Finishing a JAE FE in a hurry!

[Tim Strange]

Not sure how much snaking that 3/16 will do...pretty much what I was thinking though. The only thing I am worried about is the 3/16 may slide up the shaft to the collet and create some havoc.

At any rate, I have her 98% ready for testing tomorrow! Not usually very good at deadlines, but looks like I'll make it.

 

[jayt]

I'm sure that will work, but be certain to leave an extra-wide gap between the drive dog and the strut. That skinny cable will wind up a bunch....

.

 

[RodneyPierce]

Not sure how much snaking that 3/16 will do...pretty much what I was thinking though. The only thing I am worried about is the 3/16 may slide up the shaft to the collet and create some havoc.

At any rate, I have her 98% ready for testing tomorrow! Not usually very good at deadlines, but looks like I'll make it.

Anneal the tube first to soften it up. (heat it up with a torch and let it cool naturally). Then slide it up through there. make sure that about 1/2 inch comes out the stuffing tube inside the boat. Run some red locktite around it and pull it back in flush with the 1/4 inch tube. This should hold the tube in place and keep it from moving on you.

 

[Tim Strange]

I did manage to maiden her today...I suppose I will call it a success since I didn't burn anything up or sink it. The issues that I need to resolve are:

1) there is some water getting inside the box. I am pretty sure this is coming from the stuffing tube. Nothing that I can do about it before Saturday...but I am leaning toward going to the .186 cable. For now I have a liner from an Aquacraft Vegas that I hope will alleviate the problem.

2) The collet is giving me fits. I just can't seem to get it tight enough. It slipped on me at least three times today...one time the cable actually rode up inside the collet to the point that the cable was so tight at the strut that the motor could not turn it. I hope that moving to the 3/16 cable with a better collet will resolve this issue.

3) I suppose this one may have something to do with my newness to this boat and FE. Under acceleration it wants to pull hard to the right. After trying the mod 1450, a 42/55 and another prop a friend had there was no change. The turn fin was moved back to where the front bolt is not used...this seemed to help a bit. Obviously easing on and off the throttle is a key factor in driving this thing. I can get it to run absolutely straight on the back and front stretch. It takes very little to get it to enter the turn, but it wants to keep on turning right even after the rudder is centered. I have even centered half way through the turn and it won't straighten back of until I give some left input.

Any thoughts on this?

 

[RodneyPierce]

Do you have any toe in on the right front sponson? if not, toe the right front in 1/8 inch and test again. I bet its better.

(pull the right front sponson off and cut 1/8 inch off the front boom only)

 

[jayt]

To ge tthe collet to grip better, put a small dab of NEVERSEEZE or similar compound on the threads. This way all of the torque you put on the wrenches will be tightening the collet rather than overcoming thread friction. Be careful not to tighten it so much it beaks!

 

[Tim Strange]

I may give the Anti-Sieze a shot...I suppose it can't hurt anything!

I do have another set of tubes on hand. So I cut an 1/8" off and they are now installed. will give it a shot tomorrow.

 

[57fairlane500]

One of the biggest things (after tow in on the right sponson) is to have the blades of the prop very thin. These boats like to pull right and thick prop blades make it worse. You may need to play with the angle of the turn fin also.

 

[RodneyPierce]

Yes, a sharp prop can make all the difference. But if the back of the boat isnt hopping, usually the prop is OK. Not always, but usually. You can also shim the turn fin (I dont like to do this personally) and the strut as well. I know guys with 45 JAE's that have 1/8 inch of toe in on the right front, and shim there strut 3* to keep the boat straight.

 

[Tim Strange]

I could probably thin the props a bit. Going from a 46mm prop to a 42mm prop should have taken out at least some of the right pull under accelleration. But like I said earlier, once the boat gets going straight at whatever speed it tracks straight and true. It just wants to keep turning after the rudder is centered...it will not straighten out until I initiate some left which makes things a bit twitchy.

We are heading out to set up the course, so hopefullly I will have some time for a bit more testing....

 

[RodneyPierce]

Tim, check your steering servo if its not centering correctly. Im sorry, I thought it was pulling to the right at all times. If it takes a left correction to straighten out the boat then your steering servo most likely doesnt have the grunt to pull the rudder back straight and straighten out the boat when you let off the wheel. The toe in wont hurt no matter.

What servo are you using for steering?

 

[hugh hargett]

I did manage to maiden her today...I suppose I will call it a success since I didn't burn anything up or sink it. The issues that I need to resolve are:

1) there is some water getting inside the box. I am pretty sure this is coming from the stuffing tube. Nothing that I can do about it before Saturday...but I am leaning toward going to the .186 cable. For now I have a liner from an Aquacraft Vegas that I hope will alleviate the problem.

2) The collet is giving me fits. I just can't seem to get it tight enough. It slipped on me at least three times today...one time the cable actually rode up inside the collet to the point that the cable was so tight at the strut that the motor could not turn it. I hope that moving to the 3/16 cable with a better collet will resolve this issue.

3) I suppose this one may have something to do with my newness to this boat and FE. Under acceleration it wants to pull hard to the right. After trying the mod 1450, a 42/55 and another prop a friend had there was no change. The turn fin was moved back to where the front bolt is not used...this seemed to help a bit. Obviously easing on and off the throttle is a key factor in driving this thing. I can get it to run absolutely straight on the back and front stretch. It takes very little to get it to enter the turn, but it wants to keep on turning right even after the rudder is centered. I have even centered half way through the turn and it won't straighten back of until I give some left input.

Any thoughts on this?

about the cable riding up - sounds like you cut it too short. I like to cut my cable with the collet off .I cut the cable to have apprx 1/4 inch gap between the drivedog and strut while letting the other end butt up against the motor shaft; then theres no riding up. Just my experience to alleviate a similar issue that I was once having. Try it and that should all go away. If its an octura coupler it should be fine. Tracking straight? id check to see that the rx is indeed returning the rudder servo to its neutral position. If its indeed tracking straight from a left nudge sounds like theres an issue with the rudder servo returning to its "center position" id look at that as well as the rudder pushrod geometry. Make sure that the rx/tx is all working right.

 

[gil sonsino]

Tim octura collets are by far superior to the 3 pieces from Zipp(brass insert) however the new onesthey sell is made of stainless steel(2 pieces) and are well made and balanced...I'm using this on my Jae Fe 6S. I wouldn't use a stuffing box with teflon liners cause they produce drag and a real mess at the rpm you're running.My boat have no toe in at all but is was built for saw so I would put 1/8"toe in to the right sponson with no issues.Thick blades use to bite water and not cut it so in a rigger you will have a hard propwalk that will produce the overveer.And finally stick to a good servo for the rudder...I'm using a very good one at an affordable price from Hobby King the Turnigy digital 958 that produces 15kgs of good torque as my application is for saw.Let we know your progress.Gill

 

[Tim Strange]

Looks like the 1/8" toe in on the right sponson worked wonders! It is still a bit twitchy. I need to move to my Futaba 3PK so I can dumb the servo up a bit. I have been using the Tactic 2.4 system which worked fine for my JAE12. I am hoping the 3PK will have better resolution and improve drivability.

I am using the Hitec 225MG which should have plenty of torque for this boat. On the stand it centers every time.

I do have the newer collet from Zip, which looks like a very nice piece. I think that the first time it spun the shaft there was an indentation made on the shaft where the collet grabs it. So when I try to put it in that spot, it just can't grip enough.

One thing I plan to change is the screws that hold the motor to the mount. I think that using button head screws instead of the standard socket head screws will give a little more room to get the wrenches in there.

Anyway, I have it good enough now that I will not be a liability to the other racers. The entire race is just an exhibition so I am not too concerned this weekend on getting a top finish. I am not sure if there will be any other JAE's or not. I know Phil Thomas has his electric sport 20, Grimracer has the revolt, there is a TS3 and some UL-1's. I am not sure if anyone has actually run in an electric race or not.

Now I need to get some work done on my 1/8 scale and my Classic Thunder...they have been neglected and need some serious tweeking before tomorrow.

Thanks everyone for the tips!

 

[RodneyPierce]

Tim good to hear it made a difference buddy!!

 

[hugh hargett]

"Now I need to get some work done on my 1/8 scale and my Classic Thunder...they have been neglected and need some serious tweeking before tomorrow. "

FE's too?

 

[Tim Strange]

The 1/8 scale is nitro and the classic thunder is gas. There really isn't much interest so far locally in FE. I would really like to see it pick up!

Anyway took 2nd in the two heats today. The JAE was running and handling very well, but had a bump with Grim and his Revolt and pretty much DQ'd myself. He said it happens and if the CD doesn't DQ me keep going...so I made up lost time and grabbed second. The second heat delivered a couple of unsceduled hard rights which cost me a couple of buoy cuts...which were much better than hitting them! Kind of wondering at this point if there just isn't too much turn fin!?!

Speaking of heats...I think we hit 109 degrees today!!!

 

[jayt]

Turning the endpoint settings down will help with the over-steering - riggers can turn really sharp! Reducing the left throw can also help to keep you from flipping so you can finish the heat. 225 points is a lot better than 25...

.

 

[RodneyPierce]

i have about 17% rudder throw on my boat.