This is more of a general question about RC boats but it applies here since yours sunk. I’ve read other stories about people sinking their boats. Maybe some places make retrieval easy, but I think were I would be sailing would be quite difficult, and I don’t think I’d have access to divers to help me out
I think if I spent a year and hundreds of dollars building a boat from scratch, I’d lose my mind if I watched it sink!
So, why not just build some floatation into the hull?
I realize that foam products, however light they may be, still add a few grams of weight. What about sectioning off parts of the hull to make an airtight chamber inside?
1st Ensure a watertight hull making various checks before.
2nd Buy a cheap motor boat for less than 50$ equipped with a self made harpon astern aiming to catch the backstay.
A guy was telling me the method he is using before installing definitively the servos :
close all the apertures inspection, tubing for sheeting, fin box a rudder.
connect a small rubber tube to one of the sheeting pipe.
put the boat totally immersed in the bathtumb
inflate air via the rubber tube and watch how many bubles come out !!
About foam, you need a large volume that will fill about 60% of the total hull volume. Is not easy, I tried once on a RG65 but din’t work. Extruded Polystirol is 35g/liter !!
In my AC100 I should put some 4 liters of that is increasing the weight of 140g !! In the packing accessories there are some inflated film mini pockets extremely light but fragile
Certainly is something that shall be studied further
To buy a small motor boat is probably the shortest solution !
Cheers
ClaudioD
The restoration of the AC-100 is almost completed and next WE can get wet again !
Few pictures showing progress.
The winch , an Hitec HS 785HB, is behind the fin box , this change do not disturb the longitudinal balance.
The overal weight is actually 31g over the specifications , but the use of winch type Eurgle 10Y it should reduce the weight by 45g therefore authorizing the use of 6volts battery in order to get a torque of 11kgcm.
Cheers
ClaudioD
Apparently this image, representing the actual AC100B plan, disappeared from post 24.
I publish here again with the modifications introduced after recovery :
Launch day perfect this time, I will let you know more about my filming ! Here all 4 short movies. The first film I called “A New Star is Born” Watch the film you will understand !!
Cheers
Claudio
One question, it seems that the rig is more forward on this “little sister” to the AC120? Why is this? I am an amateur boat designer my self and do have an understanding of the concepts involved…If you could give your thoughts on this I would appreciate the info. It seems to sail really well, don’t get me wrong here…I am just curious as I am in the process of building one now.
Brian,
you cannot compare two different boats in size, being of defferent design. Sail surface is the first element that define the CE position and that position shall be aligned with the Lead. Each boat has differente lead as funtion of the immerged lateral surface, LWL and Beam.
Cheers
Claudio
Thanks for the explanation. I may play around with these a bit on my boat, just to try out some theories. I am excited to be a member of the AC100 club. I will continue to post my build progress on the RC Groups Thread K1 started.
Brian a Forum should open soon also on the AC100 site, as per Florindo talks
The design of the AC100 are very tailored and have architecturally little margin for modifications unless you decide to increase the displacement with the associated drawbacks.
Cheers
Claudio
I was looking at all your hull art ideas back on page 1 of this thread. I love them! The idea of a Ferrari sailboat is kind of amusing, but then Alfa Romeo have a couple, so I suppose it’s not too absurd…
Do you have a template or something you used to mock up that artwork? I’m going to be building the Young America USA 36 as an IACC120, but I was also thinking about doing a fun 2nd boat in Gulf Racing colors, or a Corona boat
Sorry but I’m globe-trotting with work again and have no access to my files on home P.C, if you can wait a few days I will post the .jpg template, otherwise fastest way is to down-load PDF plan and then import it into graphic program like corel draw or paste it into powerpoint, then vector trace the hull & fins etc
Then you can draw you own over-lays and edit your vector shapes using nodes, for logo’s you can source most corporate vector graphics free, from this site http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/ or trace bmps if you can’t find the right vector graphics.
Remembering if you want to have a sign writer cut your cut graphics from adhesive materials, you will need to supply them with vector graphics file for their plotter to use, best to ask which file they like to work with.
Hope it helps … Cheers Alan
P.S Claudio great recovery from hearting breaking sinking & love your video “star is born” very creative using reflections from the water.
Thanks Alan! I already have a bunch of ideas. Of course, the Young America mermaid comes first (must remain focused!) but a 2nd “fantasy” AC boat would be a lot of fun too. That branding/logo site is great! Perfect for doing vector-cut adhesive for a lot of different logos. The mermaid is a whole other ball of wax though. Fortunately I’m a ways off from that part still!
Claudio- sorry for hijacking your thread, but I’ll post some more AC100 designs here when I can!
Thought I would post my progress on my AC100 in build. I have finishing planking and fairing, now I need to fiberglass the mold and then paint it…Hopefully the weather will cooperate.
