to look it over and check it out.

[Jersey Crewmax]

The ESC is a 120 amp unit 200 amp peak I believe. Can find too much info on it but the numbers seem overkill for this boat.

I'll see you there.

[Mattwarner]

I had a twinstorm and ran an x445 which ran well but got a little hot however this was the twin brushed version

[tunnelvision]

At 120 constant I would stick with a 442.

See ya on Sunday!

[Jersey Crewmax]

Here are some more videos. Clearly shows this boat is faster than 20mph.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/paulojac2000/5466A92A-7758-44BA-93C3-12AAD1238595-35393-00001C072E5FE12E.mp4

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa119/paulojac2000/D9BBD6C8-BF75-42D3-9E79-6AD990348BD6-35393-00001C078625F243.mp4

[Basstronics]

Looks like a high 20's low 30's to me.

Not to bad!

[tunnelvision]

It's a nice running boat and I would say it was about as fast as an out of the box SV. Handles the chop nicely too!