Kmot

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Hi guys,

I bought this ABS airboat around 5 years ago. Tried a prop on a 540 car motor and connected a battery and melted the motor! [X(]

So I put it away. I got it out the other day and have been playing around with a couple motors I had. Right now it has a Gold Fire 550 (currently marketed as an Electrifly S-600) and an APC 7x6 prop. I have tested it briefly in my pool with a fixed rudder position just to see if it would move and it actually moved out pretty well. It even scooted across some wet grass, once I gave it a nudge to get started.

The prop ring and rudder were very flimsy so I reinforced them. I added carbon fiber strips to the rudder, and I added three layers of fiberglass cloth inside the prop ring.

Next up is to make the steering servo linkage and install a servo. Then make motor lead wires, install caps and diode on motor, and position and secure the Rx and ESC. Once everything is sorted, I will disassemble the boat and give it a paint job.

This is going to be fun!

boatman1

Very interesting there Kmot
Cant wait to see it finished & some video of it in action

shenlonco

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Hi I had 2 of these boats i put a nitro motor on one and the other i ran a kyosho magnetteic mayhem motor on8 GP 3300 cells it flew I learned to make em work much better cut the motor mounts and make it so the prop is a puller not psher it cools everything down and makes the boats go faster ...I have some photos and videos I will find them for ya,,,,

shenlonco

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Here they are in action!! these hulls handel really well as you will see in the video...almost like a normal boat!!
Enjoy!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ror4R0SJyVA

Kmot

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Shenlonco! Awesome!! [sm=biggrin.gif][sm=thumbup.gif]

I actually have pictures of your airboats saved on my hard drive from many years ago! [sm=teeth_smile.gif]

I finished my airboat today and then tested it in my swimming pool. It runs really well, but it is risky running it in the cement walled pool. I did some tight donuts in the center and ended up getting water in my radio box and the Rx shorted out.

Here are pics of the finishing work today: Installing the steering servo, and linkage. Radio gear, motor wires, etc. Now I am going to disassemble it again and do a paint job.

shenlonco

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Cool! If you noticed in my other photo for my electric ....i made the motor sit in the puller position by moding the motor mount ...this way it keeps the motor running cooler and runs better.

Kmot

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I'm going to keep mine as a pusher.

I just laid down the first color.

shenlonco

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Kool Red is good!
It runs much better as a puller though...

Kmot

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Okay, got some more painting and pin striping done today. The hull has been striped along the demarcation line between the deck and the hull. The radio hatch has been striped around the perimeter. And the rudder has been striped along the carbon fiber reinforcement strips. I also have reinstalled the motor mount. The prop ring is drying after its second coat of paint. The Nyrod tube popped loose from the epoxy glue due to my not removing the masking tape properly.

DONS BOAT WORKS

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Looking good Tom.

DONS BOAT WORKS

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Looking good Tom.

Kmot

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I think I may have found a better motor to use. It is an Astroflight 05 Cobalt 7T. It draws the same amps as the Goldfire but I know it is a much more quality motor.

Anyway, the paint scheme is more or less finished.

Kmot

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Okay, it's ready for lake trials this coming Thursday.

shenlonco

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Looks great!! reminds me of mine!!!
I may get that nitro new one they came out with the gater one by aqucraft models..your making me miss my airboats!

Kmot

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Thanks Shenlonco!

crispyspa

I gotta' say, that is a sharp looking boat. Good job.

I know nothing about electric, so I have a question. What is the thing on top of the motor that is connected to both wires?

shenlonco

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That is a shockie diod it makes the esc run more efficent you only use them on farward only ESCs.
Pardon my spelling...

Kmot

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crispyspa: Thank you for the compliment!

Yes, shenlonco is correct. It is a Schottky Diode and it is needed with forward only esc's so that coast down generated voltage from the motor does not flow back to the esc and damage it.

Kmot

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I maidened the airboat today. It runs really well. Not too fast, but fun and has a good long run time on the 4200 NiMh battery.

http://wavelit.com/media/927/Electric_Airboat/

shenlonco

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Cool!
How many cells you running? I did 9.6 and mine flew on a 550 motor kyosho mayhem.... I bet a traxxas 550 titan 12 for a bandit or rustler would fly on like 9.6 volts!

Kmot

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I'm running a 6-cell battery.

shenlonco

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try 7 or even 8 if your ESC can handel it it wakes the boat up really nice!!

shenlonco

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O also try lifting up the back of your motor a little at a time bending the motor mount up front where motor is bolted on..... there is a certain angle i remember the guy who made them gave me but i forgot but.... try it when you get the right thrust angle it goes better...

Kmot

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Interesting. The motor mount portion was angled so the prop was blowing down instead of straight back. So I straightened it.

But I wonder how it would make it perform better like that? Because it would cause more of the hull to be in contact with the water, which means more wetted surface which means more drag.

I actully wanted to angle the mount higher to get even more of the hull lifted up from the water but the motor hits the deck of the mount and can't angle up anymore than it is.

asmithnc

Since you are running a pusher config....... I think the (back) is actually the prop shaft. Lifting the shaft in theory will reduce the wetted area by raising the bow.