Ml Boatworks RSX310 Rigger.

[785boats]

Well the kit went together as easily as any of Mikes other kits. Just follow the numbers, letters, & dotted lines.
The simple dry fit, & wick some medium CA along the joins makes it quick & easy. Just need to make sure everything is true & square as you go.

After assembling the basic box for the tub I glued all the 1/8" stringers in the corners.
Then added the hatch liners to the underside of the deck & glued that on.
The frames for the rear sponsons were added, & the transom doubler was Epoxied onto the transom.
I added some bits of foam into the rear sponsons & glued on the skins & sanded everything to shape.
The only thing I added was a 1/4" ply doubler to the sides of the tub where the boom tube exits the hull. Just for a bit of extra strength. I'm good at hitting buoys with boats.

[785boats]

Then it was onto the sponsons.
Again, dry fit all the formers & chine pieces then wick some medium CA along the joins.
Once all the stringers are added I like to add some balsa strips along the chine & at the nose to allow abit more surface area for the skins to bond to.
Once everything is sanded to shape, the bottom skins are added.
I clamp a piece of angle to the sponson at this stage to keep it from twisting. The rear skin was done first and then the side trip skin. Again with the CA.
When that was trimmed to shape the ride pads were fitted. The main ones first, leaving an overhang at the transoms & along the outside edge of the right hand sponson. The front edge was sanded to the angle of the front pad & the front pad glued on leaving the small step. They were all sanded to shape leaving the overhang along the egde of the right hand sponson pad, but the left sponson is sanded to the angle of the side trip skin.

I also added some pieces of 1/8" ply for strength where the holes for the boom supports fit into the sponsons.
And also some 8mm ply for the turn fin bracket.

[785boats]

While I was framing up the sponsons I also made a motor mount & epoxied that into the tub with the customary ply doublers on the side of the tub to lock it in place.
I simply open out a piece of aluminium angle stock to the desired angle, in the vice.
It is essential that the tub is wieighted down to keep it from twisting while the epoxy sets.
I also epoxied in the brass tubes for the booms, making sure they were central, level, square & true. Then I added a bit of extra support to the front tube, with some wood & epoxy.
The inside of the tub was given a coat of epoxy resin so seal & strengthen all the joints. I did the sponsons at the same time too.

[785boats]

Now to the tricky bit. Setting up the tube holders in the sponsons making sure that the ride pads are even I that the sponsons are at rightangles to the table.
I'm sure that there are better methods than this but here's how I did it.
I didn't use the Zipp kits inserts just some 8mm ID x 10mm OD tubing. I made sure the holes weren't a tight fit by filing them out & placed the inserts into the sponsons.Then I used a couple of 8mm drill bits inside the tubes to line them up. With some weights to hold the ride pads & the small step of the front wide pads on the table I was able to make sure that everything lined up square & even. Bear in mind that the left sponson has a bit of dihedral in the ride pad, so that needs a bit of a packer under that edge near the heel.That kept the inside face of the sponson vertical to the table.
Once I was happy with the set up I removed the weights & epoxied the inserts into one sponson & set them back up while the epoxy set.
Then I epoxied the inserts into the other sponson in the same fashion.

I added some extra 1/16" ply to each side of the tubes with lashings of epoxy for a bit of extra strength.
I had already cut & fitted the blocks of foaam, so now it was time to fit the top skins.
A bit of epoxy on all the internal frames , stringers, & some of the nosw block, & then the skin was attached with CA all around the edges.

The last thing I added was a piece of thin ply to the heels of the sponsons to cover up all the ends of the frames & stringers.
Then a final trimming & sanding & they are ready for sealing.

[ray schrauwen]

Wow, way at it already.

What TP motor did you decide on?

[785boats]

Hi Ray.
I couldn't help myself. I took it out of the bag to have a look & then just had to start sticking bits together.

I've got the TP 4050 2310kv, but I also have the 4060 2450kv motor that I was going to put in the Kepps 21. I'm not sure.
I think the extra power of the 4060 motor might be better served in this one. It's a bigger boat

[ray schrauwen]

All on 1P? How do you do it?

[785boats]

We just can't run props as large as you guys, that's all.

[cybercrxt]

Well, you made quick work of that. You didn't even sound too excited it was just so easy to build, HAHAHA So what do I need to design next for you Paul?

[785boats]

Trust me Mike, I was/am excited. I can't wait to get it on the water. But you are right, it is so easy to build.
I'll get the driveline & rudder set up on the transom today.
I see you had to cut down the bracket for the rudder to fit, but I think I'll make up a couple of brackets to suit.
As for what next? You know I love canards. But I doubt very much if they would be much of a seller.

Then again, I could always put together an RSX310 Canard Rigger. That would be something worth trying I think. Hmmmm!!!

[785boats]

I've finished getting the drive line & rudder all sorted.
The strut was mounted on the transom & set to the correct depth & angle. In this boat I took it to be flat on the table, with the hull perfectly level as a starting point.

With the aid of a piece of 3/16" rod in the motor coupler long enough to reach the floor of the tub, the hole was marked out & drilled. The stuffing tube can be slipped over it, & the bend in the tube marked out on the tube. Then the tube was massaged into a bend, offered up, removed & massaged some more until it was the perfect fit with no pressure on the rod, the tub floor, or the strut. A nice free fit. Then it was epoxied into the tub floor.

For the rudder bracket I decided to cut a slot in the transom & epoxy a piece of 1/8" aluminium to the tub wall.
It looked strong enough, but then I caved & added another right angle bracket beside it, bolted to the transom. No way it will bend now. But I have seen thicker brackets than this bend.
The rudder itself is a cut down 130mm blade from the bitzabox. Came off some old boat years ago.
Instead of a breakaway bolt I have a slot in the bracket to allow the blade to kick back if it hits something.

[785boats]

Then it was time for the safety loop. Essential for sanctioned racing here in Australia.
A rectangle was cut on three sides through the tub wall & scored halfway through on the fourth side, inside the hull. It was then pushed out like a door.
A block of wood with two holes for the female bullets was epoxied into place & the whole thing sanded to a more streamline shape.
The two loop wires & connectors (one to the battery, & one to the ESC) were then epoxied into the holes. The actual loop is just a short piece of wire with a male bullet on each end.

[ray schrauwen]

What size wire and connectors?

[ray schrauwen]

May I also ask what is the width of battery opening? I'll have my kit soon.

Thx

[Shooter]

Nice build, Paul!