AQUAPAD “DOLPHIN”

Dreams everyone has their own. Who about what, and Sergey Rudenko, an employee of city station of young technicians, in Slutsk, Minsk region, dreams of a children’s technology Park. And not only cherishes this dream, but slowly takes it. Top aides to him in this —the children, all the surrounding kids. Together they create the basis for future Park equipment. At the teen club Amateur designers “Original”, which Sergey Dmitrievich runs on a voluntary basis, already built about a dozen unusual machines: from moped to hydrometallation. The purpose of all machines the same: to serve children’s interests. So the young craftsmen design themselves, build themselves, themselves and ride.

It all started with aquapad “Dolphin”, which S. D. Rudenko came up to summer at the lake the boys had fun.

The idea aquapad we hatched two years: estimated, counted, drew the design, selected the materials. When the image “Dolphin” finally emerged, got down to business. And although in the Studio at that time there was not a lathe or a welding machine is only an electric drill, a vise, Yes, the usual locksmith tools, construction took only two weeks.

Aquapad get a stable on the water, comfortable to drive and quite spacious (on Board — five seats). It pleasant to take a boat tour to fish. Useful “Dolphin” and for rescue operations and towing boats. At the same time it is not required any maintenance.

Arrangement Of “The Dolphin”:

1 — bumper,

2 — cross member (tube Ø 30),

3 — fairing the bow,

4, 21 — mounted tie rack,

5 — the wheel

6 — fencing (pipe Ø 30),

7 — frame sheathing (15×15 area),

8 — trimming,

9 — bolt M4

10 — feather steering,

11 — bracket steering pen

12 — brace (2 PCs.)

13 — screw propeller,

14 — the bracket of the propeller,

15 — the propeller shaft,

16 — floor (plywood),

17 — pull steering,

18 — coupler (rubber pipe),

19 — reducer,

20 — pulley driven,

22 — strap wedge,

23 — bearing crank,

24 — pulley leading

25 — float left,

26 rail of the deck transverse,

27 — the rake of the deck longitudinal,

28 — sunroof-seat,

29 is a hand wheel lifting the anchor,

30, 34 — carry handles aquapad,

31 — deck,

32 — crank (pedals),

33 — Board instrument (waypoint spotlight conventionally not shown).

The design of the boats is quite simple, so I don’t think there is a need to give her details. And copy to build, hardly anyone will undertake. Enough, I think, are the main idea and to take into account the shortcomings that have come to operate.

“Dolphin” consists of two floats, deck and body, which in a matter of minutes easy to install the windshield and the roof-tent.

Pedals:

1 — support longitudinal

2, 4 — halves of a bearing housing crank

3 — bearing (plastic tube),

5 bolts M8

6 — bearing pedals (tube),

7 — pedal

8 — crank (rod Ø 14),

9 — pulley lead (conventionally increased in thickness),

10 — the yoke-bearing pulley,

12 — flange,

12 — rivet.

Deck recruited from the United screws longitudinal and transverse wooden slats cross-section, respectively, and 40×30 50×30 mm and the top is lined with 3-mm plywood. Folding seat made of plywood 10 mm thick polyurethane foam and covered with oilcloth. Under the left seat is a box with battery waypoint spotlight, under the right — Toolbox. The middle seat is a hatch, through which you can see the gear or adjust the drive belt tension.

The body shell is assembled from dural corners and pipes (some of them ski poles) and covered with thin sheets of aluminum. Fasteners — bolts M4. The front body is reinforced with transverse duralumin pipe with a diameter of 30 mm, the ends of which serve as handles for carrying equiped (the other two handles in the back), and the bumper — plate of 10 mm plywood.

Steering control scheme:

1 — steering column,

2 — rocking chair,

3 — pull,

4, 5 — brackets top and bottom,

6 — axis,

7 — feather steering,

8 — screw.

Moving aquapod due to the muscular force of one or two people sitting on the seats. The force from the legs using the pedal drive, belt transmission and gear is reported to the propeller — three-bladed propeller with a diameter of 270 mm. the Gear ratio V-belt transmission is 1:3,9, gear is 1:2. Thus, in one revolution of the pedal drive propeller is rotated around its axis by nearly eight times. This is enough to aquapad was moving at an acceptable speed about 7 km/h And back almost as much as forwards.

Both crank pedal actuator bent up from stainless steel rods with a diameter of 14 mm. in Front of the bend on the bars wearing two steel tubes with a length of 80 mm each, which then attached to wooden pedals. The ends of the cranks facing sides provided with bearings — plastic stoppers from bottles of champagne. Other end welded flange of a driving pulley V-belt transmission.

Drive pulley riveted from three aluminum disks with a total thickness of 14 mm, profiled under-section V-belt size A.

The driven pulley (diameter 100 mm) — plastic. Installed on the input shaft of the gearbox. As the last used the mechanism of electric sander, which left only the housing, gears and the armature shaft. The output shaft of the reducer is connected by a segment of rubber hose with a thin-walled duralumin pipe with a diameter of 20 mm — shaft of the propeller.

Float foam:

1 —side member (plywood, s10),

2 — mounting brackets to the cross rails of the deck (3 pieces)

3 — screws,

4, 6, 9 discs bow, middle and stern (plywood, s10, Ø 250),

5 — the covering (fiberglass),

7 — mount foam disks (aluminum tape),

8 filler (foam).

Managing aquabeam — manual. The driver rotating the steering column around a vertical axis, transfers the steering force of Peru through rocking and cravings. The column and its handles are made of duralumin tubes with a diameter of 30 mm, pull — out ski poles, rocking chair, steering bracket both the pen and the pen is made of aluminium plate thickness of 4 mm.

All wood and metal surfaces aquapad thoroughly painted for protection against exposure to water.

With floats, the situation was not so simple. The first set was made of 10 mm plywood, foam and fiberglass.

The main power element of the float — plywood spar. To the top the screws are screwed down three area of thick galvanized steel — mounting brackets to the deck, the bottom three plywood disk, the spaces between them filled with foam. All product coated with epoxy, covered with fiberglass and painted. Its weight — about 5 kgs.

Power deck set:

1,2 — reliance of the pedal longitudinal and transverse (rail 50×30),

3 — support seats (Reiki 50×30),

4 — the holder bracket of the propeller (rail 50×30),

5 — mount brackets steering pen (rail 50×30),

6,7 — bearing longitudinal supports (slats 30×40).

However, the main advantage of the floats — light weight — could not cover their substantial disadvantage. Even the design of the deck that receives the lion’s share of the load, has not helped. Had to glass cloth the hull floats to replace, first at dural, and later on of steel, riveted (with a sealed rivet joint) of thin (0.4 mm) sheet steel. Rectangular shell is filled with foam and covered with steel covers that have inside the plywood spars, and the top — angled mounting brackets to the deck.

New floats have added considerably to the weight. But their strength was far higher. We were not even afraid to drop equiped on the grass or sand when you carry to the water.

How “Dolphin”, with impressive dimensions and weight, from the municipal garage fell on the shore of the lake? Transported it on the roof of the car. This involved the manufacture of wooden slats and copper tubes with a diameter of 18 mm a special stand on the trunk, to buy four strong synthetic cord with hooks and two dural tube for mounting aquapod to the front and rear bumpers.

Mount “Dolphin” on the trunk of the car:

1,4 — carry handles aquapad front and rear,

2 — cord synthetic

3 — hook,

5 prop (dural tube),

6, 7 — bolts clamps supports.

Of course, alone to load such a machine weighing more than 70 kgs on the car. Requires the efforts of three or four adult men. So take it to the pond is only useful when going to a large company. But the fun of riding aquapage unforgettable!

S. RUDENKO, G., l in C, Minskaya obl.