Wolfman Racing P Cat - ?The Wolverine?

[Jesse J]

As some of you have seen, I am working on a wood kit of a single motor P open class cat.
I have been updating the plans, building and modifying the shockerman plans since 2008, and end goal is to make a laser cut kit available to you all.

By now, there is not much about the original plans that hasn?t been modified.

The work has really picked up since COVID, when I started working with a friend who has a 2D CNC machine. In the past two years, I have built 4 iterations; the first one not even getting skin before a redesign killed it.
The second one got abandoned after I started really not liking the huge flat deck and getting too heavy, now it is sitting in its almost complete primer in the boneyard. 14.5 in wide and 5lb just the hull. (First pic)
The third turned into a twin when I couldn’t get the COG far enough back, partially due to removing the overhang (effectively moving the cog back .75inch) and more significantly, lowering the rear deck too much. (Second pic)
The fourth is almost ready for sealing. 13in wide and still tough to get cog much under 33%. And, now I’m concerned about weight.. she will likely tip just over 4lb before hardware when all sealed up.

What weight is a good range for a hull to be single motor P racing? I know this has a long list under the “it depends” reply..

I have noticed a big one is altitude; specifically air density. Here in mile high land, air is thin and dry.. opposite of Houston racing.
Next is how much lift the hull produces. Tunnel dimensions and how much and how fast it rises above the baseline towards the front.
Then the sponson design, and on and on.

Is 4lb too heavy or normal for a p cat bare hull?

[photohoward1]

Probably a bit heavy. I'm thinking 5 lb RTR. Why so heavy for a wooden boat? Some of my strongest and lightest are wooden?

[Jesse J]

Well, 1/16th ply sealed and reinforced with glass. Might be amount of wood.. I’m trying to make the next design lighter.
Probably too much epoxy when sealing..

[Jesse J]

Probably a bit heavy. I'm thinking 5 lb RTR. Why so heavy for a wooden boat? Some of my strongest and lightest are wooden?

Are any of those cats?

[Fluid]

Jesse, one successful P-Limited boat was the ProBoat Motley Crew. According to the manufacturer it weighed 5-1/2 pounds ready to run.

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[fweasel]

Well, 1/16th ply sealed and reinforced with glass. Might be amount of wood.. I?m trying to make the next design lighter.
Probably too much epoxy when sealing..

I watched a really good you tube video about how to seal the inside of wood hydro builds. He thinned his West epoxy out with alcohol so it was pretty thin, like water, and brushed it over everything with acid brushes, very liberally. He then went back and blotted up anything that hadn't soaked into the wood with high quality paper towels (thicker ones that didn't leave lint behind)

[Jesse J]

Jesse, one successful P-Limited boat was the ProBoat Motley Crew. According to the manufacturer it weighed 5-1/2 pounds ready to run.
1C5BEA6C-DBCE-4ADA-BBF0-8BEB6DFD291E.jpeg

Thanks Jay, that makes me worry less. It will be full P, so hopefully the extra power and my design will make it competitive.

Thanks for the vid Ryan! Next version will follow that technique. I probably don’t need all the fg reinforcements in the sponsons..

[T.S.Davis]

I built an LSH trying to shave weight. 1/32" ply etc. Still came in over 5 pounds. I haven't weighed any of my newer boats. Now I'm curious.

[Jesse J]

I would be interested in what your boats weigh, Terry.