RC Boat Hull Configuration Choices
Posted by admin on October 4th, 2009 filed in Steam Engine Kits
Deciding on an RC boat hull design requires that you consider several things. Give some though to what type of water you will be using the remote control boat in. This will make some determinations for you, as we will later discuss.
Hull configuaration is probably the single biggest decision you have to make. Sure you have the options of electric RC boats, gas powered remote control boats and more. No matter what type of power source you choose the speed and stability are still determined by the hull type. Lets take a moment as look at the various options available.
Hydroplane or Catamaran Hull Designs- With this hull configuration there are two or three surfaces that contact the water. As a result, in this design, reduced surface area is in contact with the water which also reduces friction but more importantly air is trapped under the hull. This trapped air provides a phenomenon known as “lift” to occur. This reduces the friction between the radio controlled boat and the water thus causing the speed of the boat to increase.
The fastest radio controlled boats are usually either hydroplanes or catamaran hull types. One drawback to this hull configurations is lack of stability on choppy surfaces. If the water is rough high speeds are usually not attained. On flat surfaces the speed attained by your radio controlled boat can be truly incredible.
Mono Hull Type – Mono hull designs consist of a single surface area that is constantly in contact with the surface of the water. Often called as a “V-Hull”, the mono hull provides better stability for radio controlled boats in rough water.
This configuration is further broken up into two categories, the “Deep-V” and the “Shallow’V”. The Deep-V is the most popular design for RC but the Shallow-V is a close second. The Shallow-V has less surface area in contact with the water when the boat is under power and consequently can go faster. Once again the draw back is that if the surface conditions are choppy the Deep-V is more stable and can outperform a Shallow-V hulled radio controlled boat.
Buying a radio controlled boat will result in you having to some compromises. If it is calm where you operate your radio controlled boat you may enjoy having a catamaran or hydroplane design and the increased performance that is available from this hull type. If on the other hand you are operating in a choppier environment I highly recommend you stick with the Deep-V designed hull.
When racing radio controlled boats they are always broken down by hull design due to performance differences. So, no matter what style of boat you get you will be able to both have a great time and compete against other remote control boat owners.
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