Hi everyone,
I'm looking for advice on a strange problem with my Feilun FT010 hull after converting it to brushless power. This is an FT010-based brushless conversion, not an FT011.
The boat has a very unusual left-turn/right-turn behavior. I've spent quite a bit of time troubleshooting it, but I still haven't found the cause. 1. My setup
The boat uses the FT010 hull with a brushless power setup. The ESC and radio system have been changed as described above. 2. The main problem
The boat behaves very differently depending on which direction I turn.
Running straight:
Turning left:
Turning right:
In short, the boat cannot reach high speed by running straight alone. A left turn is required to get it onto plane, while a right turn makes it lose that state. After a right turn, simply straightening the steering and applying full throttle again is not enough; another left turn is needed to restore high speed.
This behavior has been present since I first used the boat. 3. What I have already checked
I have tried the following:
The motor shaft turns smoothly by hand and has no obvious play. The motor sound also does not seem to change significantly when the boat loses speed, although I have not measured the actual motor RPM. 4. What I would like help with
The most puzzling part is that the boat seems to switch between two different running states.
A left turn gets it onto plane, and it then stays fast even when running straight. A right turn makes it drop off plane, and it stays slow even after the steering is centered. Straight-line acceleration alone does not seem sufficient to restore the high-speed state.
Could this be caused by any of the following?
I would especially appreciate advice from anyone familiar with the Feilun FT010 hull or similar brushless RC speedboats.
Has anyone experienced a boat that can only get onto plane after turning in one direction, then loses that state after turning in the opposite direction, and cannot regain high speed until it turns in the original direction again?
I can provide photos of the hull and stern, as well as a video showing the boat accelerating after a left turn and losing speed after a right turn.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or troubleshooting ideas!
I'm looking for advice on a strange problem with my Feilun FT010 hull after converting it to brushless power. This is an FT010-based brushless conversion, not an FT011.
The boat has a very unusual left-turn/right-turn behavior. I've spent quite a bit of time troubleshooting it, but I still haven't found the cause. 1. My setup
- Hull: Feilun FT010 hull
- Motor: Original brushless motor used in my current setup; I have not replaced the motor during this troubleshooting process.
- ESC: ZTW Shark G2 60A marine ESC, with the BEC set to 5V
- Radio system: HOTRC CT-6A transmitter and receiver
- Steering servo: Replaced with a new servo
- Battery: I have tested two different batteries, and the problem occurs with both.
- Propeller: Original propeller
- Drive shaft: Replaced after I noticed that one bearing was not turning as smoothly as expected, but the problem remained.
The boat uses the FT010 hull with a brushless power setup. The ESC and radio system have been changed as described above. 2. The main problem
The boat behaves very differently depending on which direction I turn.
Running straight:
- Even at full throttle, the boat accelerates slowly and struggles to reach high speed.
- The bow stays relatively low, and the boat does not seem to get onto plane properly.
Turning left:
- As soon as I turn left, the boat suddenly accelerates and gets onto plane.
- The bow rises noticeably, the wake becomes much larger, and the boat runs significantly faster.
- Once I return the steering to center, the boat stays fast and can continue running straight at high speed.
Turning right:
- As soon as I turn right, even slightly, the boat immediately loses speed and drops off plane.
- The bow drops, and the boat slows down significantly.
- Returning the steering to center does not restore the speed. The boat continues running slowly even when going straight.
- Releasing the throttle and applying full throttle again does not restore high speed.
- The only way to regain high speed is to turn left again. The boat then accelerates, the bow rises, and it gets back onto plane, just as described above.
In short, the boat cannot reach high speed by running straight alone. A left turn is required to get it onto plane, while a right turn makes it lose that state. After a right turn, simply straightening the steering and applying full throttle again is not enough; another left turn is needed to restore high speed.
This behavior has been present since I first used the boat. 3. What I have already checked
I have tried the following:
- Replaced the ESC with the ZTW Shark G2 60A marine ESC. The problem remained.
- Replaced the steering servo. The problem remained.
- Replaced the transmitter and receiver with the HOTRC CT-6A system. The problem remained.
- Tested two different batteries. The behavior was the same with both.
- Confirmed that steering/throttle mixing is disabled on the transmitter.
- Separated the servo wiring from the ESC-to-receiver wiring. This made no difference.
- Disconnected the motor from the drive shaft and ran the motor unloaded. Moving the steering servo did not produce any noticeable change in motor speed.
- Tested the boat with the propeller immersed in a basin of water. With the throttle held steady, moving the steering left and right did not produce any noticeable change in motor sound or speed.
- Replaced the drive shaft because one bearing seemed slightly rough and noisy. The problem remained.
- Checked the drive shaft alignment and lubrication. I have not found any obvious binding or excessive movement.
The motor shaft turns smoothly by hand and has no obvious play. The motor sound also does not seem to change significantly when the boat loses speed, although I have not measured the actual motor RPM. 4. What I would like help with
The most puzzling part is that the boat seems to switch between two different running states.
A left turn gets it onto plane, and it then stays fast even when running straight. A right turn makes it drop off plane, and it stays slow even after the steering is centered. Straight-line acceleration alone does not seem sufficient to restore the high-speed state.
Could this be caused by any of the following?
- Hull balance or lateral/longitudinal center-of-gravity issues, especially battery weight and placement
- Hull-bottom geometry, running attitude, or asymmetric water flow around the stern
- Propeller rotation torque or another hull/propeller interaction
- An ESC/BEC power or signal issue that only appears when the steering servo is under load
- Another problem specific to the FT010 hull when converted to brushless power
I would especially appreciate advice from anyone familiar with the Feilun FT010 hull or similar brushless RC speedboats.
Has anyone experienced a boat that can only get onto plane after turning in one direction, then loses that state after turning in the opposite direction, and cannot regain high speed until it turns in the original direction again?
I can provide photos of the hull and stern, as well as a video showing the boat accelerating after a left turn and losing speed after a right turn.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions or troubleshooting ideas!