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I live on a lake in southern California along with about 50 other households each having a dock and a 14 to 18 foot-long Electric “booze cruiser”, (or FE recovery boat when appropriate). Out lake “Yacht Club” is very active and boat parades are the norn forEaster, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving………and Christmas. Some of the boats are very elaborately decorated but this year I chose to add another one or two decorated boats, more on the FE variety.
The attached pictures show a Mean Machine (Leopard 4074, Seaking 180 ESC, 4S2pLiPos) with a four foot tall air inflatable Santa piloting. From the pics you can see the simple build which relied on some Gorilla tape, bungee cord and a few sections of 4” dia. PVC to raise the inflator fan air intake so it would not flood at high speed. The loops made with Gorrila tape attached to the inflatable Santa are secured to the right and left sponsons of the Mean Machine. Another attachment is on the stern which also secures the inflatorair pump.
I removed the inflator fan wall transformer, (110 VAC to 12 VDC) and wired it directly to a 3S LiPo. I also hooked up two 1-watt LED’s inside Santa; one to illuminate the head and the other for his belly. The LiPo just drops into the extended fan air inlet and is very easy to change if needed.
I did a test run last night and old Santa really scoots! Since it is VERY secure to the Mean Machine there is little flexing even at pretty moderate speeds. Lots of air drag so this is no 50 MPH machine but it’s as fast as I believe old Santa would care to go.
Will post a video after I do my next nightly run.
The attached pictures show a Mean Machine (Leopard 4074, Seaking 180 ESC, 4S2pLiPos) with a four foot tall air inflatable Santa piloting. From the pics you can see the simple build which relied on some Gorilla tape, bungee cord and a few sections of 4” dia. PVC to raise the inflator fan air intake so it would not flood at high speed. The loops made with Gorrila tape attached to the inflatable Santa are secured to the right and left sponsons of the Mean Machine. Another attachment is on the stern which also secures the inflatorair pump.
I removed the inflator fan wall transformer, (110 VAC to 12 VDC) and wired it directly to a 3S LiPo. I also hooked up two 1-watt LED’s inside Santa; one to illuminate the head and the other for his belly. The LiPo just drops into the extended fan air inlet and is very easy to change if needed.
I did a test run last night and old Santa really scoots! Since it is VERY secure to the Mean Machine there is little flexing even at pretty moderate speeds. Lots of air drag so this is no 50 MPH machine but it’s as fast as I believe old Santa would care to go.
Will post a video after I do my next nightly run.
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