Zipp Manufacturing Bullitt Thunderboat Building Instructions Download Page 1

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Z I P P M A N U FA C T U R I N G

Bullitt

Thunderboat

Zippkits R/C Boats

BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS

2011 Zipp Manufacturing

Summary of Contents for Bullitt Thunderboat

Page 1: ...Z I P P M A N U FA C T U R I N G Bullitt Thunderboat Zippkits R C Boats BUILDING INSTRUCTIONS 2011 Zipp Manufacturing ...

Page 2: ... S O N S Chine Strips 12 Sponson Non Trips 16 Sponson Bottoms 18 Rear Non Trips 26 Sealing Interior 27 S E C T I O N 3 E Q U I P M E N T Radio Box 21 Fuel Tank 29 Running Hardware 34 Engine mounting 30 Shaft and Stuffing Tube 32 Exhaust 37 Deck Installation 42 Cowling 39 S E C T I O N 4 P A I N T Hull prep 45 Sanding and Filling 45 Primer and Paint 46 Decals 47 S E C T I O N 5 A S S E M B L Y Hard...

Page 3: ...ren without close adult supervision Here are a few safety tips Never operate your boat alone If you get hurt you may not be able to drive for help Never ever operate your boat in an area where there are full size boats or swimmers If something happens a 15 pound object traveling at 50 mph can do serious damage Always use a failsafe This shuts the engine off in the event of radio signal loss Test t...

Page 4: ...atures such as the sponson angle of attack non trip and deck crown All these elements add up to an aerodynamically sound design The Bullitt adds several new design elements that make the boat more efficient faster and easier to build The Bullitt is also legal in all Thunderboat classes in both IMPBA and NAMBA You can build this boat without having the engine or radio but it does make it easier to ...

Page 5: ...grit paper Drill with bits Right angle drill or attachment Square FLAT Workbench 3 wood blocks x 2 x 13 1x stock or ply 3 4x 12x 48 MDF or ply 1 ounce thin CA glue and accelerator Good quality 30 minute epoxy Epoxy finishing resin Lots of clamps Spring clamps paper clamps c clamps etc Razor saw Wide tape Wood filler Primer Paint ...

Page 6: ...pushrod 2 pushrod seals Zipp 3404 or 3422 16 ounce Fuel Tank or IV Bag gasoline compatible 250 strut Zipp 3416 250 drive dog Zipp 3442 or 3448 6518 3 or 6717 3 prop Zipp 4003 Prop nuts Zipp 3450 Engine Mounts Zipp 3409 for Zenoah Cable grease Large rudder water pickup type Zipp 3413 5 feet large silicone tubing water line Zipp 3461 12 inch length of 11 32 brass tubing Zipp 3453 36 inch length of 5...

Page 7: ...t on this so make it right We are ready to start the build Let s identify the parts in the sheets Don t remove the parts until you actually need them as some look similar but are not the same This boat is not symmetrical The right and left are not the same so it is critical that you mark the parts correctly or they will not fit Note that all reference to right or left are as if you were sitting in...

Page 8: ...V E T T R O C K E T T 6 We like the Great Planes 11 inch bar sanders Use good quality epoxy and finishing resin Your life will be much easier with one of these Epoxy brush trimmed for fast epoxy application ...

Page 9: ...uch easier to sand the parts once they are out of the sheet While the parts are still in their sheets use a pencil to mark each part with the name Note that the parts only fit correctly one way Turn fin doubler Sand the edges of bulkhead 3 Sand inside the holes Remove the cutout containing the turn fin doubler Remove and sand the doubler Toss the piece it was in The doubler only goes on correctly ...

Page 10: ...the front inside of the bulkhead When you are sure you have it correct glue the doubler to the bulkhead with 30 minute epoxy Clamp while it cures The doubler will be on the right front inside of the bulkhead when correctly assembled Install the two blind nuts to the turn fin doubler with 30 minute epoxy Frame assembly Cover your building board with waxed paper or clear plastic wrap We don t want t...

Page 11: ...rom the rear Once you are satisfied with the fit of the bulkheads in the stringers wick some thin CA into the joints Don t glue bulkhead 3 until the others are done Don t use so much CA that it drips off the part Thin CA is about as thick as alcohol so it runs and seeps everywhere Hit each joint with accelerator to harden it Only glue once we will go over the joints a second time after we fit this...

Page 12: ...nd glue the sheets together by hinging them open and applying epoxy Close the gap wipe away any excess epoxy and tape tightly closed Allow to cure Note that the completed bottom has a right and left The right side is wider If you have trouble figuring this out slip the bottom in place on the framework You will see that it only fits the framework correctly one way Check the fit of the transom gusse...

Page 13: ... to the bottom with epoxy Be sure the back of the bulkhead is flush with the back edge of the bottom Chines Gather the inner chines and sand the edges smooth The chine for the right side has two holes in it Slip the inner chines in place from the bottom Check to see that the bottom is flush with the bulkheads Install the outer chines be sure they are flush with the bottom of the bulkheads and Wick...

Page 14: ... support the bottom while we glue Press down on bulkhead 2 and if it is tight to the bottom wick thin CA into the joint and spray with accelerator Do not glue the center area of bulkhead 2 as it will be removed later Slide the gluing block forward to bulkhead 1 Mark 3 8 inch back from the front edge of the bottom on both sides Glue the forward bottom doubler in place using these marks as a guide A...

Page 15: ... that the rear of bulkhead 3 is perfectly square Repeat on the other side and glue with thin CA This is a critical step as the turn fin bolts here Double glue all bulkheads and chines to the bottom and sides except bulkhead 1 Do not glue bulkhead 1 to the bottom yet Use your slitting saw or razor saw to cut the center out of bulkhead 2 Leave the top bridge in place for now as it keeps the sponsons...

Page 16: ... into place Do the same for the left rail If all looks good carefully remove the rails by bowing bulkhead 1 back so that you can get them out one at a time Mix up about ounce of 30 minute epoxy Coat the bottoms of the rails as well as the slots in the bulkheads with epoxy Coat the drain holes at the rail slots Also coat the two vertical surfaces on bulkhead 2 Snap the rails in as before Use any ex...

Page 17: ... trip sides will fit squarely Do this in stages starting from the rear Sand from bulkhead 3 to bulkhead 2 Sand from bulkhead 2 to bulkhead 1 Sand from bulkhead 1 to the tip Note that the outside chine offers very little surface for the non trip side This is normal Mix up about ounce of 30 minute epoxy Using your special epoxy brush put a coat of epoxy on the chines and bulkheads where the sides wi...

Page 18: ...rear Use your 1 16 overlap gauge Use clamps to hold side against the frame Check that the non trip side is in contact all the way around Double check that everything is still in place and you have the correct 1 16 inch overhang in the rear Allow to cure at least 2 hours Repeat on other side When the non trip sides have fully cured remove the clamps Before doing the sponson bottoms read ahead so th...

Page 19: ...ght running surfaces We will refer to these as the aft bottom and forward bottom Also note that the right and left bottoms are different in width Make sure that you sand the sponson bottom evenly and squarely Keep the bottom flat when sanding When you reach the front match the slope of the inner chine while sanding If you have dried epoxy on the inner chine and it is preventing the forward bottom ...

Page 20: ...e wider sheet goes with the wider bottom The sheeting is wider than the sponson bottom and will overhang both inside and at the rear Use your epoxy brush to coat all areas that the sponson bottoms will touch Do one sponson This will be bulkheads 2 and 3 as well as the inner chine and non trip bottom Brush epoxy on the outer perimeter of the bottom Be sure you do the inside of the piece you did mar...

Page 21: ...hat you can locate it the same distance from the bevel when you glue Check to be sure that the front of the forward bottom is sitting nicely on the inner chine If not scrape some more with your razor until it does Epoxy the forward bottom in place the same was you did the aft bottom Match the inside overhang with the aft bottom sheet Tape in place and let cure When you are done you should have a n...

Page 22: ...wo long sides two short sides the top and bottom as well as the 1 8 ply top with lid Sand all the parts smooth with 80 Lay a piece of plastic wrap or waxed paper on your bench Using CA glue the two small sides to the two long sides The small sides go between the long ones Use a square Put glue on the edges and join the two box halves on the bench Lightly sand the bottom of the box Glue on the bott...

Page 23: ...with 180 or 220 grit paper on a block Carefully remove the lid from the 1 8 ply radio box top Sand the edges smooth Glue the 1 8 ply top to the radio box It has a slightly larger hole for the lid so try to center it so that the lip is even all around Make sure that you don t get any glue in the lip as it will interfere with the way the lid seats Sand the entire box with 180 Stand back and admire y...

Page 24: ...ooth with 80 Get your servos Hold the servo at the end of the mount mark the hole locations in the ply Be sure to leave a 1 16 gap between the servo case and the mount You can use your 1 16 overlap gauge here Drill on the marks with a 1 16 bit Repeat for the other side Repeat for the other servo Assemble the grommets and bushings on the servos Note that the brass bushings go in from the bottom of ...

Page 25: ...he pushrods will exit Remove everything from the radio box and coat the inside and outside with finishing resin Be careful not to get any buildup in the lip where the lid seats It will make it impossible for the lid to seal properly To get inside the upper part bend an acid brush about 120 degrees this works very well Seal the lid as well You can seal one side drop it onto some waxed paper and do ...

Page 26: ...Bevel one end of the deck supports so that they meet the front bottom sheet squarely Glue these in place starting at the front Start about inch back from the front edge and glue to each bulkhead Do this all the way back to bulkhead 6 We recommend that you use CA for this as holding these in the proper position while the epoxy cures can be difficult Front of deck support Note bevel Rear Non Trip ...

Page 27: ...f the hull over the sides and bottom The sides must be sanded flat in order for the sides to fit Use your plane and 80 grit to make the sides and bottom flat Test fit the non trip in place When satisfied with the fit glue in place with thin CA and accelerator Glue again Repeat on other side When cured sand the rear non trips and deck supports flush with the back of bulkhead 6 ...

Page 28: ...hould be flush with the top of bulkhead 6 Any overhang should be at the sides and bottom Allow to cure Sealing Interior Now we need to seal the inside It is vital that all exposed wood be sealed Mix up about 2 ounces of epoxy finishing resin Start from the front Using a brush coat all areas of wood inside the hull Get inside the holes and R s Get the bottom of the deck supports Try not to get too ...

Page 29: ...ces are identical to each other Arrange the deck pieces to mirror each other and coat one side only with finishing resin Do only one coat at this time After the finishing resin has had a chance to cure apply a second coat If you want a nice finish you can scrape the first coat of resin with a razor to get it smooth before applying the second coat Be sure that all areas of the hull interior are sea...

Page 30: ...al one end of each tube Heat the tube about 2 inches from one end until it changes color Allow to cool This will allow you to bend the tube smoothly without kinks Install the brass tubes in the pre drilled holes annealed end first until they protrude past bulkhead 3 by about 2 inches Cut the transom end so that there is about inch protruding Clean the ends to remove all burrs Mark where each bulkh...

Page 31: ...re to keep the top of bulkhead 2 in place until after we install the deck Slip the engine between the rails until the carb is centered or slightly forward in the slot in the right rail Place a 1 8 ply scrap under the engine as a spacer The engine can be no closer than 1 8 inch to the bottom Aim the engine towards the hole in bulkhead 3 Use a inch drill bit or long bolt to align the engine to the h...

Page 32: ...er isolator as far as you can Do this for both sides Remove the engine and mark the center by holding a flat washer in place and marking the center holes Center hole marked Drill the two holes with your right angle drill Put the engine back in and loosely bolt the rear in place Push your inch bit back up through into the collet Mark the front holes Remove the engine and drill the two front mountin...

Page 33: ...de the 11 32 tube over the others without moving anything its time to glue the stuffing tube The stuffing tube is a piece of 11 32 brass tubing about 3 1 2 inches long Rough up the outside of the tube with coarse sandpaper Slip the tube onto the 5 16 tube until it is within inch of the collet Tape around the bottom of the tube so that no epoxy can seep out When happy with the tape job flip the hul...

Page 34: ... This will allow the radio box to be mounted closer to the center making the job of taping the lid in place much easier Measure about 1 inch up and about 3 inches back and cut the left front corner off the radio box Sand this flat and glue the piece of included 1 16 ply over the hole and sand flush Seal this with finishing resin When cured put a second coat of resin on the radio box You don t need...

Page 35: ...get the radio box too close to the exhaust Let cure at least two hours Hardware Draw a center line on the transom top to bottom Draw a parallel line 2 3 4 to the left of the center line Assemble your strut to the bracket and adjust the strut so that it is all the way up in the bracket Hold the strut on the transom so that it is about 3 4 inch off the bottom align it to the center line and mark one...

Page 36: ...e and 4 40 pushrod material for our rudder pushrod We used a solder clevis at the servo end and a 4 40 ball link at the rudder end Remove the rudder Adjust the strut so that the bottom of the transom is 1 inch off the bottom The shaft center of the strut should be 1 inch from the hull bottom Tighten the strut Install the engine and make the shaft tube from a piece of 5 16 brass tubing Slip the 36 ...

Page 37: ... strut and measure how far the tubing goes into the strut The Zipp strut is about 7 8 inch Cut the tubing behind your forward mark by this amount so that with the strut mounted the tubing will be fully seated in the strut Deburr the end of the shaft tube and slip the strut onto the tube Bolt the strut and shaft tube in place again Flex Shaft Slip your drive dog onto the flex shaft then the prop Ad...

Page 38: ... off the front of the cable to leave a 3 8 inch drive dog to strut gap As an example if the distance from the strut to drive dog is 3 3 8 inch you would cut 3 inches off the cable Exhaust We used a quiet pipe in our hydro and recommend that you use a quiet pipe or effective muffler as loud boats lose ponds Install the engine in the hull with the 90 degree header in place Leave the carb off for now...

Page 39: ...You will need an exhaust extension to reach the transom We used the Zipp 2019 kit It includes a nice exhaust outlet Throttle We used the straight pushrod vertical bell crank throttle linkage on the prototype and prefer it Whatever method you use take the time to get it right as there is very little room Once you are happy with the way the rudder and throttle work remove everything Turn fin ...

Page 40: ...blind nuts in the right sponson You may have to run a 20 tap in the blind nuts if there is epoxy in the threads from sealing the interior If all is well with the turn fin remove it Cowling The cowling is made from a lite ply deck with the epoxy glass cowling glued to it You should have already sealed one side of the cowl deck Glue the two halves together Do not adjust the way the decks come togeth...

Page 41: ...is well put epoxy on the front and rear deck formers and set the cowl deck in place Be sure that the deck is flush with bulkhead 1 and centered on the deck strips There will be some overhang at the rear Clamp the cowl deck completely along both sides and against the deck formers Spray the lite ply colw deck with water to help in conform to the compound curve of the deck Double check that everythin...

Page 42: ...the lite ply deck without putting pressure on it If there is any pressure on it the deck will distort Once you are happy with the fit use medium CA or epoxy to attach the epoxy glass cowling to the lite ply deck Make sure that the cowl is sitting on top of the bulkheads When cured sand the rear of the cowl deck flush with the transom Remove the clamps and remove the cowl assembly You must provide ...

Page 43: ... the front of the cowling and sail straight through to the air exit carrying very little heat with it We need it to go into the front and go around the bottom of the hull before going up to the dashboard See page 54 for details Top Deck The Bullitt deck is done in 5 pieces Two deck sides two sponson decks and one deck center It is important that you test fit and fully understand how the deck fits ...

Page 44: ... as well Use masking tape tape the rear portion of the deck down Tape at the transom too Continue taping the front portion Make sure that the inside edge of the deck matches your line on the deck support If all looks well make an alignment mark on the deck and deck support This will make it easier to line up the deck when you are gluing it in place Remove the tape and clamps For the deck installat...

Page 45: ... done Glue the sponson decks on the same way You may find it easier to bend these decks if you soak them in water first If you do let them dry while clamped and taped to the sponson When dry they will conform to the sponson shape and be easy to glue Don t forget to seal the bottom of the deck before gluing it on Once all decks are cured fit and glue in the deck center with 30 minute epoxy Seal the...

Page 46: ...p and sides Squeegee as much as you can Get a thin even coat of resin on all areas Use a small acid brush to get the edges Scrape as much resin as possible You just want to wet the wood with resin any excess will just have to be sanded off later This first coat is easy as the wood will darken as it gets wetted with resin The second coat will be a little more challenging but will use far less resin...

Page 47: ... cloth lightly to remove any dust Spray a light coat of primer inside and out Let this flash for a few minutes and spray a heavy coat on Let sit overnight When the primer is dry use spot putty to fill any nicks or surface imperfections When dry wet sand with 400 on the rubber block If you are happy with the surface spray on another medium coat of primer When dry wet sand with 600 or 800 Use compre...

Page 48: ...our stand This is where it will live when it s not in the water Sharpen the turn fin Using a file or grinder and 220 grit paper sharpen the right side of the turn fin only The front and bottom should be sharp and the back flat Put the turn fin in its mount and bolt it onto the sponson with the 20 screws into the blind nuts Install the engine Install the servos Install the shaft tube Install the st...

Page 49: ... lines Push the threaded end of the rudder and throttle pushrods through the big end of the pushrod seals Attach both ends of the pushrods making sure the seals are on the outside of the radio box Use Goop or CA to glue the pushrod seals to the outside of the radio box Make sure the seals are centered on the pushrod holes Allow to dry You can also use our 3422 pro seals for a secure no glue instal...

Page 50: ...that the carb is wide open when you pull the trigger all the way back and closed when you push the trigger forward When the engine is running you can use the throttle trim to set the idle speed Take the time to get this right It s no fun running your boat onto the shore because the engine won t shut off Make sure all your water lines are firmly attached Use those teeny little tie wraps at each fit...

Page 51: ... an extended time without cooling water If you are going to run the boat on the stand take the prop off but leave the shaft connected to the engine This will help to break in the strut bushings At the pond Make sure your transmitter and receiver batteries are fresh or fully charged Do a range check with your transmitter antenna down and note the distance You should do a range check every day that ...

Page 52: ...stream of cooling water If you don t see any bring it in pronto If all looks good hit it Notice how the boat rides in the straights Does it lean or pull to one side Is the deck and transom level How about the turns Does the transom rise or fall in the turns Does it slide or hook It s a good idea to have a helper write down your comments as you run the boat After the run you can use the included Hy...

Page 53: ...d unstable Strut too high CG too far back Boat needs left trim to go straight Prop walk Prop walk Prop walk Turn fin not aligned correctly Prop walk Boat slides too much in turns Turn fin bent Turn fin too small Turn fin fell off Boat hooks in turns CG too far back Turn fin too big unlikely Lateral side to side balance off Boat dances in the straights Pretty cool huh Boat hops CG too far back or t...

Page 54: ...ave to push the strut down to 1 inch or 3 inches to get the boat level do it This will change with different props so strut adjustments are usually necessary with prop changes Remember that the goal is always to keep the angle of attack no higher than zero period The turn fin can have a strong influence on angle of attack if it is not aligned properly Also note that this hull is designed to turn r...

Page 55: ...R I V E T T R O C K E T T 53 ...

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Zipp Manufacturing Bullitt Thunderboat, Building Instructions

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