New to sailing, a few questions
09-18-2003, 10:01 PM
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New to sailing, a few questions
I'm looking at the fairwind 900, the Victoria, and the Victor 1M Solig.
Any preferences among these boats? Also, will a standard servo serve as a sail servo in the short run, or is a "sail servo" absolutely necessary to put the boat in the water?
What is the difference between a "sail servo" and any other r/c standard servo?
Any preferences among these boats? Also, will a standard servo serve as a sail servo in the short run, or is a "sail servo" absolutely necessary to put the boat in the water?
What is the difference between a "sail servo" and any other r/c standard servo?
09-18-2003, 11:31 PM
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RE: New to sailing, a few questions
On very small boats, such as the 24" Sunrise, a standard servo works fine. On larger boats, a much stronger servo is needed to pull in the sails. One standard-sized servo, the HS-425 (http://www.hitecrcd.com/Servos/hs425.htm) that I use on some of my planes has about 46 ounces of torque on 4.8v (57oz. on 6v). However, in my one-meter boat, I use the HS-815, (http://www.hitecrcd.com/Servos/hs815.htm) that has 275 ounces of torque on 4.8v (343 on 6v).
The standard servo is 1.6"x0.8"x 1.4" and weighs 1.6 ounces.
The sail arm servo is 2.6"x 1.2"x 2.3" and weighs 5.6 ounces. In this case, the Hitec HS-815 sail arm servo seems very similar in size and power to the HS-805, which is intended for 1/4 scale planes and other projects that need large beefy servos.
I don't know for certain, but I believe that the HS-815 may be over-kill for my boat, so I have an HS-715 on order so that I can test the difference. The HS-715 has the same basic dimensions, but weighs several ounces less. It only pulls 161 ounces of torque on 4.8v (201oz on 6v), but that may be plenty.
If the HS-715 works, I will be able to shave a few ounces. Next, I will lighten the bulkheads that used, and finally, I will go with a smaller battery back. (My one-meter boat is a little on the heavy side, so I want to put it on a diet so that it can compete better with other one-meter boats.
The standard servo is 1.6"x0.8"x 1.4" and weighs 1.6 ounces.
The sail arm servo is 2.6"x 1.2"x 2.3" and weighs 5.6 ounces. In this case, the Hitec HS-815 sail arm servo seems very similar in size and power to the HS-805, which is intended for 1/4 scale planes and other projects that need large beefy servos.
I don't know for certain, but I believe that the HS-815 may be over-kill for my boat, so I have an HS-715 on order so that I can test the difference. The HS-715 has the same basic dimensions, but weighs several ounces less. It only pulls 161 ounces of torque on 4.8v (201oz on 6v), but that may be plenty.
If the HS-715 works, I will be able to shave a few ounces. Next, I will lighten the bulkheads that used, and finally, I will go with a smaller battery back. (My one-meter boat is a little on the heavy side, so I want to put it on a diet so that it can compete better with other one-meter boats.
09-19-2003, 07:56 AM
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RE: New to sailing, a few questions
I've owned the Vic and the Fairwind, and sailed a clubmember's Soling a lot.
Vic - sort of low quality, but cheap and if the rigging is done correctly, a 'super' or 'ultra' torque servo will work. Mine had an old Futaba FPS125 which isn't that big. The Vic is the fastest-growing class in the AMYA, though 'serious' racers will pretty-much toss everything but the hull, keel and rudder, building or buying everything else. It sails pretty well and is a good intro. I had mine for about 3 years and finally sold it to finance some nicer boats (48" J-boats....ask me about 'em, but they're a start-with-the-bare-hull and build. Vic sails are useless.....but a replacement sail kit can be had for $30 US from Mariner Sails. Cut, tape and rig...
Fairwind - the level of quality is way above the Vic. The kit sails are usable. More sail - more servo. Probably 100 oz/in is enough. It sails pretty well and my club races 'em as a fleet...lots of fun. Very strong and forgiving.
Soling 1M - this is one of the most-active classes in AMYA. The kit is more of a challenge, being old-tech, but it's a good sailor, robust and will out-live my ham-handed handling. The class is a pretty-strict one-design class, so expenses, as with the Fairwind and Vic, won't be high if you want to race.
All boats are fun
. One of the biggest things to know about sailing is that if you have a boat and somebody else has a boat, they won't sail the same! You can't 'test' your skills unless you have identical boats - it's not like the AMA planes where the motor and wing-area is restricted and the planes are all pretty close in performance.....every boat sails differently. We DO sail the Fairwind, Vic and Solings together, but depending on conditions, one is always going to be faster than the others........
Vic - sort of low quality, but cheap and if the rigging is done correctly, a 'super' or 'ultra' torque servo will work. Mine had an old Futaba FPS125 which isn't that big. The Vic is the fastest-growing class in the AMYA, though 'serious' racers will pretty-much toss everything but the hull, keel and rudder, building or buying everything else. It sails pretty well and is a good intro. I had mine for about 3 years and finally sold it to finance some nicer boats (48" J-boats....ask me about 'em, but they're a start-with-the-bare-hull and build. Vic sails are useless.....but a replacement sail kit can be had for $30 US from Mariner Sails. Cut, tape and rig...
Fairwind - the level of quality is way above the Vic. The kit sails are usable. More sail - more servo. Probably 100 oz/in is enough. It sails pretty well and my club races 'em as a fleet...lots of fun. Very strong and forgiving.
Soling 1M - this is one of the most-active classes in AMYA. The kit is more of a challenge, being old-tech, but it's a good sailor, robust and will out-live my ham-handed handling. The class is a pretty-strict one-design class, so expenses, as with the Fairwind and Vic, won't be high if you want to race.
All boats are fun
. One of the biggest things to know about sailing is that if you have a boat and somebody else has a boat, they won't sail the same! You can't 'test' your skills unless you have identical boats - it's not like the AMA planes where the motor and wing-area is restricted and the planes are all pretty close in performance.....every boat sails differently. We DO sail the Fairwind, Vic and Solings together, but depending on conditions, one is always going to be faster than the others........
09-19-2003, 10:28 AM
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RE: New to sailing, a few questions
One popular boat at my local club is the V32 (http://www.v32rc.org/). The V32 is built by Victor Model Products. (http://www.v32rc.org/fieldtrip1.html) our club sells them, ready to sail, with radio and radio gear installed, for $250.
Length: 32"
Beam: 8"
Height: 51" (approx)
Keel Depth: 7" (approx)
Sail Area: 435" sq.
Weight: 6 lbs.
They seem to sail nice and a nice boat for beginners and clubs. Frankly, if you have a local club or plan to sail with a group, find out what they are sailing. I will attest that I think that sailing alone can be fun, but sailing and racing with a club or group of guys, with the same type of boat, is much more fun.
Length: 32"
Beam: 8"
Height: 51" (approx)
Keel Depth: 7" (approx)
Sail Area: 435" sq.
Weight: 6 lbs.
They seem to sail nice and a nice boat for beginners and clubs. Frankly, if you have a local club or plan to sail with a group, find out what they are sailing. I will attest that I think that sailing alone can be fun, but sailing and racing with a club or group of guys, with the same type of boat, is much more fun.
