Pedal Boat Design

Too many choices eh Curtis?

 

Haha, yeah. I think it'd be easier to make up my mind if I didn't already have this rowboat. Reminds me of something that happened in a shop where I was a welder. It was break time, and one guy takes a sip of his vending-machine coffee, makes a face and says it's awful. Guy next to him says, "If it's that bad, just throw it out." First guy says, "Hey, I paid a quarter for this, and I'll drink it if it kills me!"

 

Not exactly on topic, but you guys might be interested in this:

http://books.google.com/books?id=49...X&oi=book_result&resnum=8&ct=result#PPA110,M1

I've already seen things that are entirely new to me, just on the few sample pages shown.

 

Try this Curtis. Something like 30K books online with free access. There are quite a few free library's online now. I recently downloaded a book flood of EVERY Star Trek book ever written, EVERY series...took under 5 minutes and has hundreds of books lol

http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/

 

Thanks, BG. I've already got that site and at least one other in my bookmarks. Trouble with these is that their catalogs are mostly limited to public domain works.

I forgot to ask, btw, did you get any of Gustav where you're at?

 

hehehehe,,,,, sorry ta "break" into the convo,,,,just feeling the love between "trekies" hehehehe

 

Heh Heh...I downloaded them so I have something to read while on the stationary bike training for the boat. If I don't have something to occupy my brain I fall asleep in about 2 minutes...and those pedals hurt when they hit you in the chin.

Seriously...I had to put s PC in my bathroom...

 

Sorry for the silence. Work has reared its ugly head =(.

How is Solid Works coming along Rick?

 

Have worked through most of the first tutorial but SW did not like my computer going into standby when I left it sitting. I have not tried restarting yet because it was late last night.

Today I have done a little over 20km on the boat so am about to have lunch. It was a superb morning. Sometimes glassy smooth sometimes maybe 10kph breeze. Temperature now about 18C I believe. I might plot my trace on the PPB thread. Only complaint was the weed that is floating on the surface. It needs a steady breeze for a few days to pile up along one shoreline rather than just hanging about on the surface. Some decent rain would help so the depth is greater and the weed is not being torn out by the waves.

We are into out footy finals now so that will provide afternoon viewing. SW can wait. The fellow featured on this clip played last night:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnAvTIY9UoI
Had a memorable game. He is rewriting many of the records. Unbelievable agility and poise for a guy 196cm tall and just 21 yo. He is like an adult playing amongst school kids and yet all the other players are full-time professionals. He can kick the ball 70m off a step - try that. That is not far short of the length of your footy fields.

Back to the thread. Have you started building the W-S test prop?

Rick

 

Here is more of Buddy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQKXUe_7j2o&feature=related
I doubt if there is anywhere else in the world that tolerates a field invasion like this.

Hard to believe there were two teams playing. It looked like all 50,000 people at the venue stood at one when he kicked his 100th goal for the season. It has been done before but last time it was done, about 10 years ago, they said that would be the last because the game has changed. Well Buddy is rewriting the way the game is played.

Rick W

 

Thats Australian Rules Football? Seems so chaotic compared to our American or traditional Soccer. Which means its likely more fun to watch as well =)

Started on the model? I am still wrestling with the design...

 

The arena size is not fixed but typically around 180m long and 150m wide so very large ground. There are 18 players per side. It moves fast and usually a lot of scoring. A 20 minute quarter usually takes 30 minutes due to stoppages for throw ins or ball ups. There is much more action than American football and it is higher speed than soccer. Tough game though and the players become expert in injury management. Keeps our hospitals busy through the off season with reconstructive surgery on soft tissue damage.

Back to topic - looking forward to some detail on the W-S prop.

 

I will post you drawings b4 I build anything. No worries. Work is killing free time--feast or famine as they say.

 

Rick--

So the choices are build a 1/4 or 1/3 scale test model and do basic tank testing to make sure it flies, or to build a full size version and bolt it to an existing boat, or to build it AND a boat and cross our fingers.

With Carbon Fiber prices chasing gold a full boat test is pretty scary. Especially because the thing would be faired into a pretty purpose built boat.

Building the drive unit only full scale would allow mounting on one of your existing hulls though it would be very draggy.

1/4 scale blades are pretty small. 1/3 scale seems a good balance, though you have reservations about static water conditions and wheel lift in a tank.

1/3 scale yields a model with blades about 17.25mm wide, 7mm thick and 172mm long. A 6m hull scales down to about 2m (obviously) with a beam of about 86mm.

I am wondering if at 1/3 scale, testing on open water (very calm day) would be more useful then the tank tests. I could very easily add R/C controls and enough battery power to motor the wheels at w/e RPM you want via a speed controller (all stuff I have laying around). I don't think any of the scale test boat has to be carbon fiber except the blades. Also, making the 3 point followers and cam at 1/4 scale is a bit like watch making...

Thoughts? Other ideas for testing...etc?

 

BG
The 1/3rd scale wheel to start with sounds like a good idea. This allows you to sort out mechanisms.

The model boat gives you something to play with and have a bit of fun. It could be set up for testing paddle wheels if you wanted to compare. A 1/3 scale model is a reasonable size to show any odd behavior.

I would not go to a full-scale boat until you have the drive sorted out.

Rick