Miss Geico Maiden Voyage

[Jeff Wohlt]

If the prop is a little neg then try moving the cells a little more forward to try. The CG may be a bit off as originally set up. Can't hurt to try.

[Jeff Wohlt]

Blackcat...yours looks pretty darn good in the video...I do not see much porpoising.

[blackcat26]

IN the turns it clears up but listen to the straights, waw waw waw waw waw. You can even see a puffs in the roostertail instead of a solid stream.

[Darin Jordan]

Has anyone tried moving the strut LOWER instead of HIGHER?? Moving the strut up is going to raise the nose by drawing the rear down (I think I have that correct, right Jay???) If the boat has hooks in the rear ride-pads already, they (the ride pads) are already trying to be "sucked" down. Forcing them to do that further by moving the prop up may just aggravate the condition.

[blackcat26]

I've tried it lower and it still lopes. I've tried higher and pos and neg. Nothing clears it up yet.

[Jeff Wohlt]

A set of tabs would but I would not want to do that but I may try it on mine.

[Diesel6401]

Every run I have seen looks like everyone is trying to run it like it has no steps....on the very last bit of the hull...which will make it teeter. The boat should ride more flat and touching the second step. Just my opinon and what I see on real cats. I think and will try running mine with more power and bit flatter.

Jeff, I reviewed my vid in the straights and it riding on the last step but where the curve is it teeters just touching the second step, but not fully riding on it. Have to get the nose down just a little so that it can ride on more of the second step but not all of it. JMO of course!
I will try a few oz of lead in each sponson next week and see if I can get the nose down a tad.

[Steven Vaccaro]

If everyone watches the Infomercial video, you can clearly see the boat in the video bounces a bit.

Embrace it and enjoy the boat. Perfection is hard to achieve in mass production. I again applaud ProBoat and Darin for giving me such an awesome boat to play with and sell at a reasonable price.

Again there isn't another cat on the market that handles this well and runs this fast out of the box at this price tag.

[Darin Jordan]

I have a race this weekend with the Classic Thunder crew that I'm prepping for right now, but I will try to get on my Miss G as soon as I can to start blueprinting the bottom and see if getting the sponsons sharper and flatter helps. I really think this may be the foundation to getting the rest of the setup working "perfectly".

Dang... if they handle this well in the turns with the rather "rounded" sponson edges... can't wait to see this hull grab when everything is crisp and sharp!

Race Prep thread will be updated as I make progress... Also can't wait to see what others do with these... I hear there is a GOOD supply of right-hand turn cables for those wanting to install counter-rotating dual motors!

[Diesel6401]

If everyone watches the Infomercial video, you can clearly see the boat in the video bounces a bit.

Embrace it and enjoy the boat. Perfection is hard to achieve in mass production. I again applaud ProBoat and Darin for giving me such an awesome boat to play with and sell at a reasonable price.

Again there isn't another cat on the market that handles this well and runs this fast out of the box at this price tag.

I think those are the key points everyone myself included may have forgotten. Everytime I see this boat sittng on the rack I get a big smile on my face, she truely is a work of art!

[blackcat26]

Steven, there is no doubt that to me this is the best looking,handling and value of a RTR boat there is. However, there is a problem here. I would not call it being a perfectionist but wanting it to be "right". I have run 3 different Blackjacks and a Thundercat, all similar hull designs and none have had this problem. (just guessing that it may be a hull flaw) Mine has dips in the center of the steps but I didn't think that would be a big deal. I don't mind working on it to get it straightened out but I would like to get to the bottom of the problem. BTW I put a different speed control in and ran tonight to eliminate the possibility of some kind of funky ESC problem. No change at all. Still trying things to see whats up.

[befu]

Befu, I may do that Man I hate putting the grit to a new boat! I measured the dip and in it's lowest spot it about .04 deep. Is the spot putty better than Bondo? I realize it's made by Bondo. You are talking about glazing putty right? Should I do just the last steps or the ones before also?

Yes, glazing putty or spot putty. I think it is a lacquer based product, dries doesn't cure. Bondo is a polyester based product and hardens with a catalyst (Epoxy uses a hardener)

The bondo would work, but i am careful to recommend it as people try to put to much on and then use a coarse paper to make the sanding go quicker. That can make it easy to change the shape of the sponson.

If using bondo, rough up the surface first for a good mechanical grip. Then spread the bondo on thinly. the surface tension of the applicator and shrinkage will cause it to still be slighty low, but that is OK. Block it out until you get back down to your high points and then repeat it again. The Bondo will adhear to any unsanded bondo well because of the uncured layer of bondo (that is why the sandpaper loads up when you first start to sand. go back and do multiple thin layers, finish with spot putty if you wish.

If you really want a flat smooth bottom, here is another trick. Block sand the bottom as before. Take a piece of flat something, wax it up and use it to squish the sponson bottom. could be flat glass, aluminum plate, a gauge block... just perfectly flat. Then after the bondo kicks off but before it gets super hard, remove the block and trim the edges sharp with a knife, then let it finish kicking off. Another trick is to tape a piece of plastic to the solid block, that way you can remove the block and then peel the plastic off. Lowers the chance of the bondo coming off with the solid block.

as far as what pads to do, I have no idea! I stink at setting up and running boats, I just love the composites! My setups are just for fun and cheap, noone thinks they really work.

Brian

[Jeff Wohlt]

I will be building mine a little nose heavy so the cells can bring it back if needed. But I also intend on running some bigger power with the 2200 KV motor.

Could be a tunnel issue just like the HPR cat until they added the wedge....just air issues. Loading an unloading the tunnel can do it. Once it begins to bounce you get the load and unload in the tunnel and then it just continues.

Get some weight on the front and see if it helps.

This is still my favorite hull for ease of set up. I never adjusted it from my first run Strut flat...only the cells a bit so balance. She rides clean and flat and the tunnel begins to work at upper speeds to lift as you can see. Bottoms..crap, not straight, sponsons are not equal, etc.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM8keupHaHw

[blackcat26]

Befu thanks for the info. I will probably try the ride pad fix last. Jeff you may be right about the weight and the tunnel might be the problem as well. If you watch the video the "skipping" quits in the turns which makes me think tunnel. Gonna run her tonight with some weight and see what happens. Then regroup

[blackcat26]

Ok ran her with some weight in it (about a pound) just forward of the motor behind the factory styrofoam. No difference in ride, just slowed top speed down. Put the weight on top almost all the way forward just to see what happens and still no difference. Still searching for the problem......Jeff may be right might be a tunnel isssue. Will test more this weekend weather permitting.