R/C Sub to Tow Small Float - Any Ideas? Â Appearance not important

[birdguy]

I'm not a sub or R/C guy. My search of the web brought me here. Sorry. Believe it or not, I need a device that can tow a foam block across the water. I don't care what it looks like, smaller than a breadbox would be nice. Durable and range of at least 400 feet. It may not even have to have the ability to resurface, ie its depth could be fixed at a couple feet, I could recover it by the float. Any ideas? Any kits almost ready to use? Somebody have some spare parts that would make a ugly little work horse?

[subdude]

birdguy,

The least expensive way would

birdguy,

The least expensive way would be to buy a decent (important, don't buy a cheepie, as the radio won't be powerful enough for your needs) R/C car, strip it, and put everything in a length of PVC pipe. All you need is the 2 channel radio, for steering and propulsion. Your foam block will provide depth control if you trim it very slightly negative (wnts to sink, not float). Build a rudder, add a propshaft and prop, and you're done.

Good luck!

Jim

[raalst]

is this for semtex or

is this for semtex or cocaine ?

or is it just plain paranoid me ?



Edited By raalst on 1140205431

[birdguy]

Jim,

Thanks for the suggestions. You

Jim,

Thanks for the suggestions. You make it sound so easy, remember I have no experience with these things. I'm pretty handy so this could become a project for me. I was hoping for something easier. My initial questions would be what are key R/C specs for a good car, why not a good boat? Maybe I could use the rudder assembly from a boat? How do you make pipe/hull penetrations. And what about rudder and trim tab design. Would I ask questions here (oh, I just did), get a book, or just order some parts and figure it out?

As I write this I thinking maybe I can just mount this on the underside of the foam block. Would that would make this easier?.

If you have national security concerns like raalst, be assured that the only terror this will create is with the geese, ducks, and herons that get too close to some potentially dangerous operations. Better deterred than dead My arm is getting sore throwing rocks

Thanks Tom

[subdude]

Tom,
Why not save yourself

Tom,
Why not save yourself all the aggrivation, and just mount the componants IN the foam block? I assumed that the foam was sacrosanct, and the propulsion had to be hidden below.

Better yet, why build at all? Sounds to me like for what you want to do, all you really need is a boat that the foam block can sit over top of. Just make sure you start with a scale boat instead of a speedboat, or you'll be losing the foam block quickly!

I suggested the car as decent ones are usually easier to come by, and therfore less expensive.

Sorry if I made it sound too easy, but it really isn't tough.

Hope this helps!

Jim

[carcharadon]

I could not resist the

I could not resist the topic and had to make a video of a model submarine intervening in a duck dispute. Be warned this video contains duck violence.

http://home.comcast.net/~gustofur/Fightingducks.wmv

[tmsmalley]

Please remember, harrassing waterfowl without

Please remember, harrassing waterfowl without a permit may be a violation of the Federal Migratory Bird Act. On the other hand, farmers and others with a permit are allowed to chase geese and ducks out of a field if there is crop depredation.

By the way - the "duck violence" depicted in the video is pretty typical typical mating behavior for Anas platyrhynchos.

Tim
(Your friendly game and fish department guy.)

[anonymous]

The Duck's revenge!!

On this side

The Duck's revenge!!

On this side of the pond (in the UK) we are awaiting the arrival of avian flu.

Duck poop will never be the same again

David

[carcharadon]

The X-rated video has been

The X-rated video has been edited for sex and violence. However, for clarification maybe someone could explain another confusing point for me (they weren't fighting?). A hunter with a 12 gauge shotgun takes aim at a flying migratory waterfowl (FMWF), pulls the trigger, and sends BB sized lead or steal buckshot through the tiny body of the FMWF, which upon sustaining massive injuries, tumbles out of the sky, dying, falling perhaps hundreds of feet, hitting the ground, now sustaining even more pain and suffering, broken bones, and then as a final insult, a large Labrador retriever with a mouth full of slime engulfs the dying bird. Now if I were the FMWF that to me would be harassment.

[birdguy]

Jim
I think you are right,

Jim
I think you are right, first I'm going to try a ready to use boat and have the foam sit on top of the boat. If that doesn't work I think the PVC pipe mounted under will be the next attempt. I'll be back to this site if I get to the pipe.

Everyone
Sorry I missed the ducks in the video. The video I saw had no ducks at least I couldn't see them. I just saw a couple of clips of a sub.

Game and Fish Guy
Relax. USF&W, USEPA, and my state environmental agency are kept informed of deterrents used at my site.

Thanks

[carcharadon]

birdguy


fighting duck video for those

birdguy


fighting duck video for those who missed it.

It is the first video.

Had to shift videos around, but this should work, while I have some space.

You can just put some bilge pumps in the foam block, that would be the simplest cheapest way.



Edited By Carcharadon on 1141900075

[tmsmalley]

Yes - that is fairly

[color=#000000]Yes - that is fairly common mating behavior for ducks - they like it rough I guess. My point is simply a heads-up]