Haven't tried hard turns and full throttle yet (usually 1/2 is plenty) so though I'd take the boat out and chuck it round a bit. Didn't fall over, so passed the test. More than enough go for 'sensible' use,- could even afford to de-power it a bit. Not too bad for brushed motors.
Wonder why they were also called speedboats JB ? Looks just the part ! Great stuff - fast enough to make the passengers nervous - hope the one does not lose her head again......
From a design concept incorporating an old power boat destined for the rubbish tip ! - to a functional Camera platform to capture some of the fantastic models that sail at our local venues.
The emerging creation ( all be it rough and ready !) will incorporate rotating fan motor and 360 degree rotating camera with live feed FPV camera.
My enjoyment is to capture the the skill, time and effort that fellow modelers put into their creations - whether they be they scratch built, own designs, kit sets or off the shelf.
As Requested :- Link to previous Camera Boat (SwampDawg)
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Had a little trouble getting my sound to work properly but with a little fiddling got it working a lot better had to reverse motor leads & switch transmitter forward -reverse switch so it would work in forward direction .
This is s short video of the first trial of the Police Launch. I was very happy with the performance. After 30 minutes of running in fairly rough conditions, I was pleased to note that not even a drip of water entered the hull.
She performed very well but I will wait for a calmer day before deciding on any changes needed to the ballast.
I stopped the run after 30 minutes only because it was very cold. The LiPo battery, 2 cell 2200 mAh, performed faultlessly. Even after being in storage charge for more that 2 years, it still was only reading 3.78 volts per cell after the 30 minutes. My estimate is that it will run for 40 minutes or more before getting close to the lower limit. I was running at full speed for most of the test. My only negative from the test is that Krick have settled for a motor which is at the bottom of the power range. A pity as I am sure that an increase in motor speed would be of benefit to the model.
Peter.😊
Looks real nice Peter👍- monitor works well and radar looks spot on, - nice job👍 You can always go up a bit in motor size if you find cruising not to your liking. It does let you stay out longer though, and enjoy it more.
Well Peter,
Finally she hit the water and she looks really good.
I bet you are glad to see her in the wet stuff after the time she has taken to make.
Great work.
One down and many more to go or should i say Finnish LOL!!
Sun was out, wind was down, so took the boat for swimming lessons. Went very well, no problems other than the silicone couplings trying to screw themselves off as usual, (too much bite and torque) and bunching up to the motor causing friction), (have a possible fix I'm working on for that today) Heaps of power from the 2 - 540 HV brushed motors only running on 3s. Never went much more than a tad past 1/2 throttle which was spot on scale wise.
Very quiet as well, - mind you, couldn't hear much anyhow with a road milling machine working at the end of the pond about 150m away, at around 80db where I was!!😠😠😠😭 Of course it would have to be there today,! something like this always stuffs my plans up, cars, trucks, screeching seagulls, people talking to you while you are trying to make a nice quiet video etc etc. Can't seem to get away from noise. Added to that, the video's crap,- as soon as it uploads to YT it turns to rubbish,- was quite acceptable till then.
Must be the wide format they use, as it's fine in a small screen (ie YT preview) and my computer. Worst thing is, it took an hour to load this rubbish on a fibre connection!! Not loading any more till I get a better camera, "Santa, did you hear that ?"😁
I might de-power it a bit, as it has too much power really,- might put 2 540 45T motors in which will run on 2s nicely with 30mm props (has 35s at the moment) and not be as touchy on the throttle. You can steer this just using the throttles it's so bitey. Spins on the spot like a jet boat as well. Stereo worked well, but the IR remote doesn't like working too far away in bright sunlight, (have a separate vid, but YT would give a copyright warning, so I won't put that up) The vid is garbage, but you'll get the idea😁
Hello JB!
Congratulations, also on your idea with the sack truck, which I am taking the liberty of copying. . .
Just awesome your ideas here on this homepage!
Greetings Mike
Found it would fit in the paddling pool, so being a nice sunny day, thought it was about time to wet its' bum. So bright today, smoke and water was hard to see, (I can't win ! - either too bright or too dull😐) Anyhow, everything works well, (just need to adjust the rudders,- bit of right needed), plenty of grunt (only about 1/2 throttle max here,- mostly just 1 motor - don't want to bash the paint off !)- bit hard to control in a small tub !,- needed someone to hold it.
Next stop, the lake !, after I modify the launching trolley and making a stand. Unfortunately can't demo the stereo working due to new YT music censoring rubbish. No different to sitting at the beach with a radio, but YT warns you about copyright which is just moronic.
Hi Bill, wasn't game to try that, kept trying to bash itself to bits. Hopefully be out to the pond soon, just sorting the launching trolley out. Restrictions make waiting for things (sponge tubing in this case) a pain, slows every simple 5min job down to days.😐
Hi Peter, wasn't room for a heck of a lot of testing really, and nowhere to tie anything to that wouldn't have damaged something. The music is a problem because of the algorithm YT uses. seems to pick up the most obscure music (even old rare 70s stuff) and starts warning you about copyright . Don't know how it does it, but I've even tried Cuban music, and it still picks it up (mind you who's going to have a go at you from Cuba😁) The bit of rubbish stuff I made on a free beat site got past it though,- strange ??
Even if you play the music,- (obviously in the model vid) it will still pick it up,- and if someone is parked next to you in a car with the stereo going and you are recording something else!! This is just beyond stupid, as you are using it for private purposes and not being paid for doing it. Seems like the whole world is - 'cant play this, can't record this, can't video this, can't have kids playing on swings, might hurt themselves, can't make noise' etc etc. The govt can record people without them knowing, but you can't !!! All about control. I'll do a vid on the water with music - "I was just videoing someones' boat sir" and see what happens.
Ever felt sorry for those Philipino static models you see all over the place? Well I did and bought this launch from a charity shop in Didcot for a fiver. I reckoned that the fittings were worth that even if the change to working model failed. Fortunately, the model floated about right as it was and I managed to save a lot of weight to allow for the added weight of motor/batteries/ rc gear etc.
The project has not been without its problems but it should be finished and ready to maiden within a couple of weeks. Not sure that I would do this again but it has been interesting......... I intend to mount it on a boat trailer rather than a stand. Report more when she is launched.
Scratch built motor gun boat from Bangladesh.
Tried my best to upgrade it into a brushless one. First attempt was brushed and it was kind of a pain in the ass.
It runs far better now.
Short vid taken by a friend recently, of the model, towed by the RC scratch built Jeep -(taken with his tablet, - a bit shaky but he is over 80) I probably shouldn't have been doing circles around him, but we were doing this in a carpark behind his apartment, (magic location by the way, right on a marina.) Had trouble finding reverse due to the EL Cheepo ESC,- have a new one coming. Jeep uses a geared 550 motor on 3s LiPo.
Boat is featured on waitematawoodys.com today as well, with all the big boats,- quite a privilege, as they don't often feature models! Lucky to have had my ST and HSL on there in the past also, as they were models of ex NZ RNZAF boats which were being featured.
I'm afraid my days of building real boats are long past. I have difficulty in finding enough strength to perform even the simplest tasks, Alice has to come to my aid for almost everything these days. I was very pleased that I managed to finish the rigging of my latest barge project a few days ago with only the slightest intervention from her -and that's a model!. Actually the only time I ever built a boat from a plan was when someone gave me a part built Wharram cat. The rest of the time I built on the old adage of if it looks right, it probably is. And, blowing my own trumpet, it always seemed to work for me.
Hi Nerys, you're doing well to do what you are doing still under the circumstances, and you are not just sitting in a wicker chair staring out the window. Your models are great and a credit to you, and you are obviously enjoying them. I'm the same (re - if it looks right.......) as most of my models, (boats and planes) are scratch built or highly modified kits or resurrected and improved bin jobs from other modellers.
The only model boat I've built from a proper plan, was my Vic Smeed MTB, the rest have been from drawings from model magazines. I built a 15ft delta hulled racer in the late 70s using the 'looks right' method, and powered it with a 75hp outboard. Managed to get 50mph out of it, and it handled quite well. Blew the motor up before I could refine it unfortunately. As kid we built 8ft skimmers, powered with a 10hp outboard which were a lot of fun as well.
I've enjoyed restoring 5 small boats (plus a f/glass clinker sailing dinghy for my son) and completely fitting out my Hartley from a shell, but the price of materials is getting prohibitive these days, and approaching the price of a small new car to build anything around 20ft. My 15ft day sailer for example (built 1986) would probably cost around $12,000 to build today complete. Not a lot of home building these days unfortunately due to the cost,- cheaper to buy a second hand boat ready to sail or motor.
I think we are lucky to be able to build from an idea without a plan and have it work, as many people are not as fortunate. Perhaps boating experience gives you an idea of how things should work. We have a top boatbuilding company here who started building fantastic launches, starting with a 'looks right' half model,- taking measurements from it and scaling them up. Has worked well for them since the 50s
Transferred this from my build blog. Quick vid of the starting - sound/ smoke /water exhaust sequence (water not plugged in, but can be started a few seconds later than the smoke). Smoke starts first to heat up, then air pump (timer for 5 seconds delay) then water (TX switch,) - could put in another timer to make it fully auto, but enough spaghetti there already. Also handy for future water cooling if the motors need it (fan cooled so probably not needed.) Left stick is held over to start the sequence, then released to turn the smoke and air off.
Finally had a chance to do a test on Pilot 40 project that was my lockdown stay home project . Change the props to 50 mill.4mill.threaded & now I have right prop & left prop Replaced the Sabertooth speed control as it was to hard to control with my Airtronics transmitter used a standard Hobby King speed control changed the wiring terminal block to a larger size as the one I first used was to hard to put wires in it . I always have trouble with mounting so glued the motors in with some goop & there just fine now
JB