Deciding on an RC boat hull design requires that you take several things into consideration. You need to weigh what type of area you will be using the remote control boat in. This will make some determinations for you, as we will later discuss.
One of the most important is hull configuration. Of course you have the option of choosing either an electric rc boat or a gas powered rc boat. No matter what type of power source you choose the speed and stability are still determined by the hull type. Let us take a look at what options are available.
Hydroplane or Catamaran Hull Designs- With this hull configuration there are two or three surfaces that contact the water. Two things result from this type of design the first being less surface area is in contact with the water and the second is that air is trapped under the hull. What is produced by this trapped air is called “lift”. This reduces the friction between the radio controlled boat and the water thereby causing the speed of the boat to increase.
Catamaran and hydroplane hull configurations are usually responsible for the fastest RC boats. The disadvantage to this hull types is stability in rough or choppy water. If the water is choppy high speeds are usually not attainable. On flat surfaces the speed attained by your radio controlled boat can be truly incredible.
Mono Hull Configuration – This hull design has a single surface that is constantly in contact with the water. Often referred to as a “V-Hull”, the mono hull provides the best stability for radio controlled boats in choppy water.
There are two types of V-hull designs, one is the “Deep-V and the second is the “Shallow-V”. The Deep-V is the most popular type for remote control but the Shallow-V is a close second. The Shallow-V will usually go faster with equivalent power because it has less surface area in contact with the water. However, if surface conditions are rough the Deep-V is more stable and will outperform the Shallow-V.
Buying a radio controlled boat will result in you having to some compromises. If it is sheltered where you operate your radio controlled boat you may enjoy having a catamaran or hydroplane design and the increased performance that is available from this hull type. If on the other hand you are operating in a rougher environment I highly recommend you stick with the Deep-V designed hull.
When it comes to racing RC boats they are normally broken down by hull configuration due to performance differences. So, no matter what style of boat you get you will be able to both have a great time and compete against other RC boat enthusiasts .
