Todays Boating

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

After the successful outing yesterday I will reveal the "project" is a Lotus Esprit which both skims the surface and plunges underwater at slow speeds.

At only 14" long and 6" wide, powered by two 540 motors on one 7.2v stick with "skid steering it is very intolerant of choppy water but goes well at speed.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

The original Bond film one, Trevor means.. pictures ok, or no??

Trevor has acheived a good likeness, given the restraints of the size and his chosen method of propulsion ( 2x racy two blade props for the high speed bit).

The original tunnel thrusters of course useless for anything but low speed underwater work.

Stick a shelf on the back like the original and put the fins up, and more importantly. down, I think we discussed this as an option?

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Have added some photos of the project Lotus in my album.

[wayne quigleyParticipant @waynequigley28540]

looks good Trevor

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I will just pop this picture in here of Trevors Lotus to illustrate the small boat size, trevor is something of a miniaturist ! His Lotus is about (from memory) 8 or 9 inches long?? It has two 540 motors in and boy, once it is on the surface, does it go!!

Due to the small size and two weeks of wind and choppy water he is having some …issues…with control, but the mods in hand and a calmer surface will no doubt put this to rights.However the interior remained remarkably dry which is an acheivement in itself!

It is always handy having something that floats upside down; I dont think the Toyboata would like it much. Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Its not that small at 12" long and 5" wide, in retrospect I should have possibly made it a bit bigger so that the controls etc would fit in better , however that would then have needed ballasting but everything sort of)fits and it sort of works.

So a sort of success at this stage.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

wow..just shows you, was estimating from memory.

Ballasting, just possibly on Sunday I may demonstrate just why you should not have made it any bigger. Wait sectret trial on Sat (rain permitting)

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Bit nippy today fellow boaters. 7 of us I think. Usual assortment of unusual stuff. Pond very high, enabling the LFM to easily beach to disgorge King Tiger tanks, or indeed Andy`s skimmer to take off from the concrete. Very flash. Not so flash running over our sunken log and turning over, but you have to larf !!! (and we did)

Took the Herald out as well, going best for ages due to a nice steady breeze, breeze also helping Ray`s Thames barge to shift along.

My secret project out for its first trial, and it only wanted to steer to the left, the rudders appearing to effect no affect on the thing whatsoever (something to ponder tonight), I may have to go along the differential motor control route… and it ran out of radio range at about 10 feet, but apart from that I was very pleased (!). Showed a startling turn of speed when near the jetty in radio range. Several built in features not showing as being very useful, but we will see.

Trevors recently "outed" secret project, the Bond lotus, also having probs. The temporary mod not looking as if it was much use as hoped, my idea of a shelf and fins also, on inspection would not be much use, as it would blank the props a bit..? Looking good, the fairly stark white/black paint job looking very clean in the water, bearing in mind the original was a plastic model and fairly featureless to boot .Main problem was a radio glitch if some sort, preventing full control..two other boaters also having radio probs (2.4G sets these) so I dont know..it was to be honest too cold to fiddle.

Next week, whatever next? Ashley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Ashley

Out of range at 10 feet.. are you sure the set was switched on?…

I thought you southern softies had all the latest gear, perhaps the valves hadn't warmed up. If it would help I can send you one of my old 27s, its a bit bashed but has a decent range.

The obvious lack of technological advancement south of Watford is a cause of concern, we could send some modelling missionaries down from the developed north to show you chaps how things are done in the 21st century.

Paul

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Paul. 27s?? whats that.

the truth is i had run out of 4 core wire and ten feet was all I had available. It may have been that the wire exiting on the port side was causing the lack of control. I have a reel of telephone wire on order, should sort that out.

I had judged it was too cold and breezy for valves so i left the good set inside.

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

I was there and can confirm the lack of response, I think the Captain was a bit rusty on his Morse Code, maybe a move to Telex would help !

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Having made recommended "adjustments" to the Lotus ie shelf on the back which made a bit of difference in calming the tendancy to wheelie in the water, there was a distinct lack of diving.

Remembered this morning that since the initial sea trials and painting I removed the rear bumper (blue foam) which has caused a slightly more "nose up" attitude, which may well be affecting the hydrodynamics disproportionally.

Will add a bigger blue bumper for next trial and remove the steering mixer with a move to two stick tank steering which hopefully will help the radio glitches.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

No boating, at least it was raianing.. a bit fitful so took a couple out and the project to show. BUT no one there. Tried out the project so as not to waste a morning, and having spent a while prepping it in the car, plopped it in the water…and discovered I have been incredibly stupid in the rudder department.

One had obviously reversed itself so one tiller was one way round, and the other opposite. I tweaked the rudder when in the water and couldnt get it to work, and it was only when I hoofed it out to the bank that I discovered the error.

As it a bit fiddly to get at, and the old digits were v cold I gave up and retired home. So a waste of time anyway!

I have two 7.2v AA packs,,,one of them has had one of the wires come off the tab..looks like corrosion?? and I just about soldered it back on but it has come off again…and the other I charged up but didnt seem to me, when testing the Sunderland out before booting up..that I had the usual full revs available? Looks like I may have to get a couple more packs.

I need to get a three channel 27 or 40m set at some stage, to upgrade the sub with and add a few features to something else. If anyone has an old one cheap!! (must be throwing them away now everyone has moved on to 2.4G !

Ashley

Edited By ashley needham on 10/02/2013 13:25:47

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I hope all you chaps and chappesseses are charging those batteries up now! Sunday boating is almost upon us, and one of my 7.2V AA packs has given up.. I am unable to reattach one lead on to the tag. I think I will buy a flat-pack now, as this will give me more room in the BFB3, and will still fit in the Sunderland and BHA. (those of you not keeping up will have to look at my album).

Tomorrow I shall be Sunderland and devastationing and perhaps one other..actually I might break out the rubberband boat for a LARF ( and excercise). I am going to use my 8.4V pack in the Devastation for a bit more oomph ( the nose comes out of the water with the 12v battery!, a bit undignified for a victorian battleship) and will try to remember my box of lead weights, as I think the Devastation is still a floating a bit high. You really need it to be taking green at almost any speed for a touch of realism. These things had hardly any freeboard.

I shall be taking the project as well, and we will see if it will steer THIS time.If not I will be pulling ESC`s from a couple of boats to try prop steering, using a combiner as borrowed from Trevor..good man. I need to free up some room in the hull first, and may have to shield the motor couplings and so on in order to fit the stuff in and not have the wires worn away by rotating bits.

Ashley. NB… Bushy park, near Hampton court,,. easy parking right next to the pond before 10am (after which it starts filling up with non-boaters) ..loos nearby, burger van for light refreshments. Nice pond, good access all round (just in case) and enthusiastic boaters present.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Chaps. Beautiful morning Sunday..crisp but warming up nicely.

Project still not much better and refuses to steer so will be buying a pair of ESC and mixer to sort it out. Need to look on a certain website and request information.. neither main motor pulls much more than about 6A I should think.

Devastation quite lively with the 8.4V battery and extra lead at the rear, Sunderland going well after initial indifference caused by the 2nd of my 7.2V AA packs dying. Fitted a larger C pack and all was well, if a bit heavier in the water.

Andy amongst others down with his Bluebird and what a performer!! (and the boat). Took some footage.. Am going to try something called "dropbox" to distribute this to interested parties.

Rubber band boat did not make it down, however used the rest of the day re-treating and re-stringing both rubberbandboats. Ashleyboat2 now has about 24m or rubber in it, restoring output…the rubber loses "oomph" after a year or so loafing about. Gave all rubber strands a good lubing with Glycerin (and how messy is that). Will have both down next week for certain.Will also have something suitable and fast enough for a bit of nudging back on course if it veers towards the log…

I kid you not, the thing starts off at a right rate of knots at the off. I have also seen that the brass 5 blade prop had been fitted back to front, not that it probably matters too much..so have corrected this and we will see if it makes any difference at all.

I may have the second project down.. must make an effort to finish it..has been about 18 months in the making now and is covered in dents.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I have a stinking cold now, the one that appears to be doing the rounds, so I am wimping out of boating on Sunday I am afraid, will just kill me off standing around..and I have no energy to chase rubber band boats around the pond.

Decided to finally make a push and at least paint the first secret project (now the SECOND is almost done….barring working properly..but you can say that of the first one as well) so it looks a bit tidy and spurs me on a bit. It looks a bit spectacular even it it does not work properly.. Hope they dont use that for the film*see below, sorry .. there are bits sticking out everywhere just waiting to be damaged. You know how it is with these things, the ones that drag on and on.. you lose momentum and stall. I have decided to finish the top half and any tweaking for the right ..motion..can take place under the waterline..having trouble mastering the drive system and props. At least, I think thats whats wrong with it, but you never know. I just dont know how people spend two or three years or even longer building something.

A nice young lady may call to borrow boats for filming!..aware, on looking at my list that they are mostly warships of some era or other and a better balance may be required..however I know how these things go, the boats in the background will have a quick once-over camera sweep to establish that there ARE some boats there and that will be that. I have the Titanic and converted Severn to look less threatening.

I have been filmed several times playing with one band or another and you spend all day filming only to have a screen shot of about 20 seconds!! I did go on "Blue Peter" a long time ago with the sea cadets band from T.S.Steadfast, Kingston unit, probably the longest time I have been on telly (yes, I do have a BP badge!)

Ashley sniff sniff coff coff

[wayne quigleyParticipant @waynequigley28540]

get well soon mate

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Went down to the pond not expecting to see many and was not disappointed !

Just me and my daughter – tried the MTB on 8.4v instead of 7.2v and noticed the difference.

Re-balanced the Lotus with bouyancy at the back to give more nose down stance, it dives easier but the back floats and the props leave the water – no thrust and it pops to the surface.

Water VERY cold and coupled with a cold wind meant we wimped out after 15 mins with frozen fingers.

Hope to see you back at the pond soon.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Trevor. Gradually getting better.. its this coff/cold that seems to linger, It is not helped that everyone at work has it, and all the bods on the train.

yer Lotus simply needs MORE ballast to dive, I recon. You know how heavy OTHER things are, and I think that if you want to dabble there seems to be no choice but to ballast up?? you could perhaps try really oversize paddles? Unless really large paddles work, it will be a case of fiddling with the weights during the morning sailing to go either on top or underneath.

How about a quickly detachable keel?? this will keep it a bit more upright when going under and will be a quick way to ballast up. a couple of small studs protruding out the bottom or captive blind nuts?

Ashley

[Trevor HollowayParticipant @trevorholloway99134]

Yup, needs LOTS of fiddling so I may well shelve it until the weather gets better, the bath is not big enough to get any speed.

Will have to put more effort into the new projects.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Wayne, sorry to ignore you, but thanks for the "get well".

TODAY. Pond iced over very early apparently, but Barry was a hooligan and broke most of the thin ice with his Perkasa (48" before 0900), and by 10 o clock the ice had almost dissappeared. Nice day actually,. bright and sunny. 5 of us on total, and 10 boats!

Bit of a disappointment with the rubber band boat….didn`t try the small one, but the big one was woefully short on horses, not a patch on its first performance, however I built in in 2005, and its on the same rubber. It LOOKS ok, not perished and so on, but obviously it has lost its oomph. More required? or not perhaps. Had the LFM out..oddly the rudder kept on moving to full port trim when the lander was under power? not happened before. I think it must be that the nylon tiller is not tight enough. Glorious running well, and exceptionally well with a 7.2 Nimh battery in it rather than the 6v Gel cell, no suprises there though. You can see why they made battlecuisers long and thin, and the "large light cruisers" as per the glorious were very long, as much as a "normal" battlecruiser, but had a draught only half as much as per "normal". As a model, it doesnt half go, and at 4 feet and only two MFA 380`s to power it. What fun.

Had a GIG with the band , in Croydon last night. Left home 4.45pm, Finished playing at 12pm, got to bed at 2 pm….had to charge batteries and that for boating..been out on a hike this afternoon sussing out the route for a Cub hike with the missus and Berengar this afternoon…… have a beer in hand whilst correcting typos, will be kippy doo dahs by about 10 I recon. Such is life.

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Whilst moving stuff about in the shed (to get the Argus out, needs Camel glueing back on and cleaning for filming) (just thought I would mention that) I had a look at the LFM rudder issue and discovered on full lock the rear end of the rudder just touches the hull, and when I looked at the nylon tiller, the nut and bolt clamp was loose. In fact, I had not done it up at all (it has a weeny nyloc nut on it).

So…trimmed a few mm off the rudder and tightened the nut and bolt up. Job done. The original had three props on it and I am beginning to regret just fitting one shaft. I JUST may fit another either side and that would be fantastic. Blow the cost. Wont half go then !!

Ashley

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Have had the temerity to put a clip of the Sailing Triumph Herald on utoob…see

**LINK**

and the sub , at… **LINK**

As there are only two channels, its a bit difficult to turn and stay under, and I have put in another motor which should do the trick..a bit more oomph to force it down..when the water warms up a bit !

The grey bars on the top combing are balance weights…it takes forever to trim it properly, and these weights will be put inside after a while to make it all tidy.

Ashley

[The Long BuildParticipant @thelongbuild]

Ashley, You have excelled yourself, that duck on the first clip is so realistic

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Thanks for that….

Ashley

[Author]

Posts