ML BOATWORKS GSX 380 Q-Sport Build

[Speed810]

Well it was my first year racing and even though I was only able to attend 3 races I had a great time and learned a great deal. Really appreciate all the help from the guys at MMEU. But all I really had was my little UL-1 to race with and it was a long stretch between heats...LOL I was able to get the 1/8 scale on the water for the last race which was a lot of fun, but you put (3) 1/8 scale boats on our pond and it gets small right quick....LOL Need to add to the fleet so I'm running at least 3 classes....

After having such good success with my Miss Elam 1/8 scale build I decided to add a Q-sport boat to the fleet and went with Mike's GSX 380. I have a couple of P-Sport boats I'm looking at, but haven't quite made up my mind yet. But Mike is supposed to be coming out soon with the 31" P-Sport version of this GSX 380 also.

So I ordered the GSX 380 kit a few weeks ago. The kit arrived and it is the same excellent quality that I saw in the 1/8 scale 171 extreme kit. The quality of wood is outstanding and of course the laser cutting was superb. Checked through all the parts and everything was there. Mike even has some center section instructions in PDF format to help you along with the build.

I'm planning on the Leopard 5692 1340kv on 6S, Swordfish 240 HV ESC, Speedmaster .250 rounded strut and double intake sport rudder. Possibly going to try out PPG paints this time. Not sure on the color and graphics setup. Was kind of letting the wife get involved in that part.....

When I actually started to dry fit the center section I was telling myself that maybe I should have started with this boat instead of the 1/8 scale (LOL), because it is definitely a boat that the beginner could easily assemble and finish. This kit also comes with the fiberglass canopy that Mike lays up and it is beautifully done. All you'll have to do is cut it to fit and paint it. (I'll post pictures of that later)

This hull goes together quite quickly. I had the center section together in a day. The only thing you really need to watch is that you are building it on a very flat surface and keep things square with clamps and weights. I'll be moving on to securing the top deck and initial assembly of the sponsons before attaching them to the center section.

Anyway....more to come and as usual I'm always open to hear other power and hardware suggestions. Haven't completely made up my mind as yet...LOL

Mike



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[Fluid]

My comments:

The big Leopard is heavy overkill and not needed. Most Q Sport racers use the Neu 1527/1Y motor or equivalent.
Use 3/16" flex cable, 1/4 is not needed and will cause more drag.
Use .40-sized hardware (strut and non-tapered rudder) not gas-sized parts.
Be particularly careful about the fit of the hatch, water in the boat is a no-no.



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[nichismo]

Mike L himself used a Leopard 5698 in his first GSX 380, just saying.

And Speed just finished an amazing 1/8 scale Newton 171 Extreme kit from ML not long ago, the exact same boat as the white 2006 Elam that Don ran for so long, so hes now an official experienced FE builder

I have been considering one of these for a while man! I asked him on the Intlwaters thread he made for the first build if this was his easiest kit to build, and he said it is indeed by far the easiest one to date. So I figured it would be a perfect kit for me to get my first wood build under my belt! Ive had some interesting ideas to that are a little outside the box to say the least.... I actually was intending to ask you a while back when you would be starting yours, as I thought it would have been exciting if we began at the same time. But perhaps it may end up just like the last project (me starting not far behind you)? lol haha

ttyl buddy!

-nick

[Fluid]

You asked for suggestions, but it appears you already know what you will use. Feel free to ignore my suggestions, what the heck do I know......



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[nichismo]

ummm, im not the one who started the thread, and thus, no im not actually the one who asked for suggestions.

and your really going to take personal offensive to what I said? seriously???

[Speed810]

You asked for suggestions, but it appears you already know what you will use. Feel free to ignore my suggestions, what the heck do I know......



.

Hey Jay....Just saw your posting.....appreciate the input for sure.....I have also been thinking about that. By all the motor/power guides the 4092 would probably do the job. Actually Mike used the 5692 in his boat and it appeared to be a good match. Still trying to get ahold of Mike to see if he had a reason for going to a 56mm motor.

Nic.... appreciate the words, but I am far from being an FE veteran....LOL

Let me add one more thing that really irritates me is folks that are not reading the posts correctly and on top of that making a remark that does nothing but antagonize things. Jay you did not even read that the post wasn't even mine....but someone giving another opinion. It certainly was not mine and I do appreciate all input from all hobbyist no matter what there skill level is. The day we think we know it all in this hobby is the day that person might as well hang it up. I had this same thing happen on my 1/8 scale build log and I stated it the same way then as now.....We don't need the DRAMA.....leave it else where please. Still would appreciate anything you have to add Jay....It all helps in the learning process and lord knows I can still use all you guys have to give....LOL

Gotta keep it fun folks!!


Mike

[Speed810]

Mike L himself used a Leopard 5698 in his first GSX 380, just saying.

And Speed just finished an amazing 1/8 scale Newton 171 Extreme kit from ML not long ago, the exact same boat as the white 2006 Elam that Don ran for so long, so hes now an official experienced FE builder

I have been considering one of these for a while man! I asked him on the Intlwaters thread he made for the first build if this was his easiest kit to build, and he said it is indeed by far the easiest one to date. So I figured it would be a perfect kit for me to get my first wood build under my belt! Ive had some interesting ideas to that are a little outside the box to say the least.... I actually was intending to ask you a while back when you would be starting yours, as I thought it would have been exciting if we began at the same time. But perhaps it may end up just like the last project (me starting not far behind you)? lol haha

ttyl buddy!

-nick

Hey Nick.....Sorry I got started before ya....LOL It is a great boat for your first wood build....No doubt. So order one tomorrow....LOL

You will love how this goes together. The fit of all the parts is very precise. I'm hoping he has the P-Sport boat ready to go pretty soon so I can get that ordered
and start building. Hoping that maybe I can enter the paint phase at the same time....:)

Take care buddy!

Mike

[ray schrauwen]

The 5682 1360kv is a tad nicer being a Y wind.

[cybercrxt]

I used the 5692, 1340kv Leopard, and up until that motor, was not a Leopard motor fan..But that motor, KV, and 6s combination in the GSX380 is an EXCELLENT choice for this boat. The motor, ESC, and batteries all stayed cool due to the lack of work the motor had to do. I was spinning a very nice size prop, and the motor came back at 90 degrees, if that, ESC was less than 100 degrees, and batteries were 104 I think. Not to mention, with the setup I had, the boat balanced out perfect, with no additional lead needed. The boat ran rock solid, and for the first time, I had a sport Q hydro that didnt feel stressed like the 1527's felt. When I had my GP400 with 1527 1.5d, 1500kv, the motor would come back burning hot, wires on the leads were about melting, and the prop size was much smaller, not to mention the 1527 cost like 3 times as much. I will personally never use a 1527 if I can use a 5692 in an application from here on out. Just my 2 cents, but what do I know, I am just the designer, haha

[cybercrxt]

Oh, and if I remember right, I was spinning an X457 or X460. Great setup..You guys have seen the video of the boat running! No explanation needed!

[Speed810]

Morning Mike.....Well I guess that pretty much answers my question....

I will have to say that I am having somewhat the same proboems with my 1527 1.5Y in the Elams 1/8 scale. Motor will come back at 140 to 150 and the esc at about 130. To me this is still to hot. I can only imagine the motor is actually getting hotter than that since it takes time to get the sub hatch out etc. Almost wondering if this might not be a better package to go with on a 10S setup in the 1/8 scale. But not sure I woud get the RPM out of it even witha 750kv Leporard.

What do you think?

Mike

[T.S.Davis]

I built my Whip40 around a Neu 2215/1y and it was a total waste of effort. The 1527/1y that Jay mentioned is the most versatile 6s motor we've found. Works in everything that needs 6s. Freddy baked mine in his cat so I ended up borrowing one from Tom. The boat ran better.

That said, I would like to experiment with one of the TP motors. The quality is a little better with the TP's versus the Leopard. Maybe a 4070/4y at 1090kv with a 455/3.....ish prop on it. I may try that in a Q mono come spring. I plan to twig build one over the winter.

[cybercrxt]

1090kv on 6s with a 455 prop would be a dog in the GSX380...It likes the 70mph range, and can do it with ease. Why spend 3 times the money on a Neu, when they seem to fail all the time lately, and the GSX380 balances out perfect with the 5692 Leopard. Just sayin...I was a Neu fan once too...not so much anymore.

[T.S.Davis]

For what it's worth. I set the NAMBA national heat record in 2009 with the 1527/1y and the 2 lap IMPBA record with the same motor. Then my heat time was beaten in 2010 with a 1527/1.5d out in CO. Mike Ball and Mike Paganelli exchanged the record at the 14 nats at the Elks lodge. They were duke'n it out run after run. Each lowering the time by a tic. Both boats......................1527/1y. It was down to something like .02 seconds between them. Neither applied for the record. Sean's 2010 record finally expired.

Mike Ball destroyed my IMPBA 2 lap time with ...................the 1527 again. Better prop and a lighter boat equaled way fast. Tom's got the boat now. It's still stupid fast.

[cybercrxt]

Terry, I understand all of that...I have used both of the motors we are talking about, and the 5692 just outperforms the 1527 in a 6-7 lap application. I personally did not care for the 1.5d 1527 in my GP400 as it seemed to struggle with the X457 prop I wanted to run and was raging hot after 6 laps. The boat wanted more power..the motor struggled to stay cool. The 5692 comes back cold...To me, that is worth the extra size/ weight. Run that same setup 7 laps and tell me how that 1527 is fairing...2 laps is a lot less run time!

[T.S.Davis]

Why spend 3 times the money on a Neu, when they seem to fail all the time lately, and the GSX380 balances out perfect with the 5692 Leopard.

Mike, I'm not discounting what your saying but................. because they win. haha

I've seen, driven, or raced against all the boats that set the last 4 NAMBA heat records. All running 1527.

Zola tried an experimental TP in his ML but the KV was too high. The boat is ridiculous fast but everything comes in too hot. He's killed the boat too. His build can't run that fast. Too many flight of the butterfly incidents if you know what I mean.

I still think it can be done cheaper too but I don't think the 56mm motor is necessary. That's all.

[T.S.Davis]

Why so much prop on the 1.5d? We never ran that much prop on that motor.

I don't like the D winds in much of anything. Amp hogs.

[kfxguy]

Just wondering, why not a 1530? More tq than a 1527.....just asking....

[nichismo]

ah 5692 rather, my mistake.

What do you guys think of maybe running one of these? :

http://www.mhz-powerboats.com/catego...4035-1260.html

[T.S.Davis]

Just wondering, why not a 1530? More tq than a 1527.....just asking....

We tried that too. Not sure why it doesn't work as well. The 1090 I mentioned would be a dog on a 455 but not on a 3 blade 455.

[rayzerdesigns]

Guys were running the 5692s at nationalsthis year.. All i can say is fast.. My q mono buildis being built around this motor..

[Fluid]

If one is afraid to run one of those unreliable Neu 1527/1Ys he could save a little $$$ with an HET 700-98-1170. Better quality than a TP or Leopard - at less cost than a Neu with similar performance. It needs a slightly higher pitch prop than the Neu but can deliver the goods.


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[ray schrauwen]

Can you suggest a specific prop for the HET?

[Speed810]

Good discussion guys.....really appreciate the insight. So far the only NEU motor I have been able to have experience with is the 1527 1.5Y in my 1/8 scale. Still have some tweaking to do....but I guess I'll see how long it lasts. But right now it has me concerned on how hot it gets after a 6 lap turn. However as Terry and Todd can attest to it is quite a bit heavier boat too. Its very stable but I don't think I'm getting quite the speed I need to be fairly competitive....not after seeing the 1/8 scale runs of Terry's and Todd's boats. Of course Terry's was so fast it seemed hard to keep it on the water....LOL So I may be thinking of an alternative for the spring unless we can figure out something else.

As far as this Q-sport boat I'll be researching the other motor options that you folks are talking about. Would like to experiment with a couple of different motors and see how they perform. At the same time trying to keep the price reasonable....trying to keep it well below what I have into my 1/8 scale...LOL $$$$
I think I am starting to go back to some of my aircraft thinking which is I would rather look at motor out put vs weight package instead of trading off motor weight and then having to add weight to accomplish a good COG. (It seems like such a waste now that I have 16 oz of extra lead I need to be pushing around in that 1/8 scale)
It seems more and more to me that it is extremely important for race setup to hit that happy medium for speed and satiability. Hitting that perfect weight to power ratio is critical. [Just my 2 cents]

I know that was the only thing I figure out when looking at Mikes power package....I was like why the heck would you want to go to a 56mm motor that was 10oz heavier with all that power when 40mm motor would do just fine. Well I went back to my aircraft building...weight vs matching power package. If I'm going to have to add weight why not have it in my power package. Not saying that the Leopard is the best choice, but its a start.

Thanks again guys....learning a lot here through the discussion....


Mike

[785boats]

Just had a read through all this Mike. Good stuff here.
I'll be putting a 56 series motor in my next 1/8th scale hydro for sure because it is the 'Such Crust II' which scales out to 51"
Cheers.
Paul.

[b0atnutz3]

As Jay mentioned the HET motor perform I am running onion my Q ML sport and am having fun.

[flraptor07]

I had the Neu 1527 1500kv in my GP400 and switched to a TP4070 1770kv with the same prop (ABC 56mm 1.6 don't have the # right now) the TP was about 7mph faster and ran 30deg. cooler. I'd say that pretty much speaks for it's self. BTW the TP 4070 is closer to the size of the Neu 1530.

[kfxguy]

I had the Neu 1527 1500kv in my GP400 and switched to a TP4070 1770kv with the same prop (ABC 56mm 1.6 don't have the # right now) the TP was about 7mph faster and ran 30deg. cooler. I'd say that pretty much speaks for it's self. BTW the TP 4070 is closer to the size of the Neu 1530.

I'm starting to be a tp fan myself but that not really a fair comparison (unless you factor in $$) the 4070 is bigger and more kv so I'd expect more speed. Now compare the same kv and closer size motor....which I plan on doing soon...

[nichismo]

It really stuns me at how much positive feedback overall im seeing in regards to the TP power motors, almost seems too good to be true, considering how often i see Leopard motors being used.

But im going to purchase this kit too and was curious if anyone could maybe shed some light on how they think the MHZ version of the watercooled Scorpion 4035? Sincw its 1260kv it seemed like maybe a decent choice for this boat?

[kfxguy]

It really stuns me at how much positive feedback overall im seeing in regards to the TP power motors, almost seems too good to be true, considering how often i see Leopard motors being used.

But im going to purchase this kit too and was curious if anyone could maybe shed some light on how they think the MHZ version of the watercooled Scorpion 4035? Sincw its 1260kv it seemed like maybe a decent choice for this boat?

Look bud, I've personally tried to, castle, neu, lehner, dynamite, associated, sss- to name a few and I can tell you for the money they can't be beat.