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
British Power Boat 64 ft RNZAF HSL scratch built 36" R/C model with twin systems including sound. Brushless 2000kv w/cooled (pump) in-runners, 30A car ESCs, 2200mah 2s LiPos remote lights etc. Started off in 1940, new with the RNZAF and had many modifications over the years till decommissioned, including machinery reduced to twin 671 Greymarine GMs (from the original 3x 500hp Napier Sea Lions) which were finally removed around 7yrs ago and replaced with a single 650hp GM Detroit 8v92T1 (still does 20 knots in its latest configuration ! - see this on the photo gallery of this model) This boat is in far better condition than the ex Phil Clabburn restoration of HSL 102 (he didn't have much to start with) and the hull has never had any major rebuild apart from being glassed to the W/L. Even today there is no way most people would pick it for 80yrs old. Those hulls never age! (ie some of the beautiful 'Whale Back' conversions still around)
Thanks for the positive comment, and yes, it''s a great pond, part of the Gulf Harbour development on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula in Auckland. it is home to the Gulf Harbour Radio Yacht Club, the members having built the jetty, and they race a number of times a week. I am about 15 km away in Red Beach but its worth the 15 minute drive on a day such as this one.
Boat is Scratch built 36" British Power Boat 64ft High Speed ASR Launch which belonged to the RNZAF. The launch was one of the 22 built and was shipped to NZ in 1940. it was the only one of its type in the Southern Hemisphere. Model has twin motors, ESCs, sound units etc. Has remotely switched water pump for water cooled brushless 2000kv in runner motors and remotely switched lighting. Uses 2x 2200mah 2s LiPos for drive and 1 1800mah LiPo for the pump (also a separate battery for the LED lights. Boat is built with strip planked balsa on ply frame and fiber glassed. Deck is ply, wheelhouse is varnished balsa. The colour is as it was for most of its time in the RNZAF . Took about 5 years on and off to build and finished it last year. (please ignore the time date - can't get rid of it .
This is a restoration of a launch I was given that was found in a rubbish bin on a farm here in Auckland it is an old RCM ? plan built 'Fairacre' and was pretty rotten when I received it as it is made in balsa and had been wet for quite a while. I stripped it down, re 'planked' large portions of the hull and fiber glassed it, re- built the cabin, re- marked the deck planks, fitted lights, curtains (ex Graupner Commodore bits from the 70s I had kept), stern ladder, cleats etc. it is fitted with a 540 brushed motor (originally had an old Graupner monoperm) and 70s Graupner ESC and Using 2.4 Radio gear. I still have a few things I'd like to do such as a re-wire, fitting chine spray rails, better motor and maybe some safety rails, but for now it does the job.
I thought as the lake is still full of weed this would keep me sailing built from light ply fibre glassed inside & out then painted length 33" width 12"height 16" to top of the prop
70 amp esc aircraft brushless motor 11" prop
I am busy with a landing craft i thought this would be another one to beat the dreaded weed 😱
Built originally in 1973 from a modav kit and powered by an Enya 35bbiii. Now running a 3548 brushless motor and 5800 3 cell lipo. Model in video was running an x35 prop with /- 20 degrees of rudder, very sensitive on turns. Today's run was on x40 prop considerably faster with reduced rudder throw of /- 15 degrees. Current draw was 30 amps max watts 376. Still too sensitive on turns.
Doug, Thanks for the reply, as far as I was aware the S type plastic props were less pitch than the X type plastic props. if your 35 mm metal prop is 1.4 pitch then it is similar to the X35 plastic prop I used in the first video. I think I need to investigate diameters and pitch a little more. Last week running my Huntsman I had an X40 plastic prop on and it was too large and way too fast, a friend running a 34 inch fire launch runs an X 35 so I may go back to look at a 😎35 mm dia metal prop and look at the pitch.
Regards Ian
Aha! Now I've learned something too👍 Thanks William
Actually I've been busily changing all my 'frayed' 😲 plastic props for cast brass ones. Cheers, Doug
My second scratch build. SA Navy "Spioenkop". 1:80 scale. 2 Mtroniks 600 motors on the scale 40mm (home made) props running on 6v and Hobbywing 860 brushed ESC. Jetdrive (also homemade) runs on a 550 motor (I think!) and a 1060 Hobbywing ESC running on 12v. Chopper is a heavily modified Hobbyboss RN Super Lynx. Hangar door opens as well as chopper moves on helideck with worm drive and magnets. idea is that this would happen sequentially ... but haven't managed to sort that out as I am "electronically challenged". Suggestions welcome!
Sad to say, I'm not actually a member of the Centurion Model Boat Club, despite having lived here for a number of years. But I'm sure the guys at the club would love having your model sailing there. Perhaps one day I'll have the time to venture to Emmarentia Dam to see the Spioenkop and all the other boats of the GMBC in action. Best regards, Glyn
Just a further update on my MEKO Frigate. Thanks to the patience and advice from Doug together with a local boff friend, JohnO' with advice on electronics, I have now ventured into the realm of YouTube for the first time and am able to provide the short video suggested by Reilly4 some while ago. This sequence is returning the heli back into the hangar. The "Out"sequence is the reverse. Both "Out" and "In"are sequential on one channel of the TX.
I have been told that the address below must be pasted into your browser. Hope it works.
Upgraded to Brushless 2x1100kva Turnigy motors, Scratch built 1/24 scale. I've included a photo of a real one, just in case somebody else tells me the colour scheme is wrong, East of Gibralta they where white. I'm sitting on the engine hatch nearest the camera, that was 1969
This was a scratch build from plans that I have had for along time. I have modified the plans to suite a boat similar to the Ocean Alexanda. She is 1380mm long and 310mm wide, driven by two 2150kv brushless moters. This boat took me 18 months to complete,and now is ready for her maiden voyage. Will let know how she performs.
Very nice👍
Where are the Bikini Babes? Still inside changing? 😉
Have also been thinking of such a trailer, handy for launching on our stony sloping shores here. Was prompted by watching several launches and recoveries on Lake Garda northern italy recently.
Cheers, Doug 😎
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.
My uncle Peter was a flotilla leader with coastal forces in the Mediterean, in the second half of WW2 . My late father, Douglas, his brother, built the pictured MTB in 1956. it ran with i.c. power until 1962, when it was mothballed.
I recently restored and upgraded the model (brushless motors etc) and thought that it would be great to take the model all the way down a lake in Devon to demonstrate it for him. Not having any local knowledge, I put a request on this excellent site, asking for help from local guys and must say that the site has some wonderful subscribers who came forward with help and support, especially Keystone. He was brilliant and greatly contributed to make the visit a great success. thanks, mate. My uncle and the other members present greatly enjoyed it, though the windy, cold conditions rendered the rum tot most acceptable!! The photos are self explanatory. The tug was there as a rescue boat if required.
Many thanks to all Model Boats' members who responded to my request for help.
CB90 Model boat, 52 inches long performing 360 degree rotation on its own axis.
The Combat Boat 90 (CB90) is a class of fast military assault craft originally developed for the Swedish Navy by Dockstavarvet.
Powered by two 9.6v Graupner 700 turbo motors (no-longer in production).
Two Mtroniks Viper Marine 25 is a Brushed Speed Control designed specifically for use in RC model boats, it has a 25Amp motor limit and has proportional forwards and reverse functions
Or to use Elton John's words for the boat's motto
"Don't let the sun go down on me"