Please see my previous post for the story so far. Photo 1 shows my Lifeboat with its first paintjob and on its first sea trial on King Lear's lake, Watermead Country Park, Leicestershire. Photo 2 shows the boat with its completed paintjob and handrails having been fitted bought from Speedline models which are made of pewter so can be straightened it accidently bent. Photo 3 shows my Lifeboat on its first official outing at the Midlands Model Lifeboat Show at Dudley in May 2008. My crew have now been added also bought from Speedline Models 1/12th scale as they are the best quality resin cast figures I have seen. Strictly speaking they are too moderned dressed but I like the quality so I decided to fit them. The last photo shows it loving the rough seas again at King Lear's Lake at times having 10 to 12 inch waves.
Marie (alias Mrs Froggyt996)

This is my Aerokits Solent Class Lifeboat that was rescued from Ebay as a wreck see photo's 1 & 2. This was then lovingly restored for me by Gray (Froggyt996). First he had to skin one third of the hull as only two thirds had been skinned. He then had to use copious amounts of filler to make the hull its correct shape see photo 3, instead of the stepped hull as per the original Aerokits build. He then had to put the superstructure together as it had fell apart whilst being posted to us as it had been put together with a hot glue gun yuk!!!!!! Next started the painting as shown in photo 4. Please see my next post for the next stages of its rebuild.
Marie (alias Mrs Froggyt996)

my 34inch crash tender, originally powered by AM diesel and free running (pretty hairy) now OS 20 powered and radio much more relaxed, built this one about 30 years ago.
chiffs

first tests (after build started 30 yrs ago !) showed great speed and great handling too but short battery life on 12v set up and 700 series motor so now testing with 6v that gives less speed but much longer running.

Sea Hornet with Graupner 540 series motor also undergoing tests and both models have needed 40A ESC to handle current draw.

this model has a 12v marlin motor I am in the process of fitting esc and batterys old kit the gun was from nauticalmarinemodels the figures will be the modifyed
airfix 8th army 1/32 multipose figures painted in a med garb I sail at the southport model boat weather permiting

This is my boat a Seaplane Tender on its maiden voyage.
It is a deans marine kit.
In the video it is running at about half speed which is about scale speed for this boat.

I began these kits when working overseas in the late 70s and never got to finish them off but a chance meeting members of Knightcote MBC in Warks this summer rekindled my interest and have readied both for their first run in the New Year at the club which I'm planning to join..... John Saunders

Following a significant amount of restoration this old and original Aerokits 36" Fireboat was rebuilt from a wreck to a nice, working model. A full (new) white metal fittings kit provided all the deck clutter. Like my Sea Commander, featured elsewhere on this site, I have considerably lightened much of the internal structure. it's powerd by an 800 electric motor and runs on 12v. Performance is OK with 2 channel 27Mhz radio. Perhaps the best bit is a superb triple V12 sound unit (speaker under an additional hatch behind the wheelhouse). it sounds great on the water although someone did wonder why, having gone to all the trouble to remove the old unsilenced I/C engine and go for a quiet electric unit, why then add the noise back??. The pic of the boat underway has the battery externally in the rear compartment whilst doing sonme tests. it runs at Warminster Model Boat Club, Wiltshire.

This Sea Comander was another disaster, rescued from fleabay a couple of years ago as a 50s/60s bare shell. Whilst the hull was basically sound, the model needed considerable surgery. I resisted the temptation to cover it in modern fittings and have kept it original looking. Power is an electric 800 motor on 12 volts with 2 channel 27Mhz R/C. Performance is reasonable, particularly as I have lightened the original internal structure considerably. A big 7AH battery lasts for ages but for speed I use a small 2.5AH one. Owner sails at Warminster Model Boat Club, Wiltshire.

This is a video of my re-make of the Aerokits Sea Queen. Build commenced in the autumn of 2006 and it was to be a winter build project for when the weather was too bad to fly R/C elec planes. The boat was finished mid 2007 and was launched in May.

My closest water to sail on is Lake St Clair, but one slip up and the boat's next stop would be Canada. its seen here sailing in the confines on an ornamental pond in Wahby Park, St Clair Shores, Mi, USA. The music has been added to cover up the sound of fountain just out of picture to the right.

The supplied motor has been replaced with an MFA Torpedo 850 which has substantially more power and 3x the RPM.

A week before the video was taken I lost the prop and its seen here running on a temporary prop while I awaited a replacement. The performance on the video is a little more sedate than normal.

More info & pics in the photo gallery

Six months on and the boat has been completely refurbished and is seen here operating the fire monitor at Branston Water Park.

The video clip was taken on the Fireboat Funday where many of these models were on display together with other Aerokit models.

This is one of the Aerokits models, however it has recently been stripped down to the wood to apply a fibreglass coating.

These video clips show the boat undergoing trials before being completly re-fitted.