Originally Posted by Tomas Dunker

In a tight turn (bank) before landing the motormount come loose!?

Repairing motor-mount:

Hi Tomas,

A very sound repair, it's light, very strong and a vast improvement over the original construction. I am impressed with your stagered rows of carbon rods on the wing joiner, also the countersunk heads of , effectively carbon anchor bolts/rivets. May you have many fun hours flying her again.
regds Al

Thank you Al!

Unfortunately I think the autumn is comin' early this year in Sweden with strong wind and rain! But I'm really curious to fly SeaWind once more on the lake and see if my repairs is strong enough!

I also have a BluBaby 28" seaplane with floats. See movie>> http://www.tomasdunker.se/mfilm/blub...loats2_hiq.wmv

/Tomas D.

Hi Thomas,
Nice video, excellent look to it and nice editing. Music fit perfectly LOL.
Thanks from a fellow float flyer across the "big pond",
Don

My little seawind float-fly pics. Sorry for the links, but there protected pics apparently


http://www.cmac.org/phot/2008/200805.../IMG_0535.html

http://www.cmac.org/phot/2008/200805.../IMG_0521.html

http://www.cmac.org/phot/2008/200805.../IMG_0519.html

Big Seawind
http://www.cmac.org/phot/2008/200805.../IMG_0568.html

http://www.cmac.org/phot/2008/200805.../IMG_0546.html

I've been flying my Electrifly Seawind EP several times now off dry grass down here at sea level (Seattle region), and am very happy with it. Slides maybe 50-75 feet and jumps up in the air, with the stick full back.

So, I took it along on vacation last week to a beautiful mountain lake (elevation 4300 feet) in eastern Oregon, and it wouldn't unstick off the water. I tried full up elevator, full up and then neutral stick, and even fore-aft pulsing while on the step, and it wouldn't come off the water for nuthin'. It was no trouble keeping the wings level and the tip floats out of the water, but it just ran and ran and ran on step without taking off. My wife joked that it made for a nice speedboat.

Everything is the same as at sea level-- same prop (APC 8x6E), same motor (AXI 2212/26), same battery (TP 2100mah 3s lipo). Does anyone think it could just be a density altitude thing? Outside air temp was in the low 70s, with light winds and sunshine. Water was calm, but not glassy.

Anyone else having this trouble?

WOOHOO!!!

I finally did it. I got the nerve up to fly off water.

I went out to the local water way and I was driving up there was a slight fog bank on the water. It looked so cool with the sunrise just breaking over the cypress and weeping willow trees in the swamp. The water was placid and there were 3 guys with kayaks. As I walked up their eyes lit up like kids in the toy shop. They helped keep my mind straight so that I wouldn't get nervous. Their questions were all the same which I never mind answering. It helped me focus. I told them I was glad they had a oat because I wasn't sure if I could cast my catfish weights far enough out if I have an incident too far out. They laughed and told me they would keep 1 in the water just in case.

So I sucked it up and put it in the water. There was no wind so I didn't bother with too much of a taxi. I gave it throttle and full up elevator. it kept going and going and I was wondering if it was ever going to take off. Then it finally broke free and started to climb. It was real sluggish and I was wondering why. I knew the batteries were fresh. Then I realized I was just over half throttle. SO I fire walled the throttle and the guys said "WOAH!" all at the same time. The plane started to rip up the sky as I didn't hold back on my aerial display. One guy said he never wanted to fly with me because he would puke from those maneuvers. I chuckled and said probably so.

Well I flew for about 5 min. which I can fly for around 15 but I was anxious to meet my fate apparently. SO I chopped throttle and glided the last turn about and landed coming in my direction from way out. As I got close to the water maybe a foot off I pulled easily back on the elevator and it settled into the water. One bounce and holding on to the elevator it made its final settle and I applied throttle to just under half and bee lined the bank and shut it down about 12 feet out and it made a perfect banking stop. The guys were silent till it stopped. Then they were saying how cool it looked and really made me feel good about something I was so nervous about.

Now I have a reason to start going to the local water way and I have a PBY Catalina to purchase. Man what a great morning.

Thanks for reading guys.

Orion

P.S. The esc is still acing up and I think I am going to keep the plane in the hanger till I get a new one. I am going to go 30 amp from BP Hobbies. This is the second electrifly esc that has gone bad on me and I don't think I will bother with their electronics anymore either.

Like I said on previous posts quote;;
This thread is 43 pages long , a lot of this is because this plane has quality control issues and some bad design problems....not enough glue...servo in the wrong place...wing dowel...canopy comes off ...very poor water sealing.. rubbish prop ...wing SCREW.....wing mount plate....ect ect
Flys ok though....I think its not worth the money....for whats wrong with it....if your prepared to deal with these probs ... go for it
my 2 cents

also on post 673 and 683

if this "Sea SWILL" was half the price its still not worth it......the build quality , makes it a P.O.S.

P.S. The esc is still acing up and I think I am going to keep the plane in the hanger till I get a new one. I am going to go 30 amp from BP Hobbies. This is the second electrifly esc that has gone bad on me and I don't think I will bother with their electronics anymore either.

I have had mine flying a few times with no problems. After setting the dual rates for elev mine takes off and flys great.

Last fight out which was a short fight and water landing then another takeoff when my ESC caught fire (25 amp cheap generic brand).
She did a nose dive from about 60 ft into the lake. No fuse damage from the crash.

Inside was another story. ESC , one servo and batt ruined (battery did not burn it just puffed way to much for my likings). Not sure what happened , maybe it was to much heat build up inside. Other than the mentioned above the inside is undamaged except for a lot of black soot and a small bit of melted foam.

New servo, batt and esc and she is back to normal.

I am thinking of making a funnel or air scoop of some sort to bring air inside and exhaust it out. Another thought might be to hook the esc externally on the motor mount some where.

Using recommended rim fire motor 25 amp esc and 3cell 1300 lipo.

I have been having good success holding up elevator right from the beginning on take off, all the way until it is 3-4 feet in the air. I use only low rates. Before doing this it would make an audible "pop" as it broke free in calm water. Occasionally the left wing tip will catch, probably from too much instant torque, swinging the plane 90 degrees to the left. Then it runs straight and takes off; I have seen several big gas Seawinds do this also, taking off parallel to the beach! If power is applied more slowly, then there is no problem with mine.

I have a foam Partenavia twin that I have flown for several years. The foam is getting quite soiled. When I got the Seawind the first thing I did was paint the entire plane with Valspar water based Polyurethane #8020 gloss varnish. It is a very light weight coating and really has kept the plane nice. I had the canopy come off once on takeoff so now I put about a 2" strip of scotch tape on the bottom edge of the canopy with a "handle" (fold over) to the rear for easy removal. It will remove the varnish surface some of the time but only where the tape was stuck. I recoat that area occasionally as the varnish drives very quickly. If you put the tape in the same area it keeps it clean anyhow. Here is a picture of varnished plane in early morning sun at the lake. It is nice flying plane and a great crowd attractor. It will be interesting to see if the varnish will ever yellow with the years.

Bill

I had the ss-12 esc in my Rarebear and when I would wiggle my control surfaces the motor would twitch. The ss-25 in the Seawind now was in my Synapse. The Synapse had a tendency to not respond to control input. Now the motor in the Seawind twitches with control surface movement. Hind sight is 20/20. I normally use CC-25 esc's but I have a friend that swears by the BP hobbies 30 amp esc's. He had an esc go out on him and he switched to these to see how they do and he has never worried about it since. I think I am going to go that route to. At least that way I don't have to worry about it over heating and I don't have to compromise the water tight nature of the Seawind by venting it.

Billy Boy, that is a beautiful photo. I think I am going to take a page from your book. I WBPU my GWS aircraft with a satin finish but I am definitely going gloss when I repaint this plane this winter.

Originally Posted by dgliderguy

I've been flying my Electrifly Seawind EP several times now off dry grass down here at sea level (Seattle region), and am very happy with it. Slides maybe 50-75 feet and jumps up in the air, with the stick full back.

So, I took it along on vacation last week to a beautiful mountain lake (elevation 4300 feet) in eastern Oregon, and it wouldn't unstick off the water. I tried full up elevator, full up and then neutral stick, and even fore-aft pulsing while on the step, and it wouldn't come off the water for nuthin'. It was no trouble keeping the wings level and the tip floats out of the water, but it just ran and ran and ran on step without taking off. My wife joked that it made for a nice speedboat.

Everything is the same as at sea level-- same prop (APC 8x6E), same motor (AXI 2212/26), same battery (TP 2100mah 3s lipo). Does anyone think it could just be a density altitude thing? Outside air temp was in the low 70s, with light winds and sunshine. Water was calm, but not glassy.

Anyone else having this trouble?

I couldn't get mine off water using stock motor and TP 2100 either. Ran out of room. I am using the TP 1320 and it's great for water and aerobatics.

Ed

Went flying yesterday against my better judgment. Should have known better with the esc acting up but I went anyway. The first flight went great with no issues. The wind was a little stronger this go around. My takeoff was real sloppy. I have to remember to let go of the aileron as well as the rudder once I lift off. Landing was a breeze but the wind was keeping me from controlling it right to me and I banked it in some rough water moss YUCK! Let it set for a while as the esc had gotten warm. After about 10 min I stuck in the second battery and did another nasty sloppy takeoff. By the time I had banked around in my direction I could hear the motor pulsating. I circled out and flew in for a landing. I chopped all throttle and glided her in but she was book'n. I had given plenty of distance to slow down but she kept on coming. I set her down with 3 skips and a abrupt halt into the same rough mossy area as before. The motor even though I had given no input was still pulsating on decent which kept the planes speed up and even sitting still. So I pulled it out and turned it off and thanked the man up stairs for giving me a free pass on stupidity. The plane still has not gotten wet on the inside. I took a video of the second flight but I was yamming away with another hobbiest. You can here the motor pulsing but you only see the plane on takeoff and landing.

Forgive my former rant (post 726). I tried the Seawind at sea level today, at my local pond, and it took off from the water just fine. Temps in the lower 70s, light winds, light chop, took off in less than 100 feet.

So, hey, it was, indeed, the density altitude, that hindered the take-off performance of the Seawind at that 4300-feet-above-sea level lake.

Anybody else experience difficulty taking off from water at higher altitudes? You guys in Colorado, perhaps? I'd have brought along a larger prop if I had known, but then clearance with the turtle deck would be an issue. Maybe more pitch would have done it, (or a lighter battery pack, like No Stick suggested).

Originally Posted by dgliderguy

Forgive my former rant (post 726). I tried the Seawind at sea level today, at my local pond, and it took off from the water just fine. Temps in the lower 70s, light winds, light chop, took off in less than 100 feet.

So, hey, it was, indeed, the density altitude, that hindered the take-off performance of the Seawind at that 4300-feet-above-sea level lake.

Anybody else experience difficulty taking off from water at higher altitudes? You guys in Colorado, perhaps? I'd have brought along a larger prop if I had known, but then clearance with the turtle deck would be an issue. Maybe more pitch would have done it, (or a lighter battery pack, like No Stick suggested).

Are you using an APC 8x6 Slow Fly or just the E. I have the Slow Fly and was thinking of trying it.

Thanks