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Tuning / Troubleshooting

Boat dives and will not plane

This  is  a  pretty  rare  condition  when  built  and 

balanced as  described in this  manual.   Diving is 

often the result of the boat being balanced too far 

forward.   Additionally thrust line  changes  outside 

of specification can cause the boat to dive.

Tuning  Tip  -  Move the balance point of  the boat 

aft.   In order for  the boat to come up on plane it 

needs  to  ride  up  and  over  the  bow  wake.  

Sometimes shimming the motor so that the thrust 

produced by the prop is  angled down slightly  will 

lift  the back of  the boat and assist with riding up 

on plane faster.

Boat skipping

Defined  as  the  entire  boat  or  bow  bouncing  up 

and  down  out  of  the  water  especially  in  the 

straights.   This  is  typically  the result of  a severe  

imperfection on bottom of the hull and to a lesser 

extent the CG or balance of the boat.

Tuning  Tip  -  Try  installing  a  trim  tab  from  thin 

aluminum  sheet at  the  transom  to better  control 

the boats attitude as it comes up on plane.  Bend 

the tab down to force the bow into the water, up to 

allow  the bow to rise up.   This tab will negate the 

use of the optional water rudder.

Boat will not skid in turns

When at planing speeds  (1/3-2/3 throttle) the boat 

may  stay  “stuck”  to the water  on a chine or  side 

resisting  turn  input.    Often  it  will  appear  as 

thought  the  water  flow  will  not  release  from  the 

sides  of  the  boat  or  chines  to  produce  the 

characteristic airboat skidding turn.   Occasionally 

turn performance may be so bad that the boat will 

actually  roll  out  or  against  the  turn  even  to  the 

point of flipping over. 

Begin by verifying that the rudder is  moving equal 

amounts  right  and  left  and  adjust  if  necessary.  

Tuning should be performed on calm days  so as 

to minimize the influence of wind on the craft.   If 

the  turning  problem  occurs  only  for  right  hand 

turns  this  disparity  is  the  result  of  motor  torque 

acting on the boat lifting the right chine of the boat 

and driving the left deeper into the water.

Tuning Tip -  Shim  the motor  so  that more of  the 

prop blast is directed towards the opposite side of 

the boat from  the problem  turn.   That is to say, if 

the  boat  is  having difficulties  turning right,  direct 

more thrust to the left side of the boat which has 

the effect of countering the motor and prop torque 

thus  driving  the  right  chine  back  into  the  water 

and  lifting  the  left  producing  a  better  right  turn 

performance.

Hopping in the turns

In a high speed  sweeper  the side  of the  hull on 

the outside of the turn lifts then drops repeatedly.

Caused by having too much radius on the chines  .  

Unlike the square sided WaterBord

tm

  we suggest 

not  applying  a  radius  to  the  chines  of  the 

WaterBoard Mini

tm

.  Rather, leave the chines  nice 

and sharp.

Tuning Tip - Control hop by not 

radiusing

 the chine 

Improving straight line performance

Airboats  excel  at  drifting,  sliding,  and  otherwise 

gliding sideways  across  the glassy water surface.  

But  what about straight-line performance.    You’ll 

no doubt notice that this can be a challenge and it 

will take practice to learn to stay slightly ahead of 

the  boat  in  the  straights,  anticipating  corrective 

inputs.    Cross  winds  can  present  an  especially 

challenging  situation  where the  boat  will tend  to 

weathervane into  the  wind  or  list to  a  chine  and 

deviate from the straight and narrow.

Tuning  Tip  -  Install  the  optional  Water  Rudder.  

On  the  flat  bottom  airboat  design  of  such  light-

weight the only  way to improve straight line track  

and  power-off  turn  performance  is  to  install  a 

Water  Rudder.    The optional  Water  Rudder  is  a 

carefully sized nylon  part linked to the Air Rudder 

and elastic loaded to allow  the rudder to ride over 

foreign  objects  in  the  water  without  damage.  

While  we  have  sized  the  Water  Rudder  to 

minimize  the  impact  on  “drift”  performance, 

Build Instructions

© 2013 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved.   

Page 24 of 25

Содержание Waterboard mini pondflyer

Страница 1: ...r Smaller Watering Holes Length 14 inches Beam 5 5 square inches Weight 6 8 ounces R1 16 revised 11 06 2014 Build Instructions 2013 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved Page 1 of 25 mini pondflyer TM stevensaero com ...

Страница 2: ...advised to return this kit immediately in new and unused condition to the place of purchase THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDED FOR CHILDREN 12 YEARS OF AGE OR YOUNGER WARNING This product may contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer and or birth defects or other reproductive harm PRODUCT SUPPORT This product has been engineered to function properly and perform as advertised wit...

Страница 3: ...x 1 4 in Sheet Metal Screw 3011 7 2 x 1 2 in Socket Head Sheet Metal Screws 3014 Water Rudder As of our R1 16 kit update the Water rudder option is now included standard with this kit Replacemnt water rudder option parts given below are available for purchase separately through StevensAero com When purchased as replacement parts water rudder kit includes 1 32 in ply air rudder parts V1 V2 V3 C1 an...

Страница 4: ...ndling At least one 12 25 oz DEFT brand clear lacquer spray wood finish satin or semi gloss One quart or less of DEFT brand clear brushing lacquer wood finish to use as a sanding sealer Talc or baby powder to mix with DEFT to create a sanding sealer Compatible lacquer based color spray we recommend Design Master Color Tool Build Instructions 2013 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved Page 4 of 25 ...

Страница 5: ...Sheet Wood Inventory 1 of 1 Build Instructions 2013 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved Page 5 of 25 ...

Страница 6: ...Builders Notes Build Instructions 2013 Stevens AeroModel all rights reserved Page 6 of 25 ...

Страница 7: ...table Use the poly tube that this kit was shipped in as a non stick barrier between your worktable and the product assembly Promptly clean up any epoxy spills with rubbing alcohol and a disposable towel Bonding the assembly As this product tabs notches and otherwise interlocks like a 3D puzzle we suggest that when fitting parts you dry fit use no glue the parts together first It s advised to work ...

Страница 8: ... Bond sub assembly parts with thin or medium CA glue Key ribs R3 to the right and left of hull assembly aligning part with the outside edge of F8 and each notch within R3 to the outside tabs of formers F1 F7 Square assembly on a flat surface and bond parts F8 to formers and outer rib assembly with medium CA glue Now bring the forward portion of ribs R3 in to align against the outside edge of F8 an...

Страница 9: ...7 spanning ribs R1 and R3 Bond F10 to retain Invert assembly and install F11 to fit along the bottom of F7 inside and outside ribs R1 and R3 Bond F11 to retain part within assembly Install 3 16 square length of basswood nose stock F12 spanning ribs R1 R2a and R3 as illustrated below Bond to retain part within assembly WITH THE HULL ASSEMBLY INVERTED mask rib and formers as illustrated in preparati...

Страница 10: ...basswood leading edge by at least 1 16 in Support hull assembly against a flat work surface rocking up onto the bow to flatten F13 ply bottom against the F16 basswood nose stock then bond with CA glue Support bow of boat against your flat work surface and working one bay at time bond all intersections of ribs formers and ply bottom forward of F2 as illustrated Build Instructions 2013 Stevens AeroM...

Страница 11: ...o ensure you can quickly drop this part into position atop the hull assembly Remove the D1 decking and lay on your worktable etch side up You ll need to work quickly on this step Thick CA glue or 5 min epoxy will ensure proper working time Apply glue along the perimeter of part D1 around the radio access hatch holes and along each of the dashed lines etched on D1 Key the pre fit and now glue cover...

Страница 12: ...d flow easier Fill gap between deck and basswood leading edge with a high quality balsa filler Use filler to fill any other gaps at tab and notch locations and along the seams at ribs R3 and top decking D1 Allow filler to cure before sanding Sand the hull to a smooth finish removing the excess balsa filler We suggest a sanding block loaded with 120 and 240 grit paper Reduce the basswood nose stock...

Страница 13: ...e balsa part M4 to the motor mount assembly to the motor mount assembly as illustrated Knock the top edge of M4 flat with a sanding block to allow part M5 to fit flush with the top surfaces of the motor mount assembly Fit and bond balsa part M6 to top of motor mount assembly as illustrated Use a sanding block to shape the leading edge of the motor mount assembly round as described in the photo bel...

Страница 14: ... Washer and install through latch as illustrated Updated R1 16 nylon latch illustrated Place one 4 Flat Washer on top of hatch cover centered over pivot hole for latch assembly Now install latch to top of hatch cover Updated R1 16 nylon latch Illustrated Retain latch assembly to hatch cover by installing a third 4 Flat Washer and 4 40 nut over end of machine screw Snug nut to remove any play in as...

Страница 15: ...k edge of V1 Once again use a slow setting CA glue Tip Minimize mis alignment of the laminations by inserting one or both of the rudder mounting tabs or control horns within the slots at the leading edge of the rudder DO NOT BOND the mounting tab to the rudder at this time Now laminate V3 on top of V1 Be careful not to get excess glue within the water rudder pocket that is formed at the bottom of ...

Страница 16: ...hen add your color scheme from a compatible lacquer based paint Follow up color spray with at least 3 coats of DEFT Notes Sand lightly with 600 grit paper between applications of lacquer When applying each coat of lacquer do not forget to seal the interior of the access hatches Additionally don t forget to seal the inside of the motor mount Final Assembly Apply self stick gasket material to top of...

Страница 17: ...low Insert the motor leads from the ESC through the motor mount and connect to the motor Mount motor to motor mount using four provided 2 x 1 4 in screws Place two 4 nylon washers between the cruciform mount and the motor mount to shim the right side of the motor when viewed from stern of boat Thread ESC motor supply leads and servo wire through hole between front and rear hatch as illustrated Bui...

Страница 18: ...of heat shrink Shrink the tubing with a heat gun to retain parts Trim your servo control horn so that when installed as illustrated it will not drag along the hull of the boat Mount the control rod to one of the outer most holes on both the servo and the rudder control horns With the HS 35HD servo we prefer to use the long horn trimmed as illustrated with the control rod in the 3rd or 4th hole out...

Страница 19: ...er to hatch gasket then slide the hooks of the cover forward until cover seats properly compressing the forward part of the hatch gasket Locate the three 2 x 7 16 in flanged socket head screws These screws will feature a welded washer under the screw head Retain the hatch cover by installing the 2 x 7 16 screws through latch hatch and then into the hull Tighten screws until you just begin to see t...

Страница 20: ...ard lip of the access hatch support WaterBoard Mini hull over a flat surface apply light pressure to rear of hatch gently compressing hatch gasket now twist latch to engage under hatch cover retention screw heads Note some minor fitting and or tweaking may be required to achieve smooth and secure operation of the latch Once setup the latch requires little maintenance Our updated nylon hatch latch ...

Страница 21: ...hin the pocket at the bottom of the Air Rudder with the hook on the Water Rudder facing forward Retain the Water Rudder using the 4 40 x 3 8 nylon machine screw and cut length of silicone fuel tubing as illustrated Now loop one mini rubber band around the C2 control horn on the air rudder and down to the hook of the water rudder Mount the completed assembly to your hull and re connect your control...

Страница 22: ... aircraft where the wind sends you packing I ve found that even when the wind is kicking up chop on the water there is still a calm spot to be found usually towards the windward side of the pond over an algae mat or on the leeward side of an obstruction bordering the water Turn on transmitter and connect battery to speed control Whenever the boat is live you should keep hands and body parts clear ...

Страница 23: ...e running dead Thus it becomes tough to discern when if it s time to return to shore and refuel Add to this the fact that your electronic speed control ESC has been designed to protect your pack from over discharge by turning off the fan motor when the battery pack voltage reaches 6 2V and it becomes clear that you may find yourself stranded with a dead pack while in the water The way to prevent b...

Страница 24: ... turns this disparity is the result of motor torque acting on the boat lifting the right chine of the boat and driving the left deeper into the water Tuning Tip Shim the motor so that more of the prop blast is directed towards the opposite side of the boat from the problem turn That is to say if the boat is having difficulties turning right direct more thrust to the left side of the boat which has...

Страница 25: ...per where the rail will be bonded then resealing the hull bottom with 2 3 coats of DEFT after rail installation Note that rails will tend to increase your straight line speeds as the boat is riding higher in the water The trade off for will be reduced high speed turn performance Additionally I find the boat will be a bit more grabby in the turns Have a tuning tip to share Tuning possibilities are ...

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