First Thread! Your thoughts on the Titan...

[H2O~Boy]

I think some are confusing retail and MSRP. MSRP is the one that is typically 25-50% above the street price. Retail is street price. It will be $399 in most places, you could probably find it at $375ish at some online places.

I totally spaced when I came up with my estimates, I was thinking traxxas was stating $399 retail, however they were referring to suggested selling price.
However Jason you kinda have that backwords too. Retail is the higher price you see. For example retail on the Titan is $680, but the actual is $385-$399 or so.

And as for cooling the esc, even tho it is water-cooled you can make anything work. Like i've stated in other titan threads, there is a water-cooled system now for land vehicles for such an application (systems found by stinger30) The only downside to this system is price. For the brushless system it's $180. But i'm sure you could fab one up yourself to work pretty easily. Anything is possible. http://www.tcscooling.com/index.html

[zoraduntov]

This is a great boat . I don't have one but have an aquacraft hydro brushless and lipo .
Will traxxas make a lipo system for this boat ?
I will get this boat for sure because I love traxxas customer service and if you don't know much about rc boats you will need them .

[pavmentsurfer]

WOW... that micro cooling system for onroad looks amazing.

Getting a Titan though. Just decided its happening. Villain will be up for sale and its only a week old.
Oh well.

[makaveli72]

It's a nice looking boat with plenty of power if you choose to go that route. I am not happy with the choice of name though. Why name it after a motor that wears out quickly? I emailed Traxxas my idea for a name. I explained to them why they should name it the "Hurricane"!!!!

Ok, let's try this again.

^^^ I agree with you there dcsally97. I wish it had a diff. name. I had pure problems with a couple Titans that I had for my Rustler years back. Is it too late for a name change Traxxas?

[aaron jinks]

Boat seems alsome.Cant believe it goes 50+mph.Wander if the water has to be glass still?

[filmmaker]

Boat seems alsome.Cant believe it goes 50+mph.Wander if the water has to be glass still?

Faster with a small chop
it helps to air out the hull without being out of balance

This is going to be a great way to get into FE Boating!!

[aaron jinks]

Faster with a small chop
it helps to air out the hull without being out of balance

This is going to be a great way to get into FE Boating!!

thanks a lot!!!

by the way what is FE boating?

[cooleocool]

FE boating = Fast Electric boating.

[aaron jinks]

FE boating = Fast Electric boating.

thanks again!!!

[Bug777]

Faster with a small chop.
it helps to air out the hull without being out of balance

Also a slightly rough hull boat will go quicker then a polished hull boat.

[nitrobaby]

Also a slightly rough hull boat will go quicker then a polished hull boat.

Tested sanding the bottom of boats with several different grits. 400 grit provided the best results

[Bug777]

Tested sanding the bottom of boats with several different grits. 400 grit provided the best results

How much speed do you think you gained?

[aaron jinks]

Also a slightly rough hull boat will go quicker then a polished hull boat.

How is that so?

[Bug777]

How is that so?

The small scratches allows small amounts of water to attach themselves to the hull. This then allows the water to flow over the hull easier. If the hull is polished the water beads & when the boat is traveling creats small amounts of friction which reduces the speed of the boat.

[aaron jinks]

thanks dude!

Cant wait till july!!!!!

[nitrobaby]

How much speed do you think you gained?

It varies between 3 and 5 mph depending on power to weight ratio and hull design. I have heard people claim as much as 8 mph. In oval racing a 7 mph difference is enough speed for you to drive on the outside of them and still pass them. That's significant. You would even see it in a head to head with someone going down a straight-away.

So this boat is a plastic hull? At these types of speeds I would expect new comers to maybe even run it up on shore and if there is more than one running together I am almost positive there will be collisions, especially on water with no such things as breaks. Is the plastic hull going to be strong enough to take this kind of action? Not to mention the stress that the torque of this motor creates and the friction the speed of this boat will have. Race boats are made of at least Gel Coated Fiberglass on the cheap side and Kevlar on the expensive side with a good amount in the middle made of carbon fiber. The Kyosho I posted in the other string is a hybrid of both. It's Gel Coated Carbon Fiber on top and Carbon Fiber through and through on the bottom. Any chance of the Titan being made of these premium composites? I understand it may make it more expensive however. The Kyosho hull is $600.00 just for the hull and hardware.

I didn't think it wouldn't hold up but I was excited about this boat and posted in the RTR section one of the other message boards I frequent and that was the first question that came up. Never run plastic hulls before so I don't know?

[aaron jinks]

I think it will hold up.

hopefully getting a rc boat this summer should I get the titan or villain ex?
I will not be racing I just want a good boat that could handle some little waves.

[smokeGR]

oh yea...just what i have been waiting for.MORE POWER..was going to get villian..but i am glad i waited...SWEEET a boat worthy for my summit to tow. good job traxxas

[INFRNL]

So this boat is a plastic hull? At these types of speeds I would expect new comers to maybe even run it up on shore and if there is more than one running together I am almost positive there will be collisions, especially on water with no such things as breaks. Is the plastic hull going to be strong enough to take this kind of action? Not to mention the stress that the torque of this motor creates and the friction the speed of this boat will have. Race boats are made of at least Gel Coated Fiberglass on the cheap side and Kevlar on the expensive side with a good amount in the middle made of carbon fiber. The Kyosho I posted in the other string is a hybrid of both. It's Gel Coated Carbon Fiber on top and Carbon Fiber through and through on the bottom. Any chance of the Titan being made of these premium composites? I understand it may make it more expensive however. The Kyosho hull is $600.00 just for the hull and hardware.

I didn't think it wouldn't hold up but I was excited about this boat and posted in the RTR section one of the other message boards I frequent and that was the first question that came up. Never run plastic hulls before so I don't know?

they say that the plastic is made within a special process and will not dissapoint. it is supposed to be very strong and compete with the fiberglass hulls.
i guess we will find out if it is as great as they claim. for some of us that are new to boating; i think this will be a great starter boat at a reasonable cost. for its performance out of the box along with price' i d not think you can find a better boat atm.

for the price; my current choices are the titan and the sv27R. for looks and build quality, i like the titan more, but i know both boats will keep most happy

for the more experienced or for guys that race, maybe the boats much more expensive will look at something else, but this boat should get quite a few interested or started in boating.
I plan to get one just to mess around with at the lake with my son; he is the one who really wanted a boat

[filmmaker]

Also a slightly rough hull boat will go quicker then a polished hull boat.

rough could slow a hull down, but sanded will make the hull slide across the water rather than stick to it

The small scratches allows small amounts of water to attach themselves to the hull. This then allows the water to flow over the hull easier. If the hull is polished the water beads & when the boat is traveling creats small amounts of friction which reduces the speed of the boat.

the water does not attach its self to a sanded surface it beaks the tension of the water
If it did attach its self that would be the same as sticking to the hull and that would cause drag

they say that the plastic is made within a special process and will not dissapoint. it is supposed to be very strong and compete with the fiberglass hulls.
i guess we will find out if it is as great as they claim. for some of us that are new to boating; i think this will be a great starter boat at a reasonable cost. for its performance out of the box along with price' i d not think you can find a better boat atm.

for the price; my current choices are the titan and the sv27R. for looks and build quality, i like the titan more, but i know both boats will keep most happy

for the more experienced or for guys that race, maybe the boats much more expensive will look at something else, but this boat should get quite a few interested or started in boating.
I plan to get one just to mess around with at the lake with my son; he is the one who really wanted a boat

I suggest the Traxxas Titan
I own 3 SV27s and enjoy them very much, but I cannot wait for the Traxxas Titan to hit the shelves..
being this boat is bigger it will handle the chop better and with 6s much faster speeds when you dare

[nitrobaby]

they say that the plastic is made within a special process and will not dissapoint. it is supposed to be very strong and compete with the fiberglass hulls.
i guess we will find out if it is as great as they claim. for some of us that are new to boating; i think this will be a great starter boat at a reasonable cost. for its performance out of the box along with price' i d not think you can find a better boat atm.

for the price; my current choices are the titan and the sv27R. for looks and build quality, i like the titan more, but i know both boats will keep most happy

for the more experienced or for guys that race, maybe the boats much more expensive will look at something else, but this boat should get quite a few interested or started in boating.
I plan to get one just to mess around with at the lake with my son; he is the one who really wanted a boat

Yah. I am really thinking of getting one just to rip up and modify for nitro and take to the Nats Next year in my .40 Engine Mono class. You think Traxxas will have a problem with that? I know my Aeromarine sponsor of my present boat won't but they've been lagging and I think they've got their money's worth with 3 Championships from me under their belt. They mostly cater to gas boats now so it's time to move on and I think I am going to do it with the Traxxas Titan which is saying a lot because I don't buy boats to race. People give them to me but since Traxxas will have what I win with in the stores across the country and probably around the world... that is the type of availability I am looking for in boating products.

the water does not attach its self to a sanded surface it beaks the tension of the water
If it did attach its self that would be the same as sticking to the hull and that would cause drag

The way some of the scientific and R&D driven members of the R/C boating community have explained to me that there is always friction to come degree but the right amount of sanding (determined by the grit you use) creates the right balance between the friction and tiny little air bubbles that is created as a result of that friction. It is that tiny cushion of air created by the friction that push the boat away from the surface of the water actually created less drag. Make it too course and the surface imperfection is too great which creates more drag. Polish it to smooth and it creates more of a suction effect and slows the boat down from it's optimum surface speed. You can also do little tricks like sand in different directions to create different handling characteristics from what I am told by the great minds in this arena. For me these are great little details to know for our Straight-Away Time Trial enthusiast but for me once you are in the ball park there is little to out due stepping your game up in the driving department.
For the record my Aeromarine Titan has the bottom sanded at an approximate 45 degree angle from the keel (the point of the boat of the vee where the two angles meet an an front arrow kind of pointing direction) to the freeboard (the sides of the board). This is supposed to give me more stability. The other ways are to sand in one direction from bow to stern (front to back) or opposite direction of what I have done on my own boat which would be the same angle with in an manner with the sanding is pointing towards the rear of the boat. This is supposed to loosen the boat. These are of course fine adjustments made after best selection of prop, trim tabs and strut angle adjustments. But the best set-up varies from person to person.

[H2O~Boy]

^^^ Correct
A boat bottom sanded with 400-600 will actually speed the boat up slightly.
Basically the reasoning is because water has less friction when it's moving/ flowing with itself vs. flowing water against the boat.
And the rougher bottom creates air pockets, making it so there is less of the boat actually making contact with the water.
An easy example of this is a golf ball. Did you ever wonder why there's indents?

[nitrobaby]

^^^ Correct
A boat bottom sanded with 400-600 will actually speed the boat up slightly.
Basically the reasoning is because water has less friction when it's moving/ flowing with itself vs. flowing water against the boat.
And the rougher bottom creates air pockets, making it so there is less of the boat actually making contact with the water.
An easy example of this is a golf ball. Did you ever wonder why there's indents?

Yah. Always wanted to try a whole bottom of a boat with those little indents.

[aaron jinks]

confused about the sanding and rough hull stuff so if I get the titan than I
will leave the hull stock.

[H2O~Boy]

Aaron, you along with about 99% of Titan owners probly won't even touch the hull. It's only the certain few who want to get every mph possible out of it.
But if you want it simplified. Sand it with 400 grit & you will get a slight increase in speed. However it may or may not even be noticable. So it's your choice.

[ksb51rl]

^^^ Correct
A boat bottom sanded with 400-600 will actually speed the boat up slightly.
Basically the reasoning is because water has less friction when it's moving/ flowing with itself vs. flowing water against the boat.
And the rougher bottom creates air pockets, making it so there is less of the boat actually making contact with the water.
An easy example of this is a golf ball. Did you ever wonder why there's indents?

I always thought it was to disrupt laminar flow. Same with any fluid moving past a smooth surface. A while back a company was coating the faces of internal combustion engine pistons with some sort of teflon (PTFE) compound to get the air to mix better or something like that. Point is: teflon coating is BUMPY, thus disrupting the laminar flow.
The sanding technique is certainly valid in theory and in practice.

[H2O~Boy]

Is it to disrupt laminar flow or is it to add the boundary or laminar layer if you will. Idk I get confused with it sometimes. Lol.
But as for your coated pistons your def right. They still do coating on high performance engines (idk what it's called now) the new 2011 mustangs pistons are coated for the same purpose as well.
But in any case it is what it is. Roughening the hull may not make sense to some people but it works nonetheless.

I just looked it up & yeah it is the disruption that does it. My mistake.

[theroyalmachine]

how easy is it to turn these over?....lol i just dont want to have a boat stuck in the middle of the lake.

[H2O~Boy]

Well unfortunately because no one has had a chance to drive it yet we can't know for sure. Like anything else if you hit a large wave at the wrong angle it could very well flip. But we won't know til we try it out.
However if filmmaker chimes in he might have some input as he owns a smaller titan which utilizes nearly the same hull.

[filmmaker]

how easy is it to turn these over?....lol i just dont want to have a boat stuck in the middle of the lake.

most likely you will be fishing for your boat when it flips, not if..
It's just part of the fun with FE boats..
think of how many times you have rolled or flipped your other RCs and had to walk over to flip it back over onto its tires
this boat is of decent size and because of this it will have less tendencies to flip or roll over
but at 50mph+ all bets are off

[bigears]

nice job traxxas.... i will be getting a titan but it will be my last.i want a neon green one???lol

[ksb51rl]

Is it to disrupt laminar flow or is it to add the boundary or laminar layer if you will. Idk I get confused with it sometimes. Lol.
But as for your coated pistons your def right. They still do coating on high performance engines (idk what it's called now) the new 2011 mustangs pistons are coated for the same purpose as well.
But in any case it is what it is. Roughening the hull may not make sense to some people but it works nonetheless.

I just looked it up & yeah it is the disruption that does it. My mistake.

Mistake? Okay, I didn't catch a mistake. I was simply trying in my best layman's terms to put a term on your description. Your mention of the effect a dimpled (non-smooth) golf ball surface has was correct, as was your contention that a slightly rougher surface can make a fluid flow past an object with less drag.

[H2O~Boy]

Well our descriptions were essentially saying the same thing, having the same effect anyways. Your description just put it into much better terms.
But thanks for clearing everything up, hopefully others can understand all this physics

[ksb51rl]

Well our descriptions were essentially saying the same thing, having the same effect anyways. Your description just put it into much better terms.
But thanks for clearing everything up, hopefully others can understand all this physics

That's what I said! Except not necessarily better, just different.

[1fast3.3]

Well its about time. Been a Long while since I have been on these forums, Just opened an email Traxxas.......very Happy. Have to put mine on order, then let the tweaking begin.


Wont stop my from cruising my ole retro Villisn IV (EX)

[H2O~Boy]

Nice looking classic iv there fast.
And I love your tri axle trailer too. Looks great. Keepin those aquatic dreams alive.

[1fast3.3]

Thanks man, Thats actually a Villain EX that "retro'd" if you will. Been waiting for traxxas to come up with new marine.

Side note, Just moved from West Melbourne back in 07' bought when you joined

[H2O~Boy]

Oh that's sweet man, even better. I love the classic look.

I'm actually not from FL myself. I moved down in Feb for school. I'm from MN. Lol.

[filmmaker]

The Titan looks MAD!!!. It would look choice sitting on a trailer behind a Summit with a body shell done in similar graphics.

that would be sweet!

[Bug777]

that would be sweet!

I have got a friend at the moment trying to photoshop a picture of the Titan onto the trailer i built for my Summit.