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Thread: Alaskan mini build

  1. #21
    Super Moderator Corky's Avatar
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Looks great !! Make sure you get some pics and a video if possible...

    Aluminum .120 14' X 76" hull
    Teledyne 4a084-4 engine
    Circle S 1.69:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind "Razor X" prop



  2. #22
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Testing.
    Got her out of the garage, but not without grabbing the sharp end of some angle and poking a hole in the side. Small hole above uhmw. Still, it figures!
    Got her running, got in and away we went for about 100 ft till it died when I tried to give it some gas. Much cussing Ensued , until I discovered a bad ground. Replaced that and had much better starter power. But, it wouldn’t start again. Turned out the Carb was gummed up. Put on a new bing 84 carb, after much adapting and tried again today. Got her running, go to in and away we went, through a ditch, climbed over some large 14” logs and went around in a plowed field with a few inches snow really well. When I tried to give it a good amount of gas, you can tell it has more than enough power. So much force on the rudder that it broke the rudder cable pulleys, going up and nicking the prop. Big nick, more like a chunk out of both ends. Ordered a new prop. And will be getting larger pulleys tomorrow.
    So!at least I answered several key questions. There is plenty of power and I haven’t been able to go over 1/2 throttle yet. Airflow obstruction doesn’t seem to be an issue either. This is testing with my smallest prop. I will have to spend some time fine tuning the engine to swing the big , nice carbon prop. Glad I didn’t put it on first, they are expensive.
    Will spend several days on the snow before trying any water. Need to get to where my reactions are automatic.
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  3. #23
    Junior Member Bart's Avatar
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Dang, it looks ready to go out hunting some Ptarmigan. just be careful, if you go up any hills in the snow. going up is easy, coming back down can be very entertaining.
    glad that you are getting plenty of thrust out of the motor.
    got a couple of friends up your way, i imagine that your build will get talked about, now that you are out running around. before long, you may be the talk of the town.
    it is always fun, the first test runs, getting everything dialed in.
    glad that you are having fun

  4. #24
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Question for northern sliders? Do you use runners? I’ve noticed it’s really hard to stay pointing in the same direction. My bottom is completely flat and smooth. Then it dawned on me, I need a couple of 1” wide runners to control the spin. Do I have to take those off on water?
    Thanks!

  5. #25
    Junior Member Bart's Avatar
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    is your rudder in trim? so when you let go of the stick, you are going straight.

  6. #26
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    It goes fairly straight( centered ) after torque correction on initial power up.until I am on the side of a rise or bump into something frozen. Only a few inches of snow right now.

    In full disclosure, I have only been testing on my farm. Rough! Plowed fields, bumps, logs, brush...obstacles. So , I have broken several things. But, found out what would break and what wouldn’t. The hull itself is in perfect shape and I have caught air a couple of times and hit hard a few.

    The reason I haven’t been going straight is because I have been bumping into something or on the side of a small rise... it’s so light and such small “wheel “ base that it gets knocked off line and redirected very easily..
    will test tomorrow on flat ice (frozen lake) and see how she really does before I put a runner. Thought about it a bit and decided that if I had to go through what I have been going through, use as is or get out and pull. It’s really easy to pull along. But. This is not the norm that I intend to operate her on. Just the closest ground around.

  7. #27
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    P.s..
    great thought about the ptarmigan. This would be perfect for the flat valleys above the tree line!

  8. #28
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Had a good test on a small frozen lake. It was in an ice fog, and only got about 10 minutes before the prop iced up to bad to use anymore.
    I am thinking I accomplished 60% of my goals of performance. Which is really pretty good for the first test on flat ground.(ice and 3” snow)
    definitely need to adjust my thrust line..it’s pushing on the nose. But, I designed it to keep the nose on the water. , it’s just too much right now.
    Steering is diminished as I cut the back 6” off the rudder. Steering pressure is greatly improved, though. Think I will be adding length to this one or adding another rudder. Want to get the thrust line right first.
    I was able to lean and weight shift it when on plane and drastically improve carving, instead of sliding in a huge arc.
    that was my Main goal with this hull, was to be able to lean into, weight shift and Carve , not just slide.
    I don’t like the last foot of wedge on the hull, it will grab and make me go back into sliding. I may take the edge off the chine , but think I need to try it in deeper snow or water first before I start sawing things off. I had very little roll with only a couple inches of snow .
    I’m still having issues getting the last 25% of power out of the engine. But I’m fairly certain it is carb, and airbox issues that i will be tackling again today. Then proceed to set up a make shift thrust gauge to tune it in properly.
    As it is I was getting up on plane on the snow, especially if I leaned all the way back. And going along at about 15-20, for the first few minutes till the prop iced up. Overall a successful first test!
    P.s.. I never posted a utube video. But I will try to get that done in the next day or so. We did get some short vids of the test.

  9. #29
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

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  10. #30
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Videos on YouTube.
    Solo Recon Mini airboat

  11. #31
    Super Moderator Corky's Avatar
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Congratulations !!! Looks great and goes very well also !!! How was it inside the cockpit ??? was it loud ?? Did the windows steam up at all ?? Any drafts ??

    Aluminum .120 14' X 76" hull
    Teledyne 4a084-4 engine
    Circle S 1.69:1 reduction
    67" Whirlwind "Razor X" prop



  12. #32
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Hi Corky, thanks!
    It’s surprisingly quite inside the cab. I could make a phone call on speaker and not have to yell. No protection required at all. The foam between the hull and uhmw completely silences all hull noise. I have foam behind the seat between me and the engine. Seems to help out.
    It did not fog up at all, but It did freeze up as I was warming the engine I left the door open...it pulled a lot of ice fog over it and froze a thin layer on the front window. A heater would have fixed it. The side windows stayed clear and I used them as they are at a good angle to see out the front.
    No drafts that I noticed, but I was wearing my snowmobile gear...wouldn’t feel a hurricane. It was comfortable , not too loud and felt like a very roomy kayak, as I was shifting side to side, front and back to try out the weight shift capabilities.
    More testing to follow. Hope to increase thrust 40-50% from this first test.

  13. #33
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    great job. waiting for open water test. hope it will plane.
    4a084
    Arrow belt drive
    marty bray 116 mini pro
    solex 32/36
    weber 32/36
    solex 34 pict 3
    weber 34 ich
    Razor x 3 blade

  14. #34
    Junior Member Bart's Avatar
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    just wondering where you were dealing with the ice fog, if your carb might have been freezing up a little? when i started up my cuyuna 2 stroke, with it just being out on a stand in the open. the slides on the carbs iced up pretty good.
    it kind of struck me as being kind of odd, because i never noticed my snowmachines iceing up. but then the snowmachine motors are in a cowling,
    but we have a different type of humid cold, than what you deal with up north.
    it is always fun trying to trouble shoot carb problems, do you have a pryrometer attached to the exhaust?
    without a way to know what your exhaust temps are. it is a real pain in the but to always be pullling the spark plug to see what color it is.
    good luck, and it looks like fun.
    on an other note, all the snow has melted off the lawn, due to the rain. and we have green grass still, but the streets are icy.
    hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving.

  15. #35
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Hi Bart,
    Traditionally 2 stroke engines don’t have carb icing problems , unless the carb is feeding both cylinders. When it is 1 carb, to 1 cylinder the pressure differences between strokes prohibits ice formation. My buddy has a cuyuna on his quicksilver ultralight and had to switch to dual carbs or not fly in the winter.
    I only have a head temp sensor, no egt. The problem is amplified because I am running 100LL avgas. Very hard to get the plug dirty enough to read the color !
    I switched from a diaphragm carb to a bowl carb. The thing vibrates like crazy, floods , overfills the carb and there’s is no way it is atomizing the mixture properly. If I can’t get the vibration under control, will have to go back to the diaphragm carb.
    Thanks for the reply, hope you and yours enjoy your holiday as well.
    Im getting pretty excited about getting it dialed in after seeing that is going to work.
    Cheers!

  16. #36
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    Just finished the second real test. Adjusted the thrust line to 2* up. It made a huge difference! Gets and stays on plane ( on snow) at 60% throttle. Steering is greatly improved with the dual rudders and corrected thrust line. Drives just like I thought an airboat should. Use weight shift to decide between slide or carve through a turn. Got the carb issues worked out and am now getting full thrust and rpm’s from the engine. Would say I achieved 90% of performance goals at this point. Really stoked !

  17. #37
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    Re: Alaskan mini build

    First water test are a success !
    Handles like it’s on rails. I am Very pleased with the steering, weight shift and control. I instantly felt like a pro in it. Can slide gracefully, spin instantly and carve exactly where you want it to go.
    Needs more power or some more fine tuning to get it on step faster. But once on step it moves along really nice.
    my buddy liked it so much yesterday...we’re building him one starting today !
    really bad videos on YouTube , mini airboat 1st water and mini airboat water test.
    easier to look up YouTube, jay smith mini airboat
    Last edited by Jssflyer; 04-05-2019 at 12:23 PM.

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