HI Fellow Enthusiasts
These pictures show my scratch built RAF Air Sea Rescue launch 2507. it was built using my own scaled up planes over the period July 2006 to August 2008. its approx. 4 feet long by 11 inch wide and stands 24 inch high.
The boat has twin Johnson brushed electric drives via 2.5/1 reduction gearboxes with three bladed 40 mm brass props. The speed controllers being 15 amp Electronize supplied from 4.5 amp D cells made into a 12 volt battery pack.
The boat sound system consists of a Diesel sound generator and machine guns being fired by an electronic ring counter circuit that allows the guns to fire individually or together depending on their selection via a diode network. The unit is switched on and off via a Electonize switch unit that also switches the boats lighting system on and off.
All the special fixtures required for this model being self made this includes the figures found on and in the boat. The basic figures are usually obtained from car boot sales or the local ÂA£ shop for next to nothing and then modified to the model boats requirements.
Launch 2507 was commanded by F/O W. Garret who reputedly made the most northerly pick up on the 26th June 1944 for the crew of a downed Catalina, for this action he was awarded a M.B.E. The Catalina pilot F/Lt. Horner R.C.A.F. died of exposure and was awarded a posthumous V.C.
I hope you enjoyed the pics and information.
Regards
GreyWolf

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

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

More of the Crash boat at our sea water creek and of Peter Dimberline taking a rest after an exhausting day at the radio sticks steering the model. After all, I only did the car loading, driving to the site, carrying fueling and starting, entry to the water and launching and taking the model out of the pond , cleaning and refueling etc to go again. You can see Peter is getting his stamina back. I only ever used 3;1 fuel and in later years 4;1 fuel, just how fast do you want to go? and I have defeated that(annoying) high whine of model engines with my muffler system. Needle valve is left alone and two or three clicks turn out/in in Summer or Winter is of no consequence, maybe too many fiddlers with model engines breaks down reliability? I usually wind the plug out 1 to 2 turns and start her dry and with one or two turns (electric starter belt now) of the flywheel and a fraction choke she STARTS at a bit above idle setting on carby , then throttle to idle disconnect plug lead and then screw in glo plug and lift model casually to pond and slowly place in water at IDLE. Just a bit of a mild throttle check / rudder function check, water outlet check, LOOK AHEAD and if safe clear release and gently open up.

Some 25 to 30 years ago I wrote to Peter Dimberlins for details of the Crash Boat following a mention of him in 'Model Boats '. Peter supplied me with data and we have been so close ever since. These and more Images are of Peter at the helm of my Steam boat' Lady Halina ' and his successfully (ha ha) steering my Crash Boat as I did not know it was so fast/ ballistic. More pictures to follow of this gracious man at the helm at our pond/ tidal creek during his momentus visit to OZ in early 2008. My model is some 30 years young and is with the third engine as the others were worn out with use ( OS35, ENYA35 now a S/C 40 a bit too much) in a 25 pound plus model, yes she is heavy. She has been re done over and over(paint resin paint resin etc) and only had the 1/8 inch steel prop shaft (yes 1/8) replaced recently. I have a "leather flange coupling"as on all my power boats and never let me down and vibration free. Exhaust system 1:muffler to a 2.tar lined tin can to a 3.small resonator (equals quiet ) More to come of my Crash Boat as a result of this gracious man and his service to modelling even to a colonial.

The hull of this model was my own design in 2004 and was sailed for 2 years, and then a new upper decks and battery system were added during the winter of 2005. The hull performed well enough but my original cabin design was too crude to keep.

The boat shown here depicts my effort to copy a 1958 ChrisCraft Cabin Cruiser at a scale of 1" = 1'.

The hull is 1/8" thick pine planks on frames with hand cut Walnut decking and 3/16" Walnut cabin sides. No epoxy or glass was used on the hull - just a good paint job.

The big change was to replace a bulky & heavy 12VDC leac acid battery with 9 AA dry cells connected in series. Bathtub testing indicated I could expect about 2 hours running time at full speed and that estimate was about right. A Dumas 12VDC motor and mechanical speed control were used with a JR XR 2 control.

The reduction in battery weight made a very large speed and appearance difference. Availability of the AA cells was an economic plus.