My Thundercat - Page 10

roflhat · 09-11-2021, 09:25 PM

roflhat · 15-11-2021, 08:04 AM

Got out for a spin on saturday, didn't want to wait too long. Boat and engine both performing beautifully, the engine seems even better after a good flush out!

roflhat · 20-11-2021, 09:05 AM

Latest idea, have actually been thinking about it for a few years but never looked into it.
Plan is to make an active front wing, positioned in front of the nose cone. Using Arduino board as a controller, gyro/accelerometer as input then servos to adjust the angle of the wing. So during normal running the wing will have 0 angle of attack, may actually improve the airflow over the nose cone. Then if the bow starts to rise too much it will point downwards, to bring the boat back level.
If it all works then I could possibly have the two sections seperate and use them individually to aid cornering

going to try foam wings first then if it works try some carbon fibre ones

roflhat · 20-11-2021, 03:43 PM

Really I'd like to change a few things about the hull design, flatter deck relative to the running surfaces, stepped hulls at the rear to reduce wetted area.

Made up some flaps from an old bodyboard, they're thick but so is the leading edge of the nose cone anyway so shouldn't have much more drag. Just waiting on parts to arriving, need to learn how to program an Arduino board now!

roflhat · 01-07-2022, 07:30 PM

Haven't done much with the thundercat lately, spent 3 months in Arctic Norway again.

Now working with Ineos Britannia towards the Americas Cup as chase boat captain

Going to sell my current thundercat, planning on buying another in white as I'll be based in Palma then Barcelona over the next couple years. Trying again to do some CFD testing, this time of different floor angles in an attempt to improve stability at high speed. All the manufacturers are currently lifting the level of the floor at the nose, which makes the boat far twitchier. Probably ok with 50hp and in the rough but not good for high speed

Also got a new model of propeller out, the Forge V3. 12x22, which is more suited to high speed. Planning on tuning a few for my own boat, they're close to the size of my fastest props

roflhat · 02-07-2022, 08:09 PM

Having a shot at some more CFD myself just now, using free online software but going to see if I can use the software at Mercedes F1, working closely with them

roflhat · 01-08-2022, 05:42 PM

Was down at the thundercat race in Plymouth last month, not taking part but got a zapcat to use for the day thanks to Jeremy Linford.

Back home for a week just now, entered a local rib race on Saturday. The navigation race was 18 miles, got spat out of the boat 5 minutes in. Choppy out there, did a jump we landed and the boat just hooked threw me out. Ian my copilot was hanging in by one ankle, looked pretty sore. Had to swim over and push him back in. Still carried on, tough racing a 10m rib with 500hp and a full suspension cabin. Came third in that challenge then 1st in the two handling sections which gave us 1st overall. Superb day out, don't have any photos just yet.

Today playing in the surf, tried launching from the beach which didn't work. Great fun again though, going to try use the boat as much as possible this week.
Put a deposit down on a zapcat in Palma already for if I ever get out there. But definitely going to buy one for home too, decided I can't be without!

Bren2103 · 02-08-2022, 01:47 PM

Hi fella ,can u drop me a message if u have any props for sale , I'm in UK and seen loads of your work and posts ,cracking stuff
Cheers Bren
Ceasar inflatables 40hp 6h4

roflhat · 09-08-2022, 07:08 PM

Placed an order for a new Ceasar F11, with a couple of custom touches. Nose cone is 40mm lower at the bottom on the F11 vs my pacemaker, and I've requested the transom to be lifted 20mm higher, the idea to have the deck at much less of an angle. 1.2 degrees vs 2.5 degrees overall so should be more stable at high speed. Bought an old Ceasar off surfer dude Mike who's bought my old pacemaker. Will be a stop gap until my new one arrives, hopefully in time for Coniston this year.
Gave her a quick clean tonight

roflhat · 10-08-2022, 05:49 PM

Did some more work on the boat today, tube polish, nose cone clean and polish. The port hijacker was leaking from the valve so I removed it and cleaned up the mounting surfaces.
Also sanded then painted the transom

Also found the bolts that hold the tiller onto the engine were slack, one snapped during removal so had a mission drilling and helicoiling that. Hopefully get the engine on tomorrow, weather at the weekend looks good

roflhat · 25-08-2022, 09:47 AM

Lots of boating action over the last week or two, weather not great but making the most of it anyway.

Having to sell my Subaru, needed a few things for an MOT then developed a misfire. Looking into getting a newer vehicle, 2015 onwards but don't know what yet. Needs to have enough room to sleep in, auto box, be able to tow and be able to launch on a rocky slope at the loch. Always used 4wd for that but might manage with 2wd and chunkier tires. Considering a Passat Alltrack or Ford Transit Custom

roflhat · 13-09-2022, 06:36 PM

Decent weather the last week or so, plenty of thundercatting to be done

Some more progress on the front wing, new board and sensor and the code is working perfectly. Need to sort out a battery setup still but looks promising.

Considering getting the new thundercat made in TPU, but very light stuff 730g/m2 compared to PVC Valmex at 1000g/m2. Potentially save upto 10/15kg, it's a risk but TPU is tougher than PVC and my boats generally don't see a lot of abrasion

roflhat · 18-10-2022, 01:43 PM

Got the wing tested today, pretty happy with how it performs. Need to tweak the output angles but it survived upto 50 knots at least!
http://youtu.be/zTql3nddrnA

roflhat · 06-05-2023, 12:41 PM

First Thundercat outing of the year, Easdale Rib Rendezvous. Absolutely fantastic event, weather not brilliant but still great fun. Over 60 RIBs all together, the Thundercat being the smallest there. Choppy crossing from Easdale to Mull on the saturday, then a shorter run on the Sunday through the Grey Dogs and Corryvreckan.

Thundercat ran absolutely faultlessly all weekend, very happy! Still waiting on the new boat, a few issues with welding the TPU so may resort to gluing.

roflhat · 28-06-2023, 09:03 AM

Had to give up on making a Polyurethane thundercat, Jacques at Ceasar did try but they couldn't weld it. So tried gluing but it kept coming unstuck. Shame but was still worth trying, nothing ventured nothing gained.
Have pulled the trigger on a new Mako thundercat. The shape of the blue and red boat in this photo but the colours from the grey one. Deck sits nice and deep at the bow a bit like my old Ceasar F10, so hopefully it sits nice and stable at high speed.
Still got the Ceasar F11 on order too, so will be selling one of the boats

roflhat · 06-07-2023, 08:11 AM

Ceasar F11 coming together nicely

roflhat · 10-07-2023, 12:06 PM

A lot of thundercatting this weekend in old blue

roflhat · 11-07-2023, 05:35 PM

Had a truly incredible experience yesterday, first basking shark in 8 years and I happened to be in the thundercat
https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cuhpx...c4MmM1YmI2Ng==

roflhat · 27-07-2023, 11:13 AM

Put some videos on youtube of the latest adventures

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3p...esn0rNg6cW_dyw

My new mako is almost finished -

Seriously minimalist, ropes on the tubes are only where the pilot and copilot sit, no handles in front of the nose cone. Even the copilot rope is removable for speed runes

roflhat · 08-09-2023, 09:05 PM

Haven't updated the thread in a while, had a lot of boating this summer. Did a weekend down at Scarp and Mealesta Island with the old Ceasar and the yellow boat