I'm a little late posting this photo but on Aug.21 the Confederation Marine Modelers had a event at 9AM at Spencer's pool for working boats so my Fireboat Edward M. Cotter had a sail for the first time in 2025 It's the red Fire boat. Just thought I'd add a real photo of the Buffalo N.Y. fireboat that visits Port Colborne, Ontario Every Aug. first weekend. There was more working boats but to take a photo with a I Phone 8 and sail a model is kind of difficult.
Looks to me like one of the nicest ponds for model boating. Visibility like a swimming pool. Would make it great to spot a sunken vessel. Likely a good training ground for novice submariners!
Recommissioning the RC British Powerboat Co 64ft RNZAF HSL 'W1'
After about 6yrs of the model being 'laid up', I thought it was about time to get it back in 'survey' again, and get some better videos with new camera. Checked it over, cleaned the smoke system (glycerin mixture had separated) oiled everything up and off to the pond. Ran as well as ever and everything still worked which was pleasing.
For those who missed the build blog way back, the model is 36", glass over strip planked balsa, has twin 28mm 2000kv inrunners with twin 60A car escs, twin GT Power sound units, a smoke and water exhaust system (developed by myself and Graham 96, -which he and Mike Turpin successfully fitted to their excellent fireboats) and lighting. Uses 2 -2s 2200mah LiPos for the motors, and an 1800mah 2s LiPo for the air and water pumps.
Boat was shipped to the RNZAF in 1940 and was eventually sold to a private owner in the late 50s. It is still around in Auckland after suffering 3 major modifications to the coamings, and is now fully airconditioned, and can be operated from an I Pad. Today powered with a Detroit 8V96 in place of twin Grey Marine (Detroit) 671s, which replaced the 3 original Napier sea lions. Did 38knts with the 3 Napiers, (1500hp) and does 22knots today with a single 500hp Detroit. It was the only one of the 22 built to be sold in the southern hemisphere. The only other one running is HSL 102 in the UK
I have been on board once in 1968 when it was still in original form, and then again 50yrs later in its' present form.
Testing The Dusselforf Fireboat with The FRSky TD Receiver at SMBC - 14 May 2025
The History
The Düsseldorf fire-fighting boat was developed and built by the Rheinwerft company of Mainz-Mombach, and it is operated in the Ruhr industrial region of Germany. The vessel is designed specifically to cope with disaster situations, such as a ship on fire, a major oil leak or a harbor system in danger of explosion, and its fire monitors, operating at a pressure of 10.5 bar, can hurl water or foam 145 feet high and a distance of up to 310 feet. The two V-12 engines produce a total of 930 kW (1260 BHP), giving the boat a maximum speed of around 23 mph.
The Model
The Romarin kit of the Düsseldorf fire-fighting boat is large and capacious enough to accommodate all the equipment required to emulate the wide-ranging facilities of the full-size vessel. Optional working systems include the fire monitors, crane, anchor winch, radar, searchlights, blue light, horn and siren, and also the sound of the diesel engines. The plastic hull is moulded in thick-walled material, and it offers plenty of space for the numerous mechanical and electronic parts required for the auxiliary working systems. The model is propelled by two proven MAX Gear power systems, giving it an impressive turn of speed. Four large rudders guarantee extreme maneuvering capability both forwards and astern. The fire monitors can be swiveled horizontally and vertically from the transmitter, and with the recommended electric geared pump they can fire a jet of water a distance of 20 feet. If a working boat crane is fitted, the vacuum-moulded rowing board can be raised, swung outboard and lowered to the water in true scale style.
The TD SR12 receiver is equipped with a triple antenna (2×2.4G & 1×900M) design that provides multi-directional wide coverage for the remote signal and is designed for RC users who want to benefit from resilience and long-range in their radio communications.
TD SR12 also provides a socket that can be used to connect the NFC Switch panel to enable the built-in Power Switch function. Dual-power provides a safe and efficient way to power the system with your power sources connected via a pair of standard XT30 connections. The dual-power consumption system is designed to operate in balance mode, where it consumes the power line from either power source depending on which has the higher voltage. With a built-in black box module, the data (Power & Signal related) under unusual status during the flight can be recorded by TD receivers.
The configurable 12-channel ports are a big feature of TD SR12, each channel port can be assigned as PWM, SBUS, FBUS, or S.Port. With the FBUS protocol, the Tandem series receivers can open up the possibility of seamlessly pairing with multiple telemetry devices (Neuron ESC, Advance Sensors, etc.) as well as simplifying the builds setup.
Rowen,
Mine is an Aquacraft Ready To Run boat.
It is modified slightly from the "out of the box" original, but basically true to the RTR version.
Dave B
PS I'd be glad to send any pictures you would like ...
After I built the model of the Cotter fireboat I took it to the real Fireboat to show it off to the crew maybe 5 years ago at canal days in Port Colburn haven't had Canal days for 2 years because of the pandemic
Great to be able to take the model on board the real thing. I was lucky that way as well, being able to visit the EX RNZAF 63ft HSL (although converted now to a luxury launch) with my model, and the owner was stoked. He had only seen black and white pics of it during the war, but as I had been on board it in original form (1968 before it was first modified,- this is its' 3rd cabin mod) I had done the model in it's original colours ) Funny how close it looks to the original (just coincidence according to him)
You're lucky the real boat was still original! (and in beautiful condition as well by the looks of it.) Bet they'd love your model mounted inside somewhere!
great September 7th morning to go to Spencer's pool in Burlington Ontario to run the Cotter model hope weather continues to be great but days are getting shorter & we all know Fall will be here soon . I thought that I would include a photo of the real Cotter fireboat & little old me
That's the pool for running model boats in Burlington Ontario Canada. It was closed most of the summer & all the boat guys are happy to be running .We sailed at the Leander Boat club on the Hamilton Harbor in the spring but the green algae started & weeds got real bad so off to Burlington . Your summer is coming & our fall is almost here.
Today's weather was great for R/C model boat running & sailing in our favorite water hole the Hamilton Bay .The real Edward Cotter is a fireboat based in Buffalo New York & is also one of the oldest fireboats in the world . Near the end I almost had a disaster where I just touched the Ferry boat because I use a I-Phone to record videos & also run the models transmitter & some times I get distracted .
More changes, (not again you say😐) this time the original nozzle was re fitted, as I found that the very clever improvement I made, (a flasher, smaller, better fitting brass one), wasn't so clever after all (can't be brilliant all the time😁) and was restricting the flow. The performance was quite a bit better today (still not startling) and it seems obvious now that MORE POWER will be the next step (have a higher KV, 35 sized brushless coming on the sampan to try).
Had a chat with a long time expat UKer (ex British army) at the pond today, and he mentioned that he has an Aerokits fireboat 'kit' still in the box he hasn't started, (you might be able to hear the conversation) and that he was modelling in the 60s in the UK, running diesels in his boats. He was sailing a Kyosho Seawind today (as was the other guy),- and they look like a nice little yacht, and sail well.
This is a 49" Perkasa built from a ply Precedent kit - the build blog is on this site. Videoed from a 46" Fireboat on a lake in Western Australia. Neither boat is running at top speed, which is spectacular but overscale! Both boats have identical brushless motors. Apologies for the video being a bit long, and for the water on the lens, but this is a first attempt and I hope you enjoy the music.
Very nice video Lauriem !
I'm from France and now on the way re-building of the same initialy started 40 years ago (when I was young !) and I would need your experience (if you agree)
Tell me please if you are OK.
See you
My first boat was a crash tender when I was 9, built it with my dad or helped. I had a ED Hunter 3.45cc in it.
No radio control just free runner. Mainly in circles till she run out of diesel fuel.
Then we built another 6, dad gave them away to all sorts.
Milkman his work mates but kept one for my younger brother. he had a Taycol standard in it.
I used to get the job of taking the accumulator round to the Lewisham model centre in Lee High Road to have it charged.
Note thick cable at stern of Cabin Cruiser ( Centre Photo ) connected to Car Battery on shore to trigger fire in clubs fireproof ( Tin ) Cruiser, although not clearly visible the vessel is named 'Arson About' and has been the subject of many displays ( and repaints! ) 😊
This was the Festival of Lights last year.