Shovelnose Hydro on a budget

[Banjo Dick]

Building the same Dumas Miss Unlimited kit I did 50 years ago. Thought I could get away cheap by building a wood boat. Hah! The only $ I can spend each month is what I saved from quitting smoking; $150. So I gots lotsa time and few bucks to spend and therefore I cannot afford to make any more novice screw-ups.
Miss Unlimited kit has a solid 3/16 shaft but I see everyone is using this flex stuff, which reminds me of a speedometer cable. Is a solid steel shaft so bad? What do I need to know? If I ever do get to the "I Wanna Race" point, the classic 1/10 scale does have restrictions. I already bought a too powerful motor, castle 1512 2650kv, planned to run on 4s but I shoulda researched more and bought the legal motor.
I can't afford to buy a dozen props. I guessed at a Grim Racer 3 blade, 40mm I think. Whaddya think, considering the motor and boat?
I still gotta buy a Tx/Rx/servo. Is the cheap Traxxis OK for a budget limited novice; I worry about range but then again, my eyesight ain't so good anymore anyway.
BTW, 1/2 of my sister's classic Barbie will be the almost scale driver, when I eventually finish this Hydro. My sister will hate me...

[kevinpratt823]

I'm not very familiar with the hull, most people in general opt for a flex shaft to allow for an adjustable strut setup. If you plan to build more boats down the road, you may want to consider finding a cheap(used) Spektrum TX/RX, so you will have the option of using multiple boats on the radio. You also may want to post this thread in the "Fast Electric questions and answers" section, more people are likely to see it and respond. Good luck!

[ron1950]

I use a solid shaft in my 10th scale hydro with a pb 1500kv motor ...a flex shaft would work also ...like keven said a used spektum radio is pretty cheep but good....

[Banjo Dick]

Thanks for the advice, guys. I'm still collecting used stuff for this 36" tenth scale hydro and a straight shaft is what the rules call for. I hope to eventually get the correct 1500kv motor. I bought some used LiPo's and plan to run 4s. Got a used Tactic Tx/Rx, sure hope the range is OK 'cause the Rx has an "internal" antenna?
Any thoughts on using a flush mounted cooling water pickup on a sponson rather than a pricey rudder pickup?
Which side is best for a rudder mount? Full size "Thunderboat" hydros had a rudder on the right even though they ran a counterclockwise course, on the photos I see. Should a clockwise course use a left side rudder mount?
One last thought...would a square stuffing tube have less friction than the usual round section tube?
Inquiring minds want to know.

[JimClark]

I use one on mine and it works fine