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I there a formula to figure the depth a rudder should be in the water or below the bottom or the hull? I have a 40" deep v Delta knock off.
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There is not a formula to follow but some basic logic. Depending on the hull size and water displacement on plane, your going to want minimal rudder drag. On a small hull 24" or less you are going to want to start with at least 1" of rudder below the prop. To be safe you want alittle more length at first, because its easy to trim some off. On bigger hulls, 30" and above it comes down to not just length, but rudder width as well. A narrow rudder on a 34" cat (example) might need to be 2 inches long below the prop, but same hull but with a wider rudder might do as well with one only 1 1/2". How well the boat steers on plane at full speed is very important. Thats where the least amount of rudder will be in the water.
Control and stability is what it all boils down to. I personaly like thick wide rudders, but thats not what most like. I dont race, tend to over power my builds and dont really care if my hull could get another 2 or 3 miles out of it or run for another minute. Racers want that edge.
JohnChange is the one Constant
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