MaiamI scratch built and Vic Smeed 37 1/2" Thornycroft PT
A quick ( 3 weeks) rough 35" balsa MaiamI powered by Turrnigy 28/30 outrunner , 3cell LiPo and 30A ESC made for my son who wasn't that interested so I am adding a bit more to it and 'playing' with it myself .
Vic Smeed plan Thornycroft took about 20yrs (on and off) to complete and has an Electronize 43HX 24v 15A controller, 2x 400 sized 6-12v brushed motors 4cell 3000MAh LiPo for main power with seperate 3 cell LiPo running a computer fan for cooling (fan is linear and sucks air through the boat from the front hatches and blows it out through the rear hatches) There are also seperate 3 and 4 cell AA NmH packs for nav and interior lighting.
Boat runs 28mm 3 blade props and runs at a realistic scale speed and attitude. Radio gear is 2.4 and I have modified one TX for twin throttles and at present am running both these boats simultaniously on the one TX.
Have bought twin car ESCs, batts, RXs and BECs for the PT and the (36") British Power Boat 64ft HSL I am building (modelled on the RNZAFs 64ft HSL- the only one sold in the southern hemisphere - in 1940) Went on board as a teenager before she was ruined by being turned into a pleasure launch so it was a help with the building. Still remember the wonderful alloy 'Power Boat' stair treads down to the ward room. Will get some pics up of the HSL as well.
Another boat the same as mine seen on a local auction site. Anybody have any ideas as to the manufacturer ?. The dimensions are L 31", W 71/2", H 7" and by the looks of it were Ic powered (or at least mine was and was later changed to electric). Hulls are balsa and planked to 1st 1/4 then finished to the stern with with longer angle cut 'planks'. Cabin top is ply sides with balsa roof and deck is ply and has printed ? planking.
Someone will know but I haven't been able to pin it down to any kit even after going through all my 60s and 70s Model Boat mags.
Thanks for that bit of info Steve, will head off on that tack and scour the high seas of the internet for any sightings of a vessel of that name. Will let you know if I find her.
HI Steve, thanks for pointing me in that direction, you were close with the Maycraft and they do look a bit similar, but sorry, no cigar. Your suggestion led me to the Vintage Modelworks site and I was told it is a 'FAIRACRE 11, luxury Thames cruiser' built from Modelmaker plan 709 and designed by Philip Conolly (late 50s - 60s) you were correct on the date though and now I can give it a name, (even if it does sound like a piece of farmland!)
Mystery solved and thanks to Mike Cummings of Vintage Modelworks for his info. I have found there are still plans available as well and I may purchase one just for the hell of it to go with the boat. Bit of a coincidence to find 2 of these unusual subjects here in NZ, be interesting to know when they were built and where, (may have even been Imported by people coming to live here) next question,- has anyone built one ?
HI " I thought I would put my biggest model from my collection for all to look at ! HMS Avenger took approx 3 years to build . " She is a type 21 frigate at 1/64 scale . At 6 feet long . Scratch built on a fibreglass hull from plywood plastic card & metal parts . Works on a six channel futaba skysport .
Full working red & white leds on deck and cabin , lynxs helicopter with working rotor blades with landing lights. Working radars, bofor gun , A ships whooping sound . Runs on two speed 700 motors off a 12volt gel sell battery which give a good 1hr sailling time . Controlled by a 50 amp speed controller with two brass propshafts behind good size rudders which give a excellant turn .
My model HMS Avenger is a copy from the real ship in which took part in the Falklands war in 1982. Painted in the same grey with a green deck . She looks great on display or on the water . Avenger gets a lot of interest from the general public . please enjoy looking at the photos shown at Sheringham & Eaton park Norwich Norfolk .
" thank you .. A Prestney
Outstanding piece of model building. As a plus it's an unusual subject, not typical of what most folk build. it's too bad these pictures aren't larger, your detail work is exceptional.
Nice to see a scale model of an actual ship. Detail work looks outstanding and I agree with the previous comment re more detailed pics. Seen on the water she looks very realistic. As you have working lights a night time shot would be good 😀
A build blog of your next model would certainly encourage others to get building.
Very well done 😀
I built this boat was built as a tribute to my dad who built an original Sea Commander for my brother and myself in the 1960s, and is called Lady Kathryn after my other half.
The pleasure I had building and sailing this model has inspired me to to look for my next aerokit project.
Hopefully that will be the Sea nymph this was my first attempt at building.
HI Fellow enthusiasts
The first photo shows the boat as it was bought from an E Bay auction in late February for the price of 14.50, for that price I had to bid on it, even thought I had a new kit of the same model on order from a model shop from the end of December, before VAT went up. The models turned out to be the 4 feet versions some 11 inch wide and now is about 19 inch high. This model turned up several days before the new kit turned up, and was a bit worse for ware than anticipated as the deck had started to part company from the hull. After stripping the deck of all remaining deck furniture the deck was re laminated to the hull, prop shafts and rudder tubes also refitted using plenty of resin and cloth. A rubbing strip was fitted around the deck hull line to tidy up the visible damage. When I was happy with repairs the hull and deck was rubbed down and sprayed. Using the information in the new kit and some photos of actual boats, MJB's (My junk boxes) supplied all the required parts to scratch build 90% of the models fittings as seen, this includes the figures on the deck. These being obtained off an EBay site as 1/24 unpainted train scene figures that required some or may be a lot of adjustments to their appearance. Several items have still to be made and fitted. As I'm working on her sister boat P147, will make extra parts in one go.
The boat has twin electric drives, the motors, MFA 919D series, are fitted with their own 2.5/1 gearboxes and they drive 40 mm three bladed conta rotating brass props. They have independent 15 amp Electonize speed controllers run from two 7.2 volt packs in series. The switching arrangements for lighting has still to be finished off. Don't know if I'll fit a sound system as the boat is for my grandson.
The boat has had several trips on the Society's water at Cwmbran with myself and my grandson at the helm. it seems to go fast enough for him. (The new boat P147 has been built with triple screws.) Can't wait to see both models on the water together.
Hope you have enjoyed the pictures and information.
Regards
GreyWolf
hi
I have just bought a home made model just like this one of ebay it is home built and built to a very high standard it had a glow engine in a one stage but by the look of things I dint think it has seen the pond , I was wondering if you could help me out by sending me some detailed pic's of the deck and fittings please
my email is (Email Removed - PM Only)
thank you for eny help ho can give
wilson
HI Les, sorry for the delay in getting back to you, computer been down with a bug, New one dosn;t like my web interface, to old hat. Will try and send you some photo,s soon.
Regards GreyWolf.
HI Fellow Enthusiasts
These pictures show my scratch built RAF Air Sea Rescue launch 2507. it was built using my own scaled up planes over the period July 2006 to August 2008. its approx. 4 feet long by 11 inch wide and stands 24 inch high.
The boat has twin Johnson brushed electric drives via 2.5/1 reduction gearboxes with three bladed 40 mm brass props. The speed controllers being 15 amp Electronize supplied from 4.5 amp D cells made into a 12 volt battery pack.
The boat sound system consists of a Diesel sound generator and machine guns being fired by an electronic ring counter circuit that allows the guns to fire individually or together depending on their selection via a diode network. The unit is switched on and off via a Electonize switch unit that also switches the boats lighting system on and off.
All the special fixtures required for this model being self made this includes the figures found on and in the boat. The basic figures are usually obtained from car boot sales or the local ÂA£ shop for next to nothing and then modified to the model boats requirements.
Launch 2507 was commanded by F/O W. Garret who reputedly made the most northerly pick up on the 26th June 1944 for the crew of a downed Catalina, for this action he was awarded a M.B.E. The Catalina pilot F/Lt. Horner R.C.A.F. died of exposure and was awarded a posthumous V.C.
I hope you enjoyed the pics and information.
Regards
GreyWolf
Many many thanks for your most welcome Pictures and the very welcome advice ,I started this time last year2011 and then found out I was 4inches short for one sixteenth and having built the hull abanded it and never got started again. Built I'm trying to start now but I'm having problems with my computer, need to sort that out first. But I've been down abit too and your kind letter to me has bucked me up too. I've seen the films and get them up on the computer now and then. I've corrected my plans for one sixteenth and I've also started on a set of Plans to make a one sixteenth Whaleback as per the Airfix model, only I was thinking of it when the local Paper had an articule about a local man's Granddaughter did a project for WW2 in her school across the road from where we live and her teacher aproched her Mum about this project and found out that her Dad had written his life on Whaleback's in the North Sea and English Channel and it had been in her loft for sometime So the teacher asked if she could get it published which she did and the process went to re-roof the school, I've forgotten the name but when I find it I will let you know. But many many thanks for geeing me up and just feeling sory in general Thanks "Grey Wolf" 😟 👋
HI Fellow Enthusiasts
Photo shows my RAF crash tender in the colours as it was when first built in 1956/57 from a kit. (Red tops like all fire engines, well I was only 9 at the time.) This photo was taken at lakeside in 1993 when I first joined the Cwmbran Modelling Society. The Second photo shows the boat on display at the Portis Head Open Day event in 2000 several modifications taking place to the overall look of the boat. in 2008/9 I decided for it's belated 50th. birthday to revamp the model and bring it closer to the real thing. Damage to the woodwork being repaired and a colour scheme close to that of the real boat being applied. Several new deck fittings being made along with new window surrounds made out of plastic replacing the cardboard ones fitted in 2000. New decals and correct flag also fitted. The model was entered in the 2010 society Chairmans Comp. winning joint first place with one of my other models. Photo 4 shows my model as she is to-day repaired once again ready to sail, after hitting some Ice over the christmas period 2010 resulting in a hole in the bow that almost caused her to sink.
The model over the 54 years it's been around has been fitted with single and twin electric drives and to day it has a single johnson 550 brushed electric drive via a 2.5/1 gear box run off two 7.2 volt racing packs in series. The torque generated being too great for standard plastic props resulting in me using 40mm three blade brass props. The motor controller is an electolize 15 amp unit and I also use one of their switch units to activate the water pump for the scratch built water cannons. The water pump being salvaged from a 1960's car washer system and still goes to-day.
Hope you enjoy the pic,s as much as Ive enjoyed this model over the last 50 years plus.
Regards
GreyWolf
HI Larryshaw48 🙏 Sorry for the delay, been down with a bug from before Christmas. Several of the Triang Vosper Air Sea rescue Lanches came up for sale before christmas on E bay listed under Vintage Model Boats. All seemed to be for sale with their original box and in fair condition taking their age into consideration. Never had one or needed one myself as the boat shown above has been with me from 1956/57. Regards GreyWolf
More before and after and on the water ( video grab from video taken by minI cam on PT boat) There is another minI cam in the helm position on the launch looking through the screen.
A few more photos of before and after. it's possibly an Aerokit, Dumas or similar from he 60s or 70s. Have also added a new shaft along with the other bits.
HI all, I was given this model in a rather sad state as it had been in a junk box in a farm out-building and had been subjected to the weather from time to time . it had been there for about 20 yrs or more and the balsa hull was 60% rotten . I think it was originally IC powered but had been fitted with a Graupner Jumbo 6v motor and an old style rheostatic sc, ( I did try using the sc but it sucked so much power I gave it a miss - also had no reverse)
Amazingly the motor and sc still worked and with a bit of oil and cleaning the motor is still running well ! I'm using a 1975 Futaba 24v 10A sc and 3cell LiPo which pushes it along nicely. I stripped everything and replaced large bits of the hull, (which was fun as every time you picked it up you would poke another hole in it it was so fragile !) I got it to the stage where it would hang together fairly well and glassed the hull which has made it like the proverbial "brick one". The rest was very careful sanding of the deck and cabin, (they were ply so fared a bit better) and a lot of little filling bits to get it right.
Nav lights and cabin lights all work from the micro switch board, the curtains are left over Graupner Commodore (1975), I've added a mast, new windows,flag pole, cleats, ladder and handrails. Any ideas as to its manufacturer would be great. I have seen another one on our local "Trade Me" web site recently.
Mystery solved,- it's a 'FAIRACRE 11', Modelmaker plan 709 from the late 50s-60s and not a kit as I had assumed. it had obviously been well built by the original modeller.
bought this 50inch hull off ebay and thought I would try a make a boat just with my own idears and this is how it turned out,powered by a 720bb motor,12inch propshaft and a 60mm 3 blade brass propellor.all built from odd bits of wood in my shed. installed wood in bottom and then filled with a two part epoxy resin