blawton_25

I used to be into RC airplanes but for one reason or another haven't done anything with my equipment for several years. I have two airplane engines that I want to try to make work in a RC boat. Is this possible?

Quicksilver1

I guess it would depend on exactly what engine and what boat. You should convert it to watercooling, but youll need compatible engines, if you dont convert it your going to need the boat to be open for air cooling.

green-boat

An air boat would be the easiest to do with an airplane engine.

hdboater

Im exactly in your shoes. i was into airplanes for years and decided to move to boats. i had multiple airplane engines laying around. I am building a airboat right now for one of them. they are old magnum pro motors so converting them to watercooling was going to be impossible so a airboat is my best and cost effective option. well good luck and have fun ,have not run one yet but it looks like an airboat with a flat bottom is a blast. Just thought id share that with ya.

Blackjack52

You'll have to be careful with what the rpms can push. Remember, the engine has to push alot harded (more weight and through a different medium), so torque/amp/heat will be the limiting factors tp consider.

Flabum

Airplane engines are designed to have forced air to keep them cool, the prop supplies that air. If you were to put in in a boat (other than an airboat) you would likey end up with an overheated engine unless the engine were to be above the deck level.

The actual bolting up would not be too difficult, you would need a starter pully and a shaft collet to fit your engine.

As recommeneded above, I think an airboat would be the way to go...they are fun, you can even run them on wet grass and snow.
Dumas makes a couple Swamp Buggy kits. You can also check out the Airboat board here if your'e into scratch building.

Quicksilver1

could do that, but what about a small shallow vee hull, with floatation. Seal everywhere the motor wont be, stick the head though the open top of the hull. make some crude attempt to water cool it and start with a small prop setup, and work your way up. I might also say you should run it fast, for more cooling

skoda450

Octura and Dumas still make clamp on water jackets for glow engines from 60 down to 21 size. They also make flywheels and couplings for the drive conversion. Check them out.

martno1fan

how big is the engine?if its say a size 20 it will be fine air cooled if its bigger say a 40 it needs water cooling.i made my sc 61 water cooled like this and it runs well in a deep v with submerged drive.however you will need a fly wheel for starting it i bought one for mine as they make sc marine motors as well as air and it fitted straight on.depending on what motor you have will determine if you can get the right size fly wheel to use the v belt to start it.by the way in the pic of my engine you will notice it still has the prop spacer on it which i removed to put the flywheel on.also ignore the zip ties they were temporary while i soldered the tubing together.to make the coil tape one end and fill with sand or water, pour some out to 1 inch from top tape it up then coil it round the head easy!![img][/img]

jetpack

My Feedback: (1)

You might run into flywheel mounting problems.

Flywheel collets come in a good range of ID's from Octura to adapt a flywheel onto the propshaft, but the propshaft should have a ground diameter for it to clamp on. If the propshaft is threaded all the way to the shoulder right at the inner race of the front bearing, you will be clamping the taper collet onto cut threads, which will cause a runout or vibration problem or simply come loose all the time on you.

Another thing to consider is flywheel to carb clearance, sometimes a front intake will be too far forward to clear the carb to the flywheel.

Another stumbling block is having a full assortment of flywheels and carbs to mix and match if there is a clearance problem.

The front bearing could be recessed to fit properly to the shoulders on the shaft, and the flywheel might hit the bearing cup before it bottoms out on the inner race to tighten the flex coupler.

Look for a coupler with a pilot diameter, it will increase the amount of thread engagement.

If there IS a marine version available for the same basic block, you can swap out just the crankshaft to the marine version also, and wipe out any headaches that way.

If the motor is available with a large fin car head (sometimes the smaller motors are built as marine, air, heli, and car...just with simple parts swapping) look for a used parts basket with one in it. They are popular replacement items.

There is usually no magic between the air and marine versions other than the crankshaft they put in, and a one or two-piece head jacket.

mrfixitwhite

my 2 penny's worth here!
if you your not swayed by any particular model yet -you also have hovercraft tagged in there as well! they'll go some with a plane engine strapped on 'em!
or even a different style of Airboat -like a 3 pointer
but obviously they dont come in kits -theyre all scratch built
please excuse my hovercraft -it was a work in progress at the time!
Airboats though are quick to build and REAL quick to run! some serious fun to be had there!
good luck!

Flabum

Have to say, that is an interesting looking hovercraft

mrfixitwhite

cheers Flabum! i think! lol
heres a link for a video of it round my garden!
http://www.rc-hovercrafts.com/photoc...ovmk3small.wmv
goes really well i thought

cwaterhunter

hi i bought a OS MAX fp.. 40 where the guy did the same thing with tubeing,,it came with a flywheel and collet,, its not pretty but i think it will ne fine i just have to deside what kind and size hull to put it in,, i have been into cars and trucks for a while getting into boats..i also have a cheep 22 inch ele boat iam gonna convert to nitro this winter.. thinking of useing a .15 water colled i got.. also on e-bay.. i love that place lolif anyone would like to see a pic of the OS let me know... mark