Rudder Tube System for RC Sailboats

Installing a straight rudder tube is often a real challenge in an RC sailboat build.

My solution was to design a keel system that incorporated a gap to hold the 5/32" brass tube (My rudder post is 1/8" stainless steel, and fits perfectly inside a 5/32" tube). The gap was designed in as a multi-part keel system at the transom.

There are two keel pieces with a 5/32" vertical gap between then fore-and-aft, and then two other pieces are laminated to either side. When fully cured, I was able to easily drill out a 5/32" hole. The gap accurately guided the bit, and each of the laminations had 1/64" carved out each inside edge. Worked perfectly!

The entire thing, all three laminations, are then tied into both the transom frame and frame 9. It will be much more than adequate for holding the rudder in place both fore-and-aft and laterally.

Aloha!

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