rfahey

i have built a airboat it is 46 inches long and 20 inches wide .weight is about 10 to 15 lbs . it is presently powerd by a weed whip motor swingin a 14 inch pusher prop . i want to change the motor and go to electric but dont know what size motor and esc to go with .any suggestions on a electric motor and where to purchase said motor would be helpful thanks. i just added pics of air boat to my gallery if you want to see it tey are not the best pics but they will do .

1QwkSport2.5r

I dont know what kind of weed wacker engine you had on there, but a 14" prop is a tad small unless its only 20cc - probably would go better with a 15" or 16" prop. 10-15 pound craft is going to need a beefy motor and lots of liPo. Imagine trying to move a bag of sugar with air. Brushless is going to be your best bet, and probably 3S or 4S at minimum.

Wish I was better help..

Got RPM

What are your speed goals for the boat? I ask because this big heavy boat could need a lot of power - and that gets expensive fast. I can't see you even equalling your gasser's performance with less than 10S power and a large format outrunner motor - like a Scorpion S-4035 or equivalent. Even then the prop size would be only about 13", not enough for that big hull if speed is important. Not trying to discourage you, but big electric boats are expensive and have limited run time available.


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DJLaPalme

I don't know if you have to have electric for noise or other issues, but if not, a new CY27cc gasser can be purchased for around $150.00. I don't think you will be less than 2 to 3 times that amount going electric. A CY is about as user friendly as it gets. Even has pull start. Another factor is water. If the CY gets wet just pull the plug and dry it off, turn it upside down and spin it over several times and it should fire right back up. If your esc gets wet you will need a new esc and possibly a new battery. Hope this helps. Dennis

skyblue

YOU SAY the boat weighs about 10 -15 lbs. You need to put the boat on a scale to find the true weight. Weight the boat without the motor also.For electric the rule of thumb is 100 watts per pound .If the boat weighs 10 lb you need a 1000watt motor at least. Battery would be about 5s - 6s lipo ( 5000ma).

1QwkSport2.5r

True, it does need to be legitimately weighed. BUT given the hull size (46"x20") and originally powered by a weed wacker engine.. That is going to need a serious chunk of a motor (both in size and price) plus batteries.

I found a site that talks about kV per pound rules on airplanes. The medium is different, but the idea being the same. I would think 200+ watts per pound is going to be more realistic to give it enough oomph to get some actual speed. Maybe I'm wrong - I'm not an electric guy.

The way I see it, that boat either should stay Gas, or build a smaller hull for electric. That would probably cost a chunk of ching to set up. Perhaps a dual motor setup might power it better/more efficiently than one large motor but its gonna be expensive either way I think..