hummingbird hydro

[Lay26]

hey guys i know that his is a good one. does anyone have a hummingbird hydro or seen one run? how do they perform? does anyone know where I can get one?how do they run compared to eagle SG and crapshooters?

 

[Scott Schneider]

http://hummingbirdhydros.com Thats your URL for the site.

They are basicly a massaged reworked Road Runner copy and perform very very well. Scott

 

[Bob Morton]

Lay 26 whats your name??

I have a 20 Hummmingbird and it is a super boat great handling and fast enough to win trophys. Jim Benns is a great guy to deal with,good service and

always there to answer your Questions. To say it`s a copy of another hull

this could be true of all hydros.

Bob Morton If you need pics let me know, I will be glad to share them

with you

 

[Don Ferrette]

Hummingbird hydros- good boat, a refined Roadrunner & then some.

Good points- They drive & handle well (like a Roadrunner). These are very, very strong boats & superbly constructed. I don't think there is a better built hull out there right now in terms of materials & workmanship. Klegecell sponsons with carbon inlays & the vacuum bagged carbon & wood tubs. If you break one of these you've REALLY F'd up!! The 21 size hull is the flagship of the line in my opinion.

Bad points- Other than the 21 cowl the cowls are junk. Jim was working on a new cowling for the 40 & 60/80 hulls but nothing released yet. In my opinion, the 60/80 hull may be ok for a 60 but too small for a 80 (I had both). Myself & John Finch had conferred with Jim at length early in the '03 season about building a longer tub for the 60/80 boat, this might be in the works. I would also change the motor mount arrangement in any of them. The thin rubber washers to isolate the nylon spacers & aluminum rails are terribly insufficient. Simple fix though, enlarge the holes in the tub & use rubber grommets like the Eagle SGX does. Any engine vibration that gets transmitted to the carbon reinforced tub is not absorbed like a conventional wood tub, it's amplified. This has come to light from guys having fuel tank failures from vibration (myself included) & then seeing still photographs of boat at speed where everything else around boat in pic is sharp & crystal clear yet boat looks like a giant vibrator. I consider the grommet upgrade a must do. Not anything difficult but very necessary.

 

[Lay26]

bob i would like to see the pics of the 21 and do you think the crapshooter45 is a better boat than the humm 45

 

[Don Ferrette]

21 Hummingbird is a great boat. The 45 Crapshooter is a better boat than the 45 Hummer though........ B)

 

[Lay26]

hey Don I'm looking to get a 21 size hydro, what kind of set up as far prop choice would be a good statring point? also do you think if i get a hummer 21 i could use the hardware kits they have for the eagle 21, and do you think i will be competitive with a K&B 21? what prop is a good start for this engine.

 

[Don Ferrette]

The Speedmaster hardware is what Jim recommends & it works well, Andy's 21 hardware will work good too as long as it's not the blunt nose strut (designed to work with center sponson). The hot prop is a 1450 cut to 46mm cupped to 3.5". As for the K&B .21 it will run ok but will not stay with the MAC'S or NovaRossi's. I'd switch to a MAC21 when $$ permits. Great motor & you can keep the conventional pipe arrangement the K&B uses.

 

[Tim Kish]

Boy Don with all the boats you have owned are you sure your married LOL.

Do you have any 21 or 45 UL RoadRunners collecting dust.

Maybe its time to look in all the hidding spots , you may have things you have forgotten about.

Merry Christmas

Tim Kish

 

[Don Ferrette]

LOL Tim!! Actually I'd **** near kill for more room in my shop as I've started getting "creative" with making more shelf space. I'm learning very quickly on "effective" use of shop space. Went from a 30 x 35 shop at my old place in N. Va to a little more than 1/2 that now. The biggest space eaters are always the boats though. Other than my 21SGX & sport 40 every other boat is over 40" long. Let's just say I had to add the CAMPAC module to my 3PJS to up it to 16 boat memory. And then when that includes four 1/8 scales, well, you get the idea..........

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!!

 

[Ian Inverarity]

Don,

I have a hummingbird with a longer tub that I have been trying to run a 90 in. I have had trouble getting the rear end of the boat to stay in the water and it keeps bending props and nose-diving.

I had given up on the boat a few months ago but am thinking of giving it another go.

It is the best built rigger I have ever had, and very light! It was also VERY quick on calm water but not so good in race conditions. I already fixed the engine mount problem after having practically everything on the boat try to work loose...

Any suggestions? :huh:

Ian.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Ian-

How long is the tub from transom to rear boom tube (closest to motor)?

What prop are you running?

What hardware?

 

[Ian Inverarity]

Don,

about 28-1/4"

I used H50's mostly, but also H667's and a modified P775

I made my own hardware but talked to Jim about it first to make sure I was making it right. It has a round bottom strut, and I use a prather 7075 wedge rudder blade with my own pivot blocks and brackets.

Ian.

 

[Grimracer]

Hummingbird hydros- good boat, a refined Roadrunner & then some.
Good points- They drive & handle well (like a Roadrunner). These are very, very strong boats & superbly constructed. I don't think there is a better built hull out there right now in terms of materials & workmanship. Klegecell sponsons with carbon inlays & the vacuum bagged carbon & wood tubs. If you break one of these you've REALLY F'd up!! The 21 size hull is the flagship of the line in my opinion.

Bad points- Other than the 21 cowl the cowls are junk. Jim was working on a new cowling for the 40 & 60/80 hulls but nothing released yet. In my opinion, the 60/80 hull may be ok for a 60 but too small for a 80 (I had both). Myself & John Finch had conferred with Jim at length early in the '03 season about building a longer tub for the 60/80 boat, this might be in the works. I would also change the motor mount arrangement in any of them. The thin rubber washers to isolate the nylon spacers & aluminum rails are terribly insufficient. Simple fix though, enlarge the holes in the tub & use rubber grommets like the Eagle SGX does. Any engine vibration that gets transmitted to the carbon reinforced tub is not absorbed like a conventional wood tub, it's amplified. This has come to light from guys having fuel tank failures from vibration (myself included) & then seeing still photographs of boat at speed where everything else around boat in pic is sharp & crystal clear yet boat looks like a giant vibrator. I consider the grommet upgrade a must do. Not anything difficult but very necessary.

Don

Please let Jim Know the following.. I e-maild him about the tank falures..? he is in the dark on this..

Grimracer

 

[Don Ferrette]

I had previously mentioned it to him early in the season, perhaps his mind was elsewhere at the time as they were rather caught up straightening out problem on a large engine for a real boat. :blink:

 

[Don Ferrette]

Don,
about 28-1/4"

I used H50's mostly, but also H667's and a modified P775

I made my own hardware but talked to Jim about it first to make sure I was making it right. It has a round bottom strut, and I use a prather 7075 wedge rudder blade with my own pivot blocks and brackets.

Ian.

Ian, I'd try a cupped 1667 to reduce some of the lift. What does a Prather 7075 rudder look like? The rudder of choice on those hulls is the Speedmaster.

 

[Ian Inverarity]

Don,

The Prather rudder is made from 7075 aluminium so is very strong (I have destroyed two props on it, and still use the same rudder!). It is a double tapered rudder like a speedmaster, but the wedge is low angle, thus the trailing edge is relatively thin, yet the rudder is fairly broad. They are expensive for just a rudder blade, but for the time it would take for me to make one as good, I just buy it. I dont like the speedmaster material, it is too soft, although the design and machining is good.

I was told that a H667 was a fairly low lift prop? I did try a cupped 1667 but maybe it was a bit much cup as it was a bit harder to launch and slower than a H50. And it also bent after two runs, but it was pretty thin.

The hopping at the back and prop bending is not an issue in smooth water, but in rough water it is a big problem.

Ian.

 

[Don Ferrette]

With the Hummer sitting level on a set up board, what is strut & rear sponsons set at?

 

[Ian Inverarity]

Don,

On a setup board the rear sponsons are exactly as per instruction. I have moved the strut around a bit but generally had the angle at zero and height as per instructions.

I had one rear sponson come off in a crash and have not put it back on. It doesn't seem to affect the launching but I did seem to nose dive it or cart-wheel it more.

Ian.

 

[Don Ferrette]

Ok Ian try this-

After you make sure set up board is level, set the tub level by adjusting strut. Measure for level between bottom of tub & set up board at the forward radio box bulkhead & just behind rear booms. Set strut at 0 (level). Then set each rear sponson 3/16" off the set up board at sponson trailing edge. I will also mention that the Hummer really needs both rears on it for heat racing. If you are using double faced tape to hold them on try the 3M "Scotch Mount"auto trim & moulding tape part no.# 021200 or 06378. This stuff is amazing, only .030" thick holds those little emblems & trim on cars thru thousands of car washes. Be warned though, position & mark your sponsons BEFORE you use the tape because once it's on you need to use a steel wire pulled between tub & sponson to remove it! You also want the front tips of the rear sponsons dropped to just above (1/8" to 3/16" max) the tub bottom. This reduces the attack angle so they tend to act smoother in the corners & launch the boat easier. Also, what attack angle are you running on front sponsons?