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Running hardware for RC boats

The term running hardware is used to describe the system of components that all work together to transfer the power from the motor down to the propeller so that the boat can be pushed through the water.

By far the most common running hardware used involves a rigid drive shaft but on some rc boats a flexible shaft is used, particularly if the motor has to be installed at an angle or position not in line with the center of the boat.

The drive shaft is connected to the flywheel of the motor with a universal joint and exits through the bottom of the boat via a stuffing box that is packed with grease. A second universal joint is used to connect the other end of the drive shaft to the prop shaft which is supported by the strut, off the stern of the boat. A thrust bearing is located inside the strut through which the prop shaft passes. The propeller is found at the end of the prop shaft.

The rudder is located immediately behind the prop and here there is also a water pickup which is connected to a tube that runs back into the boat from the pick-up and is wound around the cylinder head of the motor.
As the boat speeds along, pressure behind the spinning prop forces water up the pick-up and along the tube, cooling the motor as it passes around the head, before exiting somewhere out the side of the boat.

Below is a (very crude!) picture of the main components of rc boat running hardware:


RC boat running hardware

Of course, different types of running hardware are available for different kinds of boat but a typical nitro entry level 'sport' boat will usually employ this kind of system, or some variation of it.

Simpler direct drive systems can now be purchased for electric rc boats, where the drive shaft is attached to the electric motor via some gears and the prop is attached directly to the end of the drive shaft, instead of there being a universal joint and separate prop shaft.


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