Wennie, Sorry for not replying sooner. I actually like the look of the overhang on the outside sponson edge, but I a fearful that the 1mm overhang on the inside edge of the ride pad could lead to some bad hooking habits. I almost feel it will suck down the sponson and cause a hook. I have never tried that, so I could be wrong. Do I see where it is gonna help the boat turn better...no, therefore I would probably just rid of it. The thing to remember about a JAE, the good running ones (the .21's), ride on top of the water with a very lightweight...the gas tunnel is gonna be heavy with that big motor on the back, and that ride pad is gonna be in the water...so you see what I am getting at!
The GX480 is coming along well. I have all the sponson parts done, and I am working on the center section changes now. I just found another area to reduce weight in the center section this morning, so as a complete package, I think the changes are gonna be a great positive to an already great hull! Hopefully the frame up design will get people that have not had the equipment to build wood over foam feeling they can handle the build.
Anyways, the first 3 cowlings for the GS/GX480 arrived today, and I am overwhelmed at the quality. The carbon fiber work looks great, and it looks like Donald even clearcoated the two carbon weave cowls, however shipping rub marks will probably make buyers want to scuff and reclear coat, or at a minimum use a polishing compound and buff the surface. Donald included carbon fiber tongues for the front as well. The primed cowl is done in what looks like 2k urethane primer, and the cloth inside looks to be either a white weave carbon (if there is such a thing) or Kevlar, either way, its not typical Eglass, and it had plenty of strength. The Carbon cowling have INCREDIBLE strength. I tried to deflect the left and right sides at the same time, and they barely bowed at all...very impressive. I talked to Donald about a standard primed E-glass epoxy cowling for those on a budget, and he agreed he could offer that. I was also told all future cowlings will have a windshield like the primed cowling as the new mold will be done in this style, not like the two carbon cowls.
So, there are 3 versions available. From the initial numbers Donald has given me the next batches of cowlings will be sold for:
OPTIONS:
1) Full Carbon Fiber weave -epoxy cowling (brown colored cowling pictured below)- $195 plus exact shipping
2) 2k Primed with 4 layers of e-glass-epoxy cowling (like the primered cowl below)- $168 plus exact shipping
3) 2k Primed with 2 layers of e-glass and 1 layer of carbon fiber underneath- epoxy cowling (not pictured)- $142 plus exact shipping
All three include tongue assembly, buyer shall bond to their liking. These prices are costly, but I am offering these as cheap as I possibly can. I always still have the Zippkits Illusion cowl mold at $85 plus shipping for anyone on a budget! These prices are only this low if I always order at least 3 at a time, which is probably how I will handle it. I honestly am not sure you will find a quality part like this anywhere else, pre-fitted, for close to this cheap. I am just thankful Donald is willing to offer these. He is currently having a new mold CNC cut out of solid aluminum..that shows you how quality his operation is!
Getting really excited about running this boat!
