Metalbeak (FW) Build Diary

[Laser]

did you build the voltage doubler?
and are you using electronizes for the drive?

[Revsmin]

Matt: Just did a search on the build rules, nothing in their about Voltage Doublers, looks like it's alright.
Ben: No, I got a professional engineer (my Grandad) to build it, damn thing's far to complex for me! Yep, 2x Electronize 15A for the Drive, you can't see them because they're underneath the pneumatics.

[billy breach]

How did you attach the panel that hides the link and dump valve

[harry hills]

well done jarvis, love ya for getting a spectrum
its going to be a pain to steer though, the wheels arent best placed.
looks awesome.

[razerdave]

If I may make a suggestion Jarvis:

a: Get 24v of NiMH's for the same weight as his SLA
b: Get rid of that voltage booster, its one more thing to break
c: On a spektrum transmitter, turn the rates down so you get 18v to the drive, 24v to the solenoid. It will give your drive a bit more oomph without cooking the motors, and allows you to fire the solenoid without the need for a booster.

[Revsmin]

Haz: It drives OK actually, but as I said earlier, it needs a couple of ball casters to help it steer easier.
Billy: The panel covering the Dump Valve and Link it attatched by a screw that rotates on a spring.
Dave:
a: I have been thinking of upgrading the battery, but at the moment it has already cost far too much and I can't afford to keep buying more stuff. If I have too, I will buy a 12v NiMH, but only as a last resort to save weight.
b: The voltage booster was built to withstand supersonic conditions on a jet, I'm sure it will be fine . Anyway, I won't just leave it unprotected, there will be a case for it as soon as possible.
c: Again, the cost of upgrading anything, even the transmitter is out of the question right now as I don't have endless supplies of money .

[PJ-27]

Looks awesome, and very well made. Well done.

[maddox10]

Hmm, a 4200mAh 13.2V 4S liFePo4 pack weights 512 grams. Cost £30

A 20 cell 24V 4500mAh NiMH pack weights 1.5 kg. Cost, about £75

I believe the voltage booster wins.

We use a voltage booster in the Hannibalito's. (upps the voltage to 36v) Meaning we can do well on 4S LiFePo4, 10S NiMH or even 3S LiPo.

Currently, we use 4S A123's. Weight for the pack, 300 gram. Good for 1 fight.

[Revsmin]

Bit late, but, what the heck!

UK Champs in April went great, Metalbeak is now renamed to Skyfall, a much better name, named so because it literally falls from the sky when it self-rights, plus as many people pointed out at the champs that it sounded like the name of a crusher (hint).
Skyfall has been resting recently with Project X, the 6WD Gimson driven box with bendy scoops, coming to events in its stead.

Skyfall will make a triumphant return for Maidstone, but then probably break again or something, it happens a lot
Made a compilation of good moments from the champs (mostly entertaining Self-Righting):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tIzbzod3RY
Also includes my only win of the whole 3 days, even though I had no weapon

Day 1
Fight 1: Venom
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRnPOHnIv_8
Well, I was doomed from the start: Friday 13th
Besides this, I was supposed to fight Capt. Scarlett, the 06 champ, in my first fight, but it had been destroyed the other day and I ended up fighting Venom. There's a reason Razer won so many trophies, it was AMAZING, and now I know what fighting it felt like. Also, I found out Skyfall is exactly the same long as the pit is wide, so I had no chance of getting out! Three words are all I need to say as a comparison for this draw: BUS REPLACEMENT SERVICE
Missed just one flip, and uoside down, there was nothing I could do, and he pushed me in the pit.

Fight 2: Beauty 3 & LF3
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALU9KHL6Ir8
The less said, the better... I shouldn't have driven straight at him...
John, think only this of me... I'LL BE BACK TO GET YOU!

Fight 3: Dizzy Tilly & Tiny Toon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYqzm_-O8lg
For once, not my fault! Hooray! When I went over, you can see the powerlights go out, then come back, then go out again when I try to self-right. This was because the Tamiya connector on the NiMH was too small, this is because the site I bought them off sent the wrong ones... Damn you internet monkeys!

For the rest of the day, the flipper had liquid in the pneumatic system, and I couldn't work out what to do, and after much advice from many who know more than me (should narrow it down a bit more shouldn't I? Everyone seems to know more than me...), I blasted the system through, and it worked, cleared the system completely, and it worked fine the next day...

Day 2
...as is apparent from my golden moment, about 20 seconds into this vid:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTTsHYV_OtI
Sorry Johnny 2x4, but you got in the way :twisted:

Not sure when, but one of the gearboxes locked up and after being tought how, and having a spare gearbox lent to me by Will Thomas (thanks) I fixed it, but then soon enough, I lost the other one in the last fight of the day, and didn't realise until the next day as I had no power in the batteries in the fight, and my only method of transportation was to hop around using the flipper as propulsion, it worked too, and the crowd loved it!

Day 3
I managed to free the other gearbox and then I saw the state:

I then dug the other one out and managed to bodge the gears back in place with a pair of large tweezers and use it, and it worked a treat too! They both still work, tested it the other day, and it should have no problems at Maidstone. After Queensferry (every bone in my body says SCOTLAND but I know its in Wales...) Skyfall will go back in the shed for some Speed 900 goodness... be afraid, be VERY AFRAID.
See you all!

[maddox10]

Commercial Voltage booster.