Scale Hydros

[russmustar]

Hello all-I am very new to the FE scene, have 3 boats that haven't been wet yet, waiting for pond to thaw here in MI. Been racing gas for the last 7 yrs and ready to make the leap. Have a few questions. I'm into unlimited hydros and the only ones I have seen are 1/8 scale nitro. Do the electrics run them in other scales? 1/12 or1/10? What size would be about the same as a sport.40 and what would be used for power? Does anyone offer plans for such boats? Thanks-Russ

[cyberhoops]

The 1/10th scale boats are about 38 inches long, which is pretty much the same size as my old Sport-40 boat. I am using Proboat Blackjack motor for power on my 1/10th scale, but that is the low end of the power spectrum, but that all depends on various club racing rules.

Plans: There are a couple at Aztec, but mostly scaled down versions of Roger Newton 1/8th scale plans. There are not many 1/10th scale kits or boats out there in the market.

[JimClark]

Most of the older shovel nose hydros are 36 inches long a couple of hulls were slightly smaller and a couple were slightly longer like the thriftway too and the scateboard atlas

Most scale clubs run spec motors

Yup on scaled scaled down newton plans

Jim

[russmustar]

Thanks

Thanks guys-would one of the Dumas kit, such as Atlas Van Lines be competitive or not? I realize it's old school, but if it was built light would it be ok?

[AndyKunz]

If you consider the Dumas "kit" to be a set of templates for making balsa, lite ply, and birch ply parts from, then it would be OK. But you'd do better using the Newton plans (David has really been working on the site).

Since you're in MI, I suggest you contact the Mid Michigan Electric Unlimited club (www.MMEU.com). They're hosting the FE Nationals in Sept and there are a LOT of guys there who know their stuff.

Andy

[Fluid]

What Andy said. I started building Dumas "kits" 40 years ago, they were poor FE performers then and they haven't gotten any better. Weight is no longer the issue, in fact I usually have to add lead to my nitro hulls to get them to perform on the race course.

There are many classes for semi-scale hydros, we usually call them 'Sport Hydros':

N2 Sport Hydro - 2S LiPos - up to 27"
P Sport Hydro - 4S LiPos - up to 34"
Q Sport Hydro - 6S LiPos - up to 40"
S Sport Hydro - 8S LiPos - up to 50"
T Sport Hydro - 10S LiPos - up to 60"
1/8th Scale - 10S LiPos - up to 60" <- this is a true scale class

The most popular ones seem to be the N-2, P and T classes with P being king - but it depends too on where you run. I use 'glass nitro hulls, Sport .21 for P and Sport .40 for Q. A very popular very-semi-scale wood kit is the Whiplash from Blazer Marine. A member of our club has built full-scale hydros most of his life and has several outrageous wooden sport hydro designs for P and Q - they look very cool and perform far better than any shovelnose should. But then fast hydro design is in his blood, his dad was Joe Taggart.....

I doubt that many clubs racing the above classes use "spec" motors; our club uses high performance BL motors in P and Q. Many clubs do have an unofficial class running P Sport Hydro hulls with spec BL motors and controllers.


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[JimClark]

Jay there are three clubs in the Seattle Area running 1/10th scale hydros maybe close to 100 different boats in the three clubs and they do run spec motors and all turn left also.
The Clubs are ERCU, Classic Thunder and Puget Sound Fast Electrics and all three are Namba clubs now.

Jim

[Fluid]

I doubt that many clubs racing the above classes use "spec" motors...

Jim, do those clubs adhere to the classes I mentioned above? I thought they ran pure 'scale' boats, not Sport Hydros. There is no 'P Unlimited Hydro' class - nor a motor limit for P Sport Hydros - in NAMBA. Those are "club classes".


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[Fluid]

I want to be clear that what those clubs do is wonderful, I cast no dispersions on them. But their classes are not National classes like NAMBA's Electric Scale Unlimited Hydroplane class. Maybe they should be.




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[JimClark]

Only scale

The three clubs have been working on a set of national rules and I think it is to be voted on for this year so there will likely be a national 1/10th scale class this year

I want to be clear that what those clubs do is wonderful, I cast no dispersions on them. But their classes are not National classes like NAMBA's Electric Scale Unlimited Hydroplane class. Maybe they should be.




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[AlanN]

I am running a Steve Muck hull in electric 1/8th. (Miss U.S. 1974) The bare hull was 5-6# if I recall correctly. My run weight is around 15#. So you want to keep it kinda light. The Dumas kit is just too darned heavy(I've had one sitting in my basement for a few years.)

I run on 10S1P with a Plett 360 size motor. I have used the a Shulze 40.160 or Castle HV180 in it and she runs upper 50's to low 60. This is a very competative setup and I was unbeaten in 7 events last year. Some of these runs were against nitro power.

There are a few 1/8th scales in the area of MI, Canada and OH. And if you ever have any questions about setting one up please feel free to contact me here. I am not on this site everyday but will eventually check my messages or the boards.

Good Luck to you!

[russmustar]

Thanks

Thanks to all who replied, now I just have to slip another boat by the boss(wife) although she's been real good ,letting me buy 3 new boats and all hardware this offseason!) Alan-you might not remember, I'm the guy who launched your new gas cat at Seville and donated the rear mount when yours broke. You and your FE racing buddies were having so much fun, I had to try this FE stuff for myself. Thanks again-Russ

[AlanN]

Ah, yes Russ now I remeber you. Glad to hear your up for some FE. There is a good group of guys in MI who run some N,P and Q size boats. MMEU is the club name. Hope to see you out sometime this year. I'm just not going to be at the Seville pond though. Oh and thanks for the use of the mounts. We got some new ones we are working on that are much thicker.

BTW I love the OPC tunnel class...cheap SV power stuff and the same for LSH (limited sport hydro).

[russmustar]

Mmeu

Alan-Already hooked up with those guys and joined NAMBA. After all these years of running nitro and gas it'll take me a while to figure out which class is which(probably have to carry a "cheat sheet" in my pocket). Right now just starting out with 4s hydro(UL-1), 4s mono(Delta Force), and 4s tunnel(VS-1). That should keep me busy this year. Later-Russ

[AlanN]

Right on Russ. I love the tunnel. And from what I have seen and somewhat heard you should be happy with the VS-1. I only got to run mine slightly in a narrow feed river before the big freeze. My buddy Howard, Dustyn and Rick have tunnels and we're going to Dayton in May to run them. Maybe we can hook up there.