Fairey River Cruiser - Today I decided to cut out the windows from the acetate sheet and glue them to the superstructure using canopy glue.

I don't know about you guys but I find this one of the most stressful parts of model boat building - it's not all fun you know!

Keeping the glue off the acetate window areas, including from fingers, which I mainly succeeded in doing and certainly better than last time, and getting the windows in the right position all added to the "fun". As did having to remove one window which was out of position and wouldn't slide, reapply the glue and then refix.

But it's great when it's done and you can take some photos, phew!

Shots with the superstructures fitted to the hulls.

Chris

Fitting the pieces into the cockpit was delayed as I had a problem with my email which took a couple of days to sort out.

Fitted the pair of doors into the Huntress which resulted in a lesson for the future. I'd selected some thin mahogany sheet which was nice and flat but once I'd put the canopy glue on it and held it in place by hand it started to warp. Held it for as long as I could but couldn't hold it flat so had to leave it. As the glue is drying it's got better and not too bad, though a little annoying. Then fitted the strips in the corners.

Lesson learnt, for the River Cruiser I just applied glue around the edges and easier to position as didn't slide around as much and the glue soon grabbed. Followed by the cappings to each side.

The dashboards won't be fitted until I've fitted the steering wheel and instruments etc. to them.

I've glued the floors into both boats using Aliphatic glue applied with an old brush to the cockpit base.

Now they are in I can start on the parts that protrude out. Cut some mahogany strip to length to cover up the gaps in the corners of the Huntress cockpit and made some cappings to go in the River Cruiser and gave them a coat of varnish ready for gluing in tomorrow, at which time I can glue the doors in place as well.

Hi thanks
Cut them from 1mm aluminium sheet with bandsaw and jigsaw and filing yes 😂
Yes wil try to make the frame from aluminium, also have 0,3mm thick that is so thin you can cut it with knife, maybe I wil use that for cockpit screen

Those are great looking windows. Assume you cut them out with a saw and then lots of filing?

Advantage of metal, as well as looking good is that the frames can be nice and thin.

I take it you are going to make the cockpit screen out of aluminium as well? Might have a bash at that myself.

Finished mine tonight

As and when I've had time I've been applying more topcoats to the cockpits. Added another this morning which hopefully will be the last.

Next job was to glue the window frames I'd painted a few days ago to the acetate sheet. I find it best to use a small cheap brush to apply the glue which can then be thrown away. After cutting the handle off of course and adding to the bits and pieces box!

Final job of the day was giving the floor, doors and dashboard for each boat a coat of varnish.

Chris

One made for the River Cruiser now. Once the glue has dried thoroughly it will be sanded down.

When I was still working and had my drawing board in the spare room one of our cats would keep me company. Daft thing would slide down the board and onto the parallel motion! Sadly long gone now.

I now use the room for my model making and have a new friend!

I've made the dashboard for the Huntress ready for the wheel and instruments when I get/make them. It's made from mahogany sheet to match the doors and contrast with the white interior of the cockpit. I do like a bit of varnished timber!

Just about to start that for the River Cruiser. As it doesn't need as many instruments etc. I'm making it a bit narrower.

Then another coat of gloss inside the cockpits.

Ok, I assumed you'd glued the glazing to the frames first and then the problem occurred when gluing the assembly to the superstructure as the paint had been affected.

Canopy Glue isn't designed for metal as such but should be Ok as not load bearing/structural.

Otherwise you could use something like Bostik All Purpose Clear that does glue metal and plastics if you can get it.

Hi, the frames ar 1mm thick alluminium.
But it went wrong with glueing the. Windows not the frames.
Have to repaint now, it’s a learning experience 🙄🤔😂

But canopy glue will do the trick you think

Renew - looking at your frames again they certainly look like metal. Would have loved to have done that as well but I've got five to do and would take me too long and I don't know if I have the skill anyway. Also my builds are smaller so more fiddly.

So with yours it would be worth doing a test gluing.

That's a shame with your lovely paintwork. ☹️ That's the problem with CA because as well as fogging the acetate even the thicker stuff wicks. I take it you used the tape to align the frames? I nearly used some but did it by eye in the end.

Your window frames are really good, are they metal or just better painted than mine?

I used canopy glue for gluing the frames to the acetate and then to the boat and didn't need to sand the paint for a key. I did manage to get some on the glazing and even though it dries clear you can still see it. I've left it though as the acetate is easily scratched and will be more careful with the River Cruiser.

If yours are metal then canopy glue should still work - I repaired the kitchen scales by gluing metal to glass and leaving for plenty of time. It does grab pretty well but at least it gives you time to reposition if needed unlike CA - I did use plastic clothes pegs with rubber inserts to clamp for a short while because of the curvature of the cabin sides.

Chris

Hij Chris, I am. Making the window frames to. But what glue do you use to put the windows in? I ruined mine with CA glue, al paints is mast up now 😔
I had the outside taped off but the glue went under the tape

Nice Chris👍
Reckon I'll follow your lead for the cockpit floor (deck?) of my restore Sea Scout.
Still have a few 0.5x5mm planks I can use.
Watching with interest🤓
Cheers, Doug😎

The cockpit floor for the Huntress has been trimmed and sanded ready for varnish. The inside of both cockpits have been primer/undercoated and been given the first coat of gloss. Once a few more have been applied the floor will be fitted before the doors etc. are glued in otherwise it won't go in!

Work is progressing to the Huntress cockpit. I've given it a coat of primer/undercoat in readiness for the gloss which I will do before fitting the floor.

With some of my other Faireys I've used laser etched ply for the floors but with this one and others I'm planking the floor to match the decking.

First job was to make a cardboard template for the sub-floor. This was then transferred to thin ply and cut out with a Stanley knife and then gradually sanded to ensure a good fit. Tip here is to drill a hole in the floor so that you can poke the sub-floor out as you're fitting it!

Centreline was then drawn on and it was worked out where to start, either with the first plank central to the line or in this case the first two planks either side of it. Fortunately I just had enough planks to finish the job. I'll leave overnight and then the planking can be trimmed and sanded back and be given a coat or two of varnish ready for fitting.

Whilst waiting for the paint to harden before gluing to the acetate sheet I've made a start on fitting out the cockpits which I've been looking forward to.

I've made the two cabin doors for the River Cruiser and the one for the Huntress.

Chris

Continuing with windows I've cut out those for the River Cruiser from 0.5mm Styrene sheet and painted them.

Started doing a bit more and glued the windows to the Huntress using Deluxe Materials Canopy Glue.

I can see what you mean though Bill! 😀

Here's another view. You often get a group of them at the surface looking to be fed!

Chris

Chris.
That’s a great picture of your model submarine,what power plant have you fitted.(sorry just my sad humour,must go and take my tablets)
Bill👍

Hi Rod

That's a right pain.

It's just a dye to reduce the amount of light travelling through the water, it does a good job, though they do have to remove/cut the weed now and then.

It doesn't affect wildlife as there are some big fish, tadpoles and other creatures.

Chris

Oh, that is great ! We are not allowed to use herbicides to control weeds here in Ontario, Canada. We encounter weed problems before end of June. We hav to maintain rescue vessels with air props & air rudders. Last week we sailed at a reflecting fountain pool adjacent to City Hall. There was a lot of debris in the water, we encountered wrapped hairnets etc around our props. A washcloth wrapped around a large diameter prop on a tug.

Yes, it's the dye they put in the water to control weed.

Beautiful watercolor!!

Went down to the lake at the club yesterday to try out the River Cruiser. Really pleased with how it performed, makes a change to have a slow Fairey!

The full Fairey fleet! They're busy at the local yard!

Chris

Been making some progress due to the poor weather. Been painting the cabin/cockpit sides on the Fairey River Cruiser, but more importantly I've completed the RC installation so that I can try it at the lake!

Not shown, but I've finished painting the cabin sides and coamings on the Huntress ready for fixing the windows.

Chris

Thanks Flaxbybuck. Doing multiple builds has meant that it's taken a long time to get something on the water but as I keep saying I will have a number completed around the same time.

I do have other boats to use though, as well as Dave's Huntress I have RTR plastic race boats and a couple of 650mm yachts.

Your "big Huntress" sounds like it will look like a Huntsman 31 Sport. Only a small number were built, primarily for racing, and have a big open cockpit and no rear cabin. They look great as that hull is the sleekest of the Faireys. I started building one but then changed it to the more common aft cabin version after I sold my big one.

Look forward to seeing your build. Picture of side view of the one I drew up.

Well Chris, I'm more than impressed.
I seem to have more than enough to do with just one boat under construction.
One I have been working on for over two years will be loosely based upon a F M Huntsman hull, but with two superstructures, one a pilot boat, the other a cabin cruiser a bit like an overgrown Huntress. Loa 1m.
This kicked off with seeing a good use for wooden venetian blind slats.
I will show some construction pictures when it is a bit further advanced. 😉

😀 When I first got interested about 6 years ago I bought a 47" Huntsman 31. And was then lucky enough to buy one of the Huntress prototypes off Dave Milbourn. Found the Huntsman a bit big and heavy so sold it to a fellow club member.

The Huntress is at a scale of 1:12 which I think is a good scale for this type of boat and makes my biggest build of the Swordsman at 33" still a nice manageable size. I really got into the histrory of Fairey Marine and decided to build all the well known boats at the same scale. Some drawings were available but I decided to draw my own so that I could modify them for lift-off superstructures etc. These boats were the Huntsman 28 and 31and the Swordsman 33, the latter with the raised rear cabin roof. Being new to the hobby I'd reach a tricky point with a build and then start another one!

Also, as well as these classic builds I wanted to do something different but still Fairey and hence the two builds in this thread. The Huntress is the Long Cabin version and was fitted with twin stern-drives. As mentioned before, the other build is the River Cruiser based on a modified Huntress hull with greater freeboard. Only a prototype was built and all trace of it disappeared.

I've produced drawings for the other two builds ( not yet started), one being a small 17 foot river/lake cruiser called Faun based on one of their sailing dinghies and the other the Fisherman 27 motor sailer which will be my first build with sails.

Could be called a bit of an obsession 😊 but I think it will be nice to have a collection all at the same scale with both the well known and lesser known boats.

Some of them are similar in some respects but still worthwhile building for completeness. With DM's Huntress I will have eight!

So there you are!

Chris, I have only just noticed the note along the bottom of your posts, beneath a dotted line about your building 6 Faireys and another in the pipeline. Are you in production or what ??! I thought building two of the same was a little OTT, but seven !
I feel an explanation is needed 🤔

Flaxybuck - that photo was taken during the installation and the receiver is now fixed to one of the frames at high level.

The motor in the River Cruiser is a bit OTT being a 3530 1100kv! Could have used a brushed motor but I'm using Overlander brushless in all of my Fairey builds. I'm only going to use 2S LiPo or maybe NiMh and a 30mm prop and the model is fairly heavy so it shouldn't be too manic! Can always restrict the throttle.

Nice to see the Huntress on the water Chris - it looks good 👍

Nice to see the Huntress on the water Chris - it looks good! 👍

By heck Chris, that river cruiser will fairly fly with that motor !!😉

A nice tidy installation Chris.
Does the receiver stay where shown or is it to be raised above the bottom somehow ? 😉

Very neat and tidy 👍👍
Regards
Bill

Nice photos 📸

Looks like the Huntress performs really well. I've always loved the Fairey boats - used to be engrossed with the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes races when they were televised many years ago. 👍

Photos of the River Cruiser. The hull was based on the Huntress, at the same length of 23 feet, but with a reduced vee and greater freeboard to provide more space inside. Only the one prototype was built which disappeared and it never went into production.