My R/C boat project

well, some of you may remember me asking for a large toy boat and a weed whacker last summer....well, that project is "complete"

ended up splurging at getting a real live hobby-grade boat hull. 50" long and 18" wide. fiberglass with wood transom and stringers (for prop and motor mount strength).

the hull right when I got it:


and with my 1:28 scale R/C nissan skyline on the top for size comparison:


then got a 25cc McCullough weed whacker

here it is now:


I run it all the time off Park Point out by the seaplane base. took some pics last week:






got a video too


it's not running anywhere near it's potential top speed. so I just ordered a Walbro WT-167 carb for it....

and a cheap Garmin GPS to see what speeds it's running at


plans before next summer include a tuned exhaust pipe for more power, along with a few air scoops so I can run it with the cowl on (and keep it air cooled)

 

very cool progect. Is the motor rotary or just a normal piston motor? You could try to supercharge it.

 

this best be on the duluth trip when we are at park point!!!

 

ELEVENTY!@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i used to have a nitro vee, it was ftw

 

That thing is sweet chux, nice work!

 

cool stuff chux, i have a nitro car and i never get the chance to run it. how much did the build run you? looks like a nice project

 

wow that's nice - do you have an estimated top speed?

 

hull: $250 shipped
hardware (rudders, prop strut, prop): ~$150
motor: $12 (ebay FTW!)
radio system/waterproof box: $120


I'd guess it's running 20-25mph now. but on the water is only reaching about 2/3s the peak rpms (if that) that it does out of the water....so I think with the larger carb, it'll go substantially faster.

hopefully my gps will be here tomorrow so I can find out for sure. other people with virtually the same setup (larger carb and tune exhaust pipe) have seen ~40mph.


and it fits easily in the back of the wagon....so bringing it when you guys are in town will be very easy.



rotary weed whacker? ummm.....no. it's a one cylinder 2 stroke.

 

makes me miss driving my dads rc boats, he had a couple v hulls and one 3 foot long twin pontoon racing style one. pretty bad ass.

 

looks like fun!

 

Once you get it going faster are you going to engine pitch control on there? Cause that would be seriously sweet to lift the front out of the water! LOL

 

Better yet, your a clever guy chux! My dad fibreglassed up a hull whilst I built the pulse jet for it....you should give that a try since you already have the hull big enough to cope with a pulse jet!

 

try different props, some will make it rev higher into the power band, the more fins the higher the rpm. a freind of mine's dad works for mercury, they use the "high five" for thier high revving motors.

 

already got a walbro carb.....it's got quite a bit more power now.


but I'm having electronics problems, so haven't been able to get it out on the water with it.

 

nitrous oxide

 

awwww...just get it running on nitro-methane that'll give ya a boost in speed

 

I might be getting 3 gas boats that have weedwacker engines in them.