Gene,
A 10.25" prop at 8600 rpm has a tip velocity of 262 mph! Our model boats work in the region of 180 mph tip velocity. So the full size tip velocity is a bit more than I would have guessed!
I have a special custom Hummingbird that is bigger than the 60/80 boat, but is really a bit of a prototype. I run the A-90 in it, and have also tried my K-90. With a H50 in smooth water it does 80 mph.
I tried heat treating props, but my home oven doesn't get hot enough and was really just annealling them, so I gave up. Nobody could give me the material composition, so I couldn't take them to a proffessional heat treater.
It bends props mostly in rough water due to the back end hopping. The hopping is from the rear sponson angle I think. I glued them on (contary to the instructions :
) so I have modified the bottom of them, but as yet I haven't had the chance to try them. With luck I try it out again in a couple of weeks.
I have been running a specially made cobalt chrome H667 recently, and it hasn't bent even in rough water. I have a couple of cobalt chrome H50's to try as well. Cobalt chrome is much stronger than the various copper and brass alloys, even stronger than stainless steel.
With luck the modified rear sponsons will stop the boat from hopping in rough water and it will be more tolerant to props. Getting cobalt chrome props done is costly and slow!
I also have a new ABC 3016 on order. Jim Schaefer has been telling me how quick these props have been going on 90 hydros, that they are low lift, and how well they handle! I cant wait! ;D
But if my prop designing works, I can custom make props to suit the application and make them from high tensile steel! 8)
Nitrocrazed racing: More sharpening scarrs coming up....