Quartershot-STV blowovers

[Mr.Rude]

I have a safety question... If these boats are suspect to blow overs, (having never piloted one, I am not saying that they are) why do the not have an aileron on the leading edge that can be manipulated suck as an unlimited hydroplane? Obviously not enough downforce to rick a stuff, but something that can pitch a few degrees to "settle" a nose up or overtrim situation.

[StratosVT]

Don't think the nose is the issue. Tail end is the issue when it starts trapping air. Once that happens, it's too late and don't think trimming the nose would help. jmo

[Fish]

I am not aware of either being suspect to blow over. The STV runs very flat which IMHO further reduces the chance of blow over and the Q-shot runs pretty flat af well. There have been a few that have gone over, but considering the number of them out there and the varying levels of expereince running 100+mph boats, I would say that both are among the most forgiving high performance boats available.

Having said that, any nucklehead can blow anything over, and freak things like gusts, freak waves, mechanical failures...etc can happen even to the most expereinced, and nothing will replace seat time and familiarity with your ride. He live on the edge and sometimes you fall on the other side of it. Additionally, safety equipment should be standard operating procedure on any hi-po boat.

as for the aileron, I remember back in 1972-73 when my dad first tested this. Most boats were squqare across the front not pickleforks. Tom Huber, the guy who put my dad's molonari back together every time he blew over decided to build his own boat that he felt would be lighter and faster than the molonari (created the Hubercotti). He had the same thoughts as you in his firat design; why not assist the angle of attach by cutting the squared off front and making it adjustable on the fly like an airplane wing.

The results were way to radical and unpredictable using the adjustable aeleron as opposed to using the trim to lift the bow . He took the wing out and they tried it (assuming they would not be able to get enough lift) and it was fast as hell with the pickle fork no wing configuration. They left it like that and the boat more than proved it self against the older squared off front technology not only with my dad, but Bert Serra, Homer Green and a few others who bought the huber cotti's.

[imq707s]

.......if a driver can't manipulate the trim correctly on the motor to keep the nose down......what makes you think the same drive will be able to control a nose mounted wing to hold the nose down.

[150aintenuff]

if an STV can go 151.3 and not blow over why would anyone need a aleron to keep them from not blowing over...

[WILDMAN]

Most of the blowovers are usually from hitting a wave or wind gust and getting the nose a bit too high, or just overtrimming.

[6Killer]

I seen them all blow over at one time or another, STV's, Jaguar's, Allison's, Q-Shots, Triad's...you name it, it is always like this.....light + fast = danger. You buy the ticket, you take the ride. Only fast boat I have never seen or herd of going over is a Quartermaster.

[STV_Keith]

What's the fastest Jaguar, Ally, Q-shot you've heard of? I know Dixon is the man in the STV's at 151. Any others even been close?

[rpm racing]

OK, whatever, Nick.

Easy for you to say, you've never driven one close to that fast. It's not just a "stab it and hold on" situation. As the boat creeps up on those extreme speeds, it needs more and more negative trim and stern lift to keep it balanced as the aerodynamic lift forces increase.

Some other boats are just plain dangerous at any speed over 100.

Pyro...its actually the other way around. The STV will start to push down to the water harder than the lift it creates. Depending on set up and the balance point of the boat it will "roll over" at any where from 105 to 112 (thats what mine have done) with no trim input at all. The front drops and the boat takes a VERY flat set and starts to haul, as your speed goes over 120 you need to CAREFULLY input trim back into the motor to hold the hull up from skidding on the water because it is running so flat and the deck lid is creating so much down force.

Driving an STV or anything for that matter on the water over 125+ can't be explained with words about how it is done. You have to "feel" it and it is not even close to a point and stab situation, it takes a lot of thought to hit the "UP" button when you are going faster than you have ever gone before and it takes even more thought about lifting off the gas when you have had enough of the stupid situation you have put yourself into it.

But damn is it a rush.

[screwedbayou]

Pyro...its actually the other way around. The STV will start to push down to the water harder than the lift it creates. Depending on set up and the balance point of the boat it will "roll over" at any where from 105 to 112 (thats what mine have done) with no trim input at all. The front drops and the boat takes a VERY flat set and starts to haul, as your speed goes over 120 you need to CAREFULLY input trim back into the motor to hold the hull up from skidding on the water because it is running so flat and the deck lid is creating so much down force.

Driving an STV or anything for that matter on the water over 125+ can't be explained with words about how it is done. You have to "feel" it and it is not even close to a point and stab situation, it takes a lot of thought to hit the "UP" button when you are going faster than you have ever gone before and it takes even more thought about lifting off the gas when you have had enough of the stupid situation you have put yourself into it.

But damn is it a rush.

well said

[pyro]

Yeah, you busted me. I don't know any more about driving an STV than Nick does, I just wanted to call him out for trying to be an expert.

I'm familiar with the STV deck design and the progressive downforce effect. Mirages and some others lack this level of deck downforce, so they tend to lift easier when they really get moving.

Regardless, it takes a LOT more than just a heavy foot to make a single outboard do 140+...

[patchesII]

it takes even more thought about lifting off the gas when you have had enough of the stupid situation you have put yourself into it.

thats funny but i kinda know what he's talking about

[jay1]

I remember somthing on tv a long time ago...weather it was "thats incredable" "real people"... not sure ......but they were testing a boat with a wing between the sponsons...they did a few runs discribing the effect durring each run and then they flipped it....i think it was even a woman driver.....

[Mr.Rude]

.......if a driver can't manipulate the trim correctly on the motor to keep the nose down......what makes you think the same drive will be able to control a nose mounted wing to hold the nose down.

CASE CLOSED!

[STVRacing]

Pyro, I have to disagree with you on the fact of a Mirage getting more lift. Maybe on some but my River Racer has a tendency to drop the bow at anything over 104. This hull is completely stock the way Brad built it in '88. After speaking with him a few years back it was noted that my Mirage has a different bottom then the Jaguar and the Polecat which Im sure has alot to do with the way it runs over 104. When Brad and I spoke he noted on how the Polecat was pretty much prone to blowovers when you would get over 100. So he changed up the bottom a bit to compensate for that action. Ill try to get some pics of my Mirage bottom so it can be compared with the Jaguar and Polecat bottom.