Nautilus (disney) performance as R/C

[tk-7642]

How well does the Nautilus work? Is it fast or slow, stable, sluggish etc? Other comments? I am making one and would like to know if I need extra powerful engine and prop and other details. Thanks.

[bob the builder]

There are a few people

There are a few people around here with working Goff Nautilus'. I hope to be one of them in the next month or so.

From what I've gathered in my time researching this project, the Nautilus performs as follows]The Nautilus Drydocks[/url] and let me know what you think.

[bigdave]

Hi Guys, I have been

Hi Guys, I have been running my Nautilus(Ray Mason hull) for three years now. It has working front and rear planes,Co2 gas ballast system, and operating salon and wheelhouse lights. It is not an easy sub to trim out but it works well when you do. It needs quite a bit of power to propel it along. You have all those teeth creating drag, and it does try to push itself under when you increase speed. If you put the dive planes in the stock location they are next to useless. You do not have enough surface area to make them effective. They do seem to work better at a faster speed. The stock rudder will not work eather. Not large enough. I made a cheater rudder that attaches with pinns made out of Lexan I use in the water. It turns fine with this. Since it is clear it is invisable in the water. I use the ballast tank to control the depth and that seems to work fine. The prop I have is a scale stock prop and it has plenty of bite. It may look old style but it is so efficent I had to up my gear ratio to 6/1 because the motor was getting to hot. It may not be the easiest sub to trim out but nothing looks cooler running in the water at speed. I take that back, seeing it run at night with the eyes lit and the salon lights on is COOLER!



Edited By Bigdave on 1056077485

[tk-7642]

Great info so far thanks.

Great info so far thanks. I plan on overpowering my 30.5 inch sub with as large a motor as I can fit, with the forward water scoops (or the forward part of the rear keel's large reactor water intake) taking water via tubes to the motor cooling system (I've seen some for sale -some boats need them I guess). I may just fix copper tubes to the casing with large hose clamps.
As far as the props I have ordered a scale 2" 7 blade scimitar to turn at max rpm (about 8000). I have also been thinking about making a 7 blade sledgehammer to be used in a removable (4 bolts) 1860's Hunley/Pioneer style shroud, as it is very similar to the Nautilus' set up. This 1860's shroud should reduce blade tip vortex drag like on the Hunley's similar prop and increase thrust. It looks like Harper Goff was inspired in this area by the Hunley.
Regarding the diving planes I plan on using all 4 of the movie design's bow dive planes rather than the usual 2, in addition to the aft 2 - using all 6 diveplanes of the original movie sub. Also they will be of the bi-plane type (2 plates with a space between them) fitting flushly into the lateral keels. This should almost double the surface area - while improving the streamlining over the lateral keels.
The salon housings on most Nautilus models stick out much farther than the real movie sub - contributing to drag, so I will trim mine back.
The rudder may just benefit from the increases thrust of the prop at slow speeds (give it a rev) - or I may extend the rudder upward and downward into the tailfin like an airplane.

Any more experience or ideas?

Excellent website by the way! Will keep checking it.



Edited By TK-7642 on 1056917510