RC Boat Company U-50 scale

Jerry Betke · Aug 4, 2015

George, Just a few comments about your problems with the hull. My son Mike and I purchased a glass hull from a different manufacturer and had the same problems you are having. When we put the hull on a flat plate it was twisted 5/8". We think the problem was that the bottom section of the hull was not fixtured (setup properly) or moved when the top was joined to it. Like you, Mike had put a million dollar paint job on it before we checked it out. We had no intentions of cutting the top off and reattaching and repainting it. So it is now a wall display. Hopefully when you check it out on a flat surface this is not your problem. You have received enough good advise on how to set the boat up so I will not add to the list. One comment though, about the hooking. We have found that the skid fin works best on our scales when it comes down straight past the sponson riding surface and has a large hook on the bottom. You will have to play with the depth. We make the first trial fin long, with multiple holes spaced about a 1/4 inch apart. This allows us to change the depth. Our experience with flat fins on an angle don't seem to work very well on our scales. Good luck in working out the issues you are having. The boat looks real good and is a nice tribute to your veteran friends. Jerry Betke

nicholashansen · Aug 8, 2015

I find this extremely intriguing considering the current situation im in. I would certainly agree that a scale hydroplane, especially a large one like a 1/8 scale is certainly not a good choice as a beginner or first timer, even numerous veterans I see whom consider or even attempt a project end up quitting before even a quarter of it is finished.

that being said, im nearing completion with my first boat which is a 1/8 scale hydro, and I also am beginning a 2nd project and I already have most of the parts for this one as well. The learning curve was extremely steep and there was several things I felt I could have done better, so I will be using this 2nd project to really perfect and polish the boat to as close as ideal as I can achieve.

But the main point I am getting to hear, is the running surfaces of Steves hulls in particular, and fiberglass hulls. I am dead set on using FE, and both hulls I have are epoxy hulls, so there has been a substantial amount of work involved in converting them from nitro to FE. The first hull I have is a T5 from Phil Thomas, and I did ALOT of modifying to it, both for the FE conversion and for performance and even scale accuracy (was uneducated when I first bought it, didnt realize how lacking and outdated it is), but im confident now that it will be a good ride. That being said, I waited a long time to receive the hull I ordered from Steve, and I invested ALOT in this one... i hope I dont necessarily have the same issues but the hull sits flat and true from what ive observed.

Now, in these pictures, its clear how different the ride surfaces are between these two. I too have heard numerous times to keep edges and such crisp and sharp to cut through the water easier and get on a plane faster. It seems like Steves hull is really emphasising the sense that hydroplanes do not rely on bouyancy for propulsion, as the surfaces would imply that its almost entirely sitting above the water, whereas the T5 hull would be cutting through it. Just my quick observations.... im still VERY lacking in experience and insight right now lol.

Hydro Junkie · Aug 8, 2015

Actually, other than a build up recovery area, Phil's sponsons are more correct in being scale.

Steve's sponsons are optimized more for performance at scale sizes from what I can see in your pictures.

What it comes down to is how much work do you want to put into your boat because ANY molded boat is going to need some tuning to run well