cooltruck64

im going to buy a rc boat and i was wandering if the blackjack 26 nitro or thundercat 31 nitro is better? which is faster?

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Out of those two, the Thunder-Cat by far.

black talon

My Feedback: (5)

the thundercat with a couple small mods beats the blackjack easily. no comparison.

cooltruck64

i was thinkin the blackjack just caust i like the looks of it but maybe i should just go ahead and get a thundercat. anyone on here have any cool paint jobs on a thundercat?

AQUAMAN69

If you like the BlackJack26ss then thats what you should get. I know that ProBoat has made many improvements to this model and there's not really a lot you need to do as far as upgrades are concerned. Its got all new hardware that's just as good as anything out there available from the aftermarket. You got the new Dynamite .18 to replace the .15 the old boat had in it. New Radio box etc..... Yea the thundercat is faster out of the box and it should be with a .32 in it. But its not a very strong motor for its size. the boat also weighs more with its extra 5 inches around it. Read the forum on this boat and you'll see what your gonna have to do to fix all the problems they have with them.Same as the shockwave 36. As with all RTR boats the usual electronics and prop up-grades are a must but thats really all the BJ26SS needs to be a very reliable boat. If your new to nitro anything you really dont want the fastest boat you can find from the start. Youll be real surprised at how fast 25-30mph is on the water in something so small. Im not telling what to buy just dont want your first experience to be a bad one(not saying anyone does). Ive been involved a very short time and believe me when i tell you there's a lot to learn. Anything you buy will have its problems. But from what i can tell; youd have more fun with the BJ26SS. Good luck in whatever you decide on. Either way Its a china made ProBoat . Future BJ26SS owner.

AQUAMAN69

P.s. Mr Ron Olsen and black talon are very respectable members of this this forum and know way more than i know about these rc boats and, if they say the thundercat is a better boat it probably is. I would think more so the hull than anything which is a very important choice but, as a beginner as i am; i was just reflecting on how much the bj26ss has improved and i think it would be a great first boat with lots of room to grow with it. Happy boating.

cooltruck64

yeah i have nitro cars/trucks i just have never had a boat so i want one.

AQUAMAN69

Yea, I run 1/8 buggy and, truggy,1/10 nitro stadium truck and nitro touring. Why i need a boat i dont know but i want one too.(lol)
Current Gulf coast winter champion in nitro truck for 08

cooltruck64

lol yeah same here/wife says i have tooo many hobbies so why do i need one.

srt10

My Feedback: (20)

What are the speed differences between the two out of the box?

RaceCraftRC

Not much the Thundercat may be a little faster but it is very slim. On a side note I race my thundercat with some Miss Vegas owners , they seem alot faster. But if I had to choose one Thundercat all the way!!

srt10

My Feedback: (20)

Great!
Why would you choose the TC31?

RaceCraftRC

LOL Its big and bigger is better!! It's easyer for me to work on because of the larger hatch, and huge engine bay. Because it is wide it's hard to flip during a tight turn. I have rolled my Blackjack a couple of time's it's no fun at all!

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

Here's what you should do. Go to You Tube and do a search on these boats. The BJ 26 is unstable in turns and not as fast. It has more issues than the TC 31.
I'm not a Pro Boat fan so the first time that I saw a TC 31 run I was actually impressed with it, not really that bad of a buy for the price. You'll have to worry less about water conditions with the slightly bigger boat.
We did some testing with Wave Waker's boat and after doing some prop, fuel and CG work we got some respectable speed out of it.

RaceCraftRC

Ron is there a fuel filter on that one?

cooltruck64

hmm i might be leaning towards a thundercat. there is a rc boat i saw on craigs list that a guy wants 325 for. it has a homelite engine in it. [email protected] he sent me some pics and it kinda looks homemade. it almost looks like the motor was just clamped in there but im not sure. i might go take a look at it.

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

I can't remember all that he did to it. He did use another fuel tank at the right rear sponson to move the CG back but left the stock one in place. Note the blue fuel lines in the shot.
We also upped the nitro to 65% and after browsing around in my prop box found an Octura M-445/3 that the boat really liked.

black talon

My Feedback: (5)

i seem to remember something about a bigger carb and explosions.

srt10

My Feedback: (20)

Ron, what kind of speeds are you getting out of your TC31 ?
Also what is the run time on a full tank?

Ron Olson

My Feedback: (1)

I don't own one, just helped to get that one dialed in. We got it just a hair under 50 on radar, not bad at all.

black talon

My Feedback: (5)

not to shabby, i've been thinking of trying that carb on my engine, i just don't want the engine to grenade on me.