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new toy rtr bonzi 50 inch

26K views 147 replies 14 participants last post by  benckie 
#1 ·
new toy rtr bonzi 50 inch
running gear
bz2 modded g260pum 25.4cc zenoah
(4 bolt, rated at 5.2hp at 16500 rpm)
wt 813a carb
bonzi quite water cooled pipe
bonzi v2 clutch
Prather B275-2 prop
v2 water jakets
twin in and out water pump.
bonzi blue hard wear
1.2 meter bonzi hull
750ml fuel tank
electrics
futaba 3pm 2.4 ghz rx and tx
second failsafe
hs-755mg rudder servo
futaba 303 throttle servo
5 cell- 2200 mah rx battery
8 cell 2200 mah tx battery
tiny tach
garmin gps
pico (did not come with the boat i brought it seperate)









 
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#3 ·
first start

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJeCm3AdvPE

fisrt run

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IeA4d-BPXY









not the fastest boat but a very nice first gas boat, out of the box with 1.5 H 1.5 L carb settings 60kmh (37 mph) at 14340 rpm, pictures do not do it justice, well built, great attention to detail, with a couple of set up adjustments, a tune once run in, i think this will be a fine boat in the mid 40,s mph.
 
#4 · (Edited)
in the first run vid the boat had only been run for ten mins and was pulling 59.9kmh 14370 rpmi took it out yesterday just for a quick run and it gained another 800 rpm and another 4 kmh im sure it will keep getting faster once run in and once tuned with corect set up for the conditions.
i have ordered an auto bailer and a drain plug, i will install the drain plug into the right dumby exhaust out let on the rear so its hidden and will install the auto bailer in the normal spot and i need to install my pico for an engine kill switch.
im going to take it out very soon as the weather is alot nicer today, a better day for swimming lols, na i dont do any swimming as i dont like it, but i brought a 2 person coleman inflatable boat and a turbo air blower from a camping store on speical for $90, so on the few ocations when the boat is dead in the water theres no need to get wet as its still cold here.
a couple of times the boats died near the river bank and i just wait 10 mins for it to drift back in, and i have been goign to the side of the lake the wind is blowing, to help move the boat to the bank, the motor isnt tuned or not even run in so i think it will cut out less and it will not ritch kill when backing off once run in and tuned.

like i said i took the boat out yesterday i did not change the set up, though its realy neeed as the whole hull is in the water on all throttle range, an im not sure if you can see from the vid,s but its making big roooster tails, to big, but its getting faster and verying higher each start up.

any its great fun, more places to run around me then a buggy and a truck, more of a family thing as we make a good go of it with eskys and onsite bbq,s once the wheather warms up a little we will be going campping, its more family fun then just going donw the park with rc truck or car.
here is a quick vidoe and some pictures of yesterdays outing at glen mervin (the vid,s in the first post where wellinton damm)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4e7nClMPd_8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5WCOegCd7E

some pictures









these where just me being silly and seeing what i can get away with, im fully amazed on how this thing handles and it will out turn at speed any rc item ive had, great fun at a cost and the best part it fits into my ford falcons boot so transporting the boat around is easy as.
 
#5 ·
another little outing today, the boat gained another 4 kmh 67.4 kmh (41.88 mph) i still have not changed the set up as you can see from the vid, the revs increased aswell as you would expect as the tiny tach was showing over 17 150 rpm, but the prop left the water once in a flip and a couple of little wave jumps, i think when i pull my finger out and change the set up and as the motor runs in it will keep getting faster.
a little vidoe with an upside down flip, start straigh after on first pull ;D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmpxizgQM9I

and some pictures





 
#7 ·
Sexy looking boat benckie, what did that set you back ?
 
#8 ·
$3000 aud shipped from the usa to me.

i wanted to buy a boat from australia but i was looking at between $2000 and $2600 aud with a stock motor, no servos no radio gear, no tiny tack no gps, shipping not included and no annoed parts.


so to me it was a no brainer, buy one from the usa with all the fruit and a modded motor anno parts futaba 3pm 2.4ghz radio, tiny tach, gps, stand, rechargable tx and rx batteries and a big fuel tank.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Nice boat! I love looking at the Bonsai boats site, there are some nice Twins and quad engines there to look at as well. Plus some nice paint schemes on some of the boats.

I used to run boats, my last one was a 27" F1 tunnel pushed by a 3.5 K&B outboard with a power pipe and balance/sharpened 3 blade berilium prop. That thing used to go super fast so I can only imagine how fast that boat will be capable of when it's run in and tuned. Your boat will go a lot faster once you balance and sharpen the leading edge of the prop. No doubt you will do that after a while. :D

The Rum Runner racing site has lots of people using those boats, plenty of tips there too!

Good work! Cheers, Brett. :thumb:
 
#13 ·
i have enjoyed looking at the whh and the bonzi sites for a long while, so i couldnt help myself, i would of liked some thing bigger with twins, but this is the bigest i can fit into my falcon and i thought it would be a good first boat to learn on, it was a bit more then the whh boats, but i think you get alot more for the extra money.

i have only dont a basic balance on this prop, but i have got a couple of props comming to try out and a prop shop moded prop thats been sharpend, balanced and polished thats been recomended for this boat and motor combo.

the motor still isnt reving hard, i know i have got a quite pipe on it and its not as grunty as the race pipe, but im sure i can still pull some more speed yet :D i was hope to see how moving the strut up help get the noise out of the water, but the hail was a little off putting, cause this is a faimly event every time i take it out, im a little picky on the weather, cause of my 2 y/o daughter.

sofar i have realy enjoyed the boat, bonzi have been very helpful and have saved me alot of money on import tax, the communications been great, nothing has stuffed up, fallen off or broken in 2 hours of running, but i did break the right hand side trim tab, turn buckel but that was my fault.

so its been great fun, and the funny thing is theres more water to run on around me then land and i have not been told to move on yet with the boat, and i think the boat will out live any of off raod cars and trucks ive had befor.

i was sort of suprised the gps only said 67 kmh as she looks alot faster out on the water, and i tell you pictures do not do it any justice as this thing looks sexy out on the water still or moving.

i think from a faimly guy point of view it was a great move buying the boat, and selling my fg mt for 3500 bucks, this is much more of a faimly thing, bbq by one of the many lakes around me, camping, fishing, swimming.

the surroundings is much nicer then a local park or a dust bowl, it seam a nicer more fun family thing for me and my faimly, i think it was a great move going from land to water, and i think it will save me money in the long run and not chew thruogh so many parts and motors like my l/s off roads did.

buig thumbs up to bonzi big thumbs up to rc boats an a big thumbs up to my faimly.
 
#16 ·
i was going to strip the boat down and send it off to get airbrushed, by kane who has air brushed my last couple of bodies, but its a big mission, i might not get this on painted i might just put some stickers on it and get the next bare hull airbushed.
 
#15 ·
Family comes first, always! Congrats for getting a family friendly hobby model! Boats are like that. Every time i took mine out i took my mum and dad with me, I was only 19 years old back then.

As stated, boats are more user friendly too. There are not many things that they can hit and brake apart from floating debry and the bank.

This is where i used to run mine. When i was'nt running the boat i was fishing!

Cheers, Brett. :thumb:
 

Attachments

#17 ·
thats an awsome spot Brett, and yeah mate its all about family with faimly we are nothing, since i live in a small town there are not any other large scalers around me except for one family friend with large rc helies, so its important that as a family we can enjoy the hoby and do it together, my wife and daughter is a big part of my life an so is rc its good to make it work and have fun, an its also way i picked the bonzi quiet pipe not the race pipe, for my daughters sake and less chance of the boat upsetting people at the sky lakes.

happy fathers dad every one bring on the socks and gift cards :preggers:
 
#18 ·
That picture does'nt do it justice, the photo only shows about 1/10th of the lake. It's huge!
It had to end because too many people complained. :rolleyes:
Some people just don't get it!

Cheers, Brett. :thumb:
 
#19 ·
it looks like a big place, the place in the first pictures and vids of the boats first run would take a bloody long time to walk around days i would say as i was only in a small cove, the second place same thing but the second place is more of a sport. skying boat lake, as the first ones not for power boats, but when i was there so where to rangers hiding in the work ute, and they said it was cool and had a good look and a good chat, i was waiting for the can i have a shot :bang:


well i took the boat out yesterday i raised the strut about 5mm to get the noise up a bit more, it worked, but i might of raised it to far as the boat lost speed around 4kmh and it was a little unstable and the motor reved higher with no acutal speed gain.
the trouble is i did not adust the two trim tabs cause i broke on of them on the right trim tab, so i think to notice the difrence in speed and how the boat planes i need to raise the strut and trim tabs so the boat doesnt run so wet, i will fix the trim tab so its adjustable agin befor the next outting and try combinations of the same thing.
the gps batteries whent flat befor i could do more testing, and i managed to flip the boat but it stayed upright but it managed to land backwards at full wot and i spun the flexi drive cable on the clutch collet, i think it flip due to a raised water current in the section i drove across if that make sence.
the flip also stripped the plastic servo horn on the hs-755mg steering servo, some thing i thought ill never see on a rc boat, i have a few spares, so there is not drammer but i can see the need to use alloy servo horns the same as most of us do on rc off road driving (bashing).
i did not have the flexi drive cable far enough into the collet, the cable still looks good as so does the collet, so i have re tinned the flexi cable and will use it again and see how it goes, i would asume once you spin it it will keep spinning, but i think it will help if i have the cablke past the collet not 50% the way in.
just incase i have spares comming but infuture when i grease the cable and re install it i will make sure the cable is passed the collet so the collet can grip the cable, once having the collet an nut off the clutch i can see the collet works back wards to what you would think like the opisite to a drill.
i have also orerd a balenced, shapend polished prop thats a little larger in diamiter by 5mm and has around 6mm more pitch i think this will give a change thats noticible, i think there is still more spee to come from the prop thats on the boat now, but the motor seams to spin that prop very easly and the take off out of the hole is full on, i dont know bugger all about boats but the boat is not tuned or run in yet and is starting to hit high revs (past where the boat makes the most power) and if i tuned the boat soon i think the revs will just go thru the roof, i feel it might be better to have a to big a prop then a to small prop reving its tits off ?
any way i still had fun i still enjoyed it and it was good the boat didnt cut out once and is idling and running more stable i think the motor is slowly running in and settling in, so im looking forward to more running as the hour meter ojn the boat is still saying 1 hour and 57 mins so basicly 2 tanks use all most time to do some basic tunning, but i feel a prop change might be needed first as the motor will just over rev i think.
here is another quick video (poor quilty i know)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYaZvjzf7Eo

and one picture



you might or might not see the noise was up alittle, but like i said i need to adjust the trim tabs also.
more trial and erro with adjustements an settings atlest with the tiny tack and gps i can see if im heading in the right direction.
 
#21 ·
i just crop them imiges down and like the large scale usa forum the forum it self cuts them down to 97 kbs and if you click on the yellow bar about the pic you can see the full size i have posted.

ive been posting pictures on this forum hosted on photobucket from 4mb to 300 kbs and the furm does the rest.

so i think youkll be right just upload them to a host then cut and past the links into the forum and the forum will do the rest its magic :thumb:
 
#23 · (Edited)
Raising and lowering the strut is not as impotant as the angle of the strut.

If the prop is tilted down, it will push the nose of the boat down and make it harder to get on the plane.

Tilting the prop up will lift the nose out of the water and your boat will get on the plane much easier.

If your boat looks like it's nose is too wet when running, tilt the prop up.
If the nose of the boat sits up too high when running it, you need to tilt the prop down a little.

If the strut is too high, the prop will spin and the engine will rev harder but not push the boat faster because there won't be enough solid water around the prop.

It's all trial and error! Eventually you will find a good balance.

I hope this helps. cheers!
 
#24 ·
It's a pitty you can't get power trim for rc boats. When i had my SeaRay I was always changing the trim angle whilst running to get the most out of it. PC-WIZ is correct with the prop angle & its affects. Have a look at F1 Power boats. Nose down for the turns & getting off the line. Nose up once running. You just need to find a happy medium between both.
 
#26 ·
some great advice there thanks for your imput.

i took the boat for a run today i got 1 hour of cruzing around and playing with strut hight and angle and with the trim tabs,as mentioned befor i busted a trim tab trunbuckle so i made up some of my own turn buckles nothing flash but i thought they would do the job, turns out my i dea didnt work well and i broke another adjustment screw, so off came the trim tabs and the boat gained another 5 km and handled pritty well, some times a little left and right rock or rocking.

after trying and making a few strut positions where i had it seams to be the best for speed i managed to hit 81.7 kmh (50.77) mph with pritty much stock carb settings as it came out of the box, just a tweek on the low to get a highish iddle so the boat didnt cut out or stall around the 4000 to 4500 rpm idle range.

after a bit the wind droped right off and lake when dead flat like glass and no matter what i did after that i could not hit the 80 kmh mark again, not sure if the strut angle changed or if it was just the glass like conditions of the water but i was battling to hit 70kmh at 15150 rpm after this, i made some more changes and ritched up the carb just incase it was running a tad lean, but the boat slowed down even more, then with the carb setting on the high needle back at 1.5 turns out still couldnt break the 70 kmh braket.

well atlest i know the boat will do the 50 mph mark in stock form as it came out of the box, minus the trim tabs, and i think i need to learn alot more do some more reasurch and most importantly more trail and erro and more hands on testing im glad i got the gps and tiny tack as it can be hard to see if the changes have helped or made it worse.

im also starting to think the balnced polished prop i selected (prantha b280) is on the big side, im tinking now a slightly small prop is needed for the revs, bonzi recomended me a prop that has been modifled and is a tad smaller all round, and i think they might be onto it, but i quess when im new to gas boats and im the only one in a 250 kmh radius that i know off its all about learning.

all an all another great day even if i couldnt not hit 50 mph again, we all had fun great veiw nice and relaxing, beats being stuck in the house or worse working, once again i have some vid and a couple of pictures.


video


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xNW9TTxpdI











 
#27 ·
Congrats to reaching the magical 50mph mark. Keep up the updates this is becomeing a good thread to read.:D

A boat will go quicker if there is a slight ripple compared to if it is glassy. The slight ripples reduce the surface contact area on the water which reduces friction. It's the same as a polished hull on a boat will go slower than an unpollished hull because the water can fill in the scrathes & then it becomes water sliding across water.
 
#28 ·
thanks bug, i read other guys running bigger hulls hitting over 50 mph and some out riggers in australia hitting the 100 mph :cell: but 50mph is not a bad speed for a first rtr gas boat and learing the hard way to get it set up, im think she still has more to give and its still basicly on run in carb settings :D to me 1.5 h and 1.5 low on a 813 carb is on the ritch side.

the bonzi website said around mid 40,s (mph) but i think the boat could do more with a good set up for the conditions, and im sure if some one who had rc boat knowlage and who owned a few gas boats could of got it going faster in less outtings but im having fun learning.

i was hopping the boat would do 50 mph as i feel thats a good speed for a rtr so i was very happy to see the 80 kmh on the gps, as a 25.4cc moded zen with a claimed 5.2 hp @ 16500 rpm with stock 644 carb ? but i picked the option to upgraded the carb to a 813 but i opted for the queit pipe less noise less power.

with the bonzi pipe you can change back and forth from quiet pipe to race pipe, just by unscrewing the last 50% of the cone section and screwing and screwing on a new section race or quiet and i can still take out to cone baffels in mine, but im liking the quieter sound for me and my faimly over the loud ear ringing off road pipes for my truck or buggies

so i guess time will tell if i can reach more then 50 mph, i think it can be done, ive just got to learn more about setting up and get more pracitice in and i think the next vids will be better as me and the boat progress.

one problem i did have today and its a little worse then last times ive used the boat, it might have some thing to do with removing the trim tabs.
the boat is taking on alot of water in 10 mins of use its taking on around 500 ml of water, and the water is warm, so today once home i ran the boat with the water lines conected to a 10 ltr container and i have got a decent leak out of the alloy exhaust coupler.

sofar it dont look like the exhaust gas is leaking into the hull, and im still getting a good squirt of water comming out of the exhaust coupler water outlet on the left of the hull, i hear these can be a pain and tent to leak, ive got some spares comming, so i can take them down to the local o-ring bearing shop to size up some hi temp and some vitton 0-rings and ill buy a box.

im not too keen just yet to pull the pipe and or motor out to see whats going on and i feel its been dripping for a bit, as there is no way the boat should take on thats much water, but ill have to sort the problem out and see whats going on and i think the o-rings should last more then 3 hours of use, as thats all the boat has done sofar but i feel its been leaking for while now.

also im at the stage of weather to buy some trim tabs or not to keep running the boat, it seams pritty stable and gaind speed not runnning with them on, but i was getting a little side to side rock.

so the question is to trim tabe or not to trim tab, what you think ?
 
#29 ·
If the boat is rocking, try raising the strut a little but keep the same prop angle.
If that does'nt help, go back to struts. Also, you could be getting water in through the trim tab mounting holes.

Bug777 is right about the ripples and the rough surface of the hull bottom,
I used to sand the bottom of my boats with 600 wet and dry. They went faster after that.

Cheers, Brett. :thumb:
 
#30 ·
yeah i need to play with the strut more

i thought the water getting in might of been from the trim tab screw holes, but i used blue tac and the original screws to try and block off the holes.

the water seams warms like from the pipe, and after running it when i got home the exhaust couple is leaking it has a good trickel comming out, that slows once warm but that takes a while.

im sure water is getting in from other places to, ill investerage more and get it sorted befor next run, as im sure this is why the motor cuts out on some sharp turns.

i have an auto bailer comming im told some guys say dont use them some do, i might think about it some ore befor drilling the new hull
 
#31 ·
If the water is warm then you are on the right path with the exhaust. It may be a trickle when you see it at idle but remember when the boat is going at speed the volume of water will be higher which will get more water into the hull.

For your trim tabs have a look at the attached. I have seen these types of tabs in use & the guys don't have any issues.
http://www.xcellproducts.com.au/hardware.htm

The reason you will be getting more rock oneway & not the other is because of the torsional twist of the motor. If it was me & i had both tabs off I would put 1 tab on the side which is digging in to try & raise that side of the boat a little.
 
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