Using RC Plane stuff for boat application

[electriceye]

Hi, I have searched but can't find the answer I'm looking for so perhaps someone can help? I have the electrics spare from a Park Zone Mustang (installed own, better electrics). I am thinking of building a simple RC Boat for a bit of fun and I can't see why I can't use all these in a simple boat ( ESC, Servo and 480 brushed motor-or have a spare 370 brushed motor if better, plus a selection of NiHm batteries). Being UK it is 27Mhz which I think is OK for boats. One question though, how do you water proof the prop shaft, or can you buy prop shaft assemplies from LHS that are waterproof (i.e. water won't leak up the prop shaft). If sealed/ waterproofed can you build a speed boat from depron, using balsa/ply for main bulkheads, motor mounts etc?

If you can recomend any threads sites or similar with a scratch build, simple boat layout/plans using this type of RC, I'd be gratefull.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

[Kmot]

All your electronics can be used. In the USA, 27mhz is legal for surface use as well as air use. It is a shared frequency in the USA. Sorry, don't know about the UK.

For the prop shaft, you will need to run it through an outer brass tube, referred to as the "stuffing box". When the shaft is used in a stuffing box, you put grease in there and it prevents water from seeping up inside the boat.

You can certainly build from Depron, or in fact any medium you wish.

[Ghost 2501]

Hi, I have searched but can't find the answer I'm looking for so perhaps someone can help? I have the electrics spare from a Park Zone Mustang (installed own, better electrics). I am thinking of building a simple RC Boat for a bit of fun and I can't see why I can't use all these in a simple boat ( ESC, Servo and 480 brushed motor-or have a spare 370 brushed motor if better, plus a selection of NiHm batteries). Being UK it is 27Mhz which I think is OK for boats. One question though, how do you water proof the prop shaft, or can you buy prop shaft assemplies from LHS that are waterproof (i.e. water won't leak up the prop shaft). If sealed/ waterproofed can you build a speed boat from depron, using balsa/ply for main bulkheads, motor mounts etc?

If you can recomend any threads sites or similar with a scratch build, simple boat layout/plans using this type of RC, I'd be gratefull.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

27mhz is fine for boats, perfectly legal.
as for the waterproofing of the shaft, simply get a hyperdermic seringe filled with axle grease and inject it up the shaft before sliding propshaft up said tube, thats all I do and it works.

not sure if depron film will hold up to the rigors of pounding against water, however balsa will, so go for wooden structure, however there are plenty of simple kits from ripmax, robbe, graupner, dumas, billings etc for the beginner, not all of them speed boats though, however a good speed boat for a beginner, try the Ripmax Interceptor or Grupner Salinas, (you will need two motors for that though)

you may run into trouble if your esc is forward only, and you need to reverse, but apart from that your radio gear and motor sounds fine.

by the way the stern tube is sometimes calles "stuffing box" because you STUFF grease into it

[Deestingray]

What kind of boat are you thinking of building?? There is a thread in "Racing boats(electric) called My Second Boat(Homebrew) that is a little 15inch V hull, and old mate has been kind enough to post the plan for it. A very simple design that should suit your electrics quite well.
As far as building from depron, I and some others have found that it is great as a building medium however tends to be a little soft and flexes quite easily in a boat application. I built a V hull using 6mm as the bulkheads and sheeted it with 3mm, it looked great but didn't withstand sticks etc in the water, I actually pierced the hull so I sheeted over the top in balsa and haven't really had a problem since.