TSATS: Lifeguard's Personal Watercraft

[Lipko]

Here's my entry for the "To Sail the Technic Seas" contest.

It is a lifeguard's personal watercraft (jet-ski). The model focuses on the looks and realistic functions, it's not intended to swim or to move on the ground.

Features:

*driven by a medium motor

*realistic manual jet nozzle steering (with return to center mechanism) operated by the handle bar (with realistic motion)

*working, non-steerable propeller

*fake 4-cylinder engine

*a shroud that can be lowered over the steering nozzle to produce backwards thrust in real jet-skis (reverse). Operated manually from the driver's seat

*simulated throttle, operated from the handle bar

*battery box is operated easily from the driver's seat and can't be pushed in "reverse" direction.

*opening engine hatch with supporting rod

*almost everything is achieved by linkage mechanisms, which are affected only minimally by each other (for example throttle is not affected by the steering axle and vice versa)

*good looks

*battery box can be removed relatively easily

About the throttle:

It's just a simulation of it, so it's totally fake. If there were (or is there?) a variable speed motor in Technic, it could be totally realistic, since the linkage works just fine.

In this model, the revolution of the engine and propeller is controlled by simply changing the friction of one output axle of a differential, which causes the other output (the drive-train) to change its revolution because the differential is driven with a constant speed. The friction is changed by pushing radially a small wheel against another freely rotating wheel on the axle.

The "lifeguard" part of the entry's title is there because the color scheme I had to use due to my inventory.

Video and some more pictures here (see brickshelf or Flickr for even more):

Thanks for any comments in advance!

[dfs473]

I like the very good design of your personal watercraft

well done

[Porty]

Nice, the simulator part was actually my idea. The seat looks a bit cramped. EDIT: Oh I see, it was propped up.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Porty

[Lipko]

About the throttle: the idea came independently from Porty's idea. A jet-ski doesn't have many interesting features, so the features I have chosen were the most obvious ones. There was another feature I wanted: automatic clutch mechanism, but the throttle took up too much space, and an automatic clutch without a variable speed drive is pretty meaningless.

Edited March 28, 2012 by Lipko

[Porty]

Thanks and sorry! I'm pretty bad at photo composition.

Here's a better picture from the side:

I'm sorry, but this totally copies my idea. On my topic, I specifically said not to copy the start-up idea, but it is included here. The engine, panel placement, and battery box placement seems to almost match mine. Is it just me, or have these ideas originated from my thoughts and experiments? This could definitely pose a threat to you when it comes down to judging.

Thanks and sorry! I'm pretty bad at photo composition.

Here's a better picture from the side:

About the throttle: the idea came independently from Porty's idea. A jet-ski doesn't have many interesting features, so the features I have chosen were the most obvious ones. There was other feature I wanted: automatic clutch mechanism, but the throttle took up too much space, and an automatic clutch without a variable speed drive is pretty meaningless.

I truthfully don't believe how someone could come up with the exactly same idea.

[Lipko]

Um, are you serious?

Personal watercrafts are personal watercrafts. I don't see how much different they can be from each other. My model was based on images of real machines, motor placement, shape, seat, nozzle etc.

My drive is different than yours. Motor and fake engine placement is different. I don't see you have actually implemented, or talked about the simulation of the throttle (variable speed drive). The steering of my machine is manual, while your's is motor powered.

I don't see too much similarity apart from the theme I took.

The judges of the contest will decide, Porty was first, if mine gets disqualified, I will accept the decision.

Edited March 27, 2012 by Lipko

[Lipko]

For clearing up the functions and operation, here's a link about how personal watercrafts work. I replicated the functions as closely I could (apart from the fake throttle obviously...).

[timslegos]

I love the design of the hull, nice job!

Tim

[dhc6twinotter]

Really nice jet-ski. Great job duplicating the functions of the real one, and you've done a great job building the hull.

[Lipko]

I have added the video showing the thing in action:

Edited March 28, 2012 by Lipko

[Siegfried]

*there are two rubber rings that are not official Lego parts. I simply don't have any of those. The rubber rings I use are the same, small pieces, that look like real Lego rings (as I can recall). They are not having important and special tasks, they could easily be replaced with official Lego rubber rings with minimal or no change to the model.

I hope that doesn't mean that I can't enter to the contest. If it does, I'll just remove them.

I can accept rubber bands. I'll clarify that in the rules.

...and please Lipko and Porty stop the war. Yes Porty was first, so if in doubt for who-though-of-what the pre-judging will assume it was your idea first, but the MOCs are very different.

[Thelonious monk]

I like it a lot, great job!

[efferman]

there are two personal watercrafts in the contest but only one looks like a personal watercraft. why it disqualifying, only because someone was faster?

lipko, hopefully you will go into the final round

[Kronos]

there are two personal watercrafts in the contest but only one looks like a personal watercraft. why it disqualifying, only because someone was faster?

lipko, hopefully you will go into the final round

I have to agree with you effe... Great work on the Tug btw.

[bb15080]

there are two personal watercrafts in the contest but only one looks like a personal watercraft. why it disqualifying, only because someone was faster?

lipko, hopefully you will go into the final round

there is nothing more to say good job

[Lipko]

Since the Brickshelf folder is still not public, I uploaded the pictures to Flickr

[Siegfried]

New topic here. Temporarily closed...