New Project,Planning on building a zippkit Thunderboat, which hull to do

[BlueBlaster]

Hey there fellow boaters, Well after going to some races and looking at some other boats the building bug has bit me. I plan on building a zippkit Thunderboat. Im stuck with three boats i like to do just cant decide on one.

Either

1968 Miss Eagle Electric

1968 U-44 Gale's Roostertail

1963 Miss Bardahl

I like all of them but just like to get some ideas what would be cool to see. I like the Roostertail cause its different and has the early pickle fork look and it has the full cowl like the zips have,but the Eagle Electric is a cool boat with a good history for being a winner and has the step down sponsons, Bardahl i like it, Its a bardahl boat great history looks great on the water.

 

[f41stryker]

I like the Bardahl myself, the green color really stands out.

 

[BlueBlaster]

Well I ruled out the Eagle Electric cause someone has one, I may lean toward the roostertail cause I haven't seen any pickle fork zipps but the bardahl is still a possible

 

[Don Brown]

If you are going to convert it to a pickel fork, why not do it as the U-71 Atlas?

 

[dave weagel]

build the gale roostertail short picklefork with a zipp rivett kit. you might consider an easier paint scheme "miss schwepps / towne club U-5, all yellow with black trim or the white / red towne club. but that multi color fade paint job on the gale is unique. won't see another one. great scale choice.

the zipp rivett pickle fork gale is a natural. the zipp hulls do not have the low profile needed for the bardahl or the dropped sponson eagle in my opinion.

good luck

 

[BlueBlaster]

I looked at the u71 Atlas and the hull a bit different the back non drips goes at an angle, and he hull itself is flat on top. the question i guess is how scale can the classic thunder class be. if its just close to a thunderboat then it could be done, The gale hull is still round but has the pickle fork. If scale isnt a factor then i wouldnt mind adding another Atlas to the group, but The Roostertail would be more easier cause the nose is still round just need to make the pickle forks and i can use the cowl from the zipp. The Atlas would be more work.

 

[dave weagel]

jason,

i agree that the zipp hull is much too different than the '71 atlas. you'd have to cut build from plans to be satisfied, imo.

you have great photo collection. do you have any good pics of the '72 notre dame jones picklefork ? nitrosniffer is looking for a photo and i'd love to add to my collection.

as i said, the contour of the zippkit hull is pretty close to the gale pickle and should be an easy mod. and would retain the classic scale appearance. however i would suggest using a 1/8 scale jones high back cowling. the kit cowling is a bit oversized for an unlimited boat like the gale , imo. the zipp hulls are about 1/7 scale and a 1/8 scale cowlings provide better proportion and outline imo.

i had planned on building the schwepps U-5 with the zipp rivett kit and 1/8 scale cowlings from phil thomas or steve g. at rc boat co. but my boating hobby is on hold this year.

good luck

 

[Josh Stollfuss]

The Thunder Boat class is not a scale class, if you want to make it look scale that is entirely up to the builder. Most of boat hulls do not lend themselves well to a true scale appearance, they are usually a little on the short side compared to the width for a true scale. Attached are the pictures of my Insane Thunder Boat Hull painted to look like the 68 Eagle Electric. It's as close to scale as I could get but compared to pictures of the real boat proportions are way off.. But I like it and it runs great.. Josh-

 

[Brandon White]

Well this is what happens when you have to much time to kill i found this boat 1979 Van's PX. Just another idea.

 

[BlueBlaster]

Well this is what happens when you have to much time to kill i found this boat 1979 Van's PX. Just another idea

didnt mean to post twice bro didnt log off

 

[dave weagel]

The Thunder Boat class is not a scale class, if you want to make it look scale that is entirely up to the builder. Most of boat hulls do not lend themselves well to a true scale appearance, they are usually a little on the short side compared to the width for a true scale. Attached are the pictures of my Insane Thunder Boat Hull painted to look like the 68 Eagle Electric. It's as close to scale as I could get but compared to pictures of the real boat proportions are way off.. But I like it and it runs great.. Josh-

josh,

your eagle is beautiful. nice job. you have touched on a subject that seems important to me. i don't race, just some thoughts from an interested observer :

most of the gas t-boat hulls on the market are designed / built to meet the NAMBA 24 inch minimum width rule which ruins the proportions and outline of the real boats that this class is SUPPOSED to be modeling. there are a few NAMBA class hulls that are reasonably close like the RCBOATCOMPANY.COM hull based on the plug made by roger newton and leonard feeback's FEECRAFT hulls.

the IMPBA t-boat hull dimension rules allow a hull that is a little more realistic and the IMPBA rules also require period correct paint schemes. but obviously this is not taken seriously. i know that NAMBA and the IMPBA will never commonize anything but i think a gas round nose hull sized between 47 - 50 inches long with no minimum width restriction would run well, have much better proportions and outline and be easier to transport and manage at the pond.

i don't think anyone is arguing for a true gas scale class but i thought that the INTENT of the gas t-boat classes was supposed to promote building classic looking thunderboats, meaning the unlimited boats, with realistic hull outline and proportion and period correct paint schemes.

the pnwta.org club in wash has started a 1 / 6.6 gas scale class with allowed dimensions listed in their master hull roster which gives useful dimensional information about the real hulls. their rules are worth a look. these boats will be large and expensive but could possibly encourage mfg's to offer more realistic looking kits and hulls. compare with the APBA / NAMBA 1/8 scale master hull roster and consider that a 1/7 scale hull could accomodate the current gas engines.

when and if rear exhaust / front carb gas engines with pull starters become more readily available at reasonable cost would also help builders make more realistic

hydroplanes, thunderboats and turbine pickleforks.

 

[M@MRacing]

If you ever thoought about running in Namba a Zip Kit is ilegal also a pickle fork is ilegal must be round nose like the original boats.

 

[norm j]

NICE LOOKING BOAT JOSH,GREAT PICTURES OF IT TOO

HOW DOES IT RUN?

NORM J

 

[Josh Stollfuss]

Hey Norm, it runs great. I'll be out at the practice pond this sunday, bring that little rigger of yours out! Josh-

 

[BADGASBOATING]

Here's a picture of my Ivan Boat Works Thunderboat. 55" x 24" with a stock Zenoah 53-54mph all day long.

Got a bunch of guys together yesterday and ran. Must have put 5 tanks throught it. What a blast!!!!

 

[dschigoda]

Hey there fellow boaters, Well after going to some races and looking at some other boats the building bug has bit me. I plan on building a zippkit Thunderboat. Im stuck with three boats i like to do just cant decide on one.

Either

1968 Miss Eagle Electric

1968 U-44 Gale's Roostertail

1963 Miss Bardahl

I like all of them but just like to get some ideas what would be cool to see. I like the Roostertail cause its different and has the early pickle fork look and it has the full cowl like the zips have,but the Eagle Electric is a cool boat with a good history for being a winner and has the step down sponsons, Bardahl i like it, Its a bardahl boat great history looks great on the water.

If you plan on picleforking the Zippkit, if you plan to do it by making a cut out in the deck of the kit, you will likely end up with a boat that is too short for the IMPBA Thunderboat class, as the kit is right at the short length limit now. I suppose you could add to the back of the boat to make up for this, or rework and add to the front of the boat. I was thinking of painting mine up like the Miss Schweppes, and leaving it as a roundnose, in order to meet the length requirement.

 

[BlueBlaster]

Well , i'm going to do one of the two boats. The gale roostertail or the Van PX. Just have to see during the winter and at next years race. Like to have surprises. Thanks for that info didn't know that about the impba rules.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Better check the rule books. If I remember right, either NAMBA or IMPBA didn't allow cabovers. If that's still the case, the Van's-PX wouldn't be legal

 

[BlueBlaster]

well dang , all these rules, guess ill just find one that i can use with the original boat. i need to brush up on my impba rule book. I looked through the impba book didnt see anything about no cabovers , says sport hydro should look like boats that ran before, that it was more towared just no mods like on the bottom of the hull if i read it right.

 

[Hydro Junkie]

Don't remember where I read it, just kno wthat I saw it. If it's not in the rules you go by, for get I said anything