Harbour directory
Another Rapier?
Specifications
- Boat Length
- 40" (101.60 cm)
- Motor Type
- Brushless
- Drive Type
- Direct
- Props
- Single
- Max Amps
- 150A
- Battery Type
- LiPo
- Battery mAh
- 7.5Ah (7,500 mAh)
- Prop Type
- 2 Blade
- Prop Size
- 50mm
- Run Time
- 25 min
- Model Speed
- 35 km/h (21.7mph)
Photos
About this boat
I have acquired another LesRo Rapier, but I am not sure if I will have enough time to fully restore it so I may consider passing it on to a fellow Classic Model Power Boat enthusiast.
This boat is much better put together than the Rapiers that I already have - and I would guess that it could have been built by a model engineer - it just has that sort of "feel" about it.
The Achilles heel of all Rapiers in my opinion is the over-simple wheel house roof.
The kit intends a single piece of ply skin to be wrapped over and glued down to a front and rear roof former. The builder of this model did the same thing, but with a piece of clear plastic.
I dislike them both eqaully and prefer to build a "proper" roof that can be lifted on and off to gain access.........and look a lot better!
The windscreen uprights and the roof formers are all present but need gluing back into position where they can be glazed as LesRo intended or covered with a mask as some of us have preferred to do on our own models.
The deck probably had some sort of stick-on cover in some areas (checker plate maybe?) that was missing by the time I became its current custodian, but the original plywood skin decking is intact and ready to be painted or planked over.
As usual, the builder never bothered to fit the strakes to the underside of the hull - something that I have had to add to all the Rapiers/Javelins etc that I have restored - not a problem, I prefer to have my own size of strakes fitted, and I can see that most owners don't think they are worth the bother of fitting in any case.
This Rapier was powered by a glow plug engine and some of the fittings for it are still in situ and will need to be removed....but (and it is big BUT)... the builder has varnished the inside of the hull and so it does not appear to be at all fuel soaked - very unusual!
Overall, this will make a VERY nice straight and strong Rapier as it is good and solid, and if nobody wants to take it on, it will become Rapier 3, and it will probably become the best one that I own.....by some quite margin!
Bob.
This boat is much better put together than the Rapiers that I already have - and I would guess that it could have been built by a model engineer - it just has that sort of "feel" about it.
The Achilles heel of all Rapiers in my opinion is the over-simple wheel house roof.
The kit intends a single piece of ply skin to be wrapped over and glued down to a front and rear roof former. The builder of this model did the same thing, but with a piece of clear plastic.
I dislike them both eqaully and prefer to build a "proper" roof that can be lifted on and off to gain access.........and look a lot better!
The windscreen uprights and the roof formers are all present but need gluing back into position where they can be glazed as LesRo intended or covered with a mask as some of us have preferred to do on our own models.
The deck probably had some sort of stick-on cover in some areas (checker plate maybe?) that was missing by the time I became its current custodian, but the original plywood skin decking is intact and ready to be painted or planked over.
As usual, the builder never bothered to fit the strakes to the underside of the hull - something that I have had to add to all the Rapiers/Javelins etc that I have restored - not a problem, I prefer to have my own size of strakes fitted, and I can see that most owners don't think they are worth the bother of fitting in any case.
This Rapier was powered by a glow plug engine and some of the fittings for it are still in situ and will need to be removed....but (and it is big BUT)... the builder has varnished the inside of the hull and so it does not appear to be at all fuel soaked - very unusual!
Overall, this will make a VERY nice straight and strong Rapier as it is good and solid, and if nobody wants to take it on, it will become Rapier 3, and it will probably become the best one that I own.....by some quite margin!
Bob.
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Make a nice boat for someone, if you don't do it.
Will
Some of the previous glow plug motor fitting are still inside the hull, but it looks like it was varnished before the motor was fitted or run and so it is not fuel soaked like most used Rapiers or Javelins have been - making restoration MUCH easier.
There are signs of some sort of a black coloured sealer being added around the bulkhead to bottom skin joints. This will have also helped to protect the wood inside the hull too.........but I would scrape it out when/if I restore it as it would look nicer without it.
Bob.
The hull is straight and looks to be well built .....and shows no signs of ever having been used too much.
No strakes.............as usual...........!
Nicely engineered rudder, brass water scoop and "P" bracket to support the prop shaft.
Probably a low milage boat - no signs of any distress anywhere.
Bob.
The front deck has been varnished over drawn-on planking, but the sides must have been covered by something else that was peeled off before I bought it.
All the deck skins are in solid and just need refinishing along with the foredeck to give a uniform look - either painted or planked..
Bob