Having had a break from building for a while (mainly due to space for models) I've re-modelled my garden shed with a new bench (all comes apart and folds down) and made some more space. Latest project is a landing barge with which I'll be trying different rescue methods. The hull is made using foam blocks and f/glass again, as balsa prices are just getting ridiculous ! - more expensive than normal timber. As usual, filed to shape with a Surform file and glassed with 60z cloth. The propulsion will be semi tunnel drives, using twin 550 brushed motors and twin ESCs (usually reliable and fine once you have the reverse method sorted). The LC will also have twin El cheapo sound units from Ali Exp,
Wheelhouse is from 4mm light ply, recycled from a recently purchased Hyundai chipper crate, and only weighs 700g.

Hull is 800x330x60mm and weighs 880g (probably 1kg with another coat of resin and paint) so will be very buoyant, (my other barge which a similar size but 10mm thinner, barely moves with a 2kg RC 4x4 on it,- even easily supported my 6kg 6x6 amphitruck). Very cheap and quick to build, unsinkable, super durable and no rot problems. Being winter here, I have to wait for warm days to do more glassing, so it's taking time. Along side the LC, I've also been rebuilding a plane, which was built from only a few surviving photos of a rare one off early 50s prototype from a small US private aircraft co. Wing was a guess, as no good pics of the shape, but was a failure, (before, crash, rebuild pics) so have designed a new one. Fuselage just rebuilt,- wing to go.

A bit of metalwork done for the bulwarks,- made from 40x12 aluminium, plus the loading ramp side angle pieces. Landing ramp, ply cut and now resin preservative coated, along with the wheelhouse. Crew entry way now cut into the front of the wheelhouse, (I meant to make that when sheeting the front but forgot). Also 20mm long 8mm dowels set into the hull now with epoxy, to enable the bulwarks to be screwed to the deck, (can't screw into foam obviously, but this also locks the bulwarks into the hull, rather than relying on 1mm of f/glass on the deck, which could be ripped off the foam if hit or dropped. Other items attached to the hull will be done using the same method.

JB

More progress with bulwark gussets, hinges done for the ramp, light boards, more windscreen dividers, and sealer coat added over the second resin coat

JB

Started a bit of painting on the LC , and modifying a toy truck as part of the intended 'boat fishing' system for becalmed/stuck boats etc. Boom (modified for 360deg) will hold a releasable shore line with a magnet or hook, to catch the boat, so it can be reeled in from shore (that's the theory) will be a fun experiment. Might be able to servo operate the boom rotation as well.

JB

Good day for painting, so did the wheelhouse roof and exhausts. Re hinged the ramp as well, as it was slightly off square ( like my eyes) . Made the paper templates for the decals also and printed the results on decal paper and dried them in the oven at 25deg c Decals are copied from one of 3 landing craft which operated from a base not far from where I lived in Auckland. The particular LC pictured, MV Port Kennedy, was built in Whangarei NZ in 1965 and was the first to be built for vehicular transport since 1937) originally used an early 60hp 'Harbourmaster' stern drive (see pic of present example) under the wheelhouse, but was later changed to twin commercial Hamilton jets (the first LC/barge to be jet driven in NZ) - twin GM 6-71 powered (it was loud !)

The method I use, is to design the decal in MS paint, get it printing to the correct size, (taking note of which way the print came out) then lay a slightly oversized piece of decal paper exactly over the print and sellotape the edges or ends to stop the print head catching. Put the sheet back in the printer tray the way it came out, (depends on how your printer feeds the paper from the tray) and print it. Leave the printed decal on the paper for it to dry, { makes it easier to clear coat later). It can then be cut to size from the paper. This method saves wasting scraps of expensive decal paper.

JB