Just a quick development. Since all the power connections for the ESC's are on the one side of the boat, the port side ESC's power cable has to cross over the waterchannel. To keep the wire from getting in the way of the co2 bottle, I used a cable strap on the gas bottle mount to keep the wire out of the way. I also used a wing nut to fasten it so I don't have to get tools if I need to replace the esc, etc. Also put the starboard side esc's signal wire in the cable strap to keep that out of the way as well. Just a neat little feature I wanted to point out.
A quick systems check today showed everything is running, pumping, "clicking", and servoing, good. Next on the list is to finish the hard area in the stern in preparation for glassing, then build the props and rudder.
Well, all the last of the hard area is in. I ran out of 1/4" balsa before I finished filling the last rib. Not wanting to wait for more to ship to me, I sheeted the last rib with 1/32 balsa then gave it a CA fiberglass job to keep it intact till I can properly fiberglass it. I've been working on the armament for this boat over the last two weeks. I'm building the King with a stern 1-unit sidemount and two 1-unit bow guns angled 15* off center. In previous photos you've probably seen two of @rcengr 's BICs in the bow turret and one of my homemade cannons in the stern. I've now decided to ditch all those guns and go with different guns. I dropped to BICs because I was having trouble getting them to shoot reliably, and my homemade gun wouldn't fit in the turret. I built a new gun for the sidemount, and built new uptubes for the BC guns I have for my Suffren. Yeah, yeah, I know you're not supposed to steal parts from one boat to build another, but this isn't quite the same. I only used the T- interrupters and magazines, the uptubes and breech stayed in the Suffren. If I ever need to use the guns in the Suffren it would take me less than 15min to swap parts.
Well, some plumbing fittings and parts for the props were supposed to come today via UPS but seems they were delayed because of some adverse weather. I wonder if that has something to do with the 2 feet of snow that fell the other day...
Fittings finally arrived. Got the bows plumbed. Gas distribution station. Quick-disconnects inline. (love them) 3D printed barrel spacers. Getting closer to having a operational boat.
I got mine from McMaster. BC sells them as well. (though more expensive.) 1/16 Female https://www.mcmaster.com/#51525K121 (Qty-10) 1/16 Male https://www.mcmaster.com/#51525K211 (Qty-10) 1/8 Female https://www.mcmaster.com/#51525K123 (Qty-10) 1/8 Male https://www.mcmaster.com/#51525K213 (Qty-10)
The King has props! And good ones at that. The props didn't quite clear the hull and keel so a slight recess was needed. Also, aforementioned plan to use the guns from Suffren for the King has been cancelled. The mags needed to be bent in order to clear the internals, but I didn't want to bend them since they were already formed to fit the Suffren. So I built T interrupters and mags to go on the already built uptubes. In testing they are working great! Won't be long till she needs sheeted. Reminds me I need to go order balsa.... Till next time, enjoy!
Working on finishing up the pump build. Going with a vertical outfeed through the deck. Working on the interchangeable restricters to go from a 1/2-unit to 1-unit pump in case I ever want to change my gun layout.
Simple restrictor was so 2008. Print a convergent-divergent nozzle, stick it at the base of the vertical section, watch pump capacity increase 40-60%
