Building a Giant 3D-Printed Hydrofoil: Design and Construction
0:03 Inspiration: The project was inspired by a ride on Navier N30 electric hydrofoil boat and its prototype.
0:10 Project Goal: Build a large, rideable hydrofoil with a 2-meter wingspan, based on a stand-up paddleboard, using a self-stabilizing system.
1:26 Flight Control: Utilizing dRehmFlight code for autonomous stabilization, similar to the smaller prototype.
1:33 3D-Printed Design: The wing and horizontal stabilizer are 3D printed, allowing for complex geometries and integration of features like servo mounts and wire channels.
2:28 Structural Reinforcement: Aluminum spars run through the wings for added strength, connected to aluminum plates on the paddleboard via masts.
3:44 3D Printing Process: Primarily using PETG with PLA support material on a Prusa XL 3D printer. Gyroid infill chosen to create a continuous internal volume for water drainage.
4:00 Fiberglassing: Initially planned to fiberglass the entire wing for a smooth finish and airtightness but ultimately skipped this step except for reinforcing the tail boom connection area.
5:49 Waterproof Servos: Using high-tech D845WP servos with IP67 rating, further protected by custom-designed resin-printed housings filled with silicone grease for watertightness.
8:28 Control Horns: Custom-designed control horns and linkages ensure precise control surface movement within the servo's range of motion to prevent damage.
11:11 Board Modification: Shortening the 11-foot paddleboard and repairing delamination with Gorilla Glue and fiberglass.
12:47 KiwiCo Sponsorship: Segment highlighting KiwiCo's educational kits and their relevance to the project's electronics.
14:06 Mast Mounting: Modifying mast mounting plates to accommodate phase wires and reinforcing the mast-wing connection with glue and fairing compound.
15:14 Motor Mounts: 3D-printed motor mounts with TPU for vibration damping, attached to the masts.
15:44 Propulsion: Reusing Vesc 75/200 ESCs, Flipsky 6521 motors, and propellers from a previous electric boat project.
17:16 Structural Reinforcement: Adding fiberglass and carbon fiber reinforcement to the critical area where the tail booms connect to the wing.
18:43 Battery Box: Constructing a large battery box from XPS foam to house a 100Ah, 24V LiFePO4 battery.
19:16 Electronics Integration: Installing electronics and configuring differential thrust for yaw control.
19:46 Transport Wheels: Designing and 3D-printing removable wheels for easy transport of the assembled hydrofoil.
20:32 Preliminary Test: Transporting the hydrofoil to the lake for initial testing with IMU-based stabilization. Flight test results reserved for the next video.