Ready to go...I think

[Doozit20]

Hello my name is Steve and I have been looking around this site and others for a while now and am ready to get started. Well I hope. I built what I call a super mini 4'x7.5' with a 5 hp Honda motor direct drive with a 36x12 prop just to see if I could. The boat works great and when it floods in my yard I have a blast skimming along in ankle deep water and shallower when it gets moving. I built the hull from a few pieces of .032" aluminum sheets that I riveted together...a LOT of riveting lol. Brazed the cage and stand out of conduit and away I went.
I have since caught the "bug" and am hooked on airboats. My dad had one a while ago which helped in most if not all the question I had in building that one and he is helping me build this one as well. Ok so after looking around I've chosen to go with a similar setup as Papee has with the 084 and direct drive ultra prop from competition aircraft. I found an aluminum hull and trailer that I couldn't pass on the price. It was cheaper then buying the material of just the aluminum let alone less of a headache trying to make and rivet it together. The hull is 10'x5 1/2' all aluminum riveted together. The motor and hub was from a guy who had it on an ultralight a while ago. And the prop is the ultra prop three blade 59". Pitch not yet determined.
I will have several questions along the way that I hope I can get answered here. Some answers for the motor and for other parts on the boat that I might need help figuring how they work. I thank y'all in advanced and apologize if I start to ramble. Oh and this is going to take me some time to build as time isn't readily available all the time do to work and such.
Regards. Steve

[Papee]

Welcome to the site Steve. Search around and look for Buster's thread on modifying the existing charging system making it 12 volts. I am working on a new starter setup right now for the guys that choose to stay with the direct drive.

[Doozit20]

Thanks for the reply Papee. My motor curently doesnt have a charging system of any kind on it. The previous owner of the motor had it on a small plane. I am going to try to figure out a way to hook up a small car alternator and pulley to the rope start pulley. This is also an add on that I added to it because the guy was prop starting the motor. How can I tell how old this motor is? It has a hercules magneto I think. Are there any serial numbers on it that tell how old it is? whenI first got the motor I pulled all the spark plugs and turned the motor by hand slowly and the mag sparked one time per revolation and it was the number 1 cylinder then it sparked on number 2 i think then it went and sparked to the first one again. Is that normal? WHen I spun it fast with all spark plugs out all four sparked but the two closest to the hub were weak? Any guess as why this does this or is it normal?

[Papee]

I'd say the stray spark is just coming from not having a proper ground. I would look into getting the stock parts for the charging system and put them on, any external gen.alt is going to rob you of power. It takes hp to turn over the alt. You need all the performance you can get from that motor. The stock charging system is also less work, no fabbing extra brackets and such.

[Doozit20]

Where would I find the charging system? I assume it would
Bolt up underneath the pull start pulley? And isn't it 24 volt. I see you mentioned something about buster making it into 12 volt?

[Papee]

Yes it is under the rope pulley. It is 24 volts but only takes a rectifier to convert it. A good place to find one cheap would be the exp aircraft guys, Most of them would have taken it off and may have them laying around.