Adding weight to sponson tips.

[tmunn]

I have a front tank/rear radio box Phil thomas sport 20 and have has to add weight to the front of each sponson tip.

I know this is usually a last resort but i needed to do it to keep from blowing off.I tried different strut heights and angles and ended up with 3 oz of sick on weights on the inside of each sponson tip as far forward as possible.

This did not seem to kill my speeds and runs pretty close to my buddies similar boat only with a NR and front box /side tanks.

My hull is one of phil's early hulls and the sides are filled in.I had a mishap the last time out for the year and am getting close to rpairing the damage.One weight came off during the crash and so then i got to thinking and anothe member was telling me a way i could prolly add weight to the inside sponson tips and ditch the stick on weights.

He said i could drill the back of the sonsons at the step and install lead and epoxy.I was thinking about that and putting it into a suitable sized brass tube an epoxing the whole thing up inside the sponson tips and fixing the hole ??

I was wondering what suggestions you guys would have to either get the weight inside the sponsons or something to make the boat less tail heavy.I run the battery as far forward as possible and the box up pretty close to the step in the engine well.

I run a green head valvola and a ops 3280 pipe if that matters and all small servo's and battery pack.

Thanks

Terry

 

[GRoth265]

I put weight in the left front sponsons of all my sport boats. Sport 60 10oz. Sport40 8oz. don't have a sport 20. You might also try adding a air dam. !/4" at the front of the pickle fork. I drill a hole on the front bottom of the sponson and add a soup of epoxy and lead shot. Tape the hole over and stand the boat on its nose to dry. Makes a pretty good seemless look. Hope this helps. Greg

 

[Beef]

I put weight in the left front sponsons of all my sport boats. Sport 60 10oz. Sport40 8oz. don't have a sport 20. You might also try adding a air dam. !/4" at the front of the pickle fork. I drill a hole on the front bottom of the sponson and add a soup of epoxy and lead shot. Tape the hole over and stand the boat on its nose to dry. Makes a pretty good seemless look. Hope this helps. Greg

Whats up Greg, I finally got online down here in the south. I forgot my password on here. Hope all is well up there with all the cold weather and snow. Have a Happy New Year and talk to you soon.

Keith Wicks

 

[Big roy]

Gee I remember doing this to the Boy Scout pinewood derby cars, ahhhhhhhhhhhh only built like 50 of them. I have tried this for weight, modelers clay mixed with lead shot, you can pinch off to take away and just add to put more in, just make some sort of plug to go over the holes to hide the clay, you would be suprised how much weight you could add to this mixture of clay and shot.

 

[Wesleys Custom Graphics]

I know one guy here who adds led just as you described and is FAST and stable> My approach is to make a front adjustable wing that goes in between the sponsons as far forward as possible (like the new unlimiteds) and add a little led in the nose for the current conditions. Works well for me.

 

[Big roy]

Wesley which method you refering to?

 

[tmunn]

I wondering the same thing ...big roy what method wesley...do the air dams slow the hulls down ?

 

[dwilfong]

I wondering the same thing ...big roy what method wesley...do the air dams slow the hulls down ?

I know It's not a rigger but it worked on my mono.

My speed went up because boat was more stable at high speed and could trim more of the boat out of the water.

Drilled hole in front part of deck and filled front cavity with split shot. also added lead weight strips to top of deck.

The air dam can be bent to make mor or less down force.Going to remove lead strips one at a time to check change'

 

[Big roy]

Another thing I did to add weights when I had my proboat Shockwave 36 was to put lead strips under the gas tank, also added them into the pool noodles and just zip tied them in place thus allowing me to just cut the ties and move them forward or backwards, I often thought about making some sort of box or container to velcro or rubberband into place like a small tupperware container or a old 35mm film container, making it easy to add or take weight out. I realy like the clay thing, nothing to rattle around or shift around if it is loose causing weight transfer even how minute, just a thought to change from pinewood derby to boats. If you are a shooter and a handloader, 437.5 grains = 1 ounce so you can even use old rifle bullet heads, they glue in tight places nicely wether vertical or horizontal, you would be suprised where you can get them into, I always have old heads laying around, so it works for me. Think outside the box!

 

[dwilfong]

Another thing I did to add weights when I had my proboat Shockwave 36 was to put lead strips under the gas tank, also added them into the pool noodles and just zip tied them in place thus allowing me to just cut the ties and move them forward or backwards, I often thought about making some sort of box or container to velcro or rubberband into place like a small tupperware container or a old 35mm film container, making it easy to add or take weight out. I realy like the clay thing, nothing to rattle around or shift around if it is loose causing weight transfer even how minute, just a thought to change from pinewood derby to boats. If you are a shooter and a handloader, 437.5 grains = 1 ounce so you can even use old rifle bullet heads, they glue in tight places nicely wether vertical or horizontal, you would be suprised where you can get them into, I always have old heads laying around, so it works for me. Think outside the box!

I was thinking about a wing but it was much simpler to make the air dam to see how it would work.

A upside down wing would not have as much drag. But would be more prone to brake.

Making a wing around the sponson tubes might be the way yo go. set up right the boat would fly across the water.

 

[racer504]

I have a front tank/rear radio box Phil thomas sport 20 and have has to add weight to the front of each sponson tip.I know this is usually a last resort but i needed to do it to keep from blowing off.I tried different strut heights and angles and ended up with 3 oz of sick on weights on the inside of each sponson tip as far forward as possible.

This did not seem to kill my speeds and runs pretty close to my buddies similar boat only with a NR and front box /side tanks.

My hull is one of phil's early hulls and the sides are filled in.I had a mishap the last time out for the year and am getting close to rpairing the damage.One weight came off during the crash and so then i got to thinking and anothe member was telling me a way i could prolly add weight to the inside sponson tips and ditch the stick on weights.

He said i could drill the back of the sonsons at the step and install lead and epoxy.I was thinking about that and putting it into a suitable sized brass tube an epoxing the whole thing up inside the sponson tips and fixing the hole ??

I was wondering what suggestions you guys would have to either get the weight inside the sponsons or something to make the boat less tail heavy.I run the battery as far forward as possible and the box up pretty close to the step in the engine well.

I run a green head Valvola and a ops 3280 pipe if that matters and all small servo's and battery pack.

Thanks

Terry

On my Sport 40 I just zip tied the weight inside a piece of the pipe insulation I use for floation and shoved it up in there. Easy to get it back out that way. No cutting and repainting.

 

[Bill Gibson]

I wondering the same thing ...big roy what method wesley...do the air dams slow the hulls down ?

Terry, your bound to loose a lttle bit of speed because of drag....but i just ran my scale boat with an air dam (spoiler) and it appears to work just fine.....You know you can also try a little more strut angle before you do anything first...but there is always a little trade off for the sake of stability, and thats not always a bad thing! Bill

 

[tmunn]

I use the ziptied weight in a pool noodle for my Cat But this sport 20 is all inclosed and watertight on the sides and sponsons .It's one of his fist sport 20's anf i really like how it does not get water in there and stay wet etc...

I prefer if i have to add weight put in there and seal it up.I will try my strut and angle again in the spring when I test but I think i tried all that last summer and she was pretty flighty.With the weight she was a race winner and would take some choppy water .I can always add the weight after i get my other repais done no big deal.

Thanks guys

Terry