Air Dam for Sport 40/Scale Hydros

[captwalter]

Does anyone have any ideas about air dams for the usual classes of nitro hydros. Does anyone sell them ready made? What material for home built? Depth of air dam? Would like to try an air dam instead of adding weight to the boat for rough water races. Winds 20+ gusting upwards to 30. I know should not be out there in those conditions but after traveling distances to races sometimes just have to run rather than the long ride home without "getting the boat wet". No joke. Perry

 

[SayMikey]

Does anyone have any ideas about air dams for the usual classes of nitro hydros. Does anyone sell them ready made? What material for home built? Depth of air dam? Would like to try an air dam instead of adding weight to the boat for rough water races. Winds 20+ gusting upwards to 30. I know should not be out there in those conditions but after traveling distances to races sometimes just have to run rather than the long ride home without "getting the boat wet". No joke. Perry

Perry on sport boats i use the rubber off of a windshield wiper blade. Shoo goo it on all the way across an inch back from the ram wing. My old Phil Thomas sport 40 had 2 rows with the second row an inch back from the first.The nice thing about wiper blades is it bends on the launch and straightens back up. Try it you will like it. I have used them on scale boats with the same results......Mike

 

[LarryConrad]

I have seen sport hydros with air dams made from lexan strips, radio box tape, and windshield wiper blades.

 

[captwalter]

Thanks for real quick replys. Sorry I missed you at Atlanta Mikey. I was scheduled to go but an eye operation kept me out of action. Maybe next year.

Thanks again, Perry

 

[SayMikey]

Thanks for real quick replys. Sorry I missed you at Atlanta Mikey. I was scheduled to go but an eye operation kept me out of action. Maybe next year.Thanks again, Perry

You missed a fun scale race. Here is a pic of my old Coors Lite

 

[bzubee]

Remember that won't work on scale boats. We had a racer get protesed with that on thier scale boat.

 

[captwalter]

Bruzbee: Thanks. Never thought of that. We do have several scales here in Florida running air dams and no one has said anything. YET!

Mikey: I always say "one picture is worth a thousand words". I did not realize that you mounted the windshield wiper that way. I thought you laid them down. So now I know the correct way. Will give it a try. Nothing to loose at this point. Just can't seem to run up their with my friend Jack St. Clair. Thanks Mikey. Perry

 

[SayMikey]

Bruzbee: Thanks. Never thought of that. We do have several scales here in Florida running air dams and no one has said anything. YET!
Mikey: I always say "one picture is worth a thousand words". I did not realize that you mounted the windshield wiper that way. I thought you laid them down. So now I know the correct way. Will give it a try. Nothing to loose at this point. Just can't seem to run up their with my friend Jack St. Clair. Thanks Mikey. Perry

Yea well i ran up there with him but to beat Jack you better be ready for a fight. His boat ran well and my only attempt to beat him was to punt him out of lane one and nail the start. Hey i led for a while but Jack is not a good follower he likes to lead. It was fun but his boat pushes the limit on the scale boat class. Hope to get another shot at him again,you should have been there it was a blast even if i ran second to him. Mike

 

[Dasboatman]

"Remember that won't work on scale boats. We had a racer get protesed with that on thier scale boat."

Where in the Scale rules would that be identified?

I was under the belief that: " Hull bottom and running hardware will not be judged or checked." The last air dam I recall protested was the one in the attached pic - on the top of the deck. CHEERS !!! Bob Johnson[attachment=12748:Gary_Pre...al_U_100.JPG

 

[Dan Kramer]

shouldnt be a problem, i have them on mine. that would be the same as if you modified the running surfaces. it shouldnt matter.

 

[Glenn Gates]

Does anyone have any ideas about air dams for the usual classes of nitro hydros. Does anyone sell them ready made? What material for home built? Depth of air dam? Would like to try an air dam instead of adding weight to the boat for rough water races. Winds 20+ gusting upwards to 30. I know should not be out there in those conditions but after traveling distances to races sometimes just have to run rather than the long ride home without "getting the boat wet". No joke. Perry

O.K. I know you'll think this is pretty hokey but I've heard of people making a temp. air dam out of a piece of silicone fuel line held on by a piece of duct tape. Or gluing a piece of windshield wiper to the bottom of the hull' As far as I know mods to the bottom of the hull are allowed in sport hydro classes but to be sure I would check the rules or try to contact the C.D. to confirm BEFORE driving 100 miles! Just my 2 cents, Glenn

 

[Mark Anderson]

For a temporary air dam stick on lead works well placed 1 inch behind the leading edge of the center section. Anyone that would even put in a protest about an airdam under the boat is not much of a competitor and would rather win on a petty disqualification than on the pond. It is hard to believe that anything under the boat protested would be upheld.