Mean Machine Catamaran (Sport)

[hkusp45]

WOW!!!

Im impressed! I would have never guessed 60 mph!!

[FE_Chris]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.......60MPH is fast man.

[Fluid]

This is probably faster than you could ever race it with other boats, race water would be too rough. I had to throttle it in the tight turns I had, but on the legal 1/6th mile course this would be a fun boat!

There is more speed there if all we wanted was SAW running, I used a small prop and no spoilers to keep the bow down. But on smooth water it behaved well and I could do some more tuning to settle it down a bit. But I'm like you, the hull is better than I expected. The main thing I have to concentrate on now is tuning for turning.


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[ReddyWatts]

WOW!, did you hear a sonic boom when it broke 60? This is a better hull than I first thought. What is its limit???

[Fluid]

Ready is right, I tend to think in terms of higher end cells; less potent cells deliver less power and the motors last longer.

OTOH, I ran my MM tonight with the 4S/Neu setup on fairly smooth water and here is the GPS. Five laps on a 1/10th mile course (it was a handful in the turns) and the motor was 115F, the ESC was 130F and the packs were 100F :)


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[ReddyWatts]

Are you getting a lot of water in your boat from the drive line? Add a drive Line seal. Use a rubber grommet or a piece of water line.

[SJFE]

Wow. How have they held up?

[Fluid]

A great thread, thanks RW. That total $ does exclude the second most expensive part - the cells. And 24 cells through a single direct drive XL is a lot, but it works for the OP.

An alternate plan with the same hull is to use a more conservative approach. IMO the MM is too small for 24 cells and works better with 12 to 18. Mine ran in the mid/high-30s on 12 IB3600 cells and a 10XL for 4+ minutes, or 45 mph with a hotter XL motor. I've hit mid 50s with 4S LiPos and a Neu motor running one mile oval heats, so the MM hull can handle power without the weight.

I guess all this proves is that there is more than one way to have fun with this hull without breaking the bank. :)


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[FE_Chris]

Thanks Man! So you can run a 14XL on 24 cells? WOW. I did not know this.

[ReddyWatts]

This is a converted Mean Machine Catamaran "Sport" build that is fast, reliable and economical for anyone new to brushless fast electric boats.

Fluid has provided a Mean Machine "Racing" build later in this thread. It can run in the 60's with a Neu motor, MGM controller, 6 inch rudder and lipos.

He also gives us a sport setup for the Mean Machine. 14.8 volts, 9XL Fiegao, M545 prop, MGM16024 controller.
(44 mph on lipo / 38.1 on NiMH)

This is my setup using a high voltage controller to lower the amps, using 24 IB 3600 NiMH batteries for reliability and cool running.

Video of Mean Machine running on 14XL and 24 NiMH cells using only 55 amps - 1400 watts at over 40mph

Video



Motor Feigao 540 / 14XL $69.00
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=fei-540XL

Controller HV 100 amp using 12 to 36 cells $99.99
http://www.hobbycity.com/hobbycity/s...(USA_Warehouse)

Pistix $17.99
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...rod=msw-pistix

OEMRC BESC Programming Card $8.30

https://www.unitedhobbies.com/UNITEDHOBBIES/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=2169

Batteries 24 -(IB3600 cells are more reliable than the higher capacity cells.)
24- IB3600 6 cell packs for $120.00
http://www.rcstation.com/index.php?cPath=81_264_278

http://www.proboatmodels.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=PRB3313

Motor mount $7.49
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...od=ose-drmount

Prop Y537/3 or X640 $14.50
[http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...d=oct-y537%2F3

Cable/drive shaft .150 3/16 drive cable $24.99
[http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...svcable&cat=70

Coupler 5mm - .150 flex coupler $9.95
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...oct-ocfhe5mm15

Strut $28.95
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...d=ros-21-strut

Speedmaster 21 Rudder 5.25" Long $39.95
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...=ros-21-rudder

hull - mean machine $155.00
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...p?prod=Aero-MM

Antenna Bruline antenna and mount $5.50
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...=dh-bruline110
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=aero-6030

radio/receiver/servo FM/radio $76.99
http://www.offshoreelectrics.com/pro...prod=dh-126751

$675.00 Total

The yellow hull is a converted nitro Mean Machine using the original hardware.. I was lucky and found a stripped down nitro hull for a great price. The blue one is still a nitro Mean Machine.

If you do a nitro conversion, you will need to add some carbon fiber, fiber glass or thin hobby plywood to the tunnel part of the hull for the motor mount. It is a little flimsy to handle the torque of the brushless motor.

Raise the bottom of the strut from 1/4 to 3/16 of an inch above the bottom of the boat.

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