Offshoot RC Models/Drone Hobby Thread

It’s amazing how the more you look, the more you find evidence that the waterlogged ESC’s are THE main cause of malfunctions in any of these float planes.

That will be awesome to see :grin: 88MPH I’m sure we can do that. Wheels up in 5 :rofl: :+1:

LOTS happening the last few days, with the RANGER now consisting of around 50% Foam Glue and Waterproof Tape holding most of it together … but DEFINITELY a LOT less stressful and much easier to repair than the old Balsa Wood modelling days! :ok_hand:

Water and electronics definitely DO NOT play well together, and when things wig out 50-100m above the ground, nothing to do but watch it fall faster than Isaac Newton’s Apples!

Float Rudder Servo shat the tin too, causing some interesting takeoffs and “landings”.
Not caused by a manufacturing fault though, just me breaking the plastic float mounting bracket and being too lazy to repair/reseal it properly! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:
(Can see a big heap of clear tape wrapped around the rear float mount where the Rudder Servo wiring is meant to be sealed!)

My Nav Lights turned up today, so that was nice to be able to keep flying in the low light for much longer with my failing eyesight. :+1:

I have the wingtip lights set to a slow fade in/out effect, and the rear white light on a quick 2 flash strobe pattern… so took about 20 pics in quick succession to try and capture all 3 lights operating at the same time. :rofl:
(Note that the Float Rudder has been removed from the earlier pic after the servo failed.)

More Speedboat parts arrived in the last few weeks as well, all adding to the collection I have planned out for the TYLOSAURUS as the “Docs Mods” Guinea Pig to test out before fine tuning/testing and copying the final results into the ARROW 5 Speedboat as well.

Gonna be a nightmare keeping this thing in one piece at the insane speeds I already had it reaching on the mostly stock gear (but only in short bursts!) that were highly overloaded and stressed. :astonished:

Waiting for the next rainy days to dry out the broken/split/cracked parts on the RANGER to glue back together properly, along with stripping out the TYLOSAURUS Hull and start test fitting the different assembled components to try and get the CG and balance set as best as can be achieved. :ok_hand:

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Just like the Gelblaster Hobby, I try and get as many parts out of Hong Kong as possible … Why?

Everything gets shipped directly to Perth!
No running around all over the Eastern States customs and sorting/distribution centres for a full week, then another week to get all the way to WA before even considering local delivery times.

I ordered these on the 1st of August and are being delivered TODAY! :astonished:
Less than a week from Hong Kong to my front door, much like all the gear I used to get from Monkey Mods, delivered in less than 7 days. :raised_hands:

Got 2 spare Spinners that I’m gonna Glue onto the hub and put some sticky back foam inside for flotation…

Plus the 50A Waterproof ESC to fit back in the original location, as the 30A chunk of a unit that I stole out of a Speedboat takes up a lot of space and additional weight where its not wanted.

One of the “forced landings” yesterday was due to the ESC dropping back down onto the Rudder Servo halfway through a manoeuvre, locking me basically in a left hand tailspin and unable to recover with enough opposite Aileron. :face_exhaling:

This ESC will be able to fit back into the proper location out of harms way and guaranteed not to go up in Lucas Smoke like the original FMS unit, hopefully! :joy:

your patience with these amazes me … how you have not hoyed the lot into the lake i do not know. :stuck_out_tongue:

I enjoy reading your adventures regardless!

Cheers mate, appreciate your comments!

Patience has been learnt through decades of modifying things that shouldn’t be modified … then having to collect all the pieces and go back to the drawing board several times over until shit just works!

Definitely never a dull moment, but that was the whole point of getting back into this Hobby, to keep the brain and hands active now that I can’t do much else anymore.

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Today went well, even though it was blowing a gale with a fair bit of chop on the water, only nosed over twice after multiple takeoffs and landings due to the Floats digging into the waves into some very strong headwinds.

No need for the Rescue Kayak though, as the wind was blowing so hard, it floated upsidedown back to shore within a few short minutes no matter how far out on the water I was, which is another benefit between new Foam Aircraft compared to the old Balsa Wood and Cloth models!

The Prop Spinner and ESC arrived whilst I was writing that last comment, but got carried away to get everything back together and out to the Weir before I ran out of daylight before posting anything here.

ESC comes with bare wires, which makes them a lot cheaper for people like us with the spare parts and skills to fit whatever is required for the job. :ok_hand:

Simply cut/de-soldered and raided the old unit and soldered all the plugs and connectors to the new waterproof Speedboat ESC.

The new version is much smaller and lighter than my temporary chunky power robbing water cooled Speedboat unit, and fitted nicely back into the lower Cowling where the original FMS waterlogged ESC was located. :ok_hand:

Bonus is that it also comes wired with a 4 wire signal lead, with the extra 4th yellow single pin acting as a Reverse Thrust feature, which can be very handy on the water or for STOL type landings on the ground … but are also a great method to use for spinning off your Prop Shaft Nut if you get too excited, so I just left that feature disconnected for now.

Final job was adding some flotation foam to the new Spinner Cone, then glueing the bastard to the backing hub for good measure as well! :joy:

Unbelievable performance with the new ESC, especially considering the very high winds and waves that had to deal with today.

Plenty of grunt, very smooth throttle response, ran cool (most likely due to the amount of water spray getting thrown at it!) and INSANELY efficient! :astonished:

Don’t know what the standard pre programmed default settings are, (because I still haven’t read the Destruction Manual yet!) but I was getting an EASY 20 minutes of flight time in high winds and waves without any issues, whereas the Low Voltage Alarm was going off after 6-8 minutes using the old Speedboat ESC in calm conditions!

I kept bringing it back to shore thinking there was something wrong with the Battery Alarm, but even after 15 minutes of flight time, it was still reading 3.85V per cell, so just kept sending it back up waiting for the alarm to sound… but I eventually gave up at the 20-25 minute mark to give my neck and back a break, because it never hit LVC all afternoon! :astonished:

There’s plenty of adjustments available for the ESC via Bluetooth reprogramming, but I ain’t gonna touch it, as is plenty enough for this Granny Pilot to handle at the moment. :joy:

That sounds pretty cool much more efficiency, wonder why that is :man_shrugging:

Reverse thrust made me laugh, spin the prop off too :joy: Something to play with another day.

Has a lot of spiel on the packaging about highly efficient microprocessor, “idle” power reduction, variable motor timing and all sorts of other jargon about low input/high output technology… but whatever it is, it definitely works! :partying_face:

Will be ordering another couple for the MAULE and the HUSKY, as am severely impressed with their performance. :ok_hand:

Average 7 minute flights on the old ESC, average easy 12 minutes plus flights using these, possibly simply through the much more advanced electronics than the cheap units fitted to the RTF models? :thinking:

Went to put the batteries on to storage charge when I got home and half the packs were already at or above the storage voltage still!

Windy shitty day, so that means evil things are happening on the “Docs Mods” kitchen bench … so strap yaself in, this is gonna be a long one!:joy:

I should be working on glueing the RANGER back together properly, but Speedboat parts have been rolling up over the past few weeks/months, so that’s enough motivation to get cracking on the TYLOSAURUS Big Block build! :grin:

Nice rigid and lightweight, fully adjustable Carbon Fibre and Alloy motor/steering servo/drive shaft mainframe.

Have fitted it with a 3670 1850KV ROCKET in-runner Brushless Motor with Water Cooling Jacket, and I ordered the front motor mount with the Alloy water cooling Block for extra insurance as well.

It’s a big beast compared to the original 1/4 quarter sized little Outrunner Brushless motor I destroyed!

The stock motor was around 20 000 RPM on 3S, whereas this one will output from 42 000 to 45 000 on 6S and 55 000 plus on 8S, with a maximum rated RPM of 60 000, I MIGHT accidentally give it a few runs on 8S IF its still in one piece after running on 6S! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Have a lot of Dremelling to do to remove all the redundant standard moulded plastic brackets and supports to allow me to install the frame and make space for the twin 3S batteries I’m planning to use with this boat to achieve the 6S 22.2V power I have planned for the build.

Many builders use a single 6S and put those bricks of things up front where I am planning to fit the ESC instead.

The reason I’m going down this path of twin 3S batteries in the rear is for 2 reasons.

#1: The boat is already prone to nosediving/submarining already, so the further aft the CG the better!

#2: Single battery packs with single output leads tend to get overstressed supplying all the voltage/amps from a single pair of output leads /single plug, plus tightly packed battery cells causing large power output restrictions and severe overheating issues, which goes a LONG way to destroying the batteries. :confused:

Twin single 3S packs can provide the same amount of voltage/amps more efficiently through sharing the loads applied across 2 batteries with much less stress, heat buildup, less voltage drop and longer battery longevity than a single 6S.:ok_hand:

Stepping up the Series Connector leads I made converting from the 12 AWG battery cables and XT60 plugs to 10 AWG gauge wiring and XT90 ESC plug is a big boost in battery performance, but also acts as a big “resistor” to smooth out ripple voltages that eventually destroy ESC’s … so that’s also a win for maximum power and reliability over a single overstressed 6S setup!

If you are wondering why all my battery plugs are numbered, it’s because I’m anal about my batteries, only buying them in pairs and recording their performance from brand new right through recording their vital signs after every single time that I use them!

Always record their Internal Resistance and voltage capacity straight out of the box as delivered, and after every single time that I use them!

Make it a habit to put them through a full discharge and balance charge from new, and always do proper storage charging and balance charging to keep them in the best possible condition, including using battery voltage alarms to NEVER discharge below 3.4V per cell for the ultimate longevity possible.

For comparison, check out why I had such a HUGE argument with the OVONIC company and fought to get refunded from the batteries that they sent me! :astonished:

These were their internal resistance measurements straight out of the box brand new!

And their excuse about refunding my money was that I had “mistreated” them, even though this picture proves that they were ratshit straight outta the box, tested on the charger on the exact same date and time the tracking confirms they were delivered before I even got the chance to use them! :face_with_symbols_over_mouth:

My 10 year old TURNIGY battery packs are still registering between 007-008 Ohm’s per cell, not over 4 times the resistance BRAND NEW!

ANY old battery pack that goes beyond 011-015 internal resistance is considered dead and dangerous, and yet this company sells batteries double that threshold as perfectly acceptable BRAND NEW products!

FUCK OVONICS and the horse they rode in on.

Anyrate… back to the boat!
Added bonus is this long single piece frame will add a shitonne of strength along the length of the Hull once it’s all epoxied into place. :ok_hand:

Dummy fitting all the components, including the twin 3200mAh 60-80C 3S batteries, larger 12kg metal geared steering servo and 150A/900A ESC to check CG and balance.

CG is perfect and am designing it so that the batteries will have some fore and aft movement on Velcro strips to fine tune it on the water for different battery weights and water conditions.:ok_hand:

Gotta make sure everything is going to fit and be easily accessible under the top deck as well!

It’s a far cry from the stock setup in these boats for sure!
But the same as my Gelblaster builds, wanting them to look factory standard from the outside whilst the performance got people shaking their heads in disbelief! :rofl:

All this Big Block Moar Power will be getting sent down my custom made driveshaft which will be a 9mm OD seamless stainless tube instead of the 7mm original, which has an 8mm ID to allow me to fit my 4x8x12mm (ID-OD-L) needle roller bearings to support the driveshaft, instead of the tiny original little 3x6x2mm single brass end bushing that destroyed itself in the stock setup.

Expecting 2mm of surface area to handle the amount of torque thrust and side loading applied was insane, and led to the main reason why the drive cables kept snapping from the tilted alignment from the worn bushing. :roll_eyes:

A solid 12mm of linear roller bearings should align the cable MUCH better, and last a LOT longer than the little 2mm long brass bush!

Heck, might even install 2 of them for 24mm of support if one isn’t enough to keep the shaft in perfect support and alignment!

Which is paired with a much stronger 4mm flex drive cable in place of the standard skinny 3mm cables that I kept snapping almost on a daily basis. :face_exhaling:

Also ordered a length of nice thick 4x8mm PTFE tubing to use as a driveshaft liner, to help seal out water and give a much smoother and quieter driveline for the cable.

Still lots of work left to do to get it all together and running, also deciding which of my RX/TX Systems I’m going to use, but that’s the beauty of Velcro, can swap and change stuff easily if required. :+1:

Time to go make some noise with the Dremel!

… hmmmmmm, don’t have a custom Gelbaster building business anymore, I wonder if there’s a market for stupid fast custom Speedboat builds. :thinking::rofl:

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To the moon! :rofl: That’s some crazy mods going on here

Cheers mate, but you should know me by now … I don’t fck around when it comes to modifying and building shit! :joy:

BTW, I’ve been wondering how the Bigfoot Rims and Tyres I sent worked out, as well as how your MN82 is going?

But I also understand that you have been very busy with everything else going on in life at the moment!

Hoping that you are doing okay and getting some time to relax in amongst your busy schedule. :hugs:

Thanks yea ok, haven’t had time to touch anything RC related but…

Big smoke day Monday so get to round up my deliveries so that’s a start :+1:

No stress about the RC sidelines, as long as you are kicking goals on the Farm each day is all that really matters. :ok_hand::sunglasses::raised_hands::australia:

I won’t be writing any Novel’s today, just a nice pic of managing to get a couple of hours in at the Weir this afternoon before the Storms hit again.

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Another great example of how to get great deals by following Retailers and waiting for one off specials to appear briefly from time to time … which is what I have done to get amazing deals on all the Aircraft I have purchased in my collection. :ok_hand:

I’ve already got one of these on the way, and paid $220 all up including taxes and shipping/delivery.

This should work out around the same price at $192 on Sale.

Compare with what they are selling for normally elsewhere, and it’s easy to see where shopping around and being patient can save you a LOT of money! :ok_hand:


I would be really pissed if I paid close to $500 for one of these from eBay the get delivered, only to find them available elsewhere for $200, and even MORE pissed if I was someone who paid the original $600-$660 Retail for one of these!:astonished:

Reminds me of the time when the CYMA/JUND M4 CQB’s came out on special not long after their release for like $76, and I ended up with 9 of the bastards! :joy:

Thanks Doc for the wheels. I’ll have to fit them up one day and snap some pics :+1:

Big smoke mission success, burnt k’s and diesel, appointments, pickups, drop offs, family catchup all good. Except I’m stuffed now :joy:

Goodonya mate, as long as you had a great day away from the Farm. :ok_hand:

Heading 100 kays out into the Wheatbelt tomorrow for a family get-together.

It’s my Daughter’s 21st Birthday on the 1st of September, but my parents are going to be in Europe by then, so have organised an early celebration before they leave.

Really excited for tomorrow, and was blown away that my Daughter now living in suburban big smoke Fremantle REALLY wanted to return to the remote Wheatbelt for her Birthday get-together with the family to enjoy a 3 house “town” that she spent many of her childhood travels passing through. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

EDIT: I’m not even sure that there’s 3 houses left there anymore, as the last time I went through, I could only see two!

Okay …,… so got to get out on the water and air today, but got home and decided to actually remove all the clear tape and patchwork repairs on the poor old FMS RANGER to take apart and properly repair many weeks worth of “non procedural landings” :rofl:

Absolute LOVE these Foam planes, where can totally annihilate them into the ground and simply glue the little chunks back together again without any stress whatsoever. :ok_hand:

Iso this poor 1220mm Ranger as a crash test dummy to learn the skills of water borne Aircraft prior to my larger and more expensive Airplane’s arriving. :raised_hands:

Either way, the whole of the RC Aircraft hobby is that you are going to crash and burn no matter how “experienced” you might claim to be.

I’m still struggling with all this new LiPo/Electric/GYRO technology that I never had back in the early 1980’s Nitro Balsa Wood era.

Don’t get me wrong, all that old technology sux arse, but it’s taking some time to come to grips with the awesome performance of modern brushless LiPo powered and computer stabilised models.

Courier been busy, even though I haven’t been at “home” for the last 3 days, I finally got back to town and visiting the Post Office after receiving “non delivery” notifications once I got back from out bush to try and collect my packages.

FMS 1500mm MAULE.

Got plenty of wiring work to do installing the FLYSKY RX/TX and REFLEX V3 Gyro that I ordered many months ago to fit into the Airframe, but also keeping in mind that I have the choice of either 6 CH or 10 CH Reciever to use in this … where the 10 CH was planned for the 1100mm F4U Corsair, as it needs to operate extra channels to power lights, Flaps AND Retractable Landing Gear as well, whereas this MAULE only requires lights and Flaps in comparison …as it’s damned near impossible to get Retractable Floats! :rofl:

Trying to work out how to remove the stock 3-4S 40A ESC to replace with my 60A 2-6S Waterproof ZTW Shark Speedboat units before I even attempt to screw the Floats into it as a Waterborne Aircraft, as the original non waterproof ESC appears to have been installed internally as the Aircraft was assembled, not leaving any room to be able to remove and replace without some horrible major disassembly and hacking to facilitate changing it out.:face_with_diagonal_mouth:

At least the shitty wet and windy weather also allowed me to finally remove all the invisible clear “temporary fixing” tape off of the RANGER and properly glue all the broken bits back together again with black electrical tape clamping all the glued pieces together until it’s all set! :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

Also had the Floats turn up for my 1800mm HUSKY, only because I planned on converting the HUSKY to Floats from the get go, so ordered these Floats before I actually eventually ordered the HUSKY itself, hence why I have a set of floats for an Airplane that I don’t even have yet! :joy:

So I have a cool set of floats, and they are big boys too, almost twice the length of the 1220mm FMS RANGER Floats, but am looking forward to receiving the actual Airplane that I was hoping to one day be able to purchase to suit, which should hopefully arrive by the end of this month. :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: