Stiletto Race Prep

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  • sailr
    Fast Electric Addict!
    • Nov 2007
    • 6927

    #46
    Great! Thanks.
    Mini Cat Racing USA
    www.minicatracingusa.com

    Comment

    • AndyKunz
      Fast Electric Addict!
      • Sep 2008
      • 1437

      #47
      Do you need me to take pix of mine (what's visible, anyway)? It's a proto, but I'm pretty sure it's the final non-painted one and should be the same construction as production.

      Andy
      Spektrum Development Team

      Comment

      • sailr
        Fast Electric Addict!
        • Nov 2007
        • 6927

        #48
        That would be great Andy. I hope they will offer them in unpainted but I doubt it. I hate that. every one looks the same!
        Mini Cat Racing USA
        www.minicatracingusa.com

        Comment

        • Darin Jordan
          Fast Electric Addict!
          • Apr 2007
          • 8335

          #49
          Originally posted by sailr
          That would be great Andy. I hope they will offer them in unpainted but I doubt it. I hate that. every one looks the same!
          They are all painted white... the color is all decals and they peel off very easily... oh, except for the silver on the top of the cowl... it's paint as well...

          What are you looking for pics of?? Let me know, I'll see what I have to post.
          Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
          "Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."

          Comment

          • LiPo Power
            DJI Drone Advanced Pilot
            • May 2009
            • 3186

            #50
            Darin
            Just make bunch of good quality close ups if you have little time......
            Will have to satysfy ourselfs with pictures for now....
            Thanks in advance
            Robert
            (driver of one of them when available in Canada)




            Originally posted by Darin Jordan
            They are all painted white... the color is all decals and they peel off very easily... oh, except for the silver on the top of the cowl... it's paint as well...

            What are you looking for pics of?? Let me know, I'll see what I have to post.
            DJI Drone Advanced Pilot
            Canada

            Comment

            • Larry Kirby
              Junior Member
              • Dec 2007
              • 2

              #51
              Thanks for the effort

              Darin, You have worked hard to contribute to the hobby. This is just another example. Thanks...
              Larry Kirby

              Comment

              • Darin Jordan
                Fast Electric Addict!
                • Apr 2007
                • 8335

                #52
                Originally posted by Larry Kirby
                Darin, You have worked hard to contribute to the hobby. This is just another example. Thanks...
                Larry Kirby
                Wow... thank you Larry! I couldn't have done any of this if it wasn't for all the help I got starting out from you and Dick, and the rest of the PSFEMBC gang. We miss you out there. Hope to see you again VERY soon!
                Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
                "Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."

                Comment

                • Darin Jordan
                  Fast Electric Addict!
                  • Apr 2007
                  • 8335

                  #53
                  OK, let's get down to business....

                  First race weekend out, with some very minor updates, and the results are very promising.

                  Out of the box, simply because I just KNOW this needs to be done, I replaced the contacts with 5.5's for the motor, and 6mm for the battery. Again, I'd used 5.5's on the battery as well, but all of mine were previously setup with 6mm, and I'm too cheap/lazy to replace them all.

                  That's it... that's all I did to it.

                  Results... well.... I first ran it with the stock stainless prop. Handling was good, and the speeds were right around 40mph. For many people, they could race it right there and be in the mix in many clubs.

                  However, in our club, we have to go much faster, so the prop work begins... After fumbling around with it on Saturday at the NAMBA D8 race hosted by PSMBC in Lakewood, WA, where I was running in second behind Brian Buaas in several of the heats before I rolled the boat each time, not finishing one of the 4-heats, we discovered that the style of props I was trying was all wrong for this boat.

                  I had been working with round-eared props because that's what seems to work on the VS-1 setups, and on my WoodStuff 28. However, when I tried them on this hull, with the somewhat abrupt startup power of the PB ESC, the boat would almost flip on startup, making just launching it difficult.

                  Went back to an X-Series, and things got better.

                  After Saturday, I went home and spend some time blue-printing the bottom. This involved simply block sanding the sponsons and, using a flat setup board, making sure they were completely true. After talking to Eric Bourlet and Mark Anderson and Mike Hughes at the D8 race on Saturday, they told me that MOST tunnels on the market need to have this done... even the mightly Lynx, so I took my time and got the sponsons very true and very sharp.

                  WOW, what a difference. For the second half of my double header this weekend, I raced with my Puget Sound Fast Electric club at Mirror Lake in Federal way, and the results were MUCH different. I ended up second on the day, behind Greg Schweers and his freaking FAST Cobra w/ UL-1 package, but more importantly, the boat handled great, drove great, didn't do anything stupid, and showed that it has a lot more speed in it with some good setup time and the right prop.

                  I'm not going to say yet what prop I used all weekend, because frankly, it was a little too much load for the motor. Motor temps were fine, but the wires got HOT, and I don't want to recommend anything yet until I'm sure everything will survive. Frankly, one weekend's worth or running isn't enough to make any recomendations anyhow.

                  I'll get some pics of the bottom work I did tonight and post them. Here are some shots of the contact replacements. I have some more advice as well. Some things that I would recommend updating if you are going to race this, but I'll post that all later as well.
                  Attached Files
                  Last edited by Darin Jordan; 06-28-2010, 11:11 AM.
                  Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
                  "Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."

                  Comment

                  • Darin Jordan
                    Fast Electric Addict!
                    • Apr 2007
                    • 8335

                    #54
                    A couple more tidbits...

                    Batteries - I ran ThunderPower 40C 5000s using two 2S hardcase packs, for most of the heats. Also ran it with a single 45C 4400 4S1P pack, and then with a single 40C 5000 4S1P hardcase pack...

                    In all cases, the balance was the same, and the boat drove the same. Might have been just a TAD more stable with the two 2S packs, due to a lower CG, but I think the effects of this were minimal.

                    Used around 2400-2600 mah during the course of a 1-mile race, but keep in mind that the setup is NOT operating at a good efficiency yet due to the prop I was running. Once the setup gets dialed up, I expect temps to lower and the battery usage to stabilize.
                    Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
                    "Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."

                    Comment

                    • Darin Jordan
                      Fast Electric Addict!
                      • Apr 2007
                      • 8335

                      #55
                      Jerry Dunlap was nice enough to send me some pics he took over the weekend...

                      GREAT SHOTS, Jerry! Thank you!!

                      Prop used for these pics was a slightly backcut Grim 44x66... Had good speed, but handling was not great in the turns. Might have been the rest of the setup, I can't say yet, but nothing got hot, so it was good in that respect.
                      Attached Files
                      Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
                      "Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."

                      Comment

                      • Doby
                        KANADA RULES!
                        • Apr 2007
                        • 7280

                        #56
                        Pretty.
                        Grand River Marine Modellers
                        https://www.facebook.com/search/top/...ne%20modellers

                        Comment

                        • Eodman
                          Fast Electric Addict!
                          • Sep 2007
                          • 1253

                          #57
                          Oh man - his picture is on the box - look out guys you are gonna have to make the doors to the meeting hall bigger!!!!! Just to get his head inside!

                          Just kidding Darin!
                          We did it with a Bang!

                          Cats Are Where It's At!

                          Comment

                          • AndyKunz
                            Fast Electric Addict!
                            • Sep 2008
                            • 1437

                            #58
                            It's not just the box ...

                            Andy
                            Spektrum Development Team

                            Comment

                            • D. Newland
                              Fast Electric Addict!
                              • Dec 2007
                              • 1030

                              #59
                              I'm curious...what's the fine print say above the side of the windshield?? Driver something something??

                              Comment

                              • Darin Jordan
                                Fast Electric Addict!
                                • Apr 2007
                                • 8335

                                #60
                                Originally posted by D. Newland
                                I'm curious...what's the fine print say above the side of the windshield?? Driver something something??
                                Apparently, someone in the PB graphics department was being cute...

                                Luckily, the decals can be peeled off with relative ease!
                                Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
                                "Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."

                                Comment

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