O I will also heartily recommend that radio. I have a pair of them that I use in cheap park flyers and in trainer planes for my boys. The receivers are veryinexpensive and so far in my experience the connection has been rock solid for many hours of flight time. The big weakness is the TX has to be plugged into a computer to program or change models. I solve this by bringing a laptop and the USB cord to the field with me. I bought mine from Hobbypartz.com in the USA, for around $35 shipped. Note the radio from Hobbycity does not include the USB cord. Replacement receivers are around $8, and the 3rd channel and 6 channel receivers are pretty small and light.
These are all great recommendations! especially the one yer backing up Bterry. pricing is right on. I don't like the idea of RX's costing as much, or if not more than the TX itself. But I can see how that switching model profiles thing with a computer only might be a PITA. I wonder if it could be pulled off with a smart phone? 6 channels is nice also. the more channels the better. one of the things that annoys me about my steamer is that its a simple little boat, when its running, its running WOT until it runs out of fuel or boiler water and only has rudder for any kind of control. so I feel like I'm wasting a channel that could be used for... something! Amusing ideas for multiple channels beyond throttle and rudder in a boat? tie that channel to an Arduino and use it trigger special effects on the boats. lighting, animation. etc. the steamer is lit, but it's a single toggle switch that turns on the running lights. now imagine a a christmas parade run with a bunch of scale boats each with a custom string of 3mm LED's twinkling, flashing, running, multiple zones. all triggered by a channel input from the TX
Like it's very good big brother the FlySky 9X, the 6ch has lots of hackers improving it all the time. There is a Android application with a blue tooth receiver plugged into the cable port and also a push button memory loader that obviates the need for on site computer for model change. Some have adapted an old palm computer. However these are only necessary if you are using more than one model in any session, or want to customize settings on site.
Guys, this is getting very far afield of the original topic. RG65s can only use 2 channels. Why don't you start a new thread so that people can find this topic from the title? Thanks
Gregg, how does this boat sail compared to similar RG65s? Before I learned of these hull kits I planned to build a simple slab hull boat like the JIF65, etc. But I am intrigued by this boat and it would save quite a bit of time. There are no RG65s around this area but so I will probably put together a pair so I can race against my kids. Good job on the build. This thread is full of great information.
Hard to say. I have not had a chance to sail the Pakinto yet. Been too busy with the big boat. Anway, The Round Ranger is based on one of my favorite Marbleheads, the Roar Edge. It is very narrow with low wetted surface and remains very well mannered when heeled. The Round Ranger is unbeatable in light air and does well up the wind range. I would guess that the Pakinto would do very well in medium and perhaps a little better as the wind comes up. My plan is to have both and lean towards the RR in light to medium, and the Pakinto in medium to heavy.
The Rangers I saw this weekend at the RMYC regatta defintly hummed right along in the winds we were having.. I think the weather report had the wind speed at 8mph gusts. gust... everybody is going gungho towards the markers... wind dies down....... GUST!! it was an good time! been looking over the measurements from the Breaking wind site for the ranger and am starting to mark out the hull. Formulating the game plan, and digging through the scrap timber pile. I'm leaning towards constructing the keel with some 2"x 1/32" Bass wood sheet forming it around a 1/8" Poplar dowel to make a foil shape. glassing that over with 0.75oz cloth. after that is set up, using the keel itself as a mold to form a keel trunk out of 1/16" birch ply. keel itself, 15", with the trunk being three inches tall. feels like that should be the most complicated thing about the whole deal... well.... that and the whole rigging stuff.
Fiberglass or carbon fiber helicopter blades make great keels and rudders for these boats. If you know someone that flys they may have some on there scrap table. Manny
I have used these for rudders: http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__13112__325mm_Fiber_Glass_Main_Blades_1pair_.html
Helicopter blades have crossed my mind of course. I just wanted to try my hand at scratching up these bits for the first hand experience. if my experiments prove to be too trifling, I will of course, go that route. I unfortunately don't know anyone who flys helicopters, or are accident prone with them. Jumping off Greggs link I found some main rotors for $15 I already tried to build the keel trunk as described and the birch ply turned out to be too stiff to bend it to my will, so the next step is going to be taking a cue from the Bauhouse movement and making my own shaped plywood. Go all Ray and Charles Eames on that junk! I'm documenting my progress of course, and if anyone is interested I'll post a thread about it here, and at RC groups. I need to wrap up the little all wood sloop as well, these projects are starting to overlap. which isn't necessarily a bad thing. two different boats with distinct purposes and roles.
well here are some pics of my pakinto build. it will have the option for a delta rig... or a conventional sloop rig. hence the extra chainplates aft... and deck support. Also pic of the version #2 keel box...
used widely last year as a sloop rig, has not seen much action this year as I had the carbon albacore and I should have the carbon simitara ready for the water by the end of this weekend.. so for now it will be a "backup boat"
I'm moving up to mid fleet hacker and posted a respectable 7th at the Dallas Region 5 Regatta. couple 3's some 4's tough crowd down there. C rig could have been better, crapped out the end of day 2. Overall Pakinto was the right boat for me. Craig