Seamaster Refloat

[Nick Cripps]

Taking the car in for an MOT (which it failed ) restricted me to just a few small jobs today.

First up was gluing the replacement dowels into the wing with epoxy and then setting it aside to fully cure. I then assembled the water rudder onto the rudder itself and installed the whole assembly to the fuselage using flocked mylar hinges.

Rather than using an additional bolt to retrain the end of the spring, I trapped it beneath the control horn backplate and then bent over a small section of the other end to locate it in a hole drilled into the water rudder (which is made from plasticard, by the way). The water rudder now sits in the correct position parallel to the base of the fuselage and air rudder but is free to swing backwards if it hits an obstruction.

Apologies for the quality of the photo, I even took the model outside to avoid shadows and reflections from the garage lights and it's still pretty poor. Incidentally, you can also just make out the patches on the fin where the fuel proofer has bubbled again and which will need more attention later.

[Nick Cripps]

After fitting new front discs and pads to the car it was back to the Seamaster with a job I wasn't looking forward to. With the new dowels now securely attached to the leading edge of the wing, I had to open up the corresponding holes in the fuselage former to accept the larger diameter, up from 6mm to 8mm. It wasn't just a case of boring out the existing holes on the same centres as that would introduce a gap at the leading edge of the wing seat so I had to mark the larger holes touching the top of the existing ones and then carefully open them up with a Dremel. Fortunately that went well so I was able to put the model together on the lawn for some photos.

What may not be obvious from the photos is that the engine pod hatch is still in its original Solartex covering and looks a bit dull compared to the shine of the new nylon. However, I'm happy with the overall result and looking forward to when I get a chance to get the model back lakeside (whenever that will be).

Experienced waterplane flyers reach for their flying boats when the wind picks up - they are much more stable and unlikely to capsize when taxiing crosswind, unlike landplanes converted with floats. This is something that has been missing from my waterplane fleet for a year or two now so I'm really pleased to get it back again.

[Nick Cripps]

As a footnote, I thought I'd show a couple of tips for keeping your radio dry. First up is the switch, which is mounted on the left hand side of the fuselage below the wing, a rather vulnerable location for a flying boat. This has been covered by a rubber shroud, the sort that is sold for model cars and is completely waterproof. The rubber is flexible enough that you can just slide the switch across through the rubber cover.

The battery and servos are sufficiently waterproof not to require any additional protection but the receiver can be vulnerable if water gets inside the fuselage. To avoid this, I use a simple method shown to me by fellow waterplane flyer, John Biggin. Here are the basic ingredients:

I have used one of the new AR410 receivers in this model which has the advantage of having an internal antenna which makes this process much simpler. Take a piece of Blu Tack and roll it into a sausage shape, and then hold the servo leads together and wrap the Blu Tack tightly around them:

Insert the receiver into a balloon, then add a tie-wrap around the band of Blu Tack and pull it up snugly, slightly compressing the Blu Tack to ensure a good seal.

A word of warning! After each flying session, remove the receiver from the balloon to avoid the risk of condensation and corrosion.

One other essential on flying boats, in particular, is to seal around the wing seat to prevent water ingress. Yet to be done on this model, I'll probably use some wing seating tape to close up any gaps.

Edited By Nick Cripps on 17/10/2020 21:54:43

[dave windymiller]

It wont be long before the flying field is flooded which would be handy for a re maiden eh Nick!

[Nick Cripps]

Great idea but unfortunately Nottingham goes into tier 3 after tomorrow so I won't be able to get there!

[SIMON CRAGG]

We have done a fair bit of floatplane flying this year, including the mandatory mid-air and subsequent air frame soaking!.

I found that coating the ESC in clear mastic, and spraying all the leads and RX with ignition sealer works a treat.

The plugs tend to stay put as well, which is an added bonus.

[Nick Cripps]

Thanks for the tips, Simon, good information.

The ignition sealer is a good idea which I've not heard of before. I have used Corrosion X which works well but is difficult to buy in small quantities and is messy to apply. Spektrum used to sell a version of one of their receivers which had a "conformal coating" which made it waterproof - unfortunately these are no longer available.

A number of posters on other forums warn against the use of silicone sealants on speed controllers as they contain acids which can damage electronic components. On the other hand, my Dragonfly (Skipper) has an ESC sealed in this way and has lasted for about 5 years so it may just be scaremongering.

To be honest, I don't usually go to a lot of effort in waterproofing individual components, it's more important to seal any opening effectively to minimise water ingress from the inevitable splashes during normal operation. I usually take a spare receiver with me just in case but I find that if a lot of water gets into the model, I've got bigger problems to worry about!

[Piers Bowlan]

I used silicon sealant on an esc in my Puddle Master years ago and it still works today although I just sealed the ends with it, not covered the entire circuit board, which won’t be too good for cooling (my escs were water cooled . The Rx I wrapped in cling film and the hatch I sealed with duct tape and Vaseline - the water still got in! The Rx I attached to a lump of polystyrene which floated on the water inside the fuselage 😂.

Edited By Piers Bowlan on 30/10/2020 16:11:02

[Bustergrunt]

This is a really interesting thread. With lots of good info.. and I have just received a Seamaster plan with a view to building it over the winter, however I’d like to make a fibreglass fuselage as I have acquired some experience in that field...

[Nick Cripps]

Thanks for the feedback, guys, keep the good ideas coming!

A moulded Seamaster sounds an interesting project, perhaps you could start a build thread on here? I'd like to try fibreglass moulding at some point.

[Former Member]

[This posting has been removed]

[Nick Cripps]

Thanks, Steve, good info.

[Nick Cripps]

Well, a long time since I last updated this thread as the model was basically finished and just waiting for its maiden flight. Obviously other factors have prevented this happening but, as today is the day when the Dark Nights Fix-up is due to end, I thought I'd wake the Seamaster from its slumbers and at least give the engine a run.

 

Happily that all went well after a little needle tweaking so all I need now is a suitable site to fly from. If everything goes to plan, the BWA lake at Billing should be open on the 2nd May but that date coincides with my second Covid jab so I'll have to pass. Hopefully I'll be able to get to the following meeting on 6th June ?