Running the Eagle SG 45 outrigger

Radio Control Boat Modeler, Dec 1998 by Hobbs, Alan

SEVERAL YEARS ago at a Southern Gentlemen's Racing Association Hydro race, I met Andy and John Brown, who were racing the fastest .20 hydro outrigger I had ever seen-the Eagle outrigger. Walking through the pit area at the 1997 NAMBA National Championships (Manteca, CA), I bumped into Andy again, and he asked me to be his pitman for some of the heats.

As soon as I picked up Andy's new Eagle SG (second generation), I noticed how light it was. It jumped up on step quickly and ran very fast; during test time, it was clocked at 87 mph-and it had been set up for heat races, not for straight runs!

The Eagle SG is available in several sizes, and I immediately ordered an Eagle SG 45 kit and a strut from Andy's company, Competition Marine Designs*. When the kit arrived, the box seemed too light, but everything was there. (I recommend that you order the strut when you order your kit.) The 80percent-complete kit comes with the front sponsons and center tub built and ready to finish. The rear sponsons and winglets are small, solid, wooden pieces. You only have to epoxy the sponson booms into place and then install the engine mount, stuffing box and radio. This boat is easy to finish.

Every component was very light and well-built. I weighed the front sponsons on a postage scale and each weighed 4 ounces-very light. What holds this boat on the water? It can't be gravity.

BUILDING

The Eagle SG was designed precisely. Though it is easy to finish, you should still take the time to read and follow the instructions carefully. Measure everything because proper setup is what keeps this light boat on the water.

I've built and raced a lot of outriggers, so when I saw this new design, I naturally wanted to start changing things. I called John Brown to tell him what I wanted to change and got the impression he had heard it all before. "Don't change anything," was his advice. "Build it just as the instructions tell you to!" After running my Eagle SG 45, I can say he was right!

The carbon-fiber sponson booms take very little time to install because holes in the sponsons and in the center tub have already been drilled for them. Positioning the driveline is also simple. Just install the engine mount, drill and tap it for your engine and bolt the engine into place. Next draw a straight line along the center of the tub. Then install the strut on the center of the transom, making sure it's positioned straight up and down. The plans call for a 2 3/4-inch long slot in the tub floor, beginning 10 3/4 inches in front of the transom. That is exactly where my stuffing box lined up.

I used a straightedge and square to mark the rear sponson-pad locations; mount them absolutely straight and parallel. Take just as much care when installing the winglets. These solid pieces must be mounted so that their horizontal centerlines are parallel to the top of the tub.

I used an Airtronics* EXZ ES radio to control my Eagle SG 45. The third channel is perfect for controlling a remote needle valve. To control the Speedmaster* double-tapered .21 hydro blade rudder, I used an Airtronics 94156 high-torque servo. The engine cowl is light, vacuumformed plastic and is easily trimmed to fit over the engine and tuned pipe. Try as I might, I couldn't find a plastic fuel tank large enough for heat racing to fit the Eagle. Again, I called John Brown, who suggested that I call Steve Ball at Tanks-2-U. Steve handbuilds fuel tanks for most hydros, and he sent me a new tank within a week. It holds 12.4 ounces of fuel, and each of Steve's tanks contains an inner tank that is the last area to empty. This meal r consistent fuel flow throughout a ace, and the tank fits the Eagle perfectly. (Tanks-2-U tanks are available from Competition Marine Designs.)

FINISHING

I used light fiberglass cloth and carbon fiber epoxied into place to stiffen and strengthen the tub. The instructions tell where the cloth should go. Sand and finish the boat as you would any wooden boat, and take care to open the sponson-boom holes in the tub before finishing. By doing this, you ensure that the booms fit easily and you can adjust them to suit water conditions.

Holding the cowl in place isn't a problem. I stiffened mine with a few pieces of 1/16-inch-thick plywood along the sides and the front is held in place with a lip that's screwed to the front bulkhead. The cowl is also held in place by two latches in the back.

FINAL SETUP

I set the boat on a 2x3-foot piece of 1/4inch-thick glass while I adjusted the strut height. The strut should be flat on the surface and then adjusted to a 1-degree-negative thrust angle. You want the boat to run flat, and this negative angle is what keeps the nose down when running at high speeds.

Install the turn fin carefully. It has a series of straight bends that create a hook shape. The straight bend marks should be parallel with the bottom of the tub. If the turn fin is angled, the right front sponson will want to dive or ride up in the turns.

ON THE WATER

I didn't get a chance to test my Eagle SG 45 prior to its first race-but what a race it was for my new boat! I took it to the 1997 Hydro Masters in Indianapolis, IN.