Remote Control Boat – Styles of Hulls
The next substantial choice is which style of radio controlled boat hull to pick out. If your are setting up a scale project, your preference will apparently be determined by the full-size craft you desire to model. But sport, racing and sailing boat hull types show very unusual personality. In general, there are two hull classifications: monoplane and hydroplane.
MONOPLANES Monoplane hulls have one continuous surface in contact with the water. Monoplane hulls can be divided into two subcategories: deep-V’s and shallow-V’s.
Deep-V’s. Generally monoplane hulls are deep-V’s. This traditional layout brings the keel to a sharp point well beneath the surface of the water. The underside of the boat is angled upward steeply toward the hull’s sides, resulting in a radio controlled boat that knifes through the water with a relatively large wetted surface area. This style of hull is stable at all speeds and provides sharper steering reaction. The downside is that the extra hull surface that contacts the water causes drag that limits top speed. Still, with the correct power system and proper tuning, these radio controlled boats are quite fast specially for the beginner.
Shallow-V’s are the faster of the two monoplane types because they run with less surface area in contact with the water. The shallower keel vee-angle produces a flatter bottom that causes less drag. The downside is that a reduced amount of contact with the water means less stability, so they are more tricky to control and demand more defined trimming. Shallow-vees are very popular for entry-level racing, this type of radio controlled boat or the so-called Crackerboxes being the most common.
HYDROPLANES Hydroplanes maintain more than 1 surface in contact with the water. They consist of tunnel hulls, catamarans, outriggers and stepped hydros.
Tunnelhulls are generally often connected with full-size racing boats. They get their designation from the raised center part of the hull. 2 outer sections or sponsons sit in the water with a tunnel between them. As the boat gains speed, air builds up in this tunnel and raises the boat higher out of the water. This reduces the surface area that contacts the water. This means less drag and higher speeds, while the relatively wide spacing of the sponsons maintains stability. This design provides a excellent balance of speed and handling for beginners.
Catamarans (cats) work on the same principle as tunnelhulls and fluctuate only in profile . They have more steeply angled sponsons much like deep-v’s monos with a tunnel along the center. A catamarns tunnel tends to be taller and narrower than a tunnelhull’s, so it takes longer to preserve stability. These also, are a good beginner model.
Outriggers are at the top of the performance ladder; their sponsons and main hull are separate pieces. This improves the airflow at high speeds, so outriggers are the fastest radio controlled boats; a number of even run at more than 90 miles per hour! The disadvantage is that they are intended to work best at full throttle. At slow speeds, they sit too low in the water and do not handle well. Moreover, they are the least forgiving when it comes to setting the trim.
Stepped hydroplane hulls have notches perpendicular to the centerline that divide the wetted surface into 2 or more sections. These notches get the radio controlled boat up on step earlier, and that improves performance. At speed, these notches lower the wetted area, reducing drag. This hull type includes a varied group, from simple deep-v’s with little steps in the hull, to three-point hydro racers such as the full-size Miss Budweiser turbine-powered, unlimited hydroplane. At full speed, 3-point hydros ride on 2 small areas of the forward sponsons and the centrally situated propeller at the stern.
Any way you look at it radio controlled boats are a excellent way to spend a sunny afternoon. Take the time to enjoy the sport and spend time with your kids and friends.