Radio Controlled Boats – Styles of Hulls

The next important choice is which style of radio controlled boat hull to choose. If your are planning a scale project, your choice will clearly be determined by the full-size craft you want to model. But sport, racing and sailing boat hull types present very different characteristics. In general, there are two hull classifications: monoplane and hydroplane.

MONOPLANES Monoplane hulls have one uninterrupted surface in contact with the water. Monoplane hulls can be divided into 2 subcategories: deep-V’s and shallow-V’s.

Deep-V’s. For the part monoplane hulls are deep-V’s. This typical layout brings the keel to a sharp point well below the surface of the water. The underside of the boat is sloping upward steeply toward the hull’s sides, resulting in a radio controlled boat that knifes through the water with a comparatively large wetted surface area. This style of hull is stable at all speeds and provides sharper steering reaction. The downside is that the added hull surface that contacts the water causes drag that limits top speed. Still, with the right power system and proper fine-tuning, these radio controlled boats are quite fast especially for the beginner.

Shallow-V’s are the faster of the two monoplane types because they run with a lesser amount of surface area in contact with the water. The shallower keel vee-angle produces a flatter bottom that causes less drag. The downside is that not as much of contact with the water means less stability, so they are more tricky to control and demand more accurate trimming. Shallow-v’s are very popular for entry-level racing, this type of radio controlled boat or the so-called Cracker boxes 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 hydro’s.

Tunnel hulls are most often associated 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 velocity, 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 identical principle as tunnel hulls and fluctuate only in shape . They have more steeply angled sponsons much like deep-v’s monos with a tunnel along the center. A catamaran tunnel tends to be taller and narrower than a tunnel hull’s, so it takes longer to preserve stability. These also, are a good beginner model.

Outriggers are at the peak 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; some even run at more than 90 miles per hour! The stumbling block is that they’re designed to work best at full throttle. At slow speeds, they sit too low in the water and don’t handle well. Also, they are the least forgiving when it comes to setting the trim.

Stepped hydroplane hulls have notches perpendicular to the center line that divide the wetted surface into two or more sections. These notches pick up 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 diverse 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, three-point hydro’s travel on 2 tiny areas of the forward sponsons and the centrally located propeller at the stern.

Any way you look at it radio controlled boats are a wonderful way to spend a sunny afternoon. Take the time to enjoy the activity and spend time with your kids and friends.