Thames Fire Service fire boat,this has twin 540 motors,12v pumps(not working yet) and nav lights.Fibreglass hull with wood decks etc.
The model is quite old and has been a static for some time until it fell into my hands,the name Gamma on the bow.
Looks pretty much scratch built and a very good job whoever did it.
Sails occasionally at Gang Werily Fawley Hants.
This is another work in progress,hopefully we will make it to a fun-day maybe next year.
"Gamma' was a sister ship to the well known Massey Shaw fire boat the latter on which I served during the sixties. Both craft did trojan service during WW ll, Fb. Massey Shaw also took part in the Dunkirk Evacuations. Gamma was retired in the mid 50's, the company that bought her removed her pumps and converted her to a Thames Passenger Cruiser whereafter she plied between Greenwich and Westminster Piers for several years.
WOW! BRAVO ZULU! That's really cool that you gave her life. I have built static kits most of my life, but in 89, I built my 1st RC USCG MLB. I still love statics, but watching a boat (or plane) that I've built, actually perform like the actual craft is wonderful.
this boat started as a kingston mouldings hull of the
p28 fast patrol boat you get hull and plan the rest is up to the builder it is twin shafts twin rudders one speed controller a jel 6v 7amp battery AND two
545 motors
The boat is a scratch built and started life in the shed. it is a semiscale model at aprox 36inch, built with balsa wood.It is full remote control and fitted with two Mtroniks Vision 600 motors one 12volt 7ah battery,one seasprint esc.
It was built as a fun boat so I could sail with my friend Peter thomas with his variuos boats.
Several things have now been added since this boat was first built, IE smoking stacks, fireing torpedoes and magnetic pickups for colecting them. Also has working radar/moving gun + a home built bec.
Flag poles and flags/compas has been added on the superstructure.
Each motor draws 6amps at full power, I have measured the speed from one point to another at a spacing of 60mtrs, and timed at 15 seconds, but this is a bit fast for this boat as she starts to plane out of the water.
We sail her at New Brighton lake on the wirral most wednesdays. As the weather is now a bit cool I have just purchased a simular model to this at 1:48 scale 110ft island class USCG Patrol boat so I can look at them both in action when the weather picks up. Anyone wanting info can contact me via this website.
46 Inch Crash Tender Rescued From E-bay By Peter Harvey
46 inch Crash Tender rescued from E-bay. Currently in the process of total restoration and have had to scratch build the entire super structure. Have fitted a Merco 61 engine with tuned pipe (the noise is awesome).
Have gone for it with the radio control- - employing a Robbe F14 plus an extra 8 channel module with decoder. So far extra controls are : each monitor (scratch built using brass pipe & sheet) left & right (using Robbe pulley set to give me 270 degrees travel), two Irvine water pumps, (real car) hooter, winch (using gearbox from Maplins) and movement for jib and search light.
The boat is scratch built,designed by Hal Harrison,contruction plan in Marine Modeling mag.whitch was designed as a freelance coastguard patrol boat .made from balsa/cardboard sise 18" aprox.weight 2.5kg.
Our model is 36"twin motors and all moving parts and weight is 10kg.
This is the latest pictures of Vigilant Star on the lake at NewBrighton Wirral
Hull started out as polystyrene foam and plywood. Started July 29,2006 and in the water by Aug. 11th for sea trials. Detailed over the following 18 months.
The model is powered by 12vdc using Graupner Speed400-2.33:1 gear drive, and the small Graupner Schottel drives #1761. Separate ESC and Steering control for each drive.
The Lighting is 3mm LED cast into clear, or tinted, polyurethane lamps.
It sails the Pacific Northwest, USA, homeport Portland, Oregon.
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
