AquaCraft Top Speed 3 User Manual

™

2008 and 2009 World Champion!

™

WARNING:

• NEVER attempt to swim after a stalled RC boat!

• Never operate your RC boat while standing in the water.

• Never operate your RC boat in the presence of swimmers.

• Always use a Personal Flotation Device (PFD) when boarding and operating your retrieval craft, i.e. Jon boat or duck boat.
NOTE: Because of the sharp running hardware included with this RC boat, we do not recommend a rubber blow up raft.

• RC boat running hardware is very sharp. Be very careful when working on and around the metal parts.

• While the engine is running pay close attention to the propeller. Do not come in contact with the propeller at any time the
engine is running or serious injury will result.

• AquaCraft products are to be used by ages 14 and over.

aquacraftmodels.com

INTRODUCTION & DESCRIPTION CHANGES

ENGINE:

❏ O.S.

®

21XM Marine Outboard Engine (OSMG1721)

Thank you for purchasing the AquaCraft Top Speed 3 (TS3). We at
AquaCraft want the time you spend with your boat to be safe, fun
and successful. If for any reason you feel this R/C model is not for
you return it to your place of purchase immediately. Your hobby
dealer cannot accept returns on any model after fi nal assembly or
after your boat has been operated.

AquaCraft products are to be used by ages 14 and over.

All pictures, descriptions, and specifi cations found in this instruction
manual are subject to change without notice. AquaCraft maintains
no responsibility for inadvertent errors in this manual.

ITEMS INCLUDED

➧ Pre-Painted Top Speed 3 Hull and Cowl
➧ Radio Box, Fuel Tank and Fuel Tank Mount
➧ Running Hardware
➧ Decals

PARTS NEEDED TO COMPLETE YOUR MODEL

AND OPTION PARTS

RADIO SYSTEM: Most any radio equipment will work quite well in

your new boat, but to aid in selection we have provided you with
three possible options.

OPTION 1: (This option is the least expensive of the three but still
has plenty of range and power for tunnel boat racing.)

❏ 1-TACJ0245 Tactic™ 2.4 Radio system less servos
❏ 1-FUTM0031 Futaba® 3003 Standard Servo (Throttle)
❏ 1-FUTM0045 Futaba 3305 High-Torque Standard Servo with

Metal Gears (Steering)

❏ 2-FUGP7300 Fuji AA batteries (4 pack)

ACCESSORIES NEEDED TO OPERATE YOUR MODEL:

❏ AquaCraft Fuel Line (AQUB6903)
❏ TorqMaster
❏ 30% Boat Fuel, Quart (AQUP2230)

or

❏ 50% Boat Fuel, Quart (AQUP2250)
❏ Hot Shot 2™ Glow Igniter (HCAP2520)
❏ Hand Crank Fuel Pump (HCAP3015)
❏ Fuel Line (AQUB6903)
❏ Fuel Filter (GPMQ4150)
❏ Glow Plug Wrench (GPMP2000)
❏ AquaCraft GrimRacer™ Pro Radio Box Tape (AQUB9514)
❏ AquaCraft GrimRacer Speed Grease (AQUB9500)

EXTRAS:

#ODOG0309 ❏ O’Donnell™ OD-9 Glow Plug (ODOG0309)

or

#OSMG2690 ❏ O.S. #6 A3 Glow Plug Hot (OSMG2690)

TOOLS NEEDED TO COMPLETE YOUR MODEL:

❏ Boat Stand (see how to make a Boat Stand on page 4)
❏ Setup board (see how to make a setup board on page 4)
❏ Medium CA glue or 12 minute epoxy
❏ #1 “Small” Phillips screwdriver
❏ 1.5mm hex wrench
❏ 2.5mm hex wrench
❏ 4mm nut driver
❏ Pliers
❏ Hand drill
❏ Drill bits, 1/16", 5/64", 1/8" and 9/64"
❏ Silicone sealer
❏ Household cement (like Goop)
❏ Masking tape
❏ Moto Tool with cut off wheel
❏ 6" machinist ruler
❏ Hobby Knife
❏ Scissors
❏ Thread locking compound

™

Electric Starter (HCAP3200)

OPTION 2: (This option has a transmitter that has multiple model
memory, allowing you to easily grow as your racing program
grows.)

❏ 1-FUTK2021 Futaba 3PM-X Radio system less servos
❏ 1-FUTM0031 Futaba 3003 Standard Servo (Throttle)
❏ 1-FUTM0102 Futaba S9402 High-Speed Coreless BB

(Steering)

❏ 3-FUGP7300 Fuji AA batteries (4 pack)

OPTION 3: (This option costs the most money and is top of the
line equipment.)

❏ 1-FUTK4900 Futaba 4PK Radio system less servos
❏ 1-FUTM0031 Futaba 3003 Standard Servo (Throttle)
❏ 1-FUTM0236 S9315 Digital High Torque Servo (Steering)
❏ 1-FUTM1383 Futaba NRT5 5Cell NiCd RX battery

2

WARRANTY SERVICE

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

AquaCraft will warrant your model for 90 days after the purchase
from defects in materials or workmanship of original manufacture.
AquaCraft, at their option, will repair or replace at no charge, the
incorrectly made part. This warranty does not cover damage caused
by crash, abuse, misuse, alteration or accident. To return your boat
for service you need to provide proof of purchase, your store receipt
or product invoice will suffi ce.

IN NO EVENT SHALL THE PURCHASER BE ENTITLED TO ANY
INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES,
WHETHER RESULTING FROM THE USE, MISUSE OR INABILITY TO
USE THE PRODUCT OR FROM DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCT.

This warranty gives you specifi c legal rights and you may also have
other rights, which vary from state to state.

Outside USA and Canada, contact local importer for warranty
information.

Hobby Services

3002 N. Apollo Drive, Suite 1

Champaign, Illinois 61822

Attn: Service Department

Phone: [phone]:00 am - 5:00 pm Central Time M-F

E-mail: [e-mail]

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

BOAT SPECIFICATIONS:

Hull Length: 30" (765mm)
Overall Length: 36" (915mm)
Width: 10.5" (265mm)
Height: 6" (154mm)
Weight (less fuel): 5 lbs (2.3 kg)

• Never, ever, attempt to swim after a stalled RC boat. DO NOT
get in the water for any reason to retrieve your boat. Your TS3
has fl otation added to the interior of the hull and the cowl. They
will not sink. To aid you in retrieving a stalled RC boat you can
use a fi shing reel with a tennis ball tied to the end of the line. Or
better yet, get yourself a small Jon boat so you can row out and
pick up your boat. Remember to use a PFD any time you enter
your retrieval craft.

• AquaCraft products are to be used by ages 14 and over.

• Do not touch the propeller anytime the engine is running. Pay

equally close attention to items such as loose clothing, shirtsleeves,
ties, scarves, long hair or anything that may become entangled in
the spinning prop. If your fi ngers, hands, etc. come in contact with
the spinning propeller, you may be severely injured.

• The speed and mass of this boat can infl ict property damage and
severe personal injury if a collision occurs. Never run this boat
in the presence of swimmers or where the possibility of collision
with people or property exists.

• Glow engines produce heat. Do not touch any part of your engine
until it has cooled.

• This boat is controlled by radio signals, which are susceptible to
possible interference from other R/C transmitters, paging systems,
or other electrical noise. Before turning your radio transmitter and
receiver on, make sure no one else in the area is operating a radio
on the same frequency (channel).

• If your TS3 should happen to stall, water currents will slowly carry
it to shore. The bad news is that the boat could be carried to the
opposite shore. When surveying areas to run your model, keep
variables in mind such as wind direction, size of the lake, etc. It is
not advisable to run R/C boats on any free-fl owing bodies of water
such as creeks or rivers.

BOAT FEATURES:

Race-winning heritage
Fiberglass construction
High gloss, fuel-resistant painted fi nish
Water-resistant radio box
8 oz molded plastic fuel tank

3

BOAT STAND

You are going to want to build the boat stand as soon as you can. It makes assembling the boat easier and the stand can be used as the
starting stand for the boat as well.

There are a lot of ways to build a boat stand, but we would like to show you one way that is inexpensive and durable.

PARTS YOU WILL NEED:

❏ (8) 1" PVC T’s
❏ (2) Lengths of 1" PVC piping 16" long
❏ 2 – Lengths of 1" PVC piping 11-1/2" long
❏ 4 – Lengths of 1" PVC piping 2" long
❏ 2 – Lengths of 1" pipe insulation 11-1/2" long
❏ PVC cement (like the tube kind for boat stand building)

Pre-assemble the parts without using any cement fi rst. Then
disassemble and reassemble using the cement.

Assembly is easy, as the long 16" lengths of PVC piping run the
length of the boat and the shorter 11-1/2" lengths side-to-side.
Glue the Ts to the ends of the tubing, making sure the Ts are
parallel to each other. Join the completed parts together using the
short 2" lengths of piping. You will have to work fast as the cement
sets the parts almost instantly.

SETUP BOARD

Your setup board is going to be a very important tool in getting your boat to perform at its best. Here is a simple how to:

Using MDF or common shelf board (do not use plywood or a media with a grain), cut the board 25" long and 11" wide. Place a slot 1/2"
wide on one end of the board, aligning it in the center of the 11" width.

The nice thing about this setup board is it fi ts between the Ts of
the boat stand you just made, making boat setup even easier by
keeping the skeg of the engine a safe distance from the table top.

GrimRacer says: It’s a good idea to
place a hole in one end of the setup
board and hang it from a hook or nail for

storage. This will help keep the setup board true.

4

PREPARING THE ENGINE

FOR THIS STEP YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:

➧ #1 Phillips screwdriver
➧ 4mm nut driver
➧ Thread locking compound

Prepare the engine by installing the metal ball links to the
engine tiller arm. You are going to want to install the ball
links in the inner most holes of the tiller arm. You might have
to enlarge the holes of the aluminum tiller arm to allow the
screw to pass through. It’s a good idea to use a little thread
locker on the screw to help secure the parts. Now is also a
good time to check the direction of the mount plate to make
sure it’s positioned with the pivot boss near the bottom.
You can also install the throttle cable clamp at this time.

FOR THIS STEP YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:

➧ Scissors or hobby knife
➧ Hand drill with both 1/8" and 9/64" drill bits
➧ 2.5mm hex wrench
➧ Masking tape

Cut engine mounting template from the back of this manual.
Center the template on the transom and tape in place. Use a 1/8"
drill bit and drill the center marks on the template. Remove the
template and enlarge the holes by re-drilling with a 9/64" drill bit.

5

Slip the metal backing plate into the opening in the back of the

boat. You will have to rotate it 90° to align the screw holes.

Attach the engine to the boat using the 3mm bolts
and washers supplied in the kit. Don’t worry about
setting the engine height at this time as we will get

to that during the “setup” part of the manual.

FOR THIS STEP YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:

➧ Medium CA glue or 12 minute epoxy

➧ Hand drill with 1/16” drill bit

➧#1 Phillips screwdriver

Glue the fuel tank tray together. Waterproof

the tray by applying a coat of epoxy.

6

Center the tray on the back tank platform. Using a
1/16” drill bit, pre-drill the mounting holes.

Screw the tray in place using the provided 2mm wood screws.

Install the fuel tank to the mount using the supplied O rings.

7

RADIO BOX ASSEMBLY

FOR THIS STEP YOU ARE GOING TO NEED:

➧ Medium CA glue or 12 minute Epoxy
➧ #1 Phillips screwdriver ➧ 1.5mm hex wrench
➧ Moto tool with cut off wheel ➧ Hobby knife
➧ Household cement or silicone sealer ➧ Pliers
➧ Hand drill with 1/16" and 5/64" drill bits

With the switch mounting feature towards the starboard

side (right side of the box when viewed from behind), glue

the servo tray onto the standoffs inside the radio box.

Install the two waterproof boot mounting plastics

by sliding them in from the inside of the box.

Use medium CA to glue them in place.

8