Here is the good news: the Spartan is easily capable of the 50+ mph that the manufacturer claims. The bad news is that it isn't going to happen with what is in the box. I had to make some changes to the boat in order to get it to run fast without burning it out on 6s worth of LiPo batteries. Thankfully, none of the upgrades I did were terribly expensive. 50+ mph can be had for an investment of $30. For around $50, you can get 60+mph easily, reliably, and without having to worry about smoking the ESC or the motor.

Cooling System
This is the Spartan's Achilles Heel. The stock cooling arrangement is too narrow to allow much water to go through it, and since it is arranged in series, rather than in parallel, the motor ends up being 'cooled' with hot water. The silicone cooling jacket on the motor just makes things worse, because when hot water is forced into it under pressure, it leaks, which fills the interior of the hull with water. The first fix that needs to happen is to bore out the water pickup and the outlet. I step drilled the pickup and the nipple at the top of the rudder out to .096". When that was done, I drilled a hole in the outlet wide enough to fit a piece of 5/32" brass tube through. This will allow water to easily enter and exit the boat. Next, I stopped by the LHS and picked up 3 feet of 5/32" I.D. Tygon tubing and a pair of 'T' fittings. The Tygon tubing is a little stiffer than the silicone, so it is less prone to getting...Continue Reading