KEP T2

[Jeff Ross]

Haven't seen to many people building these boats. Anyone running an FE version?

Planning to build a couple in the off season if all goes well. Looking to see some photos and videos of other people builds if there are any other then on his website.

 

[shoboat]

Jeff,

Great boat for sure. Not sure about the electric application, but the Nitro

Version is a great heat racing set up.

Thanks For Reading,

Mark Sholund

 

[brad nichols]

I have built 3 of the T2's and there is not a lot of the boat in the water when they run and are fast!

Brad

 

[Paul Traufler]

I have a T2 and a T4 ( it is a 45 sized T2). Both nitro. They are harder to build over say the JAE but they run well and handle rough water pretty well. As for a FE version the 45 size would work well for 6S MAYBE 8S also but you will have to change the bulkheads and keep the CG in the same general location as the nitro version. It is not easy to stuff all the FE hardware into a rigger hull! A T2 for 4S would be nice, but that would be REAL tight to stuff all the goodies in to also.

Paul

 

[Jeff Ross]

I will be building and setting it up for P-Spec.

I know someone else I talked with raised the deck a few mm to help fit the batteries in.

Any tips or advise from those who have built them would be helpful!

Love to see some photos as well.

I look forward to the challenge of the build, it will be my first rigger.

Chose it because I wanted to be a bit different then the tried and true JAE riggers.

 

[Paul Traufler]

Really I would build a JAE FIRST! The elliptical sponsons are a bit of a pain to build, you really need a band saw to do this. The hull is a bit short and may need more than a few mm taller to make room but maybe a P spec would fit ok. I have some picts of the T2 I will have to look for them.

Paul

 

[Jeff Ross]

No need to build a JAE when I know what it is capable of and can find all the info on how to set it up and get it running pretty good.

In the club I run with most of them are running raptor riggers, most which are running very well and fast.

The JAE as other have mentioned to me is a proven boat and you know what you can get/expect out of it.

Not much of a challenge there...

The KEP on the other hand IMO is a much better looking boat and has a lot more potential.

I have no problem building the boat as I have full access to any and all tools needed.

I plan to laser cut the parts myself and can easily make adjustments to the plans as needed to help fit the parts or adjust anything that might need it to run bet

 

[Paul Traufler]

Ok then, I was under the impression that this was your first build, so that is why I pointed towards the JAE side. Take your time and the T2 build will be fine. It is a good bit harder to build over the JAE but it sounds like you are ready for the challenge.Start making saw dust!

P

 

[Niklas Edlund]

Thanks for the interest.

I have a couple of new KEPs FE-4S on the drawing board (one new and one based on keeping the sponsons from the nitro version) and as you have mentioned, its not easy to stuff the stuff inside the 4S tub and get the weight where you want it. The tub needs to be a tad bit higher and wider to make it work the way I plan it.

We have also tested to make the nitro sponsons "flat sided" to make them easier to build and they look pretty good also if I may say so myself (and they would equally work well on a FE). And the performance of them is no different to the eleptical ones...

The flat sided ones could be built with a balsa core sandwich or Divinycell. Divinycell will of course be superior but harder to get hold of.

Cheers.

 

[Jeff Ross]

Hey Niklas good to have you join in on things.

It would be interesting to see the sponsons flat sided but I do not see a problem making them as they are in your drawings.

I can not get any divinycell out where I live to it will be balsa core is my plan.

Plan is to build 2 for myself and 2 for a friend of mine all at the same time.

Should be fun once I get going I need to order up some plywood!

 

[Niklas Edlund]

See pics. The closest to camera is Micke's KEPs 21 with flat sided sponsons.

These sponsons dont have the T2 stock profile though. They are more like "T3". The running pads (removeable of course) are longer and there is more negative AoA on top.

 

[Niklas Edlund]

BTW, balsa core's are good enough until something happens. If you crash they tend to be harder to repair and you need a good seal and paint so they dont soak up moisture.

The cores I did was 20 mm hard balsa and 1+1 mm plywood in a press down sandwich glued with polyurethane 1k glue (like gorilla).

 

[Jeff Ross]

Thanks for the pic looks like he just tapered it straight from the flat sponson side and up from there?

I really like the way they look I am surprised!

 

[raptor347]

Jeff,

Build it! It will run great. I've seen a couple of the nitro versions and the performance was impressive. Part of the reason I had to build a 3rd gen Raptor.

BTW sorry I missed the call the other day.

 

[Niklas Edlund]

Thanks for the pic looks like he just tapered it straight from the flat sponson side and up from there?

I really like the way they look I am surprised!

Yeph, that shoulder line is about 30 mm from the deck top and parallel to the deck curve. The narrowed deck is about 15 mm wide and the sponsons are around 23 mm thick/wide overall. So just make two lines and remove material in between and then re-skin that chamfered part.

Even though they are flat sided they dont look boxy at all in real life. I was a bit surprised myself as how they turned out.

 

[Jeff Ross]

Thanks for the pic looks like he just tapered it straight from the flat sponson side and up from there?

I really like the way they look I am surprised!

Yeph, that shoulder line is about 30 mm from the deck top and parallel to the deck curve. The narrowed deck is about 15 mm wide and the sponsons are around 23 mm thick/wide overall. So just make two lines and remove material in between and then re-skin that chamfered part.

Even though they are flat sided they dont look boxy at all in real life. I was a bit surprised myself as how they turned out.

Makes a nice place to put a logo or numbers.

Looks tough this way and the other is more curve and sexy I think.

Jeff,

Build it! It will run great. I've seen a couple of the nitro versions and the performance was impressive. Part of the reason I had to build a 3rd gen Raptor.

BTW sorry I missed the call the other day.

No worries we will catch up.

As soon as I get this going I will let you know.

Look forward to the build and plan to defiantly get it going!

I need to write that letter to the city so we can get the POND going!

I will most definitely do it by the start of the new year so I will be emailing you a copy of it before I send it to them to look over and add what you think might be needed.

 

[Jeff Ross]

Got some foam in the mail thanks to Mark Sholund!!

Plan to cut a mock up tub next week to check battery fitment and things.

 

[Jeff Ross]

Got the sponsons started.

First I lasered out a template instead of using a paper print.

Figured it would be more accurate way to reproduce them.

I forgot to engrave the book tube location lines like I did with the centerline so I'll make a new one to include that.

 

[shoboat]

Jeff,

Looking good !!!

The T-2 and the newer T-3 should be really nice.

Thanks For Sharing,

Mark Sholund

 

[Niklas Edlund]

Thumbs Up!