Model Boats - The Hard Way! By Martin Davis - Peterborough, UK |
|||
---|---|---|---|
I'm married with two kids and building lots of model boats can take quite a bit of money. So what you need to know is that the price of a model boat is ....
1. The price you actually paid Put the term "MODEL" in front of anything and manufactures automatically up the price by 200%!
|
|||
Me and model
boats. Everybody has their own idea of what a ‘real’ model boat is, be it an exact working scale galleon from the 16th century or a three engined out-rigger hydroplane capable of speeds over 100 m.p.h. I for my part like off-shore racing power and sports boats because of their clean, sleek lines, terrifying power and awesome speed. Fortunately there are now quite a few off-shore boat type kits on the market which are sold in the hundreds but these are often dismissed as “just toys”. When you first get into model boats you will find, like me, asking yourself lots of questions but finding few sensible answers, so now that I’ve built a boat or two I’d like to help anyone else in that situation. Hopefully you can use these pages as a kit review, additional instructions but mainly to incite you to experiment. Some of the articles may seem to state the obvious and/or may go into too much detail but bear with me as the obvious is not always evident when your new at it.
I apologize straight away for the
gross generalities, lack of technical calculations and
hydrodynamic theory as most of my building is by general rule of thumb and
dead reckoning, I’m a life paid up member of the institute of ‘Suck it
and see.’ This process of non-design means getting the boat running
properly may take a long time but I have lots of fun during the
process. Clearly I don’t know everything about model boats, some
people reckon I don’t know nothing but don’t listen to them, I’m well
edumicated I is! |
|||
THE KITS SO FAR Most of my boats are based on real boat and are assembled from kits were the major components are ready made, this facilities a fast box to water time, i.e. days of construction instead of months. Most boats I’ve built are still available in your local model shop although some kits may need a little tracking down. As I bought all theses kits for my own use, none have been doctored by the manufactures to make sure of a good review. What I buy is what you buy. When something is good, I give it all the credit it deserves, conversely I’ll tell you of the reverse too! |
|||
My Boats
( and Mayhem Builds)
in chronological
order. |
|||
Name:
PIRANHA Maker: MFA Type: Mono Type, GRP Power: Electric 12 cell. |
Name:
Shadow Maker: SHG Type: Mono Type, GRP Power: IC 3.5cc / .19 |
||
Name:
Laser Maker: SHG Type: Multi racer, GRP Power: IC 6cc. / .40 |
Name: Hydrospeed Maker: Graupner Type: Mono Power: Electric 12cell |
||
Name: Predator Maker: Hydrafibe Type: Deep Vee, GRP Power: IC 6cc / .40 |
Name:
Arrow Maker: Graupner Type: Deep Vee Power: IC 4cc / .25 |
||
Name:
? Maker: ? Type: 3 Point Hydro Power: 3.5cc / .20 |
Name:
Avanti Maker: Krick Type: Race boat Power: Various |
||
Name:
Atlantor Maker: Hydrafibe Type: Deep Vee Power: IC 10cc / .60 |
Name:
Ontario Maker: Aqua Type: Semi scale tug Power: Electric 6v |
||
Name:
Condor Maker: Racing Models Type: Multi racer Power: IC 6cc / .40 |
Name:
PT-50 Maker: Sanko Type: Hydrofoil Power: Electric 7.2v |
||
Name:
Chris Craft Maker: AMPS Type Offshore Cat Power: IC 7.5cc / .46 |
Name:
Systems Maker: Graupner Type: Offshore Cat Power: Electric 12cell |
||
Name: Cesa Maker ABC Hobby Type: Deep Vee Power: Various |
Name: Scarab Maker: Robbe Type: Deep Vee Power: Electric 12cell |
||
Name:
Key west Maker: Graupner Type: Offshore Cat Power: Electric 12cell |
Name:
Airboat Maker: Lesro Type: Swamp boat Power: IC 6cc / .40 |
||
Name:
Unlimited Maker: Robbe Type: Hydroplane Power: Various |
Name:
Sea wolf Maker: Robbe Type: Dynamic Sub Power: Electric 6v |
||
Name:
HMS Snowberry Maker: Revell / Matchbox - Type: Scale Corvette Power: Electric 6v |
Name:
Taifun Maker: Graupner Type: Hydroplane Power: Electric 12 cell |
||
Name:
Firebird Maker: Bluebird Type: Deep Vee Power: Electric !2 cell |
Name:
Nitro Viper Maker: Kyosho Type: Sports Boat Power: 2cc / .15 |
||
Name:
Cobra Maker: Graupner Type: Deep Vee Power: 2cc / .15 |
Name:
VooDoo Maker: Flitecraft Type: Air/swamp boat Power: 6cc / .40 |
||
Name:
Little Devil Maker: Robbe Type: Deep Vee Power: Electric 7.2v |
Name:
Lynx Maker: Gunton Models Type: Off-shore Cat Power: 3.5cc / .20 |
||
Name:
Osprey Maker: Hydroflight Type: Hovercraft Power: 10cc / .95 |
Name:
Imara Maker: Caldercraft Type: Steamer Tug Power: Electric 6v or 12v |
||
Name: British U -class Maker: Darnell Type: Fully working Sub Power: Electric |
Name: Dickie Maker: Dickie? Type: RTR Tug Power: Electric |
||
Name: Carlton Maker: Ripmax? Type: RTR Tug Power: Electric |
Name: Twilight Maker: Scratch-build Type: Clyde Puffer Power: Electric |
||
Name: S130 Maker: Robbe Type: Torpedo boat Power: 3 x Electric! |
Name:
Highlander Maker: Mountfleet Type: Clyde Puffer Power: Electric! |
||
Name:
Fiat Uno Maker: Graupner Type: Offshore Racer Power: 3 x Electric! |
|
Name: Bismarck Maker: Hatchette P Type: Battleship Power: Electric!? |
|
Name: Victoria Maker: Thunder Tiger Type: Yacht Power: Electric |
Name: Springer Maker: scratchbuilt Type: Fun Tug Power: Electric |
||
![]() |
Name: Javelin Maker: Lesro Type: Off shore racer Power: 6cc IC Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Portafino Maker: Graupner Type: Sports boat Power: 2 xElectric Status: Sold on Un-built |
![]() |
Name: Tornado Maker: Graupner Type: Hydroplane Power: Electric 12 cell Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Mambo Maker: Graupner Type: Deep Vee Power: Electric Status: Sold part built |
![]() |
Name: Comtesse Maker: Robbe Type: Yacht Power: Wind ! Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Brake Maker: Graupner Type: Small Tug Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Al Kubar Maker: Model Slipway Type: Tug Power: 2 x Electric Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Pollux Maker: Graupner Type: Small Tug Power: Electric Status: Unstarted |
![]() |
Name: Glasgow Maker: Graupner Type: Paddle Tug Power: Steam ! Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Neptune Maker: Robbe Type: Tug Power: Electric Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Neptun Maker: Graupner Type: Merchant man Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Aziz Maker: Model Slipway Type: Offshore support Power: 2 x Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: U47 Maker: Robbe Type: Dynamic dive Sub Power: Electric Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name:
Civitavecchia Maker: Richard Webb Type: Flat-pack Styrene Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Mastiv Maker: Dean's Marine Type: GRP / Styrene Power: Electric Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Puffer Maker: Model Slipway Type: Styrene Power: Electric ( tiny ) Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: PT-15 Maker: Robbe Type: MTB Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Sentinel Maker: Model Slipway Type: Patrol vessel Power: 2 x Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Smit Nederland Maker: Billing Type: Tug Power: 2 x Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Fairwind Maker: Kyosho Type: Yacht Power: Wind ! Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name:
Crash Tender Maker: Deans Marine Type: RAF Launch Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Mega DragStar Maker: Graupner Type: Power Boat Power: Electric Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: PT-109 Maker: Lindberg Type: US MTB Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Snoberry Maker: Matchbox / Revell Type: Corvette Power: Electric Status: Un-started |
![]() |
Name: Yorkshireman Maker: Model Slipway Type: Tug Power: Electric Status: Sold un-built |
![]() |
Name: Supply Ship Maker: Lego Type: Tug Power: Manual Status: Completed - Sold |
|
Name: Modern Maker: LEE Type: Motor Yacht Power: Electric Status: ARTF |
|
Name: Southampton Maker: Hobby Engine Type: Harbour Tug Power: Electric Status: ARTF |
Name: Aluka Maker: Sheerline Type: Sub marine Power: Electric Status: Half done |
|||
As I said at the outset I hope to help you avoid making the same mistakes that I made. Apart from the boat reviews there will be a few additional articles, starting in model boats, electric power and IC (internal combustion) engine boats. So lets start by building a model boat and we can talk about the other stuff as we come to it. My first boat, a MFA PIRANHA, a mono hull for electric power.
Well that's it for this page.... But what the hell do I know!
|
|||
|
Back to Top
Back to Martin's Boats HOME |