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Project... maybe...

Old 03-11-2010, 08:12 PM
  #51  
b16a2sir
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

please post. I have a coro airboat that isnt large enough for my power setup (tipsy) so I have some 2" foam waiting for me to carve a boat out of it! I am thinking about 32-34" long
Old 03-11-2010, 08:31 PM
  #52  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Okay, I will post promptly... should be up in ten minutes.

EDIT: here it is, attached as a google sketchup file. It is drawn to scale (to the best of my knowledge)
you must have sketchup to view it, it is free and I think it is a fairly usefull tool when it comes to visualizing ones ideas.

The dimensions are all there, and you can change the opacity of the outside panneling to see the structure inside. The pannels have the diagonal lines on them as the angles were not parallel and did not form a single plane. I have found that this design works fairly well and shouldn't need too many adjustments in the general shape of the hull. When building, it helps to find the dimensions of the bulkheads (4 I think) and then line them up on the foam, connecting the dots with a wire cutter... just how I would do it...

BTW, if anyone builds one, please post your results and any modifications you may have made.

Here it is

go to the bottom of the page and there will be a download option (you don't have to sign up or anything... choose the free one. It will make you wait for 30 seconds and then you can download the file)

Old 03-11-2010, 08:47 PM
  #53  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

no rush, I have a motorcycle to wire this weekend! Plus, I would like to see yours run too! But I think it will be a performer!
Old 03-11-2010, 09:14 PM
  #54  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Thank you for the encouragement!

I hope she runs well - I have run the boat with brushless before and it was very controllabe and stable in the turns. It got up on plane easily and even had its fair share of snow driving. This new setup should bring decent speeds with an acceptable amp draw and low temps all around. If it runs as I expect it, it will be my cheapest, and best running boat to date...

well, I better stop dreaming and get back to work!
Old 03-14-2010, 05:32 AM
  #55  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

yeah, stop dreaming and go back to work and show us some more footage of your builds and runs
Old 03-14-2010, 08:54 PM
  #56  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

well, I am just going to keep you hanging there for now...

I am busy painting the hull, and the weather isn't really cooperating at the moment...

I plan to push my painting skills to their limit (you know, something a bit more interesting than a 1 color paint job)
I am thinking of some checkers and simple fades, afterall, I only have rattle cans, nothing fancy!

did I mention that I will be using flourescent orange, silver, metalic blue, and black?
Hopefully, this boat will be so obnoxious I will be able to spot it even if it sings (but lets hope that doesn't happen...)
If it stops pouring, I may post some pics of stage one paint tomorrow.
Old 03-15-2010, 03:11 PM
  #57  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

well, it stopped raining... and our power is back on. And phase one of painting is finished!
so far, I am liking how it's turning out. then again, I would LOVE to have an airbrush, but I guess I can make do with rattle cans.
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Old 03-17-2010, 03:24 PM
  #58  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

And now for stage 2 of the paint
I think it turned out well, no leaks anywhere, the center section provides a nice contrast with the bright orange.

Coated the whole thing with rust oleum matte protective enamel, so I should hold up fairly well.
now, I just need those darn parts to show up... My conservative estimate is monday-wednesday of next week, but I don't think I can wait that long!
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Old 03-19-2010, 07:16 PM
  #59  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Today I came home from school to find a mighty dense package standing by the door... exactly nine days after they sent it out of Hong Kong!

The first thing I took out was the battery - MAN, THATTHINGLOOKSLIKEITCANPACKAPUNCH! 8 guage wires, 5.5mm bullet connectors, 4000mAh , 40c discharge, 4S... holy crap! Due to the capabilites of this pack, I decided to invest in a charging station that was fireproof. Better safe than sorry. I picked up an old ammo box (waterproof, airtight, and rust resistant) at a garage sale for $3.50. While charging, the lid will be open, but if there is a fire then it will be fairly easy to shut the lid and seal off the oxygen supply.

Next came the ESC, which (according to some sources) can take much more than what it is rated for. 12 gauge wires on this one. Obnoxiously long reciever lead, but a nice switch as well. Seems built well, the heat sink is large and should provide decent cooling (I have a fan I could put on it if temps rise)

Lastly came the motor... Quite the gem. Of course, it did not have the prestige that comes with buying a $500 Lehner, but I can't complain. The CNC milling is flawless and the bearings run true. The hub came ballanced, so one less thing to worry about. I ran it a bit on my rc car setup (2s, mamba esc) and it produced close to the same amount of thrust as the previous setup did, except the motor did not heat up and spun the 9x9 effortlessly. I can only imagine the pull on 4s! the only thing that dissapointed me about it were the smallish bullet plugs... soon to be replaced with 3.5mm ones. BTW, the motor runs very quietly, all you can hear is the noise of the air coming off the prop.

What I have left to do - go to the hobby shop tomorrow and pick up some bullet plugs for my charger, ESC, and motor. I also have to build a motor stand (one that can withstand the power of the motor) and make some rudders. I upgraded the old servo to a standard Futaba, 10 more ounces of torque, better response time, and very good tracking.

Pics are coming in the next post...
Old 03-19-2010, 07:37 PM
  #60  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Just like Christmas. Where's the pics? LOL
Old 03-19-2010, 07:42 PM
  #61  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Well, just like Christmas... but its my birthday (13 days late)
here are the pics: (NVM... they are uploading HUGE... will try again in an hour) ARG!! still not going up... til morning it is then... SUCCESS!!!
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Old 03-31-2010, 08:14 PM
  #62  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Okay, here comes a picture heavy post...
Last week was horrendous... the week before the third quarter ended, the week when teachers realized that they didn't have enough grades to constitute a report card...
w/e, now it is spring break, although it is going by way too fast. The past few days I have been working feverishly, and today I have a working airboat. The motor mount is made out of aircraft grade 3/8" birch 5-ply. It is held on the boat with four 3/6" thick stainless steel bolts, capped with locknuts and washers. I don't see this thing separating, even in a violent blowover. For the hatch, I imitated CLaserdesigns' plexiglass locks, which are an amazing simple yet effective way of holding down a hatch...

Today I ran the boat in my yard, and it was surprisingly fast! I am running a 9x7 APC prop and I couldn't go past half throttle or it would hit a bump and fly out of control. turning is good, and the twin rudder setup is very responsive. I might want to turn down the expo on them a bit. After a full run, which lasted somewhere between 10-15 minutes, I decided to bring her in. The battery was air temp (60 degrees farhenheit), Esc was 110, and the motor was 95. I think I can get away with a 9x9, or a 10x7 for that matter. The runs took 2381mAh out of the battery, so I imagine that full throttle runs will give me a full ten minutes with some juice left over. No video, but lots of pictures... maybe a video of trial runs tomorrow, depends if my mom can drive me down to the pond. (I should seriously consider getting my license... but I'm too lazy!)

lets have the pictures do the talking... I am going to post final weights soon as well.
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Old 03-31-2010, 08:18 PM
  #63  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

some more... if you guys are getting tired of pics, just tell me, I will glady stop!
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Old 03-31-2010, 08:40 PM
  #64  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Yeah, we're tired of pics...

We want some vids [8D]
Old 03-31-2010, 09:13 PM
  #65  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

LOL, I'm tired of taking pics too... we'll see.
tomorrow I will post a video. It might be yard running if I can't get to the pond, but it will be something nevertheless

Old 03-31-2010, 09:35 PM
  #66  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

If it one thing I can respect, its attention to detail. You have earned a lot of respect. Kudos on the build!
Old 04-01-2010, 02:33 PM
  #67  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Thank you all for your compliments, I put a lot of effort into this project and i am beginning to see it pay off. While every builder strives to make his boat as perfect/detailed as possible, it is the imperfections that give the boat its character.

now, for video 1... (yes, that means there will be a second!)
www.youtube.com/watch
This is just a vid of me running in the yard, and through a fairly large puddle. It's pretty booring, as I was trigger shy and didn't want to flip... oh well, flipped a few times, but no dammage done. By the end of the video I got more comfortable with the boat's handling and gave it some more power, but didn't have room to exploit it.

That was the morning run. I uploaded the video and left to run at the lake - weather was perfect, and the water was very nice. but you will have to wait a bit for that video to upload! anyways, WOW! I am thrilled! (and with that note, I will make you wait a bit... )
Old 04-01-2010, 03:51 PM
  #68  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

here is the second one:
www.youtube.com/watch

Man am I stoked! the run took 2675 mAh and the boat handled great!
final weight: 1902g
4.193lb...

so far, so good!
Old 04-01-2010, 08:56 PM
  #69  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

To put a face to the name, here is a mug shot from today's run.
This summer is gonna be fun, hopefully I can get this thing even more dialed in with different props... the 9x9 I was running then was doing fine, and temps were acceptable, but I think I can get more performance if I switch to a 10x6... BTW, how does going up in diameter effect airflow? Does it increase thrust? or does it increase airspeed? (and how will it effect the speed/acceleration of the boat?)
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Old 04-01-2010, 11:01 PM
  #70  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...




Outstanding! It looked like you were learning fast.

Go with the same diameter prop, but step up in pitch. A higher pitch prop will move air faster than a smaller pitch prop....unless the motor loses RPM.
Old 04-02-2010, 03:14 AM
  #71  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

I wish my nitrto boats ran as good as yours. Cool boat M8.
Old 04-02-2010, 05:52 AM
  #72  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Not only a great looking boat...but a great performer also! [8D]

As stated, try different pitches first with the same diameter. The larger diameter, the bigger the cone of air coming from the power plant. I like to use the largest diameter prop with the most pitch that I can....keeping my power plant in the power band. This is for top end set up.

Props are like gears at the drag strip. It depends on if you want to get them on the start or pass them at the end of the track. Which prop will be best for your set up....only some testing will tell. Take several different props with you next time you go out, spend a little time fine tuning your set up. After a few props, you will know which works best for you and your machine.

Thanks for sharing your project with us!
Old 04-02-2010, 10:10 AM
  #73  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

That turned out AWSOME! Great work! Gives me motivation to get my butt in gear and build mine! !
Old 04-02-2010, 01:30 PM
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

Allright, thanks guys! The prop I was running was a 9x9... couldn't find any higher pitched 9" props... Hopefully I will get to the hobby shop soon and will plan to buy some more props in the 9x7 to 10x9 range... verything was running cool so it seems like the system can take more load easily... I just don't know if my driving skills can handle it! for now, I will run a bit with the 9x9. I go to the lake Sunday, and run some circuits, just to see how consitent I can be with my turns. the only thing I did not like about the previous run was the amount of torque roll during hard acceleration... It wasn't flipping the boat, but I had to use some rudder input occaisionaly.

Another question - this time its abour rudders...
I have my rudders set up with an adjustable link between them. What will happen if I make that link shorter (the rudders will look something like this / \ )? Will it act like toe-in on a car,helping in straight line runs, or will it just add unnecesary impedements in the airstream?

Looking back, the thing I liked the most from yesterday's run was how the boat banked into a turn... It didn't slide like some other airboats that I have seen. I am not sure whether this is a good thing, but I am quite happy with the turning radius and speed, so I am not going to mess with it yet. I think it acts like a water-rudder boat.
Old 04-02-2010, 08:57 PM
  #75  
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Default RE: Project... maybe...

That is a great looking and running boat. Nice work!

I attribute the banking turns to the relatively flat(less than 45 degrees) angle you have between the bottom of the hull and the sides. The shallower angle makes it harder for the hull to break free from suction with the water in turns so the hull tends to lean more and track better. I have built a couple of boats like this and love the precise steering that is usually only possible with a water rudder.

The other thing that helps a boat track well and I think applies to your boat is if the hull width tapers in from the stern to the bow, it will tend to help a boat straighten out, kind of like applying toe-in to the front landing gear on a tail dragger airplane. (I've been wanting to use that analogy for a long time )

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