Flossy

Well after seeing a few vids online these thins seem fun.

i have no experience in and sail powered rc but I have built various rc cars and trucks .

I love the poly pipe build but it's a little small for my liking.

So here goes my land yacht build.

plans are jut to build and see what it ends up like. Using and old fishing pole section as a mast that will be about 1.75metres tall,
footprint will be about 1.3 x 1 metre. I'm using 1/8 scale buggy wheels an axles to keep it free moving. And to hold it all together I will be building a lightweight aluminium chassis at work.

the rest will just be guess as I build.

any questions will be happily answers if I can.

this is the jig I built today to get it straight .

ByLoudDesign

I always wondered which came first the ice boat or land yacht. Some of the you can change the wheels for runners and have fun in the winter too!!!

Flossy

Well there won't be no ice yachting here! Hardly stays cold for long enough but we so get some cold days occasionally

Flossy

Finished the electrics case today , fitted mounts for the spars that will hold wheels too.

iron eagel

Neat project! It should be a lot of fun. Add a couple of detachable floats and you have a rc boat as well.

Flossy

Nah saving water based fun for a proper yacht kit I'm gonna save got , that or a brushless outrigger :-D

Flossy

Well had some difficulties fitting th bearings into the custom build hubs I planned to use so dropped

ByLoudDesign

Nice work! There is a cool place for all kinds of hardware, www.servocity.com!

Flossy

Wrong country I'm afraid I'm in England

ByLoudDesign

They ship anywhere, even Australia!

Flossy

Got the first hub connected today, starting to look more than just a pile of parts

Flossy

Here you can see the connections that allow it to be dismantled for storage and transport

ByLoudDesign

Nice! Is it built out of aluminum or steel? I am thinking you need some ballast if aluminum.

Flossy

Mainly aluminium , there is room for ballast inside and at the end of each strut.
id rather add ballast than have it too heavy and sluggish in light winds.

im still thinking about mast size , 1.75 is minimum I think but might go as much as 2 metres !!

ByLoudDesign

Good idea with the weight outboard as far as possible, rather the maybe twice or more weight on the center line. I do not know if this will help you but check this out, save a lot of weight over a round tube. You might think carbon fiber tube also. The weight of the mast becomes real important when it start getting close to the fulcrum point of the base, the less weight the better, meaning less ballast!
http://www.ludwigrcyachts.com/spars.htm

Flossy

I'm gonna be using a section off a carbon fibre fishing pole as the mast, it probably weighs 30g at most ,

ByLoudDesign

Cool, your rigging angle to the mast should never be less the 7°, as although it holds be mast down it has a hard time controlling side to side movement! That is why the have spreaders about 60 -75% up the mast, it opens up that upper rigging angle to regain control! I am probably telling you things you already know, but if you don't it may help!

Flossy

Nope ! I have no idea on rigging lol , never sail and never owned a rc yacht.
tbh the mast is so strong I may not need to rig It but will probably do it for peace of mind

ByLoudDesign

Simplest rigging would be a pair of stays on each side fixed about 50 to 60% up the mast, or as high as you can go with the 7° rule applying; side to side. On each side the lower point of attachment should be equal distant fore and aft from the mast at ±10°. those four stay will provide good fore and aft, as well as side stability. If you are so inclined to put the top stays on the spreader would go at the same spot as the upper point of attachment of the lower four stay, and only as wide as necessary to comply with the 7° rule! Epoxy a collar around the mast and it will absorb the downward pressures as you DO NOT want to screw into the spar. Almost a given that it would break there especially if you do not put a set of upper stay on. Ice boat some times have s tail boom with a back stay attacked to the same point as the upper stays.

Flossy

I think I understand what your saying, but might need some extra help when the time comes

ByLoudDesign

Emil me @ [email protected] a sketch with dimensions and I will make you a drawing of the rigging!

Flossy

Second hub fitted today, that's the whole back end finished, all needs cleaning and the welds neatening up yet but it's pretty much there.

ByLoudDesign

Nice, are you working from some sort of drawing or image of a land yacht or is this your own creation?

Flossy

Totally my own creation , did a couple of doodles and then started building

ByLoudDesign

Cool!