tanasit

First, I would like to warn anyone with this airboat to exercise extreme careful with it, in particular when you connect the battery pack after you turned on the TX.
In my case, I did test it at home with no problems but at the pond after I turned on the tx, I connected the battery pack and suddenly the propeller started spinning chopping my left index fingers 8 times in 0.06 seconds and sent me to the ER! You can still see the band-aid on my finger from the clips.

At first, I thought there was something wrong with the included ESC because one of the wires to the RX partially came loose. Later I found out that the center position of the throttle trim is off and I had to adjust it to the lower side. After that no problems at all.

I like how it drifts along and with practice you can do it smoothly. However, it doesn't groove well for an all out speed in straight line and won't turn on a dime. I guess you can't have them both, drift and groovy. First I want to add just a turn fin but I want to turn well so I decided to try the water rudder. I fashioned a piece of carbon fiber and attached to the bottom part of the air rudder by a screw and lock nut as seen in pictures below. When fold down, the water rudder is about 1 " under the water. First test impressed me a lot so much so that I have to share this here with the clips below.


First clip with NO water rudder: http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...t=P1090246.flv

Second clip with water rudder: http://s7.photobucket.com/albums/y27...t=P1090245.flv

wave waker

cool idea

claserdesigns

My Feedback: (14)

I'm glad to see another of my airboats built, I have sold a lot of kits but i haven't seen them run yet for the exception of 2manytoyz, and I recently got a few orders for built ones, time have been very tight, that I haven't used mine since I took the promotional video. I forgot how fast and fun its.

I love the idea of the water rudder, very nice job.

sorry about your finger, mine usually beeps a few times and it doesn't turn the propeller unless its set on the lowest position first.

Got any more pictures? how was the built? easy difficult?

Selph-Inflicted

Here is how to attach a retractable water rudder to your air rudder and be able to use both.
[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_2804564/anchors_2805303/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#2805303]Retractable water rudder in action.[/link]

ISIRC10

Nice job with the airboat, nice to see someone in the philly area joining this hobby!

about props... they hurt a lot! (as you found out first hand) I preffer to keep my hands at a safe distance, even when the esc has worked many times before... all it takes is one loose solder joint, or radio interference (I know you have 2.4ghz but it still happens) to set things going...

Selph-Inflicted

Sorry guys, I forgot to put the pic in here for you in my last post.
Here is a video of the [link=http://rcairboats.net/v-web/gallery/albums/low-idle/LowIdleVid1.wmv]retractable water rudder in action.[/link]