40'' Catamaran Motor Suggestions

[xkos]

Hi,
i want to build a 40'' catamaran hull and i need help with the motor choice. Here is the setup: 2x 5000mAh 5s1p running in series, esc YGE 200 Navy (4-15 lipos max).Which motor will run faster Lehner 2280 or Lehner 3040?

Thanks

Kostas

[txboatpilot]

3040

You need 10s2p for a boat that size..

[calcagno45]

And if spending the money, I think I would bump up to the 3060 at least. Randy Naylor was saying that his 3040/14T wasn't really up to the task on his 41" Cat.

[Fluid]

My 41" Stryker runs a Lehner 3060/10 and 10S2P/9000mAh LiPos; 40-160 ESC. It is pretty bulletproof, runs mid-60s in race trim. I burn about 4000-4500 mAh in a one mile heat plus the mill lap. A 1P setup will cause problems - sooner or later.



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[lomdel]

Jay, beautifull hull attitude there. Nicely set-up! Any pics of inside?

[Jeff Wohlt]

Since you said you ARE building it then you can keep it light and rigid. For a good sport set up with good speed you could run a KB45 $70

If you want to run 60+ then you are going to have to spend the big bucks.

KBs are good motors and the ESC will not need to be a $400 one.

Racing set ups are great but good sport set ups can go plenty fast and give you less headache and more run time and fun.

[txboatpilot]

How about the Feigao 580L motors for sport setup?

[Jeff Wohlt]

Good option as well with the 580 We have yet to see how they perfrom. Certainly higher in cost as well.

I guess it depends on what you want out of it. You already have a great ESC so you can do a lot with motor selction. You need mass and torque to get some real speed.

[Ub Hauled]

Brian Buaas was experimenting with the 580 and had positive feedback.

[Fluid]

I get a real kick out of those who insist you can build a good, cheap, reliable "sport" cat of 40+". Here we have a poster willing to spend the money it takes to build a reliable sport boat - and some here still suggest building it on the cheap. Who wants a 35 mph 40" cat? Heck, you'd be money ahead to buy a used gasser for that speed and have extended run time.

The reality is that sport running with a big hull can be more demanding than any race setup. Why? Run time and excessive acceleration. I seldom run my boat for more than 2 minutes so heat build up is not a problem. But if I prop down and try to run for 8-10 minutes, heat buildup is an issue even with premium parts having the lowest resistance. How is a cheap motor, ESC and packs - with significantly higher resistance - going to work better? Maybe in a lighter hull - which is more prone to blow off the water in wind and waves. So now we have a boat that has limited speed and can't run in wind and waves. Is that really a bargain?

I have seen the low-buck Chinese parts thrown into cats that were very well-built, but the result was disappointment after awhile as the parts failed and the boat sat on the shelf waiting for "free replacement parts". One builder - who was not a racer but had a 'black card' at United Hobby - eventually sold the "cheap" boat, saved his money and built a reliable 70 mph cat. He's happy now. Whatever happened to the "SuperSaver 1/8th Scale" boom that was going to sweep the sport? Didn't work out quite like the plan.....

Hey, I'm not against saving money in the FE hobby - I've written articles about doing just that. But trying to save money on a project that has a high potential for failure can be like throwing good money after bad - you don't have your money and you don't have a good boat either. If you want cheap, a big boat is not a good way to do it IMO. You may not always need a Schulze 40-160 - but a 32-170 costs less than a Hydro240HV and has a better reliability track record. No one says you have to buy a new Lehner of Neu motor, wait for what you want to show up on the used market. I bougth a lot of excellent Hacker motors for under $100 when everyone thought they needed a Neu and were dumping their Hackers. You can build a reliable performance boat without spending full retail if you can wait awhile. You are more llikely to have what you want in the end too.


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[Jeff Wohlt]

Guess I did not see in the post that money was no problem.

I just offered options so you are not lead down one path only which happens to be the more expensive.

I really do not think generalizing that most other China cheap setups fail. There are a ton of non H, N and L setups out there running very well. Do they compete...no...they have fun. The reason I am in the hobby...not everything is race day levels but fun.

I agree with buying used unless you are one to think you are just buying another persons past bad experiences...which many are so be careful buying used motors and ESCs!

[Fluid]

Jeff, not to be rude or anything, but have you seen many - or any - 10S cats running reliably with low-ball setups? Not just for one or two days, but for an extended period of time? Just curious.

(The OP wanted to use a Lehner 3040 motor ($$$) - most would assume he wasn't trying to low-ball the build.)


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[Jeff Wohlt]

I have not seen any good 10S cats running. Video of your alls is about it. Which are mainly race versions.

Most people do not know how fast a true 40mph is. Most people think there 30 mph boat looks more like 50 mph.

Jay, I would never take you as rude, I still listen to your advise.