New RC boat build

Hello, new to this forum but thought it would be a great place to start. I bought a hull about 20 years ago and has been sitting in my basement ever since. With more time and money than I had when I was a teenager I thought it would be a fun project to finish. It idea 46.5 inch hydrofoil/catamaran. I think the first step would be to pick an engine and engine size and go from there. Does anyone have suggestions I've seen boats this size with gas engines ranging from 3.5 hp up to 7 hp. I'll try to upload some pictures. Thank you,

Scott

Welcome snwbrder

I have no experience of this type of boats, but the Forum owner Aron (Roadrunner) does and I am sure he will be able to offer advice.
Do I guess from your reference to Gas Engines that you are not based in the UK? It would help when giving advice what part of the world you live in.

Barrie

Hi Barry,

I live in the United States but I'm going to assume the same engines are used worldwide, seems like zenoah are one of the most popular engines.

Thanks again!

Scott

Zenoah are a popular choice with Americans in power boats, less so nowadays in hydros, simply because the latest brushless motors can achieve the same power or greater less the cost of the engine!

There are knock off Chinese zenoahs but be cautious with those as they tend to be very poor quality long term.

Word to the wise the moment you fit an engine to a boat your in a whole other bored game, not only in expense but in terms of what that engine will do...

All engines including zenoahs do not have clutches nor gear boxes fitted at entry level... and a clutch is highly recommended to at least save your fingers from that prop. Once an engine starts that prop is turning and believe me I have see fingers whipped off on a night tuned And razor edges prop! And that is said for brushless motors too! 

My advice since I’m in the Uk, we dont get the same access to the zenoahs easily ( or at least cheaper than the USA) would be to locate a local club to aid you in sourcing and providing you 1 to 1 help in setting up. We can offer some help and guidance but I can’t judge your boat and it’s needs based of its size, a lot is dependant if you want a hobby knock about quick boat or a competition ready monster..FYI I only did competition racers so what info I can offer will be based on unlimited budget and ultimate winning power, anything to just potter around with for an hour or so I would suggest brushless setup to save those $’s and get some experience in getting the boat sea worthy, a hydro dose not handle the same way as a vegular deep/shallow V hull, they require perfect balancing, counter prop torque, as well as if your running with an outrigger set off set rudder(s) or old school fixed prop and drag fins...

You could also look at a website called 

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This is where I used to buy my competition hulls direct from the USA they can provide you with probably all your needs and give decent advice with listening too.

Hope it helps!