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.
Fast Electric Addict!
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.
Fast Electric Addict!
Blackcat...yours looks pretty darn good in the video...I do not see much porpoising.
High Speed Junkie
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.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast Electric Addict!
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.
Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
"Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."
High Speed Junkie
I've tried it lower and it still lopes. I've tried higher and pos and neg. Nothing clears it up yet.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast Electric Addict!
A set of tabs would but I would not want to do that but I may try it on mine.
Memento Vivere
Originally Posted by Jeff Wohlt
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.
Administrator
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.
Steven Vaccaro
Where Racing on a Budget is a Reality!
Fast Electric Addict!
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!
Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
"Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."
Memento Vivere
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!
High Speed Junkie
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.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Senior Member
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
Fast Electric Addict!
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
High Speed Junkie
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
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
High Speed Junkie
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.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast Electric Addict!
Before you blame the tunnel design (possible, but I'm thinking not)... get your ride-pads FLAT. If they have concavity and aren't dead flat, they will act like suction cups.
If you want to try something to test the tunnel theory, put an airdam in the tunnel and kill the aerolift. See if that changes the ride at all.
My bet is on the blueprinting of the ride-pads...
Darin E. Jordan - Renton, WA
"Self-proclaimed skill-less leader in the hobby."
Fast Electric Addict!
Darin has a good point. Look at your sponsons first. I am surprised the weight did not settle it down for you. Once you do the bottoms then just paint the steps a flat black...might look cool and keeps the shine off.
I will check mine soon. It is waiting on me to go pick up...probably on Sat.
High Speed Junkie
OK Darin I didn't want to but I will re-do the bottoms.
Jeff I had 2 broken 3/4 carbide endmill shanks for weight and they did absolutely nothing!
One kinda cool thing is I made a makeshift damn under the tunnel and it caused some strange ride characteristics and blew over and landed upside down. Tried my fishing rod to get her back with no luck, was out of range. Decided to try the prop as an "airboat" and brought her back upside down with fully functioning turns via rudder. Was pretty cool I thought. Btw after being upside down untaped boat was completely dry! Good job Darin!
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast and Furious
If this hull had real steps then I'd agree, but it does not. The sponson bottoms are dead flat front to rear with gaps, not steps - for all practical purposes it does not have steps. No problem with this, many of the hulls I've designed and built had no steps yet they performed very well. On most of them I was able to run on the last few inches of the sponsons, flying the bow without porpoising.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.
Every cat design is a bit different and some need more care in setup than others. I'm sure that we will eventually get the Miss Geico sorted out like we did the UL-1 and the BlackJack so that everyone's MG will run well.
.
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Fast Electric Addict!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqY7N...eature=related
watch this vid he has moved his battery back so the cg is back and it works great....
Memento Vivere
He also lowered the strut, which is what made the biggest difference. He just didn't mention that in the description. I shoot him a pm on youtube as I was curious to what he did. So yes he moved the batts back, reason it seems (and just my thoughts, i may be completly wrong) he did so is that he dropped the strut so low that the transom would want to run high and the boat would run to wet. So he lowered the strut to sovle the bounce issue, then moved the batts back very far so the boat didn't run wet. Seems the combo worked, I will give a try. On 5s of course
High Speed Junkie
Good investigative work Diesel! His is running best of what I've seen so far.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast Electric Addict!
I will go pick up my hull today. Jay is probably right...not really steps but more like inducing air....steps.
I think it will be some easy set up changes and not some hot trick on the hull like dams, wedges,etc.
Corning is still awesome and bounce is hard on the ESC and cable but will cut speed as well.
Just more of a challenge but that is what makes this fun. Maybe the CG does need to come back and the strut dropped. Keeping the blades planted.
Bad video link...won't open for me.
Fast and Furious
Guys, I feel kinda silly for not mentioning something in my post above. When I was testing the prototype AquaCraft cat I noticed that it ran smoothly (although not quite as fast) with the prop centerline even with the sponson bottoms. This was the first commercial cat I'd worked with which preferred such a deep strut setting, perhaps the ProBoat cat does too. More testing needed here.
Moving the CG back on a cat will help the prop carry the bow but can promote blow offs. Without enough speed a too far forward CG will let the bow rise and fall. From the video this does not look like the case, but that's all I've seen of the stock boat running.
.
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High Speed Junkie
Jeff, it won't open now. Kinda strange. He may have taken it off.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast Electric Addict!
It was a common set up on the 3.5 tunnels/nitro to run the prop shaft center even with the sponsons. Jay may have it pretty close.
Hope to have mine put together in a week or two and get out there.
Memento Vivere
Thanks.
Good find on the video ron and posting it for us to throughly look at.
High Speed Junkie
Ride pads will be finished tomorrow. Check out the Geico section for pics. It's like watching paint dry. Oh wait it is.
FE BOATING: Less like a hobby and more like an addiction!
Fast Electric Addict!
i wont open for me any more either ....must have taken it down
Senior Member
Could you put up a picture of that mod please. I'm having trouble visualizing it.By the way... on my wedge rudders, I don't "round" them... I simple use my bench-top disk sander and "V" the bottom of the rudder... Kills any lift that might be cause by the flat rudder bottom pitching. Easy to get even also.
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