308jockey

Afternoon all,

I've gotten a bug to get a competitive .21 size tunnel hill to enter a race or two next year. I'm looking at two options. First is a Hotshot Sprint. The advantage to this boat is that I have one nearly done. It's maybe 10 hours from being complete. My second option is a VS-1. I like this one because it appears to come mostly built. I just don't have time to do a full build right now. My engine will be an OS .21 if it is available and a Thunder Tiger is my second choice. If all else fails I have a couple of K&B's I can use. I like the price of the VS-1. Is it still available and if so, from where? The Hotshot is the cheaper option but I would rather have the better hull whichever one that is. If you don't like either of these I'm open to suggestions as long is it doesn't become a long build. Just no time for it for the next few months. Thanks.

Rick H.

Outboard Jay

Rick,
Go with the OS 21 and the VS-1...Easy to get parts for the OS and the VS-1 is a proven winner...follow the instruction as given for the VS-1.
If you are going to race join NAMBA or most active governing body in your area...attend races and ask questions ...boaters are always ready
to answer ...especially if you also become a member of the area club ...check Ebay for some good prices on used OB's. Above all, take your
time and test,test and evaluate your progress...there's ALWAYS more to learn in the hobby.

Jay

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

^^^^^ Good advice. The VS-1 is a proven design and has won a lot of races with an OS hung on it. A great manual, well though-out by Mike and Jerry which make things so much easier to set up. You can have a VS-1 built in a day if you have everything.
The Hot Shot's are just outmoded for today's racing.

Here's the manual so you can look it over and if you decide to buy one you'll know exactly what you'll need to finish it.
http://manuals.hobbico.com/aqu/aqub0006-manual.pdf

308jockey

Thanks Ron that was very informative. I like this boat and will order one after Christmas. I hope they are in stock! Meanwhile I'll sand on the Hotshot just to keep busy and get it finished. I gather that TT engines are not available anywhere in the US right now? That sucks if so. I would put one on the Hotshot but the VS-1 will get an OS. My favorite brand for powering pretty much everything.

Rick H.

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

I haven't seen a TT in years. They're very heavy and wouldn't be a good choice on a Hot Shot. I remember them being not easy to tune and once people started messing with the low-speed needle they never could get them right again.
You don't see K&B .21's around much anymore since the OS started ruling the roost. MECOA isn't putting them out like they used to.

308jockey

Just curious but in what way are the Hotshots outdated? I'm not trying to argue, I just know very little about design. Looking at info on the VS-1 it has a few things on the bottom while the HS is just flat through the tunnel. Is the VS-1 fundamentally faster at a given weight, does it turn better and so on. Thanks for the help. I'll find something other than a TT for the Sprint. What other .21 outboards are available? I've only ever heard of TT, OS and K&B.

Rick H.

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Mostly with the Hot Shot's it was in the design, especially the tunnel section. Most have a tendency to porpoise until they get enough air under them to do its job. Today's designs are more aerodyamic with more of a wing design.
The first Hot Shot's came out in the late `70's and were awfully tail-heavy. At that time their main competition were the Midwest Products Klamp-on Kai and the Ed Hughey OB tunnel. Hull design has come a long way in that time in full-sized and RC boats of all types.
That's it as far as I know of for OB motors. The only others that I've seen are either other powerplants on K&B lowers or home-brewed ones. Some are now adapting other engines to the OS lowers or aftermarket ones like the Lawless units.

I see no argument here as asking questions is what these forums are all about. It's just like why any other hull type design is better or worse than another as they all may look pretty much the same but have subtle differences.
The original VS-1 used to have another name when Mike first made them at Power Surge Products, the "V" was the same as a boat produced by Traxxas so that's why it's the VS-1. He also had the Nemesis. The Villian was made for stock engines, the Nemesis for modded motors.

308jockey

Thanks Ron, that's interesting to know. I have a .45 HS Sprint and a pair of glass HS .21's, all with K&B's on them and you're right, all three porpoise, especially the smaller ones. I've trimmed one of those to run more nose down. It had been flying a bit high according some people who know more than I and was a pig to turn. Every time I tried a turn it would go through maybe 70% throw barely turning and then sort of hook and nearly spin out. I trimmed the nose down and it made a huge improvement. Don't know yet how much speed that may have cost me but it doesn't seem obvious enough to be noticeable. It never occurred to me that the center section of a tunnel hull flies but now that I think about it of course that's what it does! I'll be ordering a VS-1 very shortly after the holidays and am looking forward to it. Meanwhile the HS Sprint I have already is being final sanded and is near to a clear coat. I'm kind of looking forward to running that one. very much ready to get the new one though. With that I'll say Merry Christmas everyone and a Happy New Year. Hope it all goes well for all of us.

Rick H.

308jockey

I knew it! Called Great Planes today, the VS-1 is out of stock until late February. Don't what that really means so I'll call in early March. It's not like I don't have plenty of boats to run in the meanwhile weather notwithstanding.

Rick H.

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

I checked AquaCraft's site and Tower's. I see that they've dropped the Top Speed 3 also. That was usually a good second choice. I'm wondering if Mike has the Nemesis back on the drawing board. I'd ask but he doesn't say squat about what he's working on.

rctinman

My Feedback: (40)

Hi Rick..
I've got a NIB VS-1 I bought to put together for my Grandson, but he lost interest in the hobby. I have no interest in racing in this class, so it's up for sale. If you're interested, e-mail me at - [email protected]

Thanks,
Steve

Tombsy

I just replaced my well worn VS1 with a Vision Craft tunnel from Shawn Junker on International Waters. It's been getting pretty good reports and two of us in District 16 are going to give them a try. It's a gelcoated fiberglass hull, our VS1's have issues with water getting inside and turning the wood black even with added drains and resealing the epoxy.
The other hulls that are running well are the Lynx which is pretty much impossible to find, the Thor which is still a wood kit at this point and the kits from ML Boatworks.

308jockey

Steve email sent.

Rick H.

rctinman

My Feedback: (40)

Rick, e-mail and PM sent.

Thanks,
Steve