No dumb questions. An Octura or CNC m450 or x442 prop (or equivalent) is known to wake up the Recoil, the Octura must be sharpened but are more durable if you ever hit the prop on trash, the bottom, etc. Larger props (x445) can be faster, but they may cause the LVC to activate due to the increased amp draw. You can also spend an hour or two reading this thread:

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...R#post33837599


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I doubt that you would see a huge difference with a “better” battery. All the energy in an FE boat is in the battery, but unless you want to compromise reliability by installing a large prop I wouldn’t go crazy with top-end packs. A higher “C” rating might help a little, but don’t expect another 5 mph. A larger capacity (4400 mAh for example) would increase run time, but the extra weight might slow things down and negatively effect the self-righting. A 14.8 volt pack will increase speed, but would require a different ESC and perhaps a different motor.

If you want an additional battery to swap out to extend running time at the pond, I’d suggest a 11.1 volt 3200-3500 mAh 40-60C pack from a quality supplier. The HobbyKing Heavy Duty and Graphine packs are inexpensive but surprisingly good quality.


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I get most of mine at OSE, the CNC props are aluminum and don’t require balancing. Here is one, lots more available:

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pr...=cnc-4019250-R


The Octura props are hard beryllium copper metal, sharpened and balanced here:

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/proddetail.php?prod=SB-oct-x440


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The x442 is 2mm larger in diameter with slightly more pitch. It will work well, but bring the boat in after three minutes to see if the motor, ESC or pack is hot, it will probably be faster but that means it draws more amps, shortens run time a little and runs hotter. The CNC props are machined by computer, low labor costs, cheaper metal. In most cases these props are copies of Octura props, the latter has been supplying R/C boat propellers for over 50 years.

The Octura props are cast hard metal and require hand-balancing and sharpening - skilled labor is more expensive. Neither will survive hitting a rock, but even a small twig can damage the CNC prop while the hard copper prop will likely not be damaged. For most sport boating use the CNC props are fine.

The M designation means that part of the prop blade is removed to increase top speed slightly. This does reduce acceleration slightly. You want the standard left-handed prop, counter-clockwise rotation.


Propellers :: Fast Electric RC Boat Club

https://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pr...IaAvSjEALw_wcB

Without seeing the pack it’s difficult to say if it is safe to use....or even to safely store in the house. A slight puffing is usually okay, but anything more is not worth trying to save a few bucks if it risks a boat or house fire.

Why did it happen? That too is hard to say. Some packs will have a bad cell which can fail on the first use or on the twentieth. If the pack ever got really hot, if the pack got out of balance, if it was discharged too low or if one cell was overcharged - all these can shorten a pack’s life. Do you have a battery balancer? If not, you should. There are many available, the ones I use are like this:


HTRC Battery Meter 5-in-1 Digital Capacity Checker Battery Balancer Intelligent Cell Meter for LiPo / LiFePO4 / Li-ion/NiCd/NiMH Batteries Packs https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07K7BPFYB..._VvBTDbX7RJFPN
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