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Screw Loose · 27-05-2008

Yipeeeee

I put it in the lake this morning, tweaked the ballast and set it away and it worked fine!!!!! At last, its done

I must admit I wasnt sure it was ever going to work perfectly, but it seems to have came together all of a sudden.

I have modified the ballast, it now rides a little higher in the water, and still submerges stopped in the water. I moved the reciever batteries a little further back, and it now sits level.

I sent it out in the lake and managed to navigate round the delapedated pedaloes in the lake, and back to shore. I must admit I was glad to get it back to arms length retrievability, call me a coward if you will !

Turning the thing is still a challenge, even with the bow thruster. I think a stern thruster may be on its way before long. Once you break the surface tension and get it under way it gets up a decent turn of speed. But like any sub its about learning how to handle it.
I have found like on most boats, if you turn the props in opposite directions and turn the rudder, and as the rudder turns the bow thruster activates, it does turn !

Just.....

I wont be entering in any navigation challenges I know that !

So after 20 minutes of getting my courage up I filled the tanks and go for a powered dive. I only got the base of the tower wet, and moved forward. The props powered it forward, tops of the prop cowls came out of the water and the forward planes drove it under. A little positive deflection on the planes and it levelled out and I brought it straight back up.

After that it was about making it go for longer submerged, or confidence really. I can get it to porpoise quite well, but I need to take on more water to keep it under for any lenth of time and control it. Thats the next step. But at that time the reciever batteries were getting low. So out it came. And the bloody periscope mechanism failed so I didnt want to guess where it was. One of the control wires came off, which isnt a first. There getting replaced and re-wired soon.

It sems to hover reasonably well, but our lake is quite shallow, and its hard to get a clear idea. But twice I got a little cocky and drove it forward while it was submerged, only to lose sight of it. So a VERY long 15 seconds to wait for it to surface and back it came!

But all in all I am very happy with it. Once you get the hang of it, its not too bad to get a handle on.

Sunday, its a fully submerged run round the lake. Well I can dream anyway !

ps Thats if my better half will lend me her car ! Tip of the day, if your into boats this big dont buy a sports car like me! Its damned annoying having to steal hers all the time ! Sounds like an excuse for a new car to me with a bigger boot!

27-05-2008	#218 (permalink)
Screw Loose Scale Model Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Northumberland Real Name: Paul Visit Screw Loose's Gallery Posts: 163	Yipeeeee I put it in the lake this morning, tweaked the ballast and set it away and it worked fine!!!!! At last, its done I must admit I wasnt sure it was ever going to work perfectly, but it seems to have came together all of a sudden. I have modified the ballast, it now rides a little higher in the water, and still submerges stopped in the water. I moved the reciever batteries a little further back, and it now sits level. I sent it out in the lake and managed to navigate round the delapedated pedaloes in the lake, and back to shore. I must admit I was glad to get it back to arms length retrievability, call me a coward if you will ! Turning the thing is still a challenge, even with the bow thruster. I think a stern thruster may be on its way before long. Once you break the surface tension and get it under way it gets up a decent turn of speed. But like any sub its about learning how to handle it. I have found like on most boats, if you turn the props in opposite directions and turn the rudder, and as the rudder turns the bow thruster activates, it does turn !Just..... I wont be entering in any navigation challenges I know that ! So after 20 minutes of getting my courage up I filled the tanks and go for a powered dive. I only got the base of the tower wet, and moved forward. The props powered it forward, tops of the prop cowls came out of the water and the forward planes drove it under. A little positive deflection on the planes and it levelled out and I brought it straight back up. After that it was about making it go for longer submerged, or confidence really. I can get it to porpoise quite well, but I need to take on more water to keep it under for any lenth of time and control it. Thats the next step. But at that time the reciever batteries were getting low. So out it came. And the bloody periscope mechanism failed so I didnt want to guess where it was. One of the control wires came off, which isnt a first. There getting replaced and re-wired soon. It sems to hover reasonably well, but our lake is quite shallow, and its hard to get a clear idea. But twice I got a little cocky and drove it forward while it was submerged, only to lose sight of it. So a VERY long 15 seconds to wait for it to surface and back it came! But all in all I am very happy with it. Once you get the hang of it, its not too bad to get a handle on. Sunday, its a fully submerged run round the lake. Well I can dream anyway ! ps Thats if my better half will lend me her car ! Tip of the day, if your into boats this big dont buy a sports car like me! Its damned annoying having to steal hers all the time ! Sounds like an excuse for a new car to me with a bigger boot!