Total Noob looking to build a boat, Have setup and LIPO questions...

[dt911]

Hello all,
Thank you in advance to everyone on this forum, I have learned a lot here and I have been lurking almost every day for a month. I have been around r/c cars, trucks and helis for a while, but have never done a boat. I'm a very hands-on type of guy, so I would much rather build than buy rtr. I will want to build a very solid setup that won't require much maintenance. I have a lot of lake, and I will want it to go as fast as possible without self-destruction.

I have decided that I like the Aeromarine Titan 29 Hull, mainly for aesthetics, but the size and speed also seem practical. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

One thing that I would like to do is use the same LIPO packs in all of my vehicles. For that reason, the 4000 or 5000mAH 30C 2S1P Hardcase packs would be my choice. Is it practical to run 4 of these packs (as 4S2P) in this hull or would it just be too heavy to get out of its own way? 2-Packs at 4S1P would also be an option, but it looks like my run times would only be 5 or 6 minutes.

The next consideration would be the motor, and at 4S it looks to me like the Feigao 7XL would be the right match. Again, any input here is greatly appreciated. I have read a little bit about using outrunners in boats as well. Any opinions here? I was thinking that a Turnigy 120A or 150A ESC should work well and stay cool...

Last but not least, what about the rest of the hardware? I'm thinking that a 3/16" Stinger drive should match up well, but what about using a wire drive, and which size would I choose? Does one offer a durability or maintenance advantage where I am strictly a "basher" on the water? I'm also thinking about a 6" rudder, but this conclusion is based more on the offerings than any sort of equation... Is there any such equation?

Thanks again for anyone who takes the time to reply. Durability and reliability are key for me and I would appreciate any other recommendations that anyone could make.

[RIPFENCE]

for reliability i would suggest an 8xl or even safer 9xl on 4s for this size boat..you are pushing 35,000 unloaded rpm's with the 7xl and it may be ok short term but its going to get hot even with cooling..i ran a 10xl on 6s for a short period in my df29...it was fast as hell but it got to 135 degrees..not good..u think you are doing a stroke of business because its fast but when your magnests crack it can lead to disaster for your ESC too... a 3/16 stinger uses a .187 cable and will work great...4s2p will be good but just make sure your layout will accomodate them since its a small hull there is not much room in there...

[RIPFENCE]

get the turnigy 180 marine esc from hobby king 79.99 for gold level members..in my opinion its the ballz..my 29 is in the swap shop if you need ideas for a boat in that size range

[dt911]

Thanks!

get the turnigy 180 marine esc from hobby king 79.99 for gold level members..in my opinion its the ballz..my 29 is in the swap shop if you need ideas for a boat in that size range

I've never done business with them so it looks like my price would be $20.00 higher. Is there any way to be a gold member without first being a customer?

[Jesse J]

4s2P all the way. this hull is wide and catches all kinds of air - the limiting factor on top speed. I ran mine with 10XL (best for bashing) and 4S2P for mid-upper 30s occasionally 5S2P for mid 40s. You want a 150+ amp speedo. the DF29 may be a little more stable, but then the looks of the titan are pretty unique. I ran a 5" rudder and it was plenty, I think 6" would be overkill. I had a .078" wire drive in mine and it was great! Went with a 3" stinger strut - helped with blow over in high seas. get big turn fins and quality trim tabs. Plan on spending over $100 for new hardware. Get one of those Etti motor mounts and add lots of flotation. Great hull and it is a beauty on the water!

[wakeboardfusion]

I've never done business with them so it looks like my price would be $20.00 higher. Is there any way to be a gold member without first being a customer?

What about if you sign up and then log in, does the price go down?

[dt911]

What about if you sign up and then log in, does the price go down?

Tried it, no such luck...

[RIPFENCE]

you gotta buy a few things first..thats the only thing that sucks...the shipping can get pricey too..even at 89.00 its not a bad deal...the 180 was real reliable for me and the program card takes a matter of seconds to program it

[wakeboardfusion]

you can either buy some small cheep things in multiple orders to get gold level, or you can have someone buy it for you who is gold and ship it to you

[dt911]

4s2P all the way. this hull is wide and catches all kinds of air - the limiting factor on top speed. I ran mine with 10XL (best for bashing) and 4S2P for mid-upper 30s occasionally 5S2P for mid 40s. You want a 150+ amp speedo. the DF29 may be a little more stable, but then the looks of the titan are pretty unique. I ran a 5" rudder and it was plenty, I think 6" would be overkill. I had a .078" wire drive in mine and it was great! Went with a 3" stinger strut - helped with blow over in high seas. get big turn fins and quality trim tabs. Plan on spending over $100 for new hardware. Get one of those Etti motor mounts and add lots of flotation. Great hull and it is a beauty on the water!

Thanks! I like the wire drive option, but I have a couple of questions... The ones offered here have a 2.25" prop shaft, would that still work inside the 3" stinger tube? Also, I don't quite see how the drive dog and prop go on that setup, are there any diagrams anywhere? What about the other end... Can the piano wire simply be cut to length?

[Jesse J]

you cut the piano wire with your dremmel and a cutoff wheel (wearing safety goggles of course). This does need a thrust bearing between the motor and coupler. rcraceboat.com is another piano wire site (where I get mine) and I didn't worry about the difference in length - just realized it now...

drive dog is positioned based on having enough thread after the prop for the nut (leaving 1/16-1/8" between drive dog and end of strut). Basically I put the drive dog on the stub before inserting into boat, then the prop and nut. You can adjust the drive dog to where you like it best and then notch it for the set screw in the drive dog - again with your cutoff wheel. Then use the blue loctite in your set screw and get her real tight. Then you measure how much to trim the wire. Remember not all of the 3" of stinger has the bushing so you will not have any trouble.

[properchopper]

Below video : Titan 29, Feigao 9XL , Hydra 240 , Neu 4S2p 4100's, X442 , Speedmaster stinger with .150 cable. Substitute a Turnigy 180, Wohlt .078 wire drive, Turnigy 4S 5000's X 2, large trim tabs, put motor in BACK & batterys in front of the motor on the keel to reduce chine walk when the hull airs out. Trust me on this. Safe runtime should be about 3 minutes. A 7XL should give about the same three minutes but you'll spend a week getting the smell out of the boat. Go 10XL for more runtime and less acrobatics. The hull Will get airborne at @ 52 mph pretty much every time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xW-lxKr-xxM

[Jesse J]

Great work Tony as always.

So, Mr. Not Gunnatel, keep in mind that at these speeds that Tony is running, the lake gets small fast. If you've never ran/seen them go in person, it is amazing how fast they cross the pond. AND if they flip in the middle.... I would recommend (as I am sure most here) that you do a parallel build on a rescue craft. Swimming for a FE is a BAD idea... you never know if it will suddenly come back to life and cut off some important appendages.

The biggest problem with starting out at 50mph is that going back to 35 (when you realize that managing the electronics gets real expensive) can be underfulfilling. I would recommend starting out mild and then kickin it up later when you head out to race with Tony.

[properchopper]

Thanks, Jesse ! So Mr. Gunnatel, here's one direction you may want to consider, especially if you're looking for "only 5-6 minutes" runtime, which in the realm of FE boats does require some special thought, given the rule : " Speed, Runtime, Reliability; Choose any Two ". Set up the Titan as an LSO boat - LSO races are 4 minutes + @ 30 second mill lap. I just set mine up for an LSO race this month in Arizona : Proboat motor, something along the lines of a budget SC like a Turnigy 120 [ I'm using a modded CC 80,] 4S2P Turnigy 3600's
{ a pair of 5000's will give more runtime but the extra weight causes the boat to run rather wet at LSO speeds slowing the boat down & pulls more amps}, X442. Fan and water cooling. High 30's, maybe 40 in loose water. Looks great [I'm with you, I love the Titans looks].
Not trying to burst your bubble. ( OK, just a little) It's nice to welcome you to our FE family for sure & wish you success. BTW, where in NH do you run? I lived in Center Harbor, & Laconia in the early 1960's & loved Lake WinnipiHowDoYouSpellIt. Rowed Crew on Squam, or was it MinniSquam ? And yeah, New Hampshire's licence plate says it all ; Live Free or Die !!!

[dt911]

Great work Tony as always.

So, Mr. Not Gunnatel, keep in mind that at these speeds that Tony is running, the lake gets small fast. If you've never ran/seen them go in person, it is amazing how fast they cross the pond. AND if they flip in the middle.... I would recommend (as I am sure most here) that you do a parallel build on a rescue craft. Swimming for a FE is a BAD idea... you never know if it will suddenly come back to life and cut off some important appendages.

The biggest problem with starting out at 50mph is that going back to 35 (when you realize that managing the electronics gets real expensive) can be underfulfilling. I would recommend starting out mild and then kickin it up later when you head out to race with Tony.

Haha... I should change that name in my profile, didn't know it was going to be public. Thankfully I have some family with a lake house and there are plenty of 1:1 boats, kayaks, etc. that I can use to rescue my craft.
I doubt that I will be racing, but I do like to get everything that I can out of my equipment without having to rebuild it every time. I have noticed with my other rc toys, that the upgrades never end. I'd like to start off with a quality build that I am not compelled to spend any more money on.