New Rudder and Water Pick-ups for EKOS...

[Team Jericho]

Looks like Venom will send me a new stock engine at half price( about $25)...will take a few weeks to get here in Canada due to customs. So what motors are you guys running again? Feigao? I can order these at OSE right? I might as well just get 'er done and have quality engines. 9XLs, 10XLs? What do you think is best? I want to run a reliable boat with my 3S for the race course (min. 6 laps of a 3/4 size official size) but also want to be able to use some 4Ss or 5Ss from time to time when I really need that top end speed!

[Team Jericho]

Sorry to hear about your submarine trials Igoresky! Too bad...time for a new hull then. I was looking at those cats at Hobby King, these have everything but radio and if you put the boat in your shopping cart, you see a huge difference in price! :) Check it out..buyers are really impressed with the quality of the finish and glass.

[Igoreski]

Motors

I am running the 8XLs on 3s and they are too much power for this boat and prop set up.I wish I would have got 9XLs and ran them on 3s it still would run in the 50s and not be so ballistic.Now it comes out of the water too harsh and fast and you have to roll on the throttle or it will take off.These motors will push it past 60 but the hull probably will come apart and send several hundred dollars of electrics to the bottom.This EKOS project has been fun but very $$$$ I am worried about running all my data logger gear in here for a top speed run and flushing it down the drain because I now use it in all my RC stuff for testing.

[Team Jericho]

Cool...so I should chose between the 9XLs or8 XLs. I also crashed my hull, repaired it, and will probably order a new EKOS hull from Venom end of June. Do the stock 60 A. watercooled ESCs handle these 9 and 8XLs, or does this mean I have to get new ESCs too?

[Igoreski]

Esc

I never smoked my ESCs but I pulled them and put in 120amp seaking after I saw the amp peaks I was getting.The 120s run real cool around 100F and the battery packs at 88F.I think the 120s are good for a 240 spike.I think if you ran 9XLs on 3s you would have much less of a chance of damage all around.I forgot to mention to check your windshield,I blew mine out on the corner last weekend.The Spektrum MR3000 Rx is great.No waterproofing needed dual path antennas and more range than you would ever need.It has dual speed control and steering inputs.This was $ well spent,I hate putting my Rx in a balloon and this thing will work submerged.

[Team Jericho]

Thanks for that advise! I think I will get the 9XLs and, then possibly switch everything up next month when I get the new ECOS hull so that I have a "purdy and mint" ECOS to race with 9XLs on 3s (need to get 6 good reliable laps done for club racing), and then will give the old hull a drag boat paint job and eventually put something crazy fast like the 10XLs or 11 XLs?? then with 120 amp ESCs, 2 bladed props, piano wire shafts etc. Decision, decisions!! LOL Man this FE boat thing is addictive :)

[tiqueman]

Yes you want them low,at prop shaft level.Just go to the hobby store and bring your brass tube with and buy a smaller one and put it inside your stock one with solder or epoxy and set them level to whatever height you want to try.I have 4 exit fittings out my hull and the water squirts out a long way out all 4.Bad news I wrecked my hull,looks like I almost ripped off one of the sponsons in my hunt for red october!!! Now I have to get another hull,I wonder if the HOTR cat hulls are made better or if they are just a unpainted version of the EKOS hull.

FYI. The HOTR hulls are very thin and flimsy. They need much reinforcment added. The Skunk 2 cats are very well built and exactly the same hull (water side) as the HOTR and EKOS. I have the Skunk and HOTR and a friend the EKOS. The EKOS is slightly better then the HOTR hull. Heres a shot of the Skunk and Hotr bottoms.

[tiqueman]

I am running the 8XLs on 3s and they are too much power for this boat and prop set up.I wish I would have got 9XLs and ran them on 3s it still would run in the 50s and not be so ballistic.Now it comes out of the water too harsh and fast and you have to roll on the throttle or it will take off.These motors will push it past 60 but the hull probably will come apart and send several hundred dollars of electrics to the bottom.This EKOS project has been fun but very $$$$ I am worried about running all my data logger gear in here for a top speed run and flushing it down the drain because I now use it in all my RC stuff for testing.

Adjust your COG and you should be able to get it to handle great. As stated before, Im tenths under 70 on an identical hull design and have no handling problems what so ever.

This run the GPS did not record. the next days run w/ no adjustments except repositioning of the GPS showed 66.7. Stock 442 props, only sharpened and balanced. Again, 10XLs on 6S.

Bunch of Algae in the pond so I could run much past (to the right) of where I was standin.. but you get the idea. This was also its 2nd run ever.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf1Th9SlC3o

And heres a pic of her complete.

Not trying to jack the thread w/ a HOTR hull, but they are the same design and just commenting on how they can and will run way past 50. They (EKOS, HOTR and Skunk2) are all a fantastic hull design.

[Igoreski]

Hulls

Where do you get the skunk hulls I need one bad.

[tiqueman]

Scotty is a member on the forums. His member name is Skunk Works. Shoot him a PM and find out when his next batch will be ready.

hes got a thread on here as well about them. I think it may be in the "Swap Shop"

[forescott]

I hear ya about the speed. I ran mine today at 58mph.(4s, 380-9xl, cf-40's) But my drives are 1 degree posotive and the front end bobs a little. No blowover yet, but it looks ooh soo close!! I'm gonna set my drives back to neutral. I still havent gotten my 442's back, but am thinking that I would use them on 3s only. I'm already gettin 48mph on 3s with my 40mm props.

[tiqueman]

I think my drives were about -1. 50ish is a great speed for these hulls as you can still power thru turns w/out many worrys. It starts getting really wide turn arounds above 60.
I will have to get some current video this weekend.

[Igoreski]

I would like to try my boat on real calm water but the wind is not working with me.I will be ramping up speed and all hell breaks loose.If it was like glass I could at least see the boats attitude.That skunk hull looks great so i sent him a PM,I would rather give him $$$ than Venom.Maybe they will sell smoke damaged hulls!! in the future.Venom must have piles of them laying around unless they are treating everyone like Darla.

[tiqueman]

I would like to try my boat on real calm water but the wind is not working with me.I will be ramping up speed and all hell breaks loose.If it was like glass I could at least see the boats attitude.That skunk hull looks great so i sent him a PM,I would rather give him $$$ than Venom.Maybe they will sell smoke damaged hulls!! in the future.Venom must have piles of them laying around unless they are treating everyone like Darla.

[forescott]

I am running the 8XLs on 3s and they are too much power for this boat and prop set up.I wish I would have got 9XLs and ran them on 3s it still would run in the 50s and not be so ballistic.Now it comes out of the water too harsh and fast and you have to roll on the throttle or it will take off.These motors will push it past 60 but the hull probably will come apart and send several hundred dollars of electrics to the bottom.This EKOS project has been fun but very $$$$ I am worried about running all my data logger gear in here for a top speed run and flushing it down the drain because I now use it in all my RC stuff for testing.

I didnt realize you were using the 8xl's. Thats a lotta kv for those 442's I bet the venom 32mm 3-blades would perform real well with those motors.