SS (RMS) Empress Queen was a steel paddle steamer, which was the last of its type ordered by the isle of Man Steam Packet Company She was chartered by the Admiralty in 1915 and used for trooping duties until she ran aground off Bembridge, isle of Wight, England, and was subsequently abandoned.
The model was scratch built on a modified fibreglass hull. The plans were obtained from Glasgow University and the model was nearly 7ft long with an overall beam including paddles of about 14 inches. She was independently powered with two geared motors from Wulitzer juke box components. I hope to do a build blog in the near future.
She was purchased from me by the Beale Park, part of the Child Beale Trust Reading.
My son's boat , started life leaking like a sieve and fitted with a brushed motor . The brushed motor did however serve the purpose of being a trainer for him to get used to the boat and controls . He now has a brushless inrunner water cooled and 3 cell lipo's giving great performance and duration . Home Surf is Needham Lake in Suffolk
I have a MFA Piranha almost finished in my shed and a MFA Spearfish I purchased from a model shop in Cromer. That shut down not long after I purchased it. That's still in the box as new. I intend at some point to put in a brushless motor. I have one already. I got both Motor and Speed controller the same as in the ProBoat 29" Blackjack. I already have the ProBoat Miss Geico that is a maniac on the water. So I'm hoping once I do the Spearfish that will also be awesome.
Hi Boatshed , Yes all MFA seem great boats . As for the Spearfish I have a Thumper Overlander in mine 2nd hand and cheap . if you want the wow factor in yours look to fit a Leopard brushless in runner as the result is fantastic . Look it up on YouTube couple of films of one ripping round a pond 👍
This was a very beat up and plain model when I bought it , but has cleaned up well . Original Power was from a Torpedo 850 and heavy 12v 7Ah lead acid battery giving run times of around 20 minutes of plod along performance . Now however Boat is powered by Thumper motor and 4 cell Lipo's giving over an hour of entertainment . Cut's a fairly mean wake too . Needham lake in Suffolk is it's home surf 👍
I'm lucky, I still have an MFA Piranha half finished, with a 540 motor in it.
Not quite finished. And an MFA Spearfish still untouched in the box.
I used to have a Spearfish with a Irvine 61 in and run great. Used it for many years on both Blackheath pond and Clapham Common long pond. Finally had to bin it 😭 after about 20 years due to quite a few run ins with the concrete pond sides 😯 . Still have the engine. But will hopefully put a brushless in the new one.
MFA Avenger / Spearfish. I'm running my Avenger on the Thumper type outrunner motor with a 45mm X prop (only because it was on from other motor useage). What's anyone else using on the thumper. Just put a 50X on, but the pond's frozen 😭 so haven't tested it. 😟
Bought these two for £50! The smallest is HMS Manxman, a scratch build, 6v electric motor drive. it,s just shy of 3ft long. The second ship came to me as apparently HMS Tanganyika, however, on looking at photos of the ship bore no resemblance. it is almost definitely a colony class cruiser of ww2. Possibly HMS FIJI, Nigeria,Jamaica,or Trinidad. The two pillars amidships with the orbs are not what these ships had(?). So much work has yet to be done. The second ship is 5ft 6inches long, made entirely of wood, with a Marx Decaperm 6v Motor powered by a large 6v 10ah gel battery which doubles as ballast, along with 5 large lead weights. Transmitter is a Futaba t6exa, the receiver and servos are Futaba also. I would be interested in knowing some tips about building techniques, best materials and paints for waterproofing etc. And maybe some opinions on it,s identity as swear it looks like HMS Fiji. I have browsed some lovely builds on this site so far, and they really are a credit to you all. Thanks. Gordon
HI heres my thunder tiger ATLANTIC POWER BOAT, with a water cooled brushless motor & ESC,dose 25 miles plus had it 12 months still flys named it annie after my wife, I all so have a saint tropez cruiser. 😀
HI guys I've been luckily enough to of had the chance to buy this boat at the Heywood bring and buy.
It's in 1/16 scale and is four foot long. it's a complete scratch built hull using plastic sign bord.
The hull was built by Nick Rigby from our club in Bury.
All the rest of the detail has been done by his friend.
At the Monment she has the props installed but no motors.
I will be fitting her out with a couple of 900kv brushless motors and a couple of 90amp esc's all water cooled.plus two 11.1volt 5000ma lipo's in parallel to give a long run time. Hope you like the pictures!
HI Alan I have a Atlantic challenger. I burnt my speed controer it was 100 amp so I have a 120 amp now water cooled in it its the fastes thing on my lake and it looks the part. 😎 👍 malc. K. M. B. C.
Restoring my 46 inch fire boat bought from ebay currently stripping it back as paint was letting it down was running a graupner 600 turbo motor but changing and adding sound module and working fire monitors.
My latest project - Hull and some bits from a static display model, based on several photo's of Greek fishing boats, Mtroniks 400 motor, & 15A ESC, 12v SLA battery & 30mm 3 blade prop. Fish boxes from Coffee shop stirrers, Fish from long grain rice, Crew from Pound shop (Soldiers chopped & reshaped. )
She sails fairly well on first trial this week at Weymouth & Portland MBC, Miles Cross Farm lake . Hope to post video soon.
Chris
Fighting Cock was one of the fleet of North West Tugs (Liverpool Screw Towing and Lighterage Company) steam tugs, built by Cammell Laird in 1953. The model is built on a Kingston Mouldings Sun tug hull, the superstructure is scratchbuilt from styrene, with many fittings from Mobile Marine Models. The motor was 'rescued' from a mainframe computer data drive, and is direct drive to the propeller. Power is from 12V gell cell batteries with a speed control by EA Electronics. Both hull and motor were given to my father many many years ago, and the model was completed approx 7 years ago.
This is the fifth of the six sisters of the isle of Man Steam Packet Company, entered service in 1952 and scrapped in 1980. it is built on a Metcalf Models hull, and the superstructure is scratch-built from styrene. Fittings are a mix of scratch and purchased. it is powered by 2 Electronize motors with 2 ESC's by EA Electronics, has a smoke unit from Harbor Models controlled by a Viper ESC, a sound system from Model Sounds inc of Ontario, and powered by NiMH batteries. it is also fitted with a working bow rudder and lights, all controlled from a Robbe F14 Navy radio fitted with 2 twin sticks. Preferred sailing location is Lake Lisgar in Tillsonburg, Ontario.
Hi! Bob
ScaleHobbies of Skelmersdale also do a hull plus a load of fittings for the IOM boats;
order online from web site www.scalehobbies.net
UNIT 20. SANDY LANE SKELMERSDALE WN8 8LQ
phone 01695 732800.
FROM MONDAY 9th MARCH WE WILL ONLY BE OPEN FRIDAY & SATURDAY. OPENING ...
Cheers
Max (4clubs)
Roy
thanks for the info I usually buy my Iom sail material & fittings from peter wiles @pj sails it is all good to find new outlets as a lot of hobby shops are closing down
Happy sailing
Bob 👋
This is a Kitshack 46 inch Crash Tender. Nearly finished with a bit more detail yet to finish powered by 2 1400 kv brushless motors running on car speed controllers at 7.2 volt. Goes like stink! Has working rotatable fire monitors which are scratch built
I made my own from bits of tube and old coins for flanges. The nozzle is just sleeved down with progressively smaller tube till it squirted about right. Pump is a standard grapnel unit. Hopefully this link to a photo blog will work. https://picasaweb.google.com/102817163504371499744/RAFCrashTenderModelBoatBuildKitshack46InchVersion
The link will give you details of the motors and speed controllers and the props I used. it's quick!
Finally Finished touching up the paint after it being unused for over 5 years and now working better than before, after putting a new brushed 280 motor into the boat. The boat is roughly 850mm long and 141mm wide and was built by my late Grandfather when I was little.