Detective

I'm new to the gasser world and I don't want to tramp on any anyones toes here but it seems real looking outdrives would be the way to go for that scale look. My first gasser is a Cat I am presently trying to put pieces together for. I've seen many Cat races and most have outdrives, I/O types not inboards. With that said I am looking hard at the S6 and Z Drive. The RCM looks nice but I can't find any real info on it. Arneson is to have something out in the spring of 08 but that doesn't help me now.
I have a 50" Forabuck Cat which will have the inline Zen I2. Yes I'm doing it. I figure you don't need to run WFO all the time and if it doesn't work in this hull I can transplant into something that it will. What are your thoughts on these drives?
There have been many questions on these, about an hors worth, but it seems everyone gets side tracked.
Any and all help would be appreciated.

yeeharacing

Unfortunately we seem to be having problems tracking down drives ourselves.
The RCM drive is in limbo, there are rumors of a new one coming out but no one knows for sure.
The MHZ drive is available as far as I know but it is extremely over priced and from what I'm hearing the support is horrible.
As far as I know Arneson is a full scale provider and doesn't provide drives for R/C.
HPR does have a scale version of the arneson drive and it is available as far as I know.

For that cat you would be better off going with a Top Secret or Speedmaster strut and rudder setup.

I myself have a project I put on hold because the RCM drives aren't available.

WATER_BUGG

I second that statement...

SS RC Boats

If you are planning to use an inline then the best set-up will be the Speedmaster or Top Secret strut and rudder.Why?Because an inline only has one shaft output,which means the drive will have to be bolted to the center of the transom.Real I/O offshore cats run their outdrives from the sponsors not the center of the hull.So using the MHZ or RCM drives will make your boat handle completely different from the real deal...unless you are mounting them to the sponsors.It can work but it will run different.Now to use any other stinger drive,wether it be M&D,PIRANHA or Rocket City Racing it will only work with them mounted to the sponsors,i have never seen a cat hull,real or r/c with surface drive mounted in the center of the hull.It will never work because your prop would not be in the water,so using M&D,PIRANHA or RCR stingers drives will never work.I have been around offshore boats since i was born,my father raced in the APBA Offshore circuit in the late 80's(National Champion) and we now race a 30'Spectre in Bermuda.Best of luck with your build!

Damon

Detective

Thanks to all. I never thought about it but you are correct as to outdrive placement. I can remember them as being I/O s and you have reminded me as to their placement.
Thanks.

SS RC Boats

Hey,not a problem!Nothing like a little advice,as i myself ask questions too.

Team S&S

Piranha Surface Drives

A Cat with a single engine, single prop..... will need a strut type setup.. unless you can run a gear box to 2 drives.
In a 50 in hull that would be tight...An old Ballantine strut would be the best , as they are the strongest..
Mine is not available yet...It will be like the old Ballantine , but with a few upgrades...

RcStargate

I have also bought from MHZ Company. The boat MHZ Mystic 1890 looked like ****t in the gluing of the bottom and top. Did order parts and got something Else. They explained it was old an new version. Picture on Web site was of old version and it was better than the New.
Not good at all. Had to modify also to dit rudder and rudder links.
Not gonna shop from them anymore.....

expresscraft

Can you post pictures? When you buy a boat that Are not shoe box fit were the deck overlaps the hull like a shoe box. and instead is known as a butt joint. where the deck and hull are flush but glasses together from the inside. there is a unfinished seam, and you need to do some filling and sanding, what most important is it's a good strong bonded seam. These type of boats are normally pretty scale models and are meant to be painted. Anyone painting fiberglass has to know there is prep work needed,Like removing release wax from gel coat, tapping boat to see it there are any air pockets left between (eggshell) gel coat and the fiberglass itself. Nobody want air, but it's better found and filled and sanded then found under a nice paint job. MHZ has a long history of great boats, The drives are scale items and are not for performance. I do not know the ones you have at all, so I am not disagreeing with you, And I do like to stay informed so I know what to tell our customers asking about there parts. Some of the old s6 drives looked nice, and worked fine with a stock motor. but the drive systems (gears) inside the units would fail with high HP. That was there biggest down fall. Modelers are all different though, I have had customers build beautiful boats, Run them 1 or 2 times to say the work and run nice, then they find there home on a mantel somewhere as a working piece of art. Not for me to say that is wrong. Lots of scale airplane guys are the same way. Modeling and racing are kind of two different worlds. If Justaddwater is still here on RCU. he would probably be a good source of information on this subject, Parts, boats, running and modeling, he has a nice fleet of models.