Water Walker’s NEW Congo Cargo Airboat

[goldhunter_2]

that was the timing plum and I discussed earlier in the thread , back in the old day (around whitebears time ) timing was done with chains an gears , the true test will be after they build it and get the first 500-600 hours on there to see how well the belts actual hold up

[Whitebear]

Damn, ya'd think I already got one foot in the grave ! LOL

[OneBFC]

the true test will be after they build it and get the first 500-600 hours on there to see how well the belts actual hold up

Well, I don't think the belt is massively expensive to replace even it doesn't make 500 hours. Replacing a belt once every 5 years seems pretty low maintenance to me?

That is IF it can't make more than 500 hours @ 100/yr. Ultimately I bet you can just inspect the belt on pre-ride checks and monitor for wear/damage appropriately.

The new belts are very tough, not like the old days. Concern over a belt drive in this application is prudent and I think the questions are good for everyone ultimately.

Time indeed will tell!

[goldhunter_2]

Damn, ya'd think I already got one foot in the grave ! LOL

ya but you still got one foot out too...lol

you gotta look at it as a "glass half full" type thing

[plumcrazy]

we have several ways we can run the props, interleaved is what we intend to prove is safe and efective , we have concidered all the obvious concerns... im sure the first guy that had too shoot a 50 cal machine gun threw his prop on a mustang fighter plane was a little taken back we will be picking up the hull from Raymond next week , and we will be moving foward with this build and i cant wait to get to lake x and get this thing shook down ,talk about enjoying your job

[jamesw245]

Yep the new belts like that are super strong my machinest swapped one of or grinders from v belts to the new poly chain it has held up great and we put alot of strain on ours like using that boat for a wood chipper in comparison. Looks good guys!!!

[bonecollector]

I seen the hull sitting over at alumitech it's crazy looking. Good luck with it

[Andrew McD]

Below are a few pictures of the first model Congo Cargo Airboat. This shares all of the primary features of our new design, but in a conventional hull built by Alumitech, Inc. The hull was picked up yesterday and is now awaiting our custom transmission before we start to rig it out. All of us over here at Water Walker want to give a huge thanks to Raymond, Todd, the Davids, and all who worked on this boat for us. The quality is TOP notch as expected!

[goldhunter_2]

Andrew ,
is that transom going to be tied to the throttle as far as raising and lowering or will that be a separate control ?

[Andrew McD]

The transom will have its own independent control system. It would be bad if you were off plane in deep water and went to maneuver hard with the throttle and had it come down on ya! that'd be a big oops! There will be levered spring loaded control arms inside of the rear gunnel boxes. These will react appropriately to different loads produced by the propellers thrust. We are also going to explore different manual locking/release and control configurations.

[Prototype]

Andrew,


How many independent controls do you project for this rig, should it be an asset for cargo transport with one pilot.

[Andrew McD]

Prototype,

We dont want the controls to be overwhelming, this way one person can operate it with ease. You will have your standard steering stick and throttle, however there will be a few additions. The boat pilot will almost always be able to run with just 3 "main Controls" with other options available. When you think about a stick shift car, you use a clutch, gas pedal, steering wheel, and shifter... 4 controls.

One main control will be a toggle for the variable pitch. We found from the current concept boat that its similar to operating a trim tab. You run with your hand on it at first but once optimal cruising speed is reached you tend to back off and just focus on the driving. You can think of this as the shifter.

Another control will be a clutch that you can engage and disengage while coming into a dock or similar situations. As you dont need the variable pitch at low RPMs this still keeps you at 3 controls.

The last of the "main controls" is the transom lock/control system. The opening and closing system will work independently of any controls other than overrides for locking it closed or forcing it closed. Under normal operating situations, we dont feel the driver will need to do anything with the transom controls, however we want there to be overrides for those not so normal situations and as a fail safe.

[warrior-p]

Awesome thread and thanks Waterwalker for pushing the envelope.

We utilize some small 12Vdc linear actuators to automate the equipment I design. You may consider some of these as the custom stroke lengths & forces are well within your design constraints.

p.s. what is the box in the middle with two threaded fittins for under motor stand?

[Andrew McD]

Warrior-p,

Thanks for the kudos! Were having fun with this project and cant wait to demo it soon!

I'm a bit familiar with the linear actuators your talking about. There are many many places on this boat that I could see them coming in handy. The weight and power you can get out of them lil 12Vs is incredible! Do you have any names or reputable manufacturers I should check out?

Which box are you talking about? the box with 4 holes is our air assist bottom. The two threaded holes in the transom are just oversized drain plugs so debris dosent get stuck in the old standard sized ones.

[chuckitt@earthlink.net]

Hey David, will the prop blades be like the one's on your other concept boat, your current production blades, or something completely new?
Thanks, Chuck

[WaterWalker]

Hey David, will the prop blades be like the one's on your other concept boat, your current production blades, or something completely new?
Thanks, Chuck

8/8/13

Chuck:

We can depend on “The Pro” for very perceptive questions.

As always, the hull is the airboat and the propeller is what pushes it around. So the propellers in our case once more will be the essence of the new airboat drive system.

In the interest of time, the first boat now under construction will likely have three blade “cut off” sets of the “Power Plus” proven series of our propellers. This is Plumb’s suggestion and his brother, Wes is currently making these blades. He showed me the first one just yesterday. We intend to thrust test one of the sets on AndrewMcD’s 4 cylinder aircraft airboat. He has about half the HP of the Congo boat and says that he can turn them up to 3200 RPM. That will be peak RPM on the dual drive system of the Congo boat. This thrust test will equal about one half of the Congo Boat’s thrust using two such sets. It is expected that the thrust will later be improved with the final driver adjustable propellers specifically designed for later versions of the new Dual Sync Drive.

The driver adjustable variable pitch propeller blades and hub system needs to be downsized from the models recently proven on the Water Walker Blue Lightning Concept Airboat. This is a big deal and will take time (and money) to go through the CAD/CAM process and then be manufactured. New propeller molds will have to be designed and cut. We are “casting about” now in the Florida area for such CAD/CAM service. Any suggestions out there will help. (PM me if you have leads, Thanks.)

The specific new propellers for the Dual Sync Waterline Drive are already conceived and the designs have begun for a “Turbine Blade” plan form shape. (Picture the shapes of the large fan blades in the front of a high by-pass jet engine of a large airliner). The two sets of three blade propellers will have a total of six wide blade tips at work at about .8 mach speeds at their peak RPM speeds. We have the combined disc area of a single 85” single propeller but will again have six tips working instead of 3 or 4 typical in a single 85”wide blade propeller set.

We have been promised delivery of the very first “Split Drive” transmission and clutch assembly this month from the SCS Corporation. We already have final CAD exploded renderings that have been signed off on.

Thanks again for your interest.

David Wine

[chuckitt@earthlink.net]

Thanks David, I like the progress and waiting to see the completed set-up.
Chuck

[Prototype]

Prototype,

We dont want the controls to be overwhelming, this way one person can operate it with ease. You will have your standard steering stick and throttle, however there will be a few additions. The boat pilot will almost always be able to run with just 3 "main Controls" with other options available. When you think about a stick shift car, you use a clutch, gas pedal, steering wheel, and shifter... 4 controls.

One main control will be a toggle for the variable pitch. We found from the current concept boat that its similar to operating a trim tab. You run with your hand on it at first but once optimal cruising speed is reached you tend to back off and just focus on the driving. You can think of this as the shifter.

Another control will be a clutch that you can engage and disengage while coming into a dock or similar situations. As you dont need the variable pitch at low RPMs this still keeps you at 3 controls.

The last of the "main controls" is the transom lock/control system. The opening and closing system will work independently of any controls other than overrides for locking it closed or forcing it closed. Under normal operating situations, we dont feel the driver will need to do anything with the transom controls, however we want there to be overrides for those not so normal situations and as a fail safe.

Thanks,

Yea I'm a bit familiar with clutches and controls if their placed ergonomically for immediate use. I was just thinking of it's non rec use potential if its setup correctly!

[Prototype]

Anything new Guys?

I'd hate to see this post go to the way side like some others?

[plumcrazy]

tranmission is done . arbors for the props have been designed and ready for cnc bids. plans for the viable transit are complete and ready for construction . a new prop design is pretty much in the can... every thing is coming togeather slower than we like but its coming togeather none the less.....

[goldhunter_2]

projects are always slower then you would like but ya'll will get there

[Prototype]

Cool. I really hoped this was not another WT post. This app could be easily applied to a mini on scale.

[Eric Kimmel]

When I sawthe word Congo it reminded me about Jamie Clonneger from homestead built a diesel powered airboat to run food to villages that had no acces to food he stayd there for a pretty long time.It had to be diesel cause av gas or car gas just wasn't easy to get where they were going.

One story I heard was all the young men and boys wee force to join militias and those left behind did not know how to hunt or farm. and one village even though there were tons of frogs they would not eat them for some reason.

That is one nice airboat being built just got sidetracked by the word congo and thought of Jamie

[mscott]

How about another peddle that operates the transom? Use throttle to get on plane, then push left peddle to lower the back. When the snap, "oh shitizzle" happens just pull your foot off the peddle and it closes. I'm sure everyone's gotten out of the throttle quickly and under stress and pressure your mind doesn't work quickly enough. Fine motor skills go to hell, so little switches and knobs will ensure a lot of boats full of water. Just a thought. Probably be easier to rig up too.
If you slam a rock or stump and tweak the bottom at the rear, is there assurance to get a tight close with that door?

[Andrew McD]

Well as Plum said, the project is moving forward. Below is the latest:


Above is the finished "split-drive" waterline transmission. Its a counter rotating, clutch controlled unit that will have the output shafts outfitted with drive sprockets. The sprockets will drive belts connected to propeller arbors as shown in the picture below. A set of these arbors is next on the list for CNC and assembly. Our engineer team did a heck of a design job on this piece! The internals and adjustment system pull away from some of the older more traditional solutions available and make for a very modern, reliable, and user friendly component to the boat. Got to give a huge thumbs up to the designers on this one!