Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Beginners start here...! => Topic started by: Andy_G on December 15, 2012, 02:45:45 pm
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Hi to all,
I´d like to introduce myself: I´m Andy from Hamburg, returning to model boating after 30 years. Together with a - previously web-based - group of friends, we build vintage outboard racers from the 50s. We have set up this project three years ago, launched the website some months ago and experience a lot of interest now.
We´d like to know if it is worthwhile to do the entire site bi-lingual by presenting this project here. The basic idea is a class accodring to the philosophy of those times: cheap construction, easy to build, made of plywood mainly, driven by electric outboards. On our first race we have reached top speeds of about 20 - 30 mph - so you see speed is not the main theme. It´´s more having fun, finding friends and building boats - not just assembling some ARTR kits.
So - any comments are extremely welcome and we´ll answer as soon as possible
aaaah - forgot to mention the website: it is www.152vo.de (http://www.152vo.de) 1:5,2 is our scale, VO is Vintage Outboard ok2
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hi and welcome :}
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Hi Andy,
Nice looking Boats, are the Electric Outboards hard to source?.
Len.
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Thanks - and yes we love these boats. Finding good drives? Depends .. as always.
We started right away with the Graupner GTX 500 and 650, plus one or two Aquacraft EP 1. After replacing the bruhed by BL motors up to 4000 kV, we finally ended up in broken gear wheels and crumbled flex drives, due to at least 30.000 rpm - that´s not what they´d been made for. So we did the standard research and are testing the Kyosho Dolphin, the Bullet Drive and some Asian drives currently with different setups.
To answer: as long as we use GTXs, they are easy to get. Coming to more solid ones, overseas purchase and huge shipping costs must be accepted. But we hope to convince one or two manufacturers to build some more stable drives. What we will test, is more voltage, bigger prop size and less RPM by vast torque outrunners, since - as mentioned - speed is not our main target.
btw why do I always (!) have to answer three questions before sending a post??? And yes of course I´m logged ind and confirmed..
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Welcome Andy, interesting class of boats. Nostalgia in wood. Like something out of Mechanix Illustrated or similar DIY magazines. Supply of outboards might be a problem. Any videos of a race ?
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Welcome :-)
Nice site :-))
A English version would properly be a good idea. Even though I do read German many others doesn't and it's a very nice and different type of models you work with = worth promoting.
BR / FG
Carsten
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Welcome Andy, interesting class of boats. Nostalgia in wood. Like something out of Mechanix Illustrated or similar DIY magazines. Supply of outboards might be a problem. Any videos of a race ?
You´re absolutely right - these boats had been published in those magazines like Mechanix, Spped and Spray or Boatssport. Unfortunately up to now it was more building and less racing, but yes there are some videos in our youtube channel - if you go for a 152vo search on Youtube you find a bit what you´re looking for.
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Welcome :-)
Nice site :-))
A English version would properly be a good idea. Even though I do read German many others doesn't and it's a very nice and different type of models you work with = worth promoting.
BR / FG
Carsten
That´s what I was afraid of - will be my job to translate <:(
We have already prepared some text files as a temporary help especially on class, construction and race rules. We´ll discuss that on a short run and come back with some suitable PDFs probably
To the Mods: can anybody explain or clear this three-question-issue?? Each comment, each answer, each posting requires verification
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Thanks, I`ll have a look at Youtube. As Carsten said "nice website" good info about outboards. I find Google translator OK...BUT %) You must post on RCGroups.com to get Americans interested, I`m sure they will love the class.
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Thanks, I`ll have a look at Youtube. As Carsten said "nice website" good info about outboards. I find Google translator OK...BUT %) You must post on RCGroups.com to get Americans interested, I`m sure they will love the class.
This one http://youtu.be/2j806Af9Ie4 might give a nice impression. We already have some contact to US but more regarding original plans. We will go the next step for sure over the great lake to that forum - thanks for the tip!
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welcome aboard :-))
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To the Mods: can anybody explain or clear this three-question-issue?? Each comment, each answer, each posting requires verification
That stops after 5 posts! :-))
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Thx a lot Martin - this is no. 6 and it´s gone. Hooray! 8)
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(it's a thing to try to stop the spammers! ) >:-o
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Works :-)) once you have proven to postseriously by resolving the mystery five times ok2
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Have you seen the Youtube video of the real ones in 1949 racing from Albany NY to new York city down the Hudson. Bit rough at the end. :-)) Sore knees I`ll bet.