ML Boatworks KL350 Hydro.

[785boats]

Just thought I'd post a few pics of the latest build I've been working on for the last few weeks.
It was the 35" kneeler hydro kit from ML Boatworks. But I ended up building it as a normal sports hydro without the high cowling or the outboard. Mainly because I just loved the low sleek lines of the hull.
Here's Mikes build instructions for anyone that might want to build it in its true form.

http://forums.offshoreelectrics.com/showthread.php?41036-ML-Boatworks-KL350-35-quot-Kneel-down-outboard-Hydroplane-build-instructions

Because there are many pics in the instructions, I'll just post a few here.

These first few just show the basic tub & sponson assemblies. The last two show some extra balsa along the anti trip skin & the front of the sponson chine for extra glueing area where the skins will be attached. The last one also shows a couple of 1/4" sticks added for extra support under the ride plates.

[785boats]

These pics show the skins being added & the foam blocks cut & fitted. The sections were all sealed with epoxy wood preserver first.

[785boats]

Here are the aluminium plates being added for the transom gear & the turn fin bracket.
Also two part foam in the sponsons, & the top skins being added with the usual tape weights & clamps while the epoxy sets.

[785boats]

This couple just show some ply added to the transoms to cover up the ends of the stringers, and the motor mount installed.
It's a piece of angle epoxied to the tub floor with some 1/8" ply braces added to the sides. I will be using a horizontally mounted motor with an S bend in the stuffing tube. I've never done this before but here goes.
The motor shown is a 3674 2150kv motor, but I've left enough room under the motor to fit a 40mm size motor if/when required.

[785boats]

Now to the hatch.
By not using the original kneeler cowling I needed to make something to reflect the low sleek lines of the hull. I wanted something a bit futuristic so I looked through some artists impressions of spaceships, boats, cars, planes etc & melded a few ideas together.
This is the result.
I carved the basic shape out of some dense urethane foam & covered it with ply. 1.5mm thick on the front half & 0.8mm thick on the back half. The front piece was easy because of its shape it would bend both laterally and along the length.
The rear section however was a bit more interesting. A ply skin will not curve in both directions without buckling. So I used that fact to my advantage. After many trial runs with thin cardboard I found that if I cut the skin at an angle near the rear I could glue the last part down following both curves.
So I simply only epoxied the skin down the middle. After making the diagonal cuts, the small rear section was glued down . Once the epoxy had set I lathered the epoxy over the rest of the foam & taped the sides down around the edges. This buckled the ply up into two air intakes at the front & two exhaust ports at the rear.
Some pics to try & make all that a bit more clear.

[785boats]

A few more to finish off the process. A bit more shaping & it can be epoxied onto the hatch
This is where the boat is up to at this point.
Dry fitting the hardware & driveline is next.

[cybercrxt]

I just noticed this thread Paul. That is pretty interesting. I would love to see the final results. Are you doing it inboard, or outboard? Mike

[785boats]

It's an inboard Mike.
This will just be a fun sport boat as the dimensions make it illegal to race in our Sports Hydro class. The afterplane is longer than 60% of the total length of the hull. That exceeds the limit under our rules. Not sure what it is over there in the States.

[cybercrxt]

That is correct on the 60% afterplane rule. Same over here, but the Kneelers dont have any solid runs, and the full size hull runs like this, so if they ever did rules, I would fight to have that incorporated into them. The kneelers, due to bad design in the past, has caused the class to flounder. This hull, honestly, is the first outboard kneeler to actually work without a bunch of funny business worth of turn fins all over the hull to make it track properly! lol. Hey, let me know know you got my email today...should be a refund. Mike

[785boats]

I'll just be running a small turn fin in the usual location for a Sports Hydro. I just love the low sleek lines of this hull.
Yes, I just saw your email. Thanks for the refund on the postage for the plywood. I thought the calculator had it a bit high.
Cheers.
Paul.

[785boats]

Found some time & some decent weather to seal,prime, & spray the first top coat on "The Wasp". All sanded back ready for the next coat.

[785boats]

Got the final paint done now. Yay.

[785boats]

I finally got this little bird wet this weekend.
Only a little SSS 4074 2200kv motor in it. A bit hoppy in the turns. It might need a bit of weight back at the transom to make up for the lack of an outboard that it was originally designed for.
The other thing that concerns me a bit is that the S bend in the stuffing tube gets a bit hot. So it's probably sucking a bit of power with the friction.
But this is a fun boat not a racer. Handles pretty well though. Didn't even feel like flipping in the wind.We'll see what happens when I free it up a bit more for the next session.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1LE9qbkQas