Sport Hydro?

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LohringMiller

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2017
Messages
863
Is a scale scale model of this boat a sport hydro in NAMBA? Would it need to be exact scale or could it be semi scale? What if it only ran one outboard?

Lohring Miller

1613834416588.png
 
My guess it would be tunnel hull class, where you could run just one outboard with the other three as dummies?? EDIT: I did not see the "U-19" in that pic until now..so I amend my comment to say it would be scale class unlimited hydroplane, and not sport hydro, as sport hydro's are not scale unlimited hydroplanes. EDIT2: According to my understanding of NAMBA rules, you could run either as sport or scale unlimited, but scale is much more sctrict in appearances.
 
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Sport hydros require all running surfaces to be in the front 50% of the hull length, so no go there. I know for a fact that RCU outlawed that boat decades ago. Geraghty wanted to build one forever. National rules, I have no idea,
 
Conflicting rules from the NAMBA rule book:

"Hulls must be of Unlimited and/or Limited design, with all riding surfaces (drive train
and prop not included) in front 50% of hull length."

"Any boat, which normally competes in the Unlimited Hydroplane class will be
permitted in the Sport 60 class."

It looks to me like it should be permitted in sport 60. It otherwise doesn't meet the riding surface rule. RCU can do what it wants, but at the Nationals the rule book is all that counts. Has anyone tried to run one in 1/10 scale? I don't see it listed in the master hull roster, but at least two other tunnels are listed without dimensions.

Lohring Miller
 
From a competition stand point, I don't think it would be a competitive combination. From a scale stand point, I think it would be cool. I've never seen an OB powered 1/10 Scale run in ERCU, but I've only been racing ERCU for 5 years, maybe 6. This Covid stuff has all my time lines screwed up. :)
 
In the early 90's I saw a cat hull with 4 K&B 3.5 Outboards mounted on it. It was at the Orlando Coulvert Dodgers in Fl. Don't remember what class it ran in but the setup and linkage was impressive. Back then OCD was IMPBA. Maybe some of the FL. boys can chime in. ;)
 
Florida boy's....

You know why that boat has 4 engines ?

cause they couldn't fit 5 on it !!!



From that picture...
Clear lake Texas..I launched my full size boat from that exact same dock,,,
right off of Nasa Rd1.
Wish I could have seen that thing run!!!
 
You would need to run one of the listed motors. These are the 1/10 scale modern rules that apply:

Modern Class
(a) Defined as those boats conforming to NAMBA Master Hull
Roster numbers 7025, 7029, 7175, 7177, 7207, 7251, 7325,
7402, 7441, 7455, 7495, and numbers 7571 through 0717 and
beyond.
(b) Follows all rules listed above except:
(c) Any shaft may be used.
(d) Sponson design shall be up to the builder as long as it does not
change the outline shape of the hull.

Note that any sponson design is allowed. Jerry, you need to build one.

Lohring Miller
 
Sport hydros require all running surfaces to be in the front 50% of the hull length, so no go there. I know for a fact that RCU outlawed that boat decades ago. Geraghty wanted to build one forever. National rules, I have no idea,
This is for scale hydroplanes per NAMBA, which seems to conflict with the 50% rule: "8. Outdrive units and outdrive engine(s) are prohibited unless the full sized boat after which the boat is being modeled had an outdrive or outdrive engine(s), in which case the model must be configured like the full sized boat." Just my opinion but it seems very authoritarian and arbitrary and silly, to "outlaw" any hull. lol
 
There's some great video on Youtube of this boat running in the 1983 UIM championship race in Houston. The ride down the straights was great with a really nice attitude and with a super smooth ride, but the turn speed seemed slow like it sagged badly off the air cushion. It was like it was running on parallel drag strips. It had four 450hp V8 Johnsons on it.
 
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1800 Horses , sounds like one hell of a death trap to me!
I think I’d rather drive the RC model rather then the full scale if I had the chance!
 

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