I am in the process of finding out first where the CG should be and the best way to balance the boat.
some say more weight just ahead of the cg some say all in the nose some in the sponsons sone say in the canopy. :unsure:
Do you think my issues could be the 215 prop and lack of weight/incorrect balancing.
Thanks
terry
Yes, Yes, and Yes. All or any of those could cause problems. Its not an exact science when finding problems with tunnel boats.
First, get the boat ready to run without fuel. I dont know what the TopSpeed 2 insturctions say, but a tunnel
is a tunnel as far as balance is concerned (some people call this "CG" or Center of Gravity, this is NOT what the balance actually is, but its what most people refer to when talking balance) Every tunnel I have and have had, balance between 32-33% distance from the rear (trailing edge) of the sponsons. When you get the balance point achieved, either by adding weight, moving your radio, battery components around or what ever. LEAVE IT ALONE. Unless you change the weight of the boat by adding or removing something, you should never have to add/remove lead. If you do this to correct a problem, it is a bandaid for something else. TRUST ME.
Second, If the rear 1/3 (roughly) of the sponsons dont lay perfectly flat along the entire length ("this is called the ride pad") YOU ARE SPINNING YOUR WHEELS, pissin in the wind and any other cliche you can think of. You will chase your tail forever trying to correct problems if the sponsons bottoms are not true. This should be the first thing done in getting a boat set-up properly. Fiberglass, when removed from molds, after the they are removed from molds, in the sunlight (heat), in the cold ect, ect. It warps, and moves all over the place if. This can be greatly reduced is the framework of the boat is properly done before the glass is laid, and Im not saying that the TS 2 isnt done well, but I can safely say I have seen better. This alone is the main reason I prefer to build my own boats out of wood..... Fiberglass hulls such as Carl Van Houtens Lynx's are a prime example of properly laid up glass. They have some of the straightest bottoms I have ever seen, wood or fiberglass. Consitency is the key, and that is hard to acheive when TS 2's are being mass produced in god knows what country. Dont fret, you can fix this, it will take time a patience. Just make the bottom, rear section of the pads flat with a flat sanding block. dont worry about the gell coat, dont worry about whatever, just get it flat. you should be able to put a little pressure on the back of the boat and the rear 1/3 should sit perfectly flat along the bottom corner.
After you get the bottom done, its time for the water. Get your final adjustments by adjusting motor height and tilt. These should be done in VERY fine increments. Try different props, they all do different things, even the same props(say two Prather 215's) can handle completely differently. there are alot of variables in setting up a race boat, you will soon find this out if you havent already. The main thing is DO EACH ADJUSTMENT ONE AT A TIME. TAKE A NOTEBOOK TO THE POND, write down everything you do and everything that you observe. write down what prop you have, what the height is, what the angle is, you can get as plain or fancy as you want. when you make a change on the boat, it should only take a lap or two to find out if or what the change did, there is no reason to run the whole tank empty. bring it in, document it, and make another change. The more you run the boat, the more familiar you will become with what changes do what, this will ONLY come with time on the water. Its called experience, you either have it, or you get it. If you are just trying to play at the pond with your R/C boat, this may seem (and may be) an little over kill, but if it works for racers, itll work for you.
Get the bottom flat, get it balanced like I mentioned above, and THEN tell us what it does. Itll be easier once those variables are secured.
Thanks, James
