My Lucky Break

The next considerable decision is which type of radio controlled boat hull to select. If your are setting up a scale project, your choice will obviously be determined by the full-size craft you want to model. But sport, racing and sailing craft hull types display very unusual personality. In general, there are two hull classifications: monoplane and hydroplane.

MONOPLANES Monoplane hulls have one continuous surface in contact with the water. Monoplane hulls can be separated into two subcategories: deep-V’s and shallow-V’s.

Deep-V’s. Nearly all monoplane hulls are deep-V’s. This conventional design brings the keel to a sharp point well beneath the surface of the water. The bottom of the boat is angled upward steeply toward the hull’s sides, resulting in a radio controlled boat that knifes through the water with a relatively large wetted surface area. This kind of hull is steady at every speeds and provides sharper steering reaction. The downside is that the additional hull surface that contacts the water causes drag that restricts top speed. Still, as well as the correct power system and accurate tweaking, these radio controlled boats are plenty fast especially for beginners.

Shallow-V’s are the faster of the two monoplane types because they operate with a lesser amount of surface area in contact with the water. The shallower keel vee-angle produces a flatter bottom that causes less friction. The downside is that not as much of contact with the water means less stability, so they are more challenging to control and require more precise trimming. Shallow-vees are very popular for entry-level racing, this type of radio controlled boat or the so-called Crackerboxes being the most common.

HYDROPLANES Hydroplanes include more than 1 surface in contact with the water. They involve tunnel hulls, catamarans, outriggers and stepped hydros.

Tunnelhulls are most often related with full-size racing boats. They get their name from the raised center part of the hull. 2 outer sections or sponsons sit in the water with a tunnel between them. As the boat gains velocity, air builds up in this tunnel and raises the boat higher out of the water. This reduces the surface area that contacts the water. This means less drag and higher speeds, while the relatively wide spacing of the sponsons maintains stability. This model provides a good balance of speed and handling for the beginner.

Catamarans (cats) operate on the similar principle as tunnelhulls and fluctuate only in profile . They have more steeply angled sponsons much like deep-vee monos with a tunnel along the center. A catamarns tunnel tends to be taller and narrower than a tunnelhull’s, so it takes longer to preserve stability. These also, are a good beginner design.

Outriggers are at the summit of the performance ladder; their sponsons and main hull are separate pieces. This improves the airflow at high speeds, so outriggers are the fastest radio controlled boats; some even run at more than 90 mph! The hitch is that they are intended to work best at full throttle. At slow speeds, they sit too low in the water and don’t handle well. Also, they are the least forgiving when it comes to setting the trim.

Stepped hydroplane hulls have notches perpendicular to the centerline that part the wetted surface into two or more sections. These notches pick up the radio controlled boat up on step faster, and that improves performance. At speed, these notches reduce the wetted area, reducing drag. This hull type includes a diverse group, from straightforward deep-vees with little steps in the hull, to three-point hydro racers such as the full-size Miss Budweiser turbine-powered, unlimited hydroplane. At full speed, three-point hydros ride on two small areas of the forward sponsons and the centrally located propeller at the stern.

Any way you look at it radio controlled boats are a excellent way to spend a sunny afternoon. Take the time to enjoy the activity and spend time with your family and friends.

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This entry was posted on Thursday, January 21st, 2010 at 8:19 am and is filed under Break. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.