Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[portside II]

this may seem like a daft question as i am not into these fast ic's, but what is the wire that we see on the boats coiled up for? and also what is the string /elastic ?? attached to the front of the boats for? any one help all answers appreciated and as it's Xmas even the daft ones for a laugh   

[BobF]

Hi portside II,

I,ll come back with probably an even dafter question then. I,ve been doing fast ICs for the last forty years, and I don't have a clue what you are on about. None of my boats have ever had a coiled up wire or an elastic on the front. (unless you are talking tethered Hydro) I thought I would mention this as you have had fifty reads but no replies. Gives us a bit more info, and someone may come back with an answer for you.

Regards Bob. (Or did you mean a spring, and this is just a wind up.)

[RC John]

Are you referring to the external loop of wire that isolates the batteries from the motor? All FE race boats are required to have this link for safety reasons.
Go to  http://www.astecmodels.co.uk/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=2&sid=ae65700d76fe05f53442f2b7f79b70a7 for all queries on MPBA rules

[dazzle]

The string elastic is the auxiliary engine for when the ic engine conks out.
when the elastic breaks, the coiled rope is to ask the nearest friendly tug for a tow

The only other things you might see on an ic boat is engine starter belt, and a  grab handle mainly on fsrv offhore boats.

or did you mean a full size boat probably wrong always thought it was called a painter, you attach yer dinghy to

dazzle (Bob)

[portside II]

Right lad's let's see if i can explain  hum erm ooh aah nope i cant the only way is to have a look at the latest Model Boats mag ,Jan07 page 60-64 the one about hydro topics where they seem to be tethered with some string /elastic ?? and others have some wire with them ,the pic of Jim Free's B1R and Keith Reynold'smachine plus othersthere is a good pic of the wire on the steam powered vessel. still confuses me

[Wetwater]

Hi, portside II.
 
The coiled wires seen attached to most of the Hydro's, ( Model Boats Jan 07 ) are part of the tether arrangement.  These are
approx 4ft long, if I remember correctly, and are coiled up for convenience when not connected to the main tether line.

The "elastic" is a bungee cord, used to launch the Hydro's, one end anchored to the bank and the other end attached to the Hydro
via a ring / hook which detaches when the bungee and Hydro are at approx 90 degree's to each other.  Again, if I remember correctly.

The other "wires / string / elastic" seen in the top photo page 62 are the starting cord ( red ) and power supply lead for the engine glow plug ( white ) which are both obviously removed after starting.    Hope this makes things clear.

Merry Xmas to all.  Going now, chimneys to climb.  Alan.

[portside II]

i am glad someone can sort it out as up to reading the post Alan i had no idea .i gather that the craft arn't capable of starting from a standing stop thats the reason of the bungee, maybe like the shark if it stop's it sinks,glug glug!

[BobF]

Hi,

The bungee cord also keeps the therering wire taught until the boat exerts an outward pull on the tether.

Bob

[justboatonic]

What is tethered boat racing?  ??? Sounds pretty boring sorry to say!

[dazzle]

Its a vertical pole in the middle of a pond the boats are attached to the pole and go round in a circle
the boats used to be very fast hydroplanes, one hydro in the late fifties early sixties reached a speed of 101.3 miles per hour
and set a record, I used to watch these at blackheath princess of wales pond.
never saw the cord break that would have been fun.
dazzle (Bob)

[tobyker]

Justboatonic - if you had seen tethered flash steam hydroplanes you wouldn't say that!

[Wetwater]

  .i gather that the craft arn't capable of starting from a standing stop thats the reason of the bungee, maybe like the shark if it stop's it sinks,glug glug!

portside II.  Most, if not all, hydros are usually half submerged when at rest with the airscrew driven class normally turning over. Top heavy etc.
The bungee gets them moving from rest providing the launch is performed correctly.  As BobF says, the bungee also keeps the tether wire taught.

justboatonic.  The M.P.B.A website, tethered hydroplane section, gives a brief description.  160 mph approx airscrew and about 120 mph for the steam class is hardly boring.  Some of the "Prangs" look spectacular too, although probably not to the owner.  Not everyones cup of tea though, including myself, but like everything in life, whatever turns you on.       Hope this helps.

[dazzle]

Thanks Tobyker and Wetwater, I forgot  about steam, I used to chat to and watch A A Raymond, set up and run his flash steam powered boat, at blackheath,
what a fantastic piece of engineering at that time.
 dazzle (Bob)

[BobF]

Hi all,

I used to go to Victoria park in East London with my grandad in the early fifties to watch the Hydro's.

As a small boy, the booring bit was watching them try to get the motors started. As they were so highly tuned, they were very temperamental. And then when actually running, the launch was also tricky. I've never seen a bungee launch, but it looks like it would make it a lot easier. They also do tethered cars.

I also remember, that they used to have a stiff vertical wire on the boat, which stuck up about twelve inches. After the timed run was over, a brave man would hold out a stick, whilst standing in the pond just outside the perimeter of the circle formed by the boat. This stick would knock down the stiff vertical wire, which turned off the fuel supply and stopped the boat.

Even more dangerous were the flash steam straight runners. These also had a vertical wire, which was knocked down by a taught line stretched across the pond.
I never saw this system fail, but the result would have been spectacular. Flash steam boat hits side of concrete pond and exploads.

Bob

[Made it to 80 (25p Richer now)]

justboatonik  if you have never seen a tethered hydro go you haven't lived , they are just unbelievable not in the least boring except for the  starting bit
                                                                                                          Cheers
                                                                                                               Bob B

[roycv]

Hi All, Hydros are run on our lake at St. Albans 3 times a year.  We have just completed a 'risk analysis' for using the lakes here.
This is a requirement so that the park authorities can rest easy that we know what we are doing.
The greater part of the risk analysis was to do with hydros.  The wires they run on are colour coded for the year and may only be used for that year.  It is a document in the same category as produced for using materials in aircraft!
Happy New Year to all, Roy

[roycv]

Hi BobF.  Sorry mate, not quite right.  Flash steamers do not have anything much to explode!  The steam is produced in a long open ended coiled tube connected to the engine.  This has a flame played on it and as soon as this goes out or is misaligned, the steam is no longer produced.  There is no boiler full of hot water and steam.
There is of course the fuel supply but that should be no problem.
Mind you the noise they make does make them sound quite awesome.
regards Roy

[Wetwater]

              Just spotted this website.  Tethered Hydro's and Cars.  I have not viewed it all yet but it could be of interest.

               www.onthewire.co.uk 

               Alan.

[dazzle]

Hi roycv they may not have boilers now, but they did a long time ago
 found these pics

last one I saw the boiler took up most of the room in the boat  yes they could explode
dazzle (Bob)

[roycv]

Hi Dazzle, not quite sure what the picture shows but if it is a boiler then it is not a flash steam unit.

Flash steam as it suggests is produced in a flash!  I believe that most hydros took the water in from the lake or have a small on board source of water.  This is not a boiler but just a container.  The hydro has to weigh less than 16 lbs in weight, so unnecessary weight is avoided.
The flame is produced from petrol and possibly parafin and is pumped by the engine.  The fuel is measured to run out before the water, lake being a fairly large water supply.  The hydro only has to run for a few minutes.
Water is pumped from cold into a coiled tube and the flame playing on the tube turns it into instant steam and this then goes straight to the steam engine.
As the flame is pressurised by a pump driven by the engine as soon as the engine stops then the flame goes out.
There is extremely careful control of the tethers which are obtained from a controlled source and material retained as a specimen in case of an enquiry etc.

I must reiterate that there is no container / boiler of steam in a flash steam hydroplane.

I push this point only from the possible inference that there is a danger involved in a tether breakingand a hydro hitting the bank.  It would in all cases then have to get through a nylon and or wooden fence..

A club member I have just spoken to said he once saw a tether break when the boat flipped and the prop cut it, but the boat slows down amazingly quickly when there is no power source.

To actually see them running is almost like seeing dinosaurs back from the dead, the noise and spray is great to hear and watch.  Cos the locals are not quite so enthusiastic but as the 2 days of the August Bank Holiday (Sat and Mon) are an international weekend and World records are set, the Council accept it for what it is!
regards to all Roy

[roycv]

Hi dazzle, a friend has identified the 'boiler' in the hydro you pictured in your post.  It is a thin steel covering of the coil that produces the flash steam.  I think that photo would fool most people looking at it, looks like a boiler but is a cover to keep the heat in.
regards to all Roy

[dazzle]

Hi Roy, Thanks for info on photos, I do understand how the flash steam system works from the early pop pop boats to the fast hydros, and you are correct that flash steam uses the coiled tube system and no boiler,
I should have explained that long ago, as well as a a raymunds flash steam boat, I did watch two steam powered hydros, Both had Boilers, one was submerged prop driven the other I cannot  remember, nor what engines they used as both were a mass of plumbing Oop's Sorry steamers excellent engineering, But the speed and noise they made, Once seen never forgot.
Regards to All
dazzle (Bob)