FastGun HMS King Edward VII

Discussion in 'From Stem to Stern: Warships In Detail' started by Beaver, Sep 28, 2018.

  1. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    HMS King Edward VII built from one of Mark Jenk's laser-cut kits. In the IRCWCC she gets 3.5 units so I have her outfitted with 3, 1-unit cannons and a half unit pump. I have the guns arraigned in dual bows and a stern sidemount. This gives the ship maximum offensive capability but with a half unit pump I have to be careful how much damage she takes.
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    I've changed the bow guns to straight forward (instead of 15* off the side like above) and it seems to be the better setup.
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    Removing the turret shows how I've mounted the bow guns. The uptubes sit in a piece of angled aluminum with slots cut in it. This keeps the the guns secured when the turret is screwed down. The barrels are secured by a piece of bent brass sheet metal that converges the barrels slightly. There is a spring under the barrels and a wingnut under the deck adjust elevation.
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    Hull with the decks removed.
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    Accumulator for the dual bow guns. Made from 1 3/4" copper pipe and two endcaps. I soldered two 1/8"NPT male-to-male couplers so I could mount the solenoids directly to the accumulator. Works alright.
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    Mid-bow are the batteries and CO2 bottle, reg, and supply hoses. I've been trying these MultiStar high capacity Lipo batteries which I'm liking. They have a low C rating (10C) but more amps compared to drone or airplane batteries. They are also slightly smaller and seem to be of higher quality. So far I'm liking them. I use XT-60's for main power in my boats. It's a nice, cheap, directional plug that has been reliable for me. I use XT-30's for solenoid connections. Again, good quality plug that is a nice size for the application. A BC 3.5oz bottle holds the gas and a BC reg provides regulation pressure.
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    Moving aft we see the pump ESC ziptied to the cross member. I glued an 1/8" thick strip of aluminum under the cross member to give it more strength and provide a heatsink for the ESC. For the pump I'm using a [have to check] which has been conformal coated in E6000. It's the original and has proven to be reliable. The pump is my own design and is 3D printed. I have a 2600kv outrunner mounted to it. I haven't gotten around to flow testing it yet but it keeps her afloat with a decent amount of holes. ESC's for the drive motors are HobbyKing 30amp car ESC's. Both are shoddily waterproofed and I have replacements made up, but they are still working so I haven't replaced them. Drive motors are NTM PropDrive 1000kv outrunners that I've replaced the bearings with stainless ones for reliability.
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    I'm running belt drive in this boat. Belts are 2mm pitch GT2 belts from SDP/SI. The pulley on the drive shaft I got from Ondrives.com and has a 3/16" bore. For the motor pulleys I'm using cheap 3D printer pulleys mounted on the motor with prop adapters. The motor mounts are custom made from 1/8" AL. There is a lock collar welded on the stuffing tube side to secure it. I'm having issues with vibrations in the mounts but I think its from poor quality AL. I will be remaking the mounts this winter. So far though, the belt drive has been reliable.
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    [END OF PT. 1]
     
  2. Beaver

    Beaver 2020 Rookie of the Year Admiral (Supporter)

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    Ok, time for part two...

    Not much going on in the stern. Just the solenoid (Spartan 6v for all guns) for the sidemount and the rudder servo. The rudder sits in a custom SS mount made from a piece of flat steel with four posts securing it to the hull. Solid and dependable. The beltdrive rudder is my own creation. I used cheap GT2 3D printer pulleys on the rudder post and servo side (had to drill and countersink the mounting holes for the big one). A length of GT2 belt is stretched around the pulleys and connected to itself by twisting the ends so the teeth on the belt interlock. Two zipties hold the ends together. Simple and effective.
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    MachTech Galore! The King Edward is powered by two 1.4in MachoTech 3d printed nylon props. They are the original ones mounted and have taken an impressive amount of torture but still ask for more. Totally indestructible! The rudder is specifically designed to maximize this ships turning radius and at a dead stop she will nearly pivot on her bow.
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    Here's a look at the coverage the rudder gives.
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    A quick look at the bow guns and their mounting setup under the deck.
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    And one of the bow guns removed from its mount for better study. I think it's worth mentioning that I was able to remove the gun in less than a minute. I've seen multiple captains have gun issues pond side but can't fix or troubleshoot problems cause it "...takes half and hour to get them out." I don't want to be that guy and neither should you.

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    I may add to this post with a brief look at the 3d printed superstructure, but as far as the operating systems that's about it. Feel free to ask any questions. :)