USS Chesty B Puller, I was a marine, 63 inches long, prebuilt by Aquacraft, engines installed, but no radio, batteries or speed control. Looks great in water. preforms like a real one, especially in still water, but we don't have much of that in Kansas.
Members might like to view my experimental solar powered "BOAT " More like an aircraft carrier !! No batteries carried even for the radio. Brushless motor running from 24 cells giving 12volts. Slightest shadow will stop it.The panel i made myself by buying individual solar cells from Ebay and soldering them up.The cells are sandwiched between glass which makes it quite heavy and next project will have no glass but the cells are VERY fragile.
I wanted to demonstrate that a vessel could move due to the power of the sun alone.Introducing a battery would confuse the issue and sceptical people would claim that it was the battery doing all the work !! Cheers
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!)
My dad built this over a long period of time, starting in the '80s. The hull is fibreglass and the rest is scratch built from plastic card, balsa, ply, wire and anything else he could adapt.
Although he installed the motors, props and rudders he never completed the RC installation or tested it. I inherited his boat models a few years ago and wanted to "finish the job", getting the model on the water. After installing the RC gear and batteries over the last few months, this weekend was the first sailing outside the bath at the Valley Gardens boating lake.
Happy to report that it sailed really nicely, seems to be reasonably stable although I did restrict it to calmer times when the MTBs and faster boats weren't running !
HMS Cadiz was a battle class destroyer, laid down and launched during WW2 although she didn't receive her commission until 1946 so didn't see combat with the Royal Navy, serving with the home fleet. Due to the changeover in pennant numbering she was originally allocated R09 and later, when the admiralty decided to revert to the D for Destroyer pennant numbering she was assigned D79. To reflect this my model has D79 on the starboard side and R09 on the port side.
She was sold to Pakistan in the late '50s, and renamed PNS Khaibar. She was sunk with the loss of nearly all hands in 1971 in the indo-Pakistan war.
Only 2nd run of "IMARA Tug", my lad did the shaky video. (O well)
Nice model lots of ballast, batteries, MARX Hectoperm motor for huge power reserve. Running on electric but Cheddar Proteus steam plant also fits in instead with ABC boiler control. plan for the future to try this never run not even on air yet!
great job on the model.Runs nice too.Nice to see lots of lights.Will look great at night.BTW anybody check to see if the Canada geese had their passports.
All the feed back on my American Scout seamen on deck I think this will really get some colorful comments. Sterling runabout 30”
weighs 5 1/2 lbs. power MACK 5045 motor 12 volt 2 x 3000 nimh batteries. Pilots head turns with rudder movement passenger waves flag on elevator input while towing skier. Built to impress my granddaughters.
I fist bought the plans when I was about 12. 50years later I decided to build the boat. it took me about 6months to build. The plans are the original Sufury but with a few changes. The cockpit is similar to that of a cigarette boat, extended the length and added a duck board. The power plant is 2100kv brushless moter, a 120amp speed control, 4mm flex sharftwith 2 11.4volt lipo batteries. in a straight line the boat is fast, but she really leans over when turning. Such is life is fun to drive.
Nice boat Kevin. I have a fibre glass SHG Surfury and a SHG Cigarette. There are some pics of them on here. Both now have electric Brushless motors and look realistic on the water.
I always fancied building a Surfury from the same plan, but the complex rounded hull looked too advanced for my skills or patience but maybe one day.
SPECIFICATION:RG65
Total lenght:650mm
Beam:150mm
Mast height :915mm
Overal height: 1338mm
RTR total weigh:1290g (without 4pcs AA batteries)
Hull material Plastic
Sail material : Mylar
INCLUDED:
*Completed hull with pre applied graphics.
*Two milar film sail sets
*Carbon fiber masts and booms ]2Rigs]
*Zinc alloy ballast and aluminium alloy fin
*Powerful sail winch
*Metal gear rudder servo
*Battery box an On/Off switch for receiver
*AA Nimh batteries 2200mAh for transmitter and
*rc/radio FrskyTaranis 2.4Ghz
An old favourite from my hovercraft phase. Runs really well on land and especially water. Although no reverse, it will auto-rotate on the hover, so when pointing in the desired direction on with the propulsion with the brushless motor and away she flies.
Realistic in operation. Looking a bit work worn now. Could do with up-dating with Lipo batteries which would make it even lighter. Seen here with lift motor running with skirt inflated. Steering
interesting, with twin air rudders. Must get some videos of the action.
It's a learning curve to operate a hovercraft.It's fun to watch them drifting in a turn and then trying to go in the direction you want them to go.Lots of fun.
