OUTLAW EAGLE MANUFACTURING

[SUMMITRIDER]

If a guy wanted to put trim tabs on a 19' steptech race boat would it be worth it? what brand and size would he use, how wide and long should they be.

[Alumaman]

Good question. Does the boat porpoise or cork screw at its best set up for top speed, does the boat become unstable and you have to back out of it? Do you have more pedal or power that you could utilize if you could drive through the unstable period.? If yes... then tabs may help.
Tabs may also help at the start lines especially in deep water, to get the nose down quicker.
Lenco and Lectrotab are both good actuators. Get 4 second actuators, and put thumb controls on your steering wheel. Width and length of the tab needs to be a trial and error exercise. I'd recommend building the tabs out of sheet aluminum with small breaks at the edges. Start large, then through testing keep cutting them down until you find the optimum. You may need to build 2 sets.
Being fast is all about testing, what works for one boat doesn't on another. You'll never know unless you try. Someone should put a set of Canards' on a FXV as well.

[SUMMITRIDER]

When I am wedged right up there is slight proposing if I could smooth that out there might be more speed. I was kinda thinking if I could make the boat seem longer I might be able to add a little more spacer length or maybe push the boat out of the water alittle ride a little dryer. And too when I am wedged up higher to gain that speed I could plane out faster. Brent Thors ripped his off in GP I didn't want to spend the money and have them break off. I wasn't sure where to begin researching I though I would ask. I know some responses are why worry about it for a fx steptech but that is what I got and I want to be as fast as I can be. If it doesn't cost a whole bunch for a little gain it is worth is too me. thanks for any info I am open too it.
FX 21 Jester

[sandman]

Kelly,
I never raced with tabs on but I did put a set on after the wreck was turned into my pleasure boat. Tabs will help you make the boat corner like it is on rails, just make sure they are able to retract fully as any drag at all will knock off the last .2 mph you need. The tabs I have are wide and long, they are now fixed in place and I love them, but the boat is set up for handling now, not aired out for top end. Same tabs outlaw makes for the tunnel boats, but with the outside turn down edges trimmed off. Alumaman is right with the 4 second actuators, you will see them come in real handy for launch and on only the tightest of circuits where you want to bring down the nose to corner hard without the hopping you get when you are going top speed. Countersink the mount screw heads as this will induce drag, fill in with bondo to make it smoothe.
I wish I would have had them when my boat was chine walking with the extra lifting strakes, they might have been usefull in counteracting the squirrlyness I had so carefully engineered into the hull!! Ended up cutting off the extra strakes and lost a few mph, but did finish alive as there were doubts for the first day or 2 in Peace River!
Build and test, change and test, change again and test, sratch head and mix a rum, solve world problems, test some more!!

[Arthur]

Its funny how Rum creates AND solves all lifes problems!!