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Above: the
twin counter-rotating props fight torque steer, and the outdrives' angle
is variable, so the boat trim can be adjusted. The pick-up (where the
cooling water enters to go up to the ESC's heat-sink head) is between
the outdrives and up against the transom.
Right: two Titan 550 motors create serious power, especially when
they're juiced by two 6-cell packs wired in series. That arrangement
provides 14.4 volts! Previous Villains only had 7.2 volts, even with the
same dual 6-cell-pack setup because they were arranged in parallel.
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GETTING IT READY
I just
inserted the antenna mast into its rubber boot, applied the decals and
installed the batteries, and I was ready to hit the water! Traxxas programs
the ESC's default marine setting (profile 1) to provide 100-percent forward
power and 25-percent reverse, but two other "profiles" are also available.
Profile 2 offers 100-percent forward and reverse, and profile 3 delivers
100-percent forward and no reverse. These profiles can be easily changed.
Before I even got the
Villain wet, I tested the radio system; everything worked flawlessly, both
at close range and from a distance. It didn't need any adjustments, and the
ESC and steering servo were set perfectly at the factory.
FINAL THOUGHTS
If this boat does for RC boating what the
Traxxas Maxx trucks did for RC monster trucks—look out! The lake's about to
get a lot more crowded. It's good to see more high-quality, high-performance
RTR's hitting the water. It's also great to see some of the cool Traxxas
technology cross over to the boat scene. If it's speed you're looking for,
then look no further than the Villain EX. It's definitely one of the fastest
electric RTRs on the market.
ON THE WATER
The
Villain EX was tested at an extremely large lake that is very popular
with anglers and recreational boaters. Many RCers would steer clear of
such a busy, wake-filled location, but the deep-vee hull design and
powerful drive system provide the Villain with what it takes to handle
rough conditions.
Leaving
the shallows, I eased into the throttle and brought the boat up to full
speed. When it reached top speed, I threw the Villain into a hard turn;
this boat carved around remarkably well as it headed back toward me. It
digs in and pivots on a dime. I learned quickly that you don't need to
aggressively crank the wheel to turn this boat; a smooth, controlled
touch brings the Villain around much better, but it's good to know that
the Villain can cut up some radically tight corners if I need it to do
so.
After I
became familiar with my new boat's handling characteristics, I proceeded
to run it hard through its paces. Like its cornering ability, the
Villain EX has boast-worthy acceleration and top speed. In fact, with
even remotely fresh batteries, the Titan 550 motors can sometimes
overpower the props when the boat accelerates from a standstill at full
throttle. Traxxas knew it had created a power monster and even included
a section in the owner's manual on "cavitation" to explain the
phenomenon.
During
testing, the radio box's interior and, more important, the enclosed
equipment stayed absolutely dry. The water-cooled heat exchanger worked
as it was designed to and kept the ESC temps in check; according to my
infrared temp gun, its temperature never went above 100 degrees. On the
other hand, the motors and batteries do heat up during use. Although the
motors have built-in fans, the twin 550s and batteries get little
cooling airflow and need the recommended 15 minutes of "rest" between
runs.
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«Traxxas
Villain EX |
