marcelaw

I’ve seen very little information about this boat anywhere on the web…it’s a relatively new release. One thread here: [link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8164534]New guy, New Boat. Have a look at this...[/link] I picked one up recently at my LHS, and thought I’d share my experience.

I’m new to R/C, and my first boat was an Aquacraft SV27 Nitro…cool fast boat, but I was having too many issues, mainly with the driveline (stripped motor mount, coupler slipping, broken flex shaft, broken FRP props, lost prop shaft/bushing/metal props, etc). Every time I ran the SV27, something broke. Decided I would try to find a more reliable boat, so went to my LHS and picked out the Outlaw 7.5. So far, WOW, what a difference the extra $200 made.

General Observations:
1) The build quality, hardware, and fit/finish on this boat seem top notch compared to the SV27, at least to my newbie eyes. So far I have 4 tanks through it, and no broken parts.
2) 3/16 flex shaft looks high quality, no issues yet
3) Stock Prather 230 prop is working great…but can’t wait to try something new
4) Love the clutch setup…you can gently set the boat in the water rather than tossing, and also come to a complete stop with engine running
5) The magnets holding the hatch on work great
6) It seems like it would be difficult to lose prop shafts/props with this boat. The prop shaft is held securely in the strut, and would not come out with broken flex shafts unless you also lost the prop nut and drive dog at the same time. The only way to lose the prop would be to lose the prop nut.

Some learnings so far:
1) Starting is difficult, even with the glow plug loosened a bit. A regular starter on a 12v 7Ah “field tote” type battery is not enough to get it going. You can crank for an hour on that setup, and never get it started. As soon as I hook up to a running car as if you’re jumping another car it fires right up. This could get better the more tanks I get through it…but that’s where I am right now. The manual suggests 18-24v to get it going…and they mean it!
2) 35.2 mph GPS at sea level, in 65 degree air at 1.25-1.5 turns out on the low speed, 2 7/8 turns out on the high speed needle, and with 30% nitro. I may be able to lean a bit more on top…
3) I’ve lost control of it once and gave it some cement rash. Did not break a single piece of the hardware on the back. Make note…it was caused by these two issues
a. We put the GPS on the right side toward the transom, caused the boat to have trouble turning left
b. There is an 8mm nut that holds the throttle lever onto the throttle rotor. The nut became loose (didn’t know it was there…much less tight) and the boat went to WOT, in a left turn[sm=cry_smile.gif]
4) Moving the strut/prop/trim tabs slightly positive(up) really woke the boat up and improved the ride attitude.
5) Check bolts for tightness regularly (you pros already do that). My header and head bolts came loose after a couple of runs…needed some blue Loctite.

Video of me running it here: [link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xq1tbBcEHU8]Outlaw 7.5[/link]

I'm very happy with the boat so far, and hope this helps anyone else considering the Outlaw!!

Hesco Racing

This is a good looking boat.

1. Please do not stop dead on the water as you do not have a water pump and the heat increase is quite quick and accelerating then would cause sudden cool down and wear your sleeve will wear away quickly. TT motors are long run in motors at least 3-4 liters before they start making some good power.

2. Check if your cable can be removed through the skeg in which case with a cable break you will lose the prop. If so machien a groove through the skeg and use a lock goller to stop that.

marcelaw

Hesco,

Thx for the tip on stopping. Definitely aware the cooling stops when the boat stops...if I do stop, it's usually only for a secord or two. Good idea to keep that to a minimum, esp during break-in.

I'll post a pic later of the strut/shaft...easier than trying to explain the design. I think you'll understand why I think it's a nice setup.

marcelaw

Here are a couple of pics of the strut/shaft setup. This could be a common design for all I know.

A broken flex cable would probably not cause you to lose the prop shaft/drive dog/prop. It's hard to tell from the pic but the shaft and mount for the flex cable is all one solid piece of metal. I hope it holds up...

Hesco Racing

That's how I make my shafts. And yes you wont loose your prop.

creativ

I am interested in the this boat as it looks like it is ready to go as is right from the hobby shop. I race a mono now with a .45 in it of course it is a different more race ready engine. The speeds I get are around 57 to 62. I am wondering if I could get the engine that comes with this boat to run that fast without breaking and I wonder if the boat can handle that speed.

I have raced boats in the past for different brands but don't like that they are too expensive for most people, hard to get, or require a long wait. I prefer to promote boats people can get (at least some version of it) right at their local hobby shop, just like the cars.

marcelaw

Update...

1) Probably have 1/2 gal of fuel through it now
2) Except for the servo that I screwed up (operator error), still no issues with the boat. I've swapped stock servos for Futabas.
3) Starting problems solved. I'm using two 8.4v NiMH stick packs in series with my Hobbico 90 starter and it fires right up every time. Had to make a banana>deans adapter, wasn't too bad. Pics attached.
4) With strut slightly positive I'm getting 36.8mph GPS ([link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UxW4jm5Ss8]Video Here[/link]). Tends to porpoise a bit, so need to move it back down some.

Creativ, sorry I'm not the guy to answer your questions on the engine/hull capabilities.

RKS1949

marcelaw,try adjusting the trim tabs down a little,this will help in the porposing. In the first video, it looks like the boat is running "wet". Make one adjustment at a time,and check the results. The boat looks great! I too was looking at one on the net,thinking ditch the clutch,change the prop,-! Ron

TCHedOff

Marcelaw, I was reading an article by John Finch (I believe) on rudders the other day and how they can be used to change how a boat rides and handles. He stressed that trim tabs are a last resort because they induce additional drag and playing with rudder length can address things like porposing more ideally. Maybe someone more knowledgable than me can chime in, but I think it was that longer rudder will tend to lift the transom and reduce/eliminate porpoising. Anyone else (or remember the article or posted thread I'm thinking of???)

marcelaw

RKS1949, you're correct...from first vid to second, I adjusted tabs up and strut up at the same time...will adjust the tabs back to neutral before next run. You might find you like the clutch...I certainly do, and can't see how it would rob much power.

Purchased two props this week...Prather 235 (stock is 230) and an Octura X450/3 from Aeromarine. I wouldn't have picked the Octura 3 blade, but the guy at Aeromarine said their .45 monos really like that prop, so figured I'd try it. Have them sharpened and balanced...if the weather holds up today I'll get them out and post results later.

A few other changes...went to a 6v receiver pack, and added 2oz hopper fuel tank.

marcelaw

Did some prop testing tonight...weather sucked, but got a few minutes on the two new props:
Prather 230 - 36.8mph (Stock prop 1.9x3.0)
Prather 235 - 35.5mph (2.0x3.2)
Octura X450/3 - 36.9mph (1.97x2.76)

Overall was most impressed with the X450/3...gained a bit up top, and handling through corners was great. I plan to play with the X450 more tomorrow to see if I can get any more out of it. With the new Prather 235, RPMs and mph were down a bit...guess I need some engine mods to spin that one .

marcelaw

Latest numbers on the new props:
Prather 235 - 36.2mph
Octura X450/3 - 39.6mph

Tried the Prather 235 one more time...still seems to be a bit much for it.

I couldn't be happier with the Octura X450/3...gained 3mph over the stock prop, and handling is excellent. The Octura makes the boat ride a little "drier" and gives a much better hole shot with less cavitation than the 2 blade props. Boat ran better today...was using a Megatech glow plug (MTC16192) that it seemed to like better than the OS8, and it was cooler and much less humid than last night. Porposing is gone since I dropped the tabs back to neutral.

Was a great day on the lake! Would be cool to see 40mph with only a prop change...need to scuff the bottom, and tune some more!

bigcam406

nice boat for the buck! watched the video and was really impressed.keep us posted on how your mods are working.from what ive seen already that boat kicks a**

bigcam406

also was wondering if anyone had any info on where this boat is manufactured,and how reliable the engine is,anyone have any other experiences with this product.looks like a great deal for the price.thx

bent_wrench

My Feedback: (2)

Another thread on this boat.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8164534/tm.htm

bigcam406

ive read both threads and watched the vids.the reason im asking is i know this is a fairly new product,and i know TT airplane engines have a good rep from what ive read.im kind of wondering if you and marcelaw followed the exact break in instructions or did you break them in a different way.sorry for all the questions,but this product has really impressed me,and im trying to find out as much as possible.

marcelaw

Ok, new top speed...41.4mph using Octura X450/3 and 15% Nitro!!! I couldn't believe it when I looked at the GPS. I knew it was running faster, but not another 2mph faster

Two main changes from the 39.6mph run:
1) 15% fuel instead of 30% (yes 15%, that's not a typo)
2) Ditched the clutch

My clutch shoes finally went south, and parts were backordered from TT, so rather than wait, I ditched the clutch. Mod was pretty easy, just bought 5mm to .187 flex coupler from Offshore Electrics, and cut off the posts that hold the shoes/springs on the flywheel. Then had to notch the crankshaft so the set screws would not slip on the shaft. Worked great! Got a run or two in without clutch and speeds were down (probably becasue I had to use the Prather two blade prop since a Turtle took out my Octura X450).

On the fuel, my LHS ran out of the 30% fuel I've been buying (Powermaster Pattern Blend 30%, 20% Synthetic oil), so I had to get Powermaster 15%, 18% Synthetic/Castor blend. It's harder to start on 15%, so that sux...but after some tuning and a hotter OS A3 glow plug it's really running great on the lower nitro/oil fuel. I can't explain why, but this thing must like lower nitro, or lower oil content, or a mix of castor oil, or all of the above.

So tonight, with my Octura X450/3 hammered back into shape (after turtle strike), it hit 41.4...very cool.

As far as problems, only thing I'm having a little trouble with is keeping the flex shaft secured into the prop shaft. It keeps un-screwing itself from the prop shaft due to spinning motion and torque, causing the shaft to lengthen and start pushing on the motor. I'm using Loctite to try to keep it secure which is working pretty well. I suggest keeping an extra prop shaft and flex cable on hand to swap them out if you run into this.

marcelaw

I think the break-in instructions say no nitro. I ran my neighbor's 15% for the first tank, and then 2 gallons of 30% after that...no problems with my engine.

bigcam406

too bad about the clutch.thats one of the things i liked about the boat.it seems you have that outlaw dialed in real good.kinda weird that the motor likes less nitro for some reason.you'd think that more % of nitro would equal more power.anyways keep us posted on anymore mods,and thx for the reply.

cuda_tmaxx

My Feedback: (2)

The difference in speed is probably not because of the fuel but rather the removal of slippage in the system by removing the clutch.

bondobuster

And perhaps the motor loosening up as well.....

srt10

My Feedback: (20)

I think that is the biggest reason, and they get faster as more fuel is run through..

has anyone modded this motor to see what kind of power one can get

and where can one pickup this boat?

great job on the speed increases!

marcelaw

I've been meaning to post latest speed...42.3...which is the highest yet. I was running 15% nitro with an OS A3 plug. On the same day, I had about 4-5 ounces of 30% left from the last can, so I tried it again with 30% and an OS #8 (cooler for the higher nitro), and speed dropped to 40.9. 40.9 is the highest speed I've seen with the 30%, so I do think the engine is loosening up.

I did not do major tuning when I swapped back to the 30% since I didn't want to mess up my 15% tune for obvious reasons. It's possible the 30% would run better if I spend some more time tuning with it.

FYI...THE BAD NEWS, I lost my hatch cover on the 42.3mph run!! Hit a rough spot, got out of shape and the hatch flew off. It hit the water and floated for about 2-3 minutes and then sank. It had flotation from TT(seen in pics), but it's not enough. When I bought the boat, I threw the hatch in a bathtub and also in my lake and it floated fine...so beware, it needs more flotation!!

bigcam406

42.3 is flyin.great job on the tuning.too bad about the hatch.are you having any problems still with the adapter for the flexshaft coming loose?

srt10

My Feedback: (20)

I would love to know how this motor would run on a good tune using 60% nitro!