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Been building an airboat

Started by Coyotes-R-Us, January 04, 2018, 01:13:21 PM

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Coyotes-R-Us

Two years now, and still not in the water. :eyebrow:
I'm doing it all by hand in the backyard. The going is slow, AND I don't weld aluminum .
It's a Catrermeran style 12' x7' hull powered by a VW bug 1600cc motor.
A 3 blade 54" composite prop.
The "Drive" is off a 1969 Johnson skee horse snowmobile.





it will be used on the ice and snow as much as water.
I call it the "water bug
old is the new young

Okanagan

Wow!  If I were 30 years younger that would be tempting, so perfect for use on water and snow.  I know some shallow sloughs that run for miles where that thing would shine, with a duck or even with a moose in it!

FWIW a friend of mine way up north makes his own sleds to haul caribou and anything else (including me one time) behind a snow machine.  He makes them out of big plywood type sheets of lexan or some such kind of plastic.  It sure takes abrasion and impacts well, and slides on anything.  My experience with aluminum canoes is that they grip any touch of rock, instant brakes.  Wonder if covering the bottom and front with a thinner sheet of such plastic would make it go better on snow?  Adds weight, attaching problems, etc. and no doubt you have thought way farther ahead on this than I have.  Great boat you are making and best of luck with it.


Coyotes-R-Us

If I was only 30 years younger My boy would only be 13.
and me no where near SSI.
I have been retired for some 10 years now.
Anyway .
I put a sheet of 22 gauge steel on the bottom of each cat and painted it with a bottom slick epoxy paint. Then
three 4 inch strips of HDPE ( nylon kinda) on each cat also to give it a better chance of sliding over the rocks and gravel.
I used matching oat strips on the grass rake up front and to help support the transom .
old is the new young

Okanagan

Quote from: Coyotes-R-Us on January 04, 2018, 02:11:10 PM
If I was only 30 years younger My boy would only be 13.
and me no where near SSI.
I have been retired for some 10 years now.
Anyway .
I put a sheet of 22 gauge steel on the bottom of each cat and painted it with a bottom slick epoxy paint. Then
three 4 inch strips of HDPE ( nylon kinda) on each cat also to give it a better chance of sliding over the rocks and gravel.
I used matching oat strips on the grass rake up front and to help support the transom .


You have thought this through and come to a better solution. 

 


FinsnFur

Very interesting. Looks like a fun project
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pitw

I say what I think not think what I say.

Carolina Coyote


Coyotes-R-Us

   



Headers on the bug.
With the new little welder I'm plugging along.

I made some headers for the bug motor.

The easiest way was to use the existing pipes and ad

crisscross Pipes. They point out to the side right now but will

point to the back, I have the mufflers from the "Johnson" jammed on now and they make the bug quite quiet. I'll work with them .









I did some digging and found out I have my distributor "Plumed" wrong.

When I got the carb I used the vacuum lines that where on the old one, used them by size and they seamed to work.

But on a VW they put vacuum on both sides of the advance diagram

and I had them backwards. AND come to find out In my application , I need to uncap one and leave it to atmosphere and plug it at the carb. Then , this is odd, I have to find TDC of #1 mark the pulley where you time it from mark the Degrees to 28*.

Run the motor up to 3500 rpm and set the mark to 28* Above TDC. I also found out an old fashioned distributor with mechanical weights would be the best in my application.

I'll have to look in to that if I cant get it to 28*.
     
old is the new young

FinsnFur

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Coyotes-R-Us

Ok !
I re plumbed the distributor as directed, and left off and plugged the second Vacuum line.
I used a  * print out , worked great.
I found TDS on #1 marked it and took off the prop.
I fired it up with the timing light on it.
Ran it up to 3500 rpm and twisted the distributor till I hit
the stud that was used to hold the old manual fuel pump( I have it capped off ) and use an electric fuel pump.Not quite to the 28* mark with the vacuum line off as needed .
I was able to cut the stub off some to let the distb. turn farther.
I set it to 28* clamped it down, and put the vac line back on.
Put the prop back on and...
PERFICT!!! I now have enough HP to turn the prop up to the required 3100rpm.
That's all ,but it is right on 3900 rpm on the motor and holds . Nice.
I have a very short Video of the boat moving , on the snow.
Still lots of work to do like some way to steer , cage ext...




 
old is the new young

FinsnFur

She sounds bad ass :laf:
Your gonna have some fun in that thing :biggrin:
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Coyotes-R-Us

old is the new young

Coyotes-R-Us

Ailerons

In like most small airboats I plan on running "Dry" and on Ice a lot.
I need to be able to adjust the attitude of the boat differently then on water. 
Here is my plan.  "Ailerons".
I'm going to pit 3 small ones before the rudders, to lift the front or back depending what I need.
Remember "work in progress "




old is the new young

Todd Rahm

Ah man that think is going to be cool. Like Jim said, It sounds super!!!

Coyotes-R-Us

I found a trailer , needs some work !
It is 7 and 1/2 foot wide
12 feet long, the deck.
AND needs some work.
I got it for free, it has tires and a tidal.



I have radial light truck tires on my 18' Hewes trailer.
Good tire , 10 years old still look good. I keep it covered so there is no weather checking on them, that said.
I just got an OLD trailer that was a fold up camper now stripped down to the frame.
I looked at the tires there 20.5x8 tubeless, and look remarkably good.
I plan on new tires and rims same size but with what ?
Bias or radial ?
I can get 2 tires with white rims 6 ply new free freight on EBay.
$119.00
Radial are about twice that .
Are they twice as good ????


OK, here is what I got.
RubberMaster 20.5x8 10 range F. There made in Indonesia.

Rim Width (Inches): 6.0
Outside Diameter (Inches):  20.60
Section Width (Inches): 8.10
Max Load:  1549 lbs.
PSI:  90
Two tires and two white rims 5 hole.
My buddy the tire guy balanced them and will mount one of the old ones on one of the old rims, for a spare.
$135.00
I had to replace a stud , 7/16 - 20 and I got some extra nuts, $8.00
I checked the bearings and they looked and felt ok, I repacked them with grease that may actually flow in cold weather. I'll change them and add Barring buddy  soon as I can. Never enough money or time.
Galvanized rims would be the best, but for now I'll just paint the white ones Camo ad call it good.
Now just re do the entire trailer for  cat, boat and it will be finished.
old is the new young

FinsnFur

Looks homemade and looks like it'll work. :congrats:
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Coyotes-R-Us

I needed some U joints for the steering on the waterbug.

There like $30 each on the computer, I need three.

They turn slow and only one revolution so I did not need precision just flex to change sides of the boat with My tubing. They fit over the 1" tubing I'm using.

Handle bars will turn a drum with cables to the tubing shaft.

The shaft will run the length of the boat to the back.

Then a drum back there too with cables to the steering arms on the rudders .

Closer by the day...














   
old is the new young

Coyotes-R-Us

old is the new young

pitw

That looks great.  Hope you enjoy the [L] outta that rig up. :yoyo:
I say what I think not think what I say.