SPD III Drive System

The SPD III is simplest terms means, Surface Plaining Drive, third model design. This one product is probably the single most important innovation we made to gas model boating dating back to 1983. The concept was taken from a full size race boat manufacture not far from our companies first facility. Tony, our companies founder would frequent this boat shop, and one day decided to try the concept on one of his early production Enforcer model boats. The results were unbelievable! The resulting “surface drive propulsion” and this break-through in model boating is still with us today with over 95% of all performance minded gas model Vee bottom boats using this method. Over the course of several years after our first production of SPD drive, we developed the SPD III in 1993 which has become our work horse and the most widely used surface drive throughout the world. It’s simple design enables the drive to be adjusted up and down with just a single screw. The drive shaft cartridge holds (2) replaceable Lead Teflon bearings that can be removed as a whole with yet another single screw, making this the easiest and most durable drive of it’s kind. The body of the drive houses the drive shaft solder-less ferrule and it’s bottom design enables the boat to reach a plaining surface aft of the hull. The drives running surface has been engineered to enable the hull to roll side to side as it would if under normal drive conditions. By extending the drive / prop further from the transom two benefits are taking place. 1- The prop is now in a cleaner water environment, with less turbulence caused from breaking at the transom. 2- In essence you have extended the boats plaining surface without adding significant wetted surface area post the transom. Surface drive simply means that the propeller hub is above the surface of the water. The benefits of this are enabling only a single blade to enter the water at a time, which by design is the most efficient way to create forward speed. This type of propulsion has become very popular in the gas model boating industry, and today the majority of all gas model boats apply this concept. We compliment the SPD III drive with our Uni-Strut and Dual Rudder system which places an offset rudder 3″ to the right and the left on center of the drive. This design enables larger gas model boats, 46″ and up to turn equally both left and right, while eliminating direct disturbance from the propeller, which can influence the steering. Both rudders are connected by a common aluminum tie-bar so only one control point is required to activate both rudders. The entire rudder system has been designed to be adjustable to fine tune to different water conditions. The Uni-Strut bracket has also been designed to be used on most transoms that have a minimal height from the lowest portion of the hull up of 4″. Rudders can be adjusted forward and aft, and are designed to “kick-up” in the event of a solid object strike.

Package Includes:

1. SPD III Drive unit (Assembled)
2. Uni-Strut and Dual Rudder system (Assembled)
3. 3/8″ X 12″ shaft tube
4. Teflon liner material
5. 18″ X 1/4″ drive cable ( One square end is standard, however we can make double square ends for no charge)
6. 1/4″ prop shaft and ferrule
7. Drive hub
8. Thrust washer set (3)
9. Prop nut
10. 2 – Lead Teflon bearings (installed)