It is a Sirmar limited edition (100) semI kit at 1/48 scale and some 6 feet in length. When he bought the model it was already constructed, but as a static model. So out came the jigsaw, Manual NOT powered.
The deck around the aft gun turret was cut to allow a good inspection of the inside of the hull. He tried to remove the bridge superstructure but this would have meant destroying it to remove. Out came the jigsaw again and cut an access hatch in the main deck.
The steering servo was fitted and attached ( by keyhole surgery ) and 2 x MFA 800 motors were fitted. Scale Prop Shop Props were fitted and the radio gear just jury rigged for her first trial. She was roughly ballasted with 2 x 12volt 7Ah batteries and she was ready for her first trials.
She sailed well with no water ingress to the hull, so the radio gear was installed properly with individual speed controllers to each motor. The results are as seen here.
The Hugh William Viscount Gough built by Debbie and Alan
This is the Hugh William Viscount Gough. She is a solent class lifeboat. She went into service in 1963 as the Stornoway lifeboat. She was there for around twenty years.
She then went on to Barra and ended her service at Dunbar. She was sold in 1993 and is now out in Malaysia.
I have scratch built her from the hull up. She has a fibre glass hull and the super structure is made from plasticard. She took four weeks to build. I have some bits and bobs to do to her.
She runs on two MFA 850 torprdos, but I am going to down size to 800's.
We sail her at Mote park Maidstone most Sundays and also at shows.
I agree with Larryshaw48. Many of the members of this site have a general interest in vintage boats including the fireboats, I'm one of them! Other categories are available to cater for that and it keeps the site busy and of broad interest. it also helps build a data and information archive for others to access - a vintage boat treasure chest! The more the merrier I say 😊
HI Alan and Debbie
Nice to see your Aerokits Solent still going strong 😊 . My original kit sails infrequently but I really enjoy sailing her. I intend to update the control from a Bobs board to twin Mtronic ESc's but will keep the two Bhuler motors and 12v 18Ahr SlA. I also need to update the number I originally allocated as mine still has the original Watertight door. Thanks to the internet, this and other on line modelling sites I can now make the model represent an original lifeboat. I enjoy looking at all 😊 model boat pictures and my Aerokits Crash Tender was restored with help from this site. I have a model tug that has fire monitors fitted and I intend to make them operational. Previous attempts showed up my poor soldering in the connection piping 😟 . I agree with thelegos.
Dave
This lifeboat was a part-kit from Metcalfe Mouldings, being just a bare hull and superstructure. All the detailed work was scratch- built by my son and I did all the drive and electrics.
It is powered by two 540 motors through a single water-cooled speed controller and the props are about 35mm. My son and I sail it at our club water at Knightcote in Warwickshire. it is now about 4 years old and, (touch wood), pretty reliable.
This is my ** version of the Sea Queen. My father owns one of the originals and when one lunch time I saw one on the ** web site I knew I had to get one.
It was to be a winter build project and work started in the autumn of 2006 and it was launched in May 2007. I was very disappointed to see the all white paint finish used on the ** advertisements and decided I was going to re-create the look of the original. Cosmetically the big problem was that the original used mahogany finish ply for the cabin sides and the ** version was just plain birch. However after a bit of staining I was quite happy with the finished colour. This was contrasted against clear coated lime wood deck planking.
Also ***a€™s bag of fittings missed out on the signature life belts so I had to make my own.
One Improvement that I did make was the inclusion of a dashboard, instrument panel and throttle slide.
The graphic on the transom was a custom cut from callie-graphics.
The supplied motor was replaced with an MFA Torpedo 850 which is a direct replacement. ( Same mount, same screw fixing centres etc ).
Battery is a 12V 7A gel cell, ESC is an Mtronics Marine Viper 40A
This was given to me by the Minoros Family from Sutton in Surrey found in a loft after the death of a family member it is 46" long with a beam of 15" and I guess built in the early 1960's.
I think it has been scrach built, but is a copy of the kit above, it has a large petrol engine but I have no idea what cc it is. I would be greatful for any help or suggestions as I require some parts to finish restoring it. and converting it to an electric Motor drive
The Sea Queen is an original Aerokits kit from the early 1960's. it was built by my Dad in the early 1960's. it was originally fitted with an ED Seaotter, next it had a Channel island Special, then a 15cc Gannett and finally fitted with the OS 80 which it still has fitted today.
I sail at King Lear Lake at Watermead County Park in Wanlip Leicestershire. it sat in my attic for 22 years and 2 years ago I dragged it out and gave it a bit of TLC and started to use it again and it has been ran most weekends for the last 2 years.
I ran this boat virtually all day of the Burton Model Boat Club's Fireboat day in September 2006. it is currently in dry dock having a full de-barnacle and repaint.
The hull of this model was my own design in 2004 and was sailed for 2 years, and then a new upper decks and battery system were added during the winter of 2005. The hull performed well enough but my original cabin design was too crude to keep.
The boat shown here depicts my effort to copy a 1958 ChrisCraft Cabin Cruiser at a scale of 1" = 1'.
The hull is 1/8" thick pine planks on frames with hand cut Walnut decking and 3/16" Walnut cabin sides. No epoxy or glass was used on the hull - just a good paint job.
The big change was to replace a bulky & heavy 12VDC leac acid battery with 9 AA dry cells connected in series. Bathtub testing indicated I could expect about 2 hours running time at full speed and that estimate was about right. A Dumas 12VDC motor and mechanical speed control were used with a JR XR 2 control.
The reduction in battery weight made a very large speed and appearance difference. Availability of the AA cells was an economic plus.
"BOO BOO Kitty" is a scale model of a Crosby designed Cape Cod Cat Boat.[USA] it was built from scratch at a scale of 9.04" = 1"; the model being 26.5" oal.
The dimensions were taken from a book that highly detailed the building of a real Cat Boat.
The hull is plank-on-frame with epoxy and glass cloth as the final surface. A separate and detachable fin keel was used for sailing of the centerboard model.
Radio controls were a Hitec sail winch [HS-785HB] and one servo for the rudder with a 2 channel JR transmitter.
Copying the book plans, scaling them down, and construction took up the winter of 2006/2007. The model is sailing better than anticipated on a local lake in Langhorne, Pennsylvania.
This boat is a cabin cruiser. it is powered by 2 dumas 12 volt motors, one motor fried. This boat minus elecs and motors is for sale at 75.00 plus shipping.
Had it in water this year about 1 month ago. This boat you will not find anymore. The plans are included with it.