Well, it took 24 years of "on again-off again" building but now its finished. I started the model the day we put the CAMPBELL in commission(I'm a plankowner) in 1988.The model measures 6 feet in length and is scaled at 1:48. The entire model is scratchbuilt from wood (hull, superstructure, deck) and few commercial parts were used. it's powered by two Dumas 12 volt motors as a direct drive system. I had hopes of adding working features such as lights, rotating radar antennas, articulating gun, working anchor but I was just happy to get it finished! it will probably make at least one run at the lake come springtime but the models ultimate "homeport" will be a museum, at 6 feet in length(and 40 pounds of ballast) it's a bear to handle just to get it into the car for transport. Still, I'm happy with the results, it was a model of a lifetime(but I'd never build another one like it)! 😉

Still finding my way round the site

Pic of the Sea Queen with Jolie Brise in the background.

Sea Queen will have the wheel chair motor, with Mtronks control.

Joilie Brise is having a new ballast keel cast to lowere C of G and Improve sail power.

I love this video, thought you might like to share it, taken at St Helens model boat club lake, which is Taylor Park, Prescot, St Helens, very early before anybody arrived, on a cold sunday morning!
Shortly after this video I changed the motor and prop, I never stop meddling! 😀
Reposted - now with footage! Stephen

This is a 40" long model of a gas powered Berkley Company kit of a US Air Force crash boat from 1955. The plank on frame kit was in production for about 10 years and was meant to be powered by a model airplane gas motor with a single shaft. it depicts an experimental 50 knot rescue boat (painted in a peace time color scheme) during service with the USAF. if successfull it would have been put into production designed to be a replacement rescue craft for all Air Force 65' crash boats. Unfortunately for the crash boat program the Air Force lost interest as helicopters were become a reliable way of rescueing downed pilots along the coast. The prototype and a sister boat were scrapped, as was the entire program.
The model was given to me to be restored(top picture) for the son of a retired USAF veteran that was a crash boat crewman. The model was built in 1957 and had been run a few times on a tether line, R/C was pretty expensive back in the day. I stripped the hull, filled in all the cracks and rebuilt the mast. I added a small boat, davit, liferaft, coxswain station, spray shield and deck hardware among other things. Actually all the owner wanted was a paint job, he was very happy with it's new appearencep! Although I fiberglassed the wooden hull and made it watertight, the owner doesn't plan to run it, just a memorial to his dad's service. I really enjoyed working on this "rare bird".

new eletric motor and r/c now fitted ready for trials at week-end .its been good crack sorting this old boat out so much so I just rescued another aerokit model off e-bay .

Not Strictly Aerokits!!! Bought this and a Sea Breeze at the Warwick Show. Sea Breeze is in the cupboard for Xmas. Sea Nymph is Ivory and Brunswick Green. it has a JP 400 motor with an Mtroniks 15 amp esc powered by a 7.2v nicad. Currently it has a 35mm S prop. Haven't had a chance to try it out on the water yet. Maybe this weekend. its the first wooden boat I've ever built so am quite pleased with the outcome. Looking forward to the Sea Breeze as that's going to be my first brushless model.

Owing it's origin to the RNLI lifeboats of the 19th century, the US Coast Guard 36'MLB saw service from 1900 to 1987. The USCG built over 300 boats of this class in various "mods" spanning it's life history. Constructed of wood and fitted with a bronze keel it was powered by a 4 cylinder engine later modified with a diesel motor. Early powered 36' boats carried oars and sails as auxillary power. My 36500 model was based on the famous Chatham Lifeboat Station in Massachusetts, USA. On Febuary 18, 1952 the CG 36500 rescued the 32 survivors of the tanker PENDLETON during a night time nor'easter storm. Without radio or radar the Coast Guardsmen found the stricken T-2 tanker in the blizzard, taking the crew off one at a time. With each pass of the lifeboat a tanker crewman climbed down a rope ladder and "fell" into the lifeboat. With all on board, the 36500 found it's way back to Chatham harbor much to the delight of the towns people and the Coast Guard! The most amazing fact regarding this rescue was that the 36 footers were only designed to carry 19 people, including the 3 man CG crew, without capsizing.
The model was scratchbuilt of balsa strips and aircraft plywood, using official USCG blueprints. Powered by a 6 volt motor and a 2 channel radio, the Chatham lifeboat is pleasure to run in my local pond.

Based on the US Coast Guard 36' motor lifeboat, the Canadian Coast Guard operated a number of these boats modified for cold weather operation. The model is a fiberglass hull, the reat is scratchbuilt using baltic birch wood, brass, and plastic. The model measures 28" based on the scale 3/4 inch equals a foot. it's powered by a 6 volt Dumas motor and operated with a 2 channel radio. A fun build!

I hate leaving models as standard, the Southampton Tug a RTR model, needed to be more manoeuvrable, so removed original 27Mhz receiver and fitted Two Electronic speed controllers one for each motor, and a 2.4Ghz receiver. The model will now turn in its own length and has become very good for controlling in small spaces. Will change the standard motors next for something with a little more pulling and pushing power. it runs all morning on a 1 x 6 cell AA Nimh 2700Mah battery pack.

built sometime in the sixties originally powered by 3.5 cc diesel, then glow motor as in pics OS 20 Max. now converting to Electric. Speed 600BB, Mtroniks Viper 10 ESP, 7.2V 3300ma NIMH. as yet only tank tested seems to have enough power, hope it gets up on the plane.

another photo of my asrl figures are modifyed american 1/32 multI pose airfix a 400 motor a 20amp esc and a 7.2 buggy pack it planes just great took it out today ran for over 3/4 of a hour and the motor never got hot it work a dream now to get my whaleback on the water same scale same firm but with mods on southport model boat lake today sunday

Got this one off ebay, had to use a little artistic licence with the paint scheme as club has several members with same scheme, so didnt want to look the same. The one thing I could not get over was how many parts were left over from the revell kit. Have a 380 motor in it with a msoniks 15 amp esc, could not get over how much ballast was needed to get her to sit in water true, but got there in the end. Now working on making homemade smoke generator to go in funnel, first tests great using nichrome wire and 6v battery, just have to make housing to go in funnel. Have tested parker black ink mixed in smoker fluid and effect looks fantastic.