Project Osprey!

[FighterCat57]

After watching some other threads, I decided to pickup an Osprey. Mostly because I don't own any brushless V-Hulls and am curious about the boat and about the Leopard motor. It's supposed to be big and stable in choppy waters, so we'll see just how big and just how stable!

According to the tracking info, it should be here today!

The plan is to run it as is, get some baseline setup info and then upgrade the ESC and motor if necessary. I have a Lehner 2240/7 in hand that might make a good power plant for this tugger.

[FighterCat57]

Wow, this thing is huge!




First few things, right off the top; there is no clear coat over the decals, first thing before it get's wet is to clean it real good and apply a clear layer of Acrylic Lacquer (testing a small area first)

I might even drop it by a boat shop for a finish coat. We'll see.

I noticed a strong odor from inside the hull. Ew.

There isn't any sealant on any of the bolted in pieces. Looks like it will need to be water tested before any test run. The connectors on the motor look too small for 10 gauge wire, like 3mm or so.

Everything was packaged excellently, it arrived with a beat up exterior and pristine interior. No loose parts bouncing around.

So far so good!

[TwzteD]

congrats im still working on mine maby i can steal some tips! i got a 1524 for mine :) plan on running stock please post vids! or plan on swapping motor?


ps: im really wondering how to get the battery servo and other stiff out without cracking the hull! im gonna lay new stringers and what not

[FighterCat57]

Bone stock, plan on getting some basic configuration straight before making any changes. This is my first brushless V-Hull, so have a lot to learn about setup. Should be a fun experience.

[TwzteD]

please post vids as you do ok im curious to see how it runs since im impatient! and didnt.

[FighterCat57]

I don't have a regular video camera, but should be able to get something.

[FighterCat57]

It's ready for water!

Made some slight modifications. There was nothing sealing the strut to the hull, so I heated the stuffing tube and slid it back about 1/4 inch. This allowed me to put a silicon tube piece around the stuffing tube and seal it to the strut. Without this modification the hull would surely fill with water from around the liner in the stuffing tube. Big Problem.

I have this balance thing where I really hate anything that's lop sided or off balance. So I moved the battery trays and put in a wood piece in a bridge like fashion to hold the ESC and the Rx. I replaced the silly little 3mm bullet connectors with 5mm bullets.

*Just an observation on the ESC, but I don't think they should be installed Heat Sink down as the heat travels up, so it should be on top! The control/BEC card shouldn't be subject to all that heat, so it should be on bottom.

When finished, I put a small vinyl tube over the stuffing tube liner to help reduce shaft splatter. A small piece of fuzzy velcro at the bottom helps absorb any residual splatter. Eeeew.

The prop get's adjusted snug as the cable is separate from the hard prop shaft. Think I went through a half bottle of thread lock.

I wired it up for two packs in series. For starters, 4s. Then 6s. That will keep the battery weight down.

I have no idea where to set the tabs, COG or strut. This will be a learning experience!

Ready for water!

[Rumdog]

Start with the tabs flush with the bottom of the hull. Try the cg at about 30% to start out. The motor is 2200kv correct? I don't think I'd try 6s on it, or the esc for that matter.

[FighterCat57]

Start with the tabs flush with the bottom of the hull. Try the cg at about 30% to start out. The motor is 2200kv correct? I don't think I'd try 6s on it, or the esc for that matter.

Yeah, 6s does seem a little extreme. The cable setup is nice an solid though and the stinger setup is nice and tight. I don't have any 5s pack configurations, so with any luck 4s will work out well.

Once I get some good setup information, I plan to swap the 120a for a 180a ESC and see what works well there. Maybe I'll get a 5s configuration under way.

[FighterCat57]

Almost forgot!

Did a few quick coats of Acrylic Lacquer this afternoon. They came out well, it is a satin finish, excellent for black and white and should clean up easily. This bad boy is going to see quite a lot of salt water. I have a new can of BoeStop ready for the hardware. It's a waxy like spray that helps prevent salt water corrosion. Made by... Boeing.

As it turns out my handy PVC stand formula works for this boat as well as the Sprint Cat. It's slightly wider in the center and that accommodates the V-Hull nicely!

I also installed a set of hatch locks I had and silicone sealed the hatch in place. Putting a syran wrap sheet down before laying the silicon helps ensure the hatch is not permanently installed.

I hope I used enough Silicone...

[Rumdog]

you got a link where to buy those locks? I installed aquacraft cowl locks on my 39 mono and they are crappy plastic. Broke on as soon as i tested it out. POS

[TwzteD]

I was gonna ask the same question!

[FighterCat57]

eBay search: Cowl Lock =)
Definitely something OSE should carry. Very handy!

Turns out... I didn't use enough silicone!

Which is OK. I reinforced it with a second layer and I'll let it cure today. Usually takes 24 hours anyway.

[FighterCat57]

Another shot of the inside of the hull. I'm very tempted to spray a good coat of epoxy paint inside to coat the fiberglass and make the interior nice and smooth. Maybe later...

I really wonder... what is the difference between the SeaKing 120a and the RTR Version?

[befu]

I never used the saran wrap method. I just coat one piece with a thin layer of vaseline, then silicone the other piece and press them together. No wrinkles to leave water channels that way.

Also, once cured and taken apart, you can keep a thin layer of vaseline on it to help it keep its seal.

I am very interested in this build to see the results. Speed, handling and power consumption. I am building a 40" deep vee, but I am going scale offshore boat. Maybe Miami Vice so I can wear my loafers and white blazer with pastel T-shirtwhile running it! Might build two, one very scale and scale like speeds, the other for faster speeds.

Brian