I am a modeller of 45 years experience, mostly with RC aircraft but have recently got into boats. Have completed the aeronaut Diva and spitfire to a high standard but needed a challenge
So, having spent a long time trying to source an un-started Aerokits Solent, I bit the bullet and bought a set of plans and templates from eBay. Overall the plans are good, the templates need some adjusting as we go for acuaracy.

Have spent the last couple of weeks perusing the plans and sourcing the materials needed. A visit to the Balsa Cabin in Maldon, Essex provided all the ply and the internet has provided the main components I.e motors, props, shafts, ESC, battery, soundboard/speaker, servo mostly sourced from Cornwall model boats and Howes Models

septembers issue of "model boats" had a great article on a refurb which has been very useful for hints n tips on required electrics and the little extras needed to complete.

I do have a workshop where the model will spend most of its time, however my wife's conservatory has been invaluable for using my eBay sourced scroll saw to cut out the formers! The sheet of 6mm ply from balsa cabin was long enough to make keel formers 1 & 2 one piece!

I shall post a more detailed update when I get my computer back from repair Monday!

Here are some shots of the main plan and the proposed electronics going into my Solent. My only issue is whether my choice of motors is suitable? I've gone with 2 x 600 brushed motors on 15 inch shafts and 45mm brass props which I purchased before reading the article in Septembers model boats mag. The author in that has gone with 2 x 850's? With my aircraft experience, it's strange going "backwards" with brushed motors instead of the aircraft industry standard of using brushless motors, esc's and lipo battery's! And to cap it all, I've not go any aircraft that could possibly drag let alone lift the 12v 7amp lead acid battery that I've bought for this boat!

Any thoughts on motor choice would be appreciated, apart from that I'm good with the electrics. The Mtroniks sound board and speaker is a blast using the Napier diesel sound chip.

Another shot shows some of the decor going on, i.e. RNLI decals, numbering for "Douglas Currie", portholes, anchor, handrail stanchions.

Other decor, doors, bollards etc coming from Macs soon.

Last show shows the finished working radar built from scrap and painted in VW brilliant orange which I believe is a recognised match.

One last question, can someone please give me an approx size for the 3mm main deck stanchions which I will fashion from brass tube and soldered eyelets, rope thickness would be helpful too, many thanks

Had some time over the last couple of days to get the Solent moving along.

So, have got all the stringers in which took some time to make sure everything was square at the end. some swearing and cussing did ensue at points trying to get clamps on, nails in whilst trying the aproach of wishing I was an octopus with 8 hands!

spent 2-3 hours sanding, planeing and shaping said stringers and formers to get even curves to make life easier when the sheeting started.

And so the sheeting starts! My logic says sheet from the keel upwards so that by the time I get to the bulwark and overlap can be sanded before sheeting the deck. Sheet 17 went in nicely requiring just a little balsa fillet on the curve at the bow to get a nice flowing finish. My approach on the prop tunnel was to sheet with 0.8mm ply first, I will then add strength from the inside with a 1/4 balsa layer before a final layer of 0.8mm ply, should be strong!

once sheeting is complete, then will be the process of filler where required, sanding, glass clothing, and a whole lot of sanding and priming.

So, today after sheeting and filling hull yesterday, today has been dry enough outside to give the hull a coat of sanding sealer and a thorough rub down. This has been followed by applying glass cloth with a squeegeed initial coat of Z-poxy resin. This will be followed by sanding between a further 2 coats of resin.

After a week away in Lanzarote, have had a couple of days to get some work done. Left side of hull is now fully sheeted, gaps filled and awaiting final sanding and glass clothing. Decided to get ahead of myself and have fitted all the deck pieces and the cabin deck formers. The inside of the hull has had a second coat of epoxy resin and will get a couple of coats of yaht varnish once the final pieces of internal wood parts have been fitted to include battery tray, motor mounts, prop shafts, servo rail, ESC tray, receiver tray, speaker/engine sound module tray.

Up at the bow have fitted the wood for the on/off switch, sanded, sealed and primed the bow deck before adding a couple of the detail parts.

Good weekend of progress has seen the hull glass clothing completed and has now had 2 coats of resin. Will get a 3rd and final coat after last stabilzer is fitted before final sanding, priming and painting (once motors and propshafts have been fitted).

Have also made good progress on the cabin superstructure which has now started to get this "Solent" closer to the eventual finish line! Not much more can be done this week as starting Nights tonight, sometime good to have a break though!

Has anyone used these figures from DK Figures? Painting not a problem, I used to paint Wargamming figures for painting Comps, so have no issue painting these to a good standard. Like my scale, RC aircraft, I dont like to see an "empty Office" and was thinking a couple or 3 of the DK figures might add a nice touch of realism.

The beauty of being on nights is I can do some of the smaller but important things at my desk whilst waiting for war to start! Yep, I’m in the army and a coiled spring ha ha! Anyway, have managed to turn the extra large standard rudder into something that looks like the original on the real life “Solent” using some brass strip, a dremel and a good hot soldering iron. Just needs a final clean up, primer and gloss grey to finish it off. I’ve some brass bushes left over from my model car days which are perfect to act as a spacer from rudder blade to hull tunnel. Now to make the second one!

Just finished building the basic superstructure. Dont worry about the enlarged window openings, they will be reduced in size to scale once the plasticard frames are installed along with the wiper pieces above the fore windows.

I still have alot of filling, sanding, sealing ect to go before painting and adding the abundance of scale detail I intend putting on. I havnt bothered fitting the rear stowage bin shown on the plan as pictures of real ones generally show it not fitted. I also have a plan of scribing the bottom line of the superstructure to match the outline of the hull which will then have a spruce strip alplied to give a near perfect match between hull and cabin.

So today has been a good day of progress. spent the morning giving the superstructure a couple of coats of sanding sealer with plenty of sanding inbetween. Have then spent the rest of the day making a good start on the detailing which included most of the plasticard window frames, roof nav light housings, most of the hatches, marking and drilling the holes for the stanchions, adding a brass exhaust on the side, drilling and loose mounting the radar and a few other bits n bobs.

Tomorrow afternoon should see the bulk of the detailing finished less any metal work i.e stanchions and all the roof metalwork which will be added after painting.