Looking forward to the fixing video. Glad no serious injuries. So many of us would love to try to make something like this, and we look up to you. We all hope to see you flying again soon.
It is so nice to see someone respond to a critical situation with calm, caring, and responsibility. Also, it is so nice to see that all three appear to be easily repaired... you, your girlfriend, and the MudSkipper! Thank you so much for sharing this super-powerful video.
Glad you were ok and your girlfriend will recover. Pretty sturdy design. We look forward to updates. Most importantly I hope she recovers quickly. Then we look forward to your future adventures
Thank God you’re OK ! 🙏🏻 The fact that you’re still with us is testament to the safety of your craft. Although you hit the water at speed, she didn’t flip and toss you into the drink. Maybe you can add some carbon fiber reinforcement or aluminum ribs on the underside of the cockpit to give your feet some extra protection.
Thanks mate. My thoughts exactly, I was happy with how it all worked out in the end. Prefer it didn't happen though but did prove it's strength. Yeah I may need to look into some extra strength possibly kevlar to contain the hull if it were to happen again
Carbon fibre splinters are very nasty/dangerous. Velomobiles use a combination of carbon fibre and kevlar for the bodies. The kevlar holds the carbon fibre together if the forces are sufficient to break the carbon fibre (CF is strong and but if enough force is applied (hit by a juggernaut for a velomobile) it will tend to "explode"). The kevlar works like the film on a car windscreen to keep everything together.@@Ground-Effect
Sorry to see that happen mate. When I saw it on the news I couldn’t believe it. Was just rewatching one of your videos a few minutes earlier! When you extend the boundaries of flight there has to be some learning experiences along the way. Think of yourself as a modern day Wright brother! Much respect from an R/C flyer here in Melbourne.
Thanks for posting the news report about the minor crash. It was funny how the news anchor said that your wing had clipped the water, causing the crash, without interviewing you to find out what had actually happened. Oh well, you're half-way to being famous!
Mate, I'm so sorry to hear of your dramas. Must have been tough to witness such an injury, to feel her pain and then be there for her when she couldn't move on her own. No doubt, it was tough with your missus as well... 😆🙃 Seriously - I'm so glad you're both OK other than a few scratches (and hopefully not any broken bones), hope you get our favourite Mud Skipper back into action and that you're all happily in the air again soon. You're living the dreams of so many of us mate - keep it going and stay safe. Big hugs and cheers all around from Sydney - Dave
I appreciate it thanks! It's very deflating. It was a very interesting situation but brought us together. I actually proposed the next day totally unplanned. No we just have minor cuts and bruises, she was worse off though feeling most of the impact. I should have it together soon and making more videos! Thanks for your support mate
@@Ground-Effect Wow - a very big congratulations to both of you and thanks for the news! That's quite a story to tell, especially one day if you have kids (getting a bit ahead of myself there...). Our kids love to hear of how we met and the proposal etc., but our story is nowhere near as spectacular as yours. As for being deflating - every worthy pursuit has setbacks and this one has given you some real knowledge which will go beyond this particular project, and is in some way a rite of passage to the next level. It also means you are pushing some boundaries, which to me says a lot about you and your persistence. Big qualities. Anyway - congratulations again and I look forward to seeing what comes of this event - your Mud Skipper MKII will be even better! Cheers, Dave
You handled the situation like a boss. Speedy recovery to your girlfriend. PS have you ever thought about BMW r1200 boxer motorcycle engines for your machine? Jabirus is so bloody expensive.
first accident shows it was safer then most bicycle accidents, scratches and bruisers way better than fall out the sky, ireckon more people get injured being towed behind boats
dah lol its too simple .. i see it now . im glassing all my ply both sides on the bench first . before sitch and glue the hull /fuslarge .. it makes glassing a breaze when gravity is ur friend .. thanks James @@Ground-Effect
I hope you rebuild her!! You must have a 4 seater version already designed in your head. BUILD IT and take us along for every step on your channel!!!!!
So correct me if I'm wrong but it appears your engine stalled while you were in a turn causing you to instantly lose your cushion and crash into a reef? I'm assuming if the same thing happened when you were flying straight and level it would land gently?
@@grahamtotte7133 an engine failure in this craft will not cause any issues. The craft will just settle gently back to the water. I had the elevator cable snap during the turn
@@michaelsimpson9779I don't know the exact answer but I believe a mixture of undersized cable, stainless steel cable and incorrect swage installation all contributed. I learnt some good leasons
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Good question!! A long story very short, found two people with small boats to put under each wingtip and then used differential power to steer back to shore
Oops…that could have been serious. Shows it does have an inherent safety. The foam construction is like a giant crash helmet. That said, do you wear crash helmets? Seat belts? Out of interest, what speed?
What sort of mechanical failure? Some linkage mechanics? Would it have been so bad in open water? Did it hit the bottom? This is just the sort of thing I''d been thinking of, if I have the shop space and tools. You're probably aware of this Patent US 4705234 Ram wing surface effect vehicle Bourn, HYDROFLYHT, Inc 1987
Hey John. I had the elevator cable break. A few changes to my design and now it shouldn't happen again. Potentially in deeper water the hull wouldn't have broken up as I'm pretty sure we hit the reef.
It hurt my heart when I saw that drama unfold. I'm so glad you and your gal were OK. Through reading your responses to everyone's concern, I see it was a "snapped elevator cable." Curious if that was a quick way of saying that the control surface/cable hardware connection failed. I'm thinking you used expanded polystyrene board and laminated wood strips on that tail section and wondered if it failed due to a weakness at those laminated connection points? Godspeed on MudSkipper II. We're all behind you!
Looking forward to the fixing video. Glad no serious injuries.
So many of us would love to try to make something like this, and we look up to you.
We all hope to see you flying again soon.
Appreciate it mate!
Hopefully within a couple months it will be going
It is so nice to see someone respond to a critical situation with calm, caring, and responsibility. Also, it is so nice to see that all three appear to be easily repaired... you, your girlfriend, and the MudSkipper! Thank you so much for sharing this super-powerful video.
Well said 👍
Thank you so much!
Glad you were ok and your girlfriend will recover. Pretty sturdy design. We look forward to updates. Most importantly I hope she recovers quickly. Then we look forward to your future adventures
Thanks mate. She is doing great and she says she will be my passenger again which is great. I hopefully will have it repaired in a couple months
Thank God you’re OK ! 🙏🏻 The fact that you’re still with us is testament to the safety of your craft. Although you hit the water at speed, she didn’t flip and toss you into the drink. Maybe you can add some carbon fiber reinforcement or aluminum ribs on the underside of the cockpit to give your feet some extra protection.
Thanks mate. My thoughts exactly, I was happy with how it all worked out in the end. Prefer it didn't happen though but did prove it's strength.
Yeah I may need to look into some extra strength possibly kevlar to contain the hull if it were to happen again
Carbon fibre splinters are very nasty/dangerous. Velomobiles use a combination of carbon fibre and kevlar for the bodies. The kevlar holds the carbon fibre together if the forces are sufficient to break the carbon fibre (CF is strong and but if enough force is applied (hit by a juggernaut for a velomobile) it will tend to "explode"). The kevlar works like the film on a car windscreen to keep everything together.@@Ground-Effect
There’s a fine line of built strong enough and being able to fly . Hitting a reef wasn’t in that equation, just bad luck. Glad you got out safe
Exactly right!
Sorry to see that happen mate. When I saw it on the news I couldn’t believe it. Was just rewatching one of your videos a few minutes earlier! When you extend the boundaries of flight there has to be some learning experiences along the way. Think of yourself as a modern day Wright brother! Much respect from an R/C flyer here in Melbourne.
Thanks mate.
Yes that is very true, there were some big learning experiences from this and that helps move forward to make things better.
Your updates of the rebuild are awesome!
Thanks for posting the news report about the minor crash. It was funny how the news anchor said that your wing had clipped the water, causing the crash, without interviewing you to find out what had actually happened. Oh well, you're half-way to being famous!
Yeah it's annoying how they can report false news.
I’m sorry for your misfortune. I’m glad there were no serious injuries. I hope you rebuild and are flying again soon.
Thanks so much! It's upsetting what happened but I'll fix it up soon!
Mate, I'm so sorry to hear of your dramas. Must have been tough to witness such an injury, to feel her pain and then be there for her when she couldn't move on her own. No doubt, it was tough with your missus as well... 😆🙃
Seriously - I'm so glad you're both OK other than a few scratches (and hopefully not any broken bones), hope you get our favourite Mud Skipper back into action and that you're all happily in the air again soon. You're living the dreams of so many of us mate - keep it going and stay safe. Big hugs and cheers all around from Sydney - Dave
I appreciate it thanks! It's very deflating.
It was a very interesting situation but brought us together. I actually proposed the next day totally unplanned.
No we just have minor cuts and bruises, she was worse off though feeling most of the impact.
I should have it together soon and making more videos! Thanks for your support mate
@@Ground-Effect Wow - a very big congratulations to both of you and thanks for the news! That's quite a story to tell, especially one day if you have kids (getting a bit ahead of myself there...). Our kids love to hear of how we met and the proposal etc., but our story is nowhere near as spectacular as yours.
As for being deflating - every worthy pursuit has setbacks and this one has given you some real knowledge which will go beyond this particular project, and is in some way a rite of passage to the next level. It also means you are pushing some boundaries, which to me says a lot about you and your persistence. Big qualities.
Anyway - congratulations again and I look forward to seeing what comes of this event - your Mud Skipper MKII will be even better!
Cheers, Dave
You handled the situation like a boss. Speedy recovery to your girlfriend. PS have you ever thought about BMW r1200 boxer motorcycle engines for your machine? Jabirus is so bloody expensive.
Thanks mate!
I'm getting the Jabirus pretty cheap
I'm glad you both are ok. Accidents are an inherent part of pushing the boundaries. Don't let it stop you, just learn from it and try again.
Exactly right!
are u happy with the wing fabric tension ? a little tiny bit flatter .. and bigger spar pockets ? perhaps
I am. Any tighter I will not be able to slide it on the spars
thanks James thats very helpfull .. this repair will push the build video back a bit ... dam it @@Ground-Effect
Glad you guys are ok and that your girlfriend is hopefully recovering alright. I hope you can get airborne again soon. Thanks for sharing.
That's be fiancee now. 🎉
Thanks mate. We are all good now and I start repairing on Monday!
Haha yes that's true, if she can handle that then she can handle me for life 🤣
first accident shows it was safer then most bicycle accidents, scratches and bruisers way better than fall out the sky, ireckon more people get injured being towed behind boats
Well handled dude... I'm a little worried about bouyancy - please stick some foam in that beast when you get it going again.
Thanks mate. Yeah there is no buoyancy. I have 2 very large bilge pumps but obviously no good if 2m of the hull is missing.
Glad to hear nobody was badly hurt. Also nice to see the jetskis helping out.
Oh my, how did I miss this video. This is nuts.
James how did u work out the right amount of sag in the wing fabric when sowing the tube pockets ??
I used a small strip of wing material about 50mm wide and put it over the 2 spars and adjusted it until it looked good then took measurements
dah lol its too simple .. i see it now . im glassing all my ply both sides on the bench first . before sitch and glue the hull /fuslarge .. it makes glassing a breaze when gravity is ur friend .. thanks James @@Ground-Effect
Perhaps try adding some sail battens to help hold the shape.
I hope you rebuild her!! You must have a 4 seater version already designed in your head. BUILD IT and take us along for every step on your channel!!!!!
It will be ready to fly again in 2 weeks.
I plan to build a new one soon!
So correct me if I'm wrong but it appears your engine stalled while you were in a turn causing you to instantly lose your cushion and crash into a reef? I'm assuming if the same thing happened when you were flying straight and level it would land gently?
@@grahamtotte7133 an engine failure in this craft will not cause any issues. The craft will just settle gently back to the water.
I had the elevator cable snap during the turn
Good to see no major injuries. What was the cause of the cable failure, do you know? Crimp/swage fail, chafe, material failure.....?
@@michaelsimpson9779I don't know the exact answer but I believe a mixture of undersized cable, stainless steel cable and incorrect swage installation all contributed. I learnt some good leasons
“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
Very true!
How did you get it back to land?
Good question!! A long story very short, found two people with small boats to put under each wingtip and then used differential power to steer back to shore
Sorry to hear that
so James the prop wash is very hard on tail feathers ey ?
No that's because the camera is mounted on a selfie stick!
Oops…that could have been serious.
Shows it does have an inherent safety. The foam construction is like a giant crash helmet.
That said, do you wear crash helmets?
Seat belts?
Out of interest, what speed?
Hello. Yes it held up well considering and we were not badly hurt. No we don't use seatbelts or helmets. Max speed so far is 120kph
Thank you for posting. What was the failure in the controls?
I had the elevator cable snap
@@Ground-Effect What wire are you using? I would want to use 7X19 2.5mm.
@@billpain I was using 1.5 316 stainless, now I'm using dual 2.5mm galvanized
What sort of mechanical failure? Some linkage mechanics?
Would it have been so bad in open water? Did it hit the bottom?
This is just the sort of thing I''d been thinking of, if I have the shop space and tools.
You're probably aware of this
Patent US 4705234
Ram wing surface effect vehicle
Bourn, HYDROFLYHT, Inc 1987
Hey John. I had the elevator cable break. A few changes to my design and now it shouldn't happen again. Potentially in deeper water the hull wouldn't have broken up as I'm pretty sure we hit the reef.
i saw a landing ... not a crash !!!
I agree! If it was deeper it possibly would have been ok
Hi this is the kid you sore at the beach and I said could I have a ride
Engine failure ?
no ... he ran out of altitude no biggy
I had an elevator cable issue
@@Ground-Effect glad you're both OK
It's such an exciting piece of kit you have built. Hope you're back in the air soon.
It hurt my heart when I saw that drama unfold. I'm so glad you and your gal were OK. Through reading your responses to everyone's concern, I see it was a "snapped elevator cable." Curious if that was a quick way of saying that the control surface/cable hardware connection failed. I'm thinking you used expanded polystyrene board and laminated wood strips on that tail section and wondered if it failed due to a weakness at those laminated connection points? Godspeed on MudSkipper II. We're all behind you!
@@dantietjen1852 thanks mate. We are all good. It literally was the elevator cable breaking
I know shock when I see it, elevating her legs did the trick
She was freaking out about sharks and seaweed😜
@@Ground-Effect hahahaha good to know, I was really racking my brain on the existential crisis that was unfolding