Ahoy Maties! it's been a long time since my last posting. Happy 2019! I just completed my new scratch-built boat "Electric Barbarella". I tried to recreate (with some liberties) one of my favorite boats of all time, the 30-footer Chris Craft Sportsman built during the 1970s. it measures 24 X 8.5 inches. it is powered with a 9.6 NiMH 4200 mAh battery "nunchuck" pack (like the one used for paintball guns), brushless motor attached to a 30A Mtroniks Hydra controller and a 30mm M4 3-bladed brass propeller. The hull (my own on-the-go design) was made out of Balsa wood which later I fiberglassed. For the superstructure I utilized 2mm ABS plastic sheet material. To my surprise the boat turned to be a very stable and forgiving platform. I really feel a very close connection to this vessel as it is my first own hull design.😁
This ship was a lightship tender named "Coeur de Lion" that was armed and drafted into the Union during the civil war to counter blockade runners. This model is scratch built and is inspired by a paper model designed by Magnus Mörck. A sidewheel steamer equipped with the typical walking beam machinery, it was rebuilt to carry three guns. A line of iron plates along the gun wales added a measure of armoured protection. After the war it was returned to lightship service. On my model the paddles are independently driven, mainly because I have a Robbe Navy F14 transmitter with twin sticks. The walking beam is operated by a servo modified for continuous rotation. The original ship towed a barge that flew an observation balloon and could be described as the first 'aircraft carrier' the fifth picture shows the barge I have made - I hope one day to emulate the real thing by raising and lowering a suitable balloon. I have included some pictures of the rest of my paddle fleet.The 'Rachel Erin' is a freelance sternwheeler 'quarter wheeler' tug that uses a worm drive to the paddles. She does not steer well. The last ship is an enlarged version of Graham Goodchild's Santa Anna.
This is one of the limited edition Sirmar kits that was produce in the early 1990’s.this model was made by a friend of mine who’s a dockyard fitter and turner it was made about twenty eight years ago. Based on a tug that I worked on in and around Portsmouth harbour. This model has a working voith unit opening engine room skylights. Working lights, removable deck hatch to get at the unit like the real boat, the superstructure and gun whales are made from plasticard. The fender was made by a friend to the same type as used on the tug. The wheelhouse is copied like for like. The towing hook is copied from photos and slips like the real one. in all my years I haven’t seen another one like this . Sirmar made twenty numbered hulls as kits .
This is my scratch built 36" RNZAF British Power Boat 64' HSL (arrived in NZ 1940). I actually went on board this vessel in 1968 when it was still in original form (the RNZAF having disposed of it in the 50s) This vessel is still around and has been recently re modelled (2nd time since early 70s) and I was lucky last year to have met the present owner and go on board (2nd time in 49yrs!)and take a few photos. The vessel was modified a number of times by the RNZAF over the years (air intakes, removal of the fore deck machine guns, wheelhouse turret etc so I sort of went in the middle. I found a few drawings of the type in an old mag which had side and top views plus the bulkheads and their positions, so I took them along to a copying shop and kept enlarging them until I had the desired proportions. This worked out quite well and using a few methods from other models I had built, managed to frame (ply) the hull and then fully strip plank it in balsa. it was then fiber glassed. The deck is ply, lined and varnish stained. The wheelhouse is varnished balsa with the top removable for access. The wheelhouse interior has detail such as controls, instrument panels, skipper, steps to wardroom etc but is not too detailed as it is not seen. The boat has full lighting by remote switch, lights are all LED.
The propulsion side has dual everything (motors, ESCs, sound units), would have had 3x but ran out of space! Motors are 28mm 2200Kv water jacketed in-runners (cooled by remotely switched pump) using 30A Chinese ESCs (have 5A BEC, Fwd and Rev). Twin sound units are 'GT Power' car units which have around 40 different sound selections, from Cosworths to diesels and are computer programmable (as well as manually on the unit ) for various functions. I am using one of the v8 sounds (8 cyls short in my application) which I think is as near as you are going to get to 3 Napier Sea Lions (for which there is obviously no sound available) They 'start' 'Idle' and are fully proportional in fwd and rev and can sound quite realistic (will attempt to put up a vid later).
Batteries are 2x 2200mah 2s 20c LiPos which will last around 2hrs at least of sailing (they also run the sound units) Still have a few small things left to do (have just made wheelhouse air intakes) but don't want to get too fiddly. Just want to keep it a practical model.
Thanks for the kind comments. Planking did take a couple of days but was not done all that neatly (just clamp and cyno) as I was glassing it later - it was all thin resin coated inside to seal it). Planking was just a hint at the original so you could just make out the planks through the glass. Have included a few more pics of the motors and interior which is not that flash but is unseen, (more for the fact that I had seen the original and was sort of putting down what I remembered from when I was 15) There is a small picture at the top left of the stairs which on the original, was a Photo from an HSL looking off the Stbd rear 1/4, to 2 64ft HSLs side by side climbing over its wake at speed
The stair set is the original from the wheelhouse to wardroom, which has been kept and used again by the present owner (down to utility room in front of engine room) and still has the original 'POWER BOAT' rubber treads (not bad nick for 79yrs old!)
Proboat Alpha - ready to run, model of PBR, Patrol Boat Riverine, used by US Navy during Vietnam conflict, served 1967 -1972.
Images show basic detail, 1/18 scale, with crew. Bow gunner servo is linked to rudder. Comes with Navlights, looking forward to a night sail.....some painting added to weather craft, as well as painting radar housing a lighter grey....and the canvas roof over wheel house....a little artistic licence with vessel numbers......Brown Navy did'nt always have numbered vessels....but could'nt help myself.
Asheville Class gun boat model is 51” long weighs 22 lbs. hull covered with 2 layers of 2 oz. fiberglass cloth and resin. All plywood and balsa construction finished with fiberglass resin and Model Master paints. Working radar mast, turrets, desiel sound, whopper sound, general quarters sound, sierene. Power is MACK
Drives 12 volt system 2 x 2 6volt 3000 nimh each drive. Very fast in the water.
Boat looked great.The boat ran just fine.Not too much over scale speed.It's good to have a little more speed to avert obstacles,especially oyher boats that don't know where they are.
HMS Victorious,circa 1941.
Still very much in the early stages of construction.
Most of the internal workings are in place ,but still a few ideas to work on.
Thus far she has a working forward aircraft lift.
A smoke generator (water not oil).
All four rear guns rotate.
A working bilge pump.
Working next on how to activate the crane.
All three engines are powered from a 6 volt battery.
All other items mentioned above powered from another 6 volt battery,bot of which provide the main ballast.
As I say still a long way to go yet as can be seen.Many of the fittings have to be more authentically painted.
I sold an EXPLORER steam boat kit to my mate Bob and look how he painted it !!!! He intends to call it HUMBUG .....and i wonder why !!! I think he is fitting a WW1 gun to the front of it soon. My red and white boat is far more refined dont you think !! Video taken at TILFORD rural life center Easter Saturday ......an annual toy steam up. Les Breame
PT 109 was one of the hundreds of motor torpedo boats (PT) of the PT 103 class completed between 1942 and 1945 by Elco Naval Division of Electric Boat Company at Bayonne, New Jersey. The Elco boats were the largest in size of the three types of PT boats built for U.S. use during World War II. Wooden-hulled, 80 feet long with a 20-foot, 8-inch beam, the Elco PT boats had three 12-cylinder Packard gasoline engines generating a total of 4,500 horsepower for a designed speed of 41 knots. With accommodations for 3 officers and 14 men, the crew varied from 12 to 14. its full-load displacement was 56 tons. Early Elco boats had two 20mm guns, four .50-caliber machine guns, and two or four 21-inch torpedo tubes. Some of them carried depth charges or mine racks. Later boats mounted one 40mm gun and four torpedo launching racks. Many boats received ad-hoc refits at advanced bases, mounting such light guns as Army Air Forces 37mm aircraft guns and even Japanese 23mm guns. Some PTs later received rocket launchers.
This Proboat PT 109 model was brought in 2013 for £100 these boats are rare now, This one had a few faults with the propshafts they were bent and noisy both were replaced, with quality 4mm shafts, motors twin 600s were also replaced by Graupner versions along with mounts and couplings, basically all the running gear, also two ESCs by Aquapower were added and a 2.4G RC system.
A favourite model boat there must have been hundreds if not thousands made.
When I brought mine there was a choice between two sizes 36in (90cm) or 48in (120cm) and then you could choose between a wooden hull or a fibreglass hull. I went for the smaller boat with the fibreglass hull. this was back in the 1980s.
Background of the boat
The boats Perkasa class consisted of three motor torpedo boats built by Vosper (UK) for the Malaysian Navy as follows:-
Perkasa 150
Penula 151
Handalan 152
This model has 3 motors, port & starboard are Graupner 600s and one 700 type in the centre runs 3 ESCs front and rear guns operate via servos, with flashing LEDs down the barrels.
There is an old British war movie 'Appointment with Venus', about the rescue of a prize cow. it features a Fairmile D in some great scenes. if one is building a Fairmile D then the boats in this movie will provide inspiration.
I grew up a block away from the river, and there were a lot of pleasure craft in the area. Most of them were pre-70's as I left before then.