HI Fellow Enthusiasts
Photo shows my RAF crash tender in the colours as it was when first built in 1956/57 from a kit. (Red tops like all fire engines, well I was only 9 at the time.) This photo was taken at lakeside in 1993 when I first joined the Cwmbran Modelling Society. The Second photo shows the boat on display at the Portis Head Open Day event in 2000 several modifications taking place to the overall look of the boat. in 2008/9 I decided for it's belated 50th. birthday to revamp the model and bring it closer to the real thing. Damage to the woodwork being repaired and a colour scheme close to that of the real boat being applied. Several new deck fittings being made along with new window surrounds made out of plastic replacing the cardboard ones fitted in 2000. New decals and correct flag also fitted. The model was entered in the 2010 society Chairmans Comp. winning joint first place with one of my other models. Photo 4 shows my model as she is to-day repaired once again ready to sail, after hitting some Ice over the christmas period 2010 resulting in a hole in the bow that almost caused her to sink.
The model over the 54 years it's been around has been fitted with single and twin electric drives and to day it has a single johnson 550 brushed electric drive via a 2.5/1 gear box run off two 7.2 volt racing packs in series. The torque generated being too great for standard plastic props resulting in me using 40mm three blade brass props. The motor controller is an electolize 15 amp unit and I also use one of their switch units to activate the water pump for the scratch built water cannons. The water pump being salvaged from a 1960's car washer system and still goes to-day.
Hope you enjoy the pic,s as much as Ive enjoyed this model over the last 50 years plus.
Regards
GreyWolf

A few more photos of before and after. it's possibly an Aerokit, Dumas or similar from he 60s or 70s. Have also added a new shaft along with the other bits.

Welcome all fellow model makers .
Here is restored 1950s Aerokits wreck which was picked up at a antiques fair . She is running on MFA torpedo 500 motor & 7.2 volts 4600 nimh Battery which should make her get up and go !! The other small boat is a Aerokits 1950s fasts patrol which will be the next restored model .

Purchased from ebay and as you can see the boat has many problems paint peeling middle roof missing engine seized rudder Broken, but on the plus side the wood is undamaged. The boat comes from the original owner who built from a kit in 1964 And kept in his loft for years, I will post more pictures as rebuild progresses.

Ahoy
Here is another of my RC collections this the Revell of Germany Corvette SNOWBERRY. My spouse got this kit 7 years ago for my 64th birthday. I never got one of these before I know that Matchbox made this kit and went out of buisness. in overal view this is the Matchbox kit. I was overjoyed when my wife present this kit to me.After opening the kit examining the contents in the kit the hull comes in four peices two bow sections port and starboard. Two stern sections Port and Starboard.. To my horror they gave me two port bow sections. all there to do is to email the company and filed a complaint about the problem but it got worse. with the instruction sheet in my hand I gave them the part No. I need the Starboard bow section 2 weeks later they sent me another port bow section now I have 2 of them. This time I gave them a piece of my mind, I finally called up the company and filed my complaints. they were very humbled over this and they opoligized greratly. 3 weeks later a UPS truck pulled in. the driver approached my door with a huge box and a package I wondered with excitement whats this of. They sent me a new kit and the starboard bow section. What a del of the century, you dont see that no more.

As to the kit a modlers delight this kit is loaded anyone who has built this kit will share the same experince to the attention of detail. the hull length is 36 inch,s scale is 1/72 there aree plenty of room for your RC gear it to can make a good static model as well. Mine is powered by a dumas 6.0 volt electric motor with speed controll. 2 channel system. to make a stronger model for RC opperation use epoxie. The hull comes in 4 sections leaveing no seams to fill. on back of the instruction sheet they give you a selection of color schemes and ships names. I like the north Atlantic color schedule. So I modeled mine as the Snoewberry. These kits still can be purchased I see thgem all the time on ebay.

Boats

Ahoy
this model dont need any introduction because there are thousands upon thousands of these kits were produced and even being produce as I post this this build. I purchased this kit when it was first released in 1963. there was a discount store that sold anything from appliances to plastic models. I went in there one day to see what they have, there to my delight and surprise there was a stock table that must have had atleased a 100 or more of these kits they were sold for $11.95 but the only way the store could sells these they marked them down a little more then half price, the sale tag on the stock table and the kit was $ 4.95 with a steal of a deal I couldn,t refuse. I bought 4 of them for $ 20.00. the kit was a typical gimic model for that day it was designed and ran on 6 D cell flashlight batteries, opperating a cam gear box that opperated the 5 inch closed mount turrets torpedo tubes and the twin screws. Also in the kit you a choice of courses that could be set if desired useing a cam that worked off the gear box. 10 years ago I scuttled the gearbox and modernized it with up to date RC she runs on a 6 volt dumas electric motor with a gear reduxction turning two screws and speed control Boats

Got this kit from E Bay was apartly built well sort of had to re do all the upper deck wheelhouse from scratch was a bit off eeek..Have nearly finished installing all the electrics ready to ballast..I raised the rear hatch area after reading the deck tended to wash over quite easily..Hardly noticeable modification I think..Will sail the model soon and hope all goes well

Ahoy
Here is my vintage 1958 Sterling American Scout Runs on a old Babcock citizenship all tube radio. the great great grandfather of RC as we know today. all those years and it still works. I was 18 years old when I built this kit. I have a underway video to go along with post. Boats

First trials of freshly restored 1970s Aerokits Swordsman rescued as a wreck from ebay (I was the only bidder it looked so bad....!) earlier this year. Was diesel powered and had loads of lead ballest glassed into hull which had to be cut out and replaced with new ply with the rest of the structure lightened and stiffended with new ply. Now fitted with Turnigy 600 Typhoon Brushless and 90A Seawing ESC and 55 min Graupner prop. Handling is excellent and turns really well using a small size Graupner rudder with fast acting large angle Hobbywing servo. Joined my collection of 34 and 46 Fireboats, Sea Hornet, Sea Queen and Commander, all restored over the past 3 years. Aerokits have come into their own with clean and quiet brushless power we could not dream of in the 1960s

Aerokit Fireboat 34"
Boat was given to me in poor condition approx 30 years ago, no running gear and most fittings missing or broken, originally powered with IC motor.
I have installed a 43A 700KV Outrunner Brushless motor, Model No : XYH42-50 and a Hobbywing Seaking 60W / Reverse Program Brushless ESC bought from Giantcod, powered by a 3 cell 2200 mAh Lipo battery runtime 15 to 18min, the prop is a 42.5mm 2 blade racing prop. I am well pleased with the performance of the boat.
I belong and sail at the Hartsholme Electric Model Boat Club, Lincoln.

first time on the water for my latest build, 23" model of british power boat co. 68ft type 3 hants and dorset raf high speed launch,
power is speed 400 driving 35mm three bladed prop, 7.2volt 3300mha nimh planet 2.4 ghz radio,
scratch built, I used scaled down drawings from my aerokits plans then gave the frames more shape to replicate the curves of this boat, the forward section where diaganally planked.
then sides and bottm as normal with sheet ply, deck is teak planks.
I sail on the rotary pool at penzance.

Hi" fellow model boat members " . I thought I would put some photos of my 1970s restored Aerokits sea commander . it running on a speed 600 motor with a 50 amp speed controller on 7.2 power pack at 4600 mh . finished in Antique Ivory white and Mediterranean blue with a varnished walnut finished deck . I like to take all my rebuilds to my local boating lake which is at Sheringham Norfolk and meet up with my old boat friends . Sheringham is very popular with holiday makers and the local people a like .