Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: Edward Pinniger on December 23, 2008, 05:03:17 pm
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I probably won't be able to get any major work done on this until the New Year - but I thought I'd get the thread started. This is my third attempt at rebuilding a cheap ready-to-run model boat - after the "Seaport Workboat" tug (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=7802.0) and Sovremenny-class destroyer (http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=11697.0). This one is a modern US Coast Guard cutter (patrol boat), specifically a 110-foot Island-class vessel. See here for more info: http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/110wpb.asp (http://www.uscg.mil/datasheet/110wpb.asp)
The RTR boat was produced by "NKOK" a few years ago and seems now to be only available second-hand, though some dealers in the USA may still stock it. Model-wise, it's like most RTR "scale" boats, superficially plasticky and toylike but basically accurate in shape and capable of being improved a lot with a repaint + some extra detail. At 1/48 it scales out at 72x19cm (28x7"), a reasonably good size for a working model, and the scale is large enough that fine details like railings + ladders aren't too fragile. As a small warship in a large scale, this is just the sort of subject I like for building as a R/C model - the subject is a bit modern for my liking, but the very striking USCG paint scheme (certainly a change from grey!) makes up for this.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original4.jpg)
Here's what you get in the box (more or less - a few small bits have got broken off). Some crew are included, but they're rather crudely moulded in rubbery vinyl plastic, so I'll probably replace them with modified 1/48 aircraft ground crew figures.
The working parts, though, are pretty awful - you get a 9.6v rechargeable battery pack and a half-decent though crystal-less TX/RX but the twin motors (no rudder) are of the "pod" type, in (supposedly) sealed plastic containers underneath the hull. The RTR RNLI Severn lifeboat uses the same setup. Pod motors are IMHO one of the worst ideas that R/C manufacturers ever devised; they are about as durable as chocolate teapots, with only a couple of centimetres between the prop shaft exit and the motor, water is guaranteed to get in and wreck the motor after only a few runs. Many of them are also badly made and leak around the seam between the pod halves, and/or don't have any sealant grease around the prop shafts.
Additionally, the model I bought second-hand on eBay (sold as "like new"!) was in a wretched state. The pod motors were rusted solid, and the interior of the hull was also very rusty due to the steel ballast rods. It looked like I'd have to completely replace the works with a full set of new components including rudder, servos etc. at a hefty cost.
However, after testing the built-in radio receiver (in a sealed plastic container, so not affected by the rust) I found it was still in good working order - as was the battery and transmitter unit. As I've found from past experience that twin-prop RTR systems actually run quite well, providing the prop shafts and motors are properly sealed (i.e not in pods!) I decided to opt for a compromise, connecting the existing radio to motors installed inside the hull driving prop shafts. This cost less than £10 for a pair of props, shafts + tubes and a pair of motors of the same type as originally installed in the pods (connecting larger motors to a RTR system is not a good idea, it will usually overheat and burn out the RX)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/prop1.jpg)
I cut out discs of plastic to cover the ends of the pod sockets, and glued these in place with several applications of epoxy glue (on both sides) to thoroughly seal them. The inside of the hull looks rather grotty due to the rust from the ballast, but it looked a lot worse before I cleaned it!
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/prop2.jpg)
The prop shaft tubes were glued into holes also drilled into the pod sockets.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/motor1.jpg)
The motors are on a wooden mount and held in place with metal brackets, allowing them to be easily adjusted or removed, a thin layer of foam helps to deaden the motor noise. The motors are connected to the RX via extra lengths of wire and connector blocks, so the hull can be completely separated from the deck if necessary.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/motor2.jpg)
The model needs a fair amount of ballast, the steel rods already fitted are about the right weight but had rusted badly, I cleaned them up with limescale remover, then when completely dry sealed them in duct tape to keep them watertight, they are also duct-taped in place so they can be removed if necessary. The ballast is a bit further forward than originally, but the added weight of the motor mount helps to counter this.
The boat runs at a good "scale" speed and is very manoueverable (it can virtually turn on the spot, and runs quite well in reverse). With the ballast balanced right it's quite stable (despite the tall superstructure + mast) but has plenty of freeboard, water never gets onto the deck even when turning at speed. Here's a few photos of it on the water today:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/waterA1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/waterA2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/waterA3.jpg)
To sum up, this is a good low-budget conversion for these pod-motor RTR boats if you don't mind still having a twin-prop steering system! It makes the model a lot more durable as well as better running (the pods aren't a very efficient shape, creating a lot of drag and obstructing the water flow to the props) for the cost of a set of props + shafts; the motors from the dismantled pods can be used if they're still in working order.
I'll probably end up converting my RTR Severn in the same way.
This particular project is (hopefully) NOT going to end up postponed indefinitely due to technical problems, like my sub chaser and steam yacht - I've thoroughly tested the working parts, including the operational range of the radio, and have run the boat on the pond several times.
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Now I've got the working parts sorted out, I can start work on rebuilding and detailing the boat. Rather than dismantling the whole thing into its component parts (as I did with the Sovremenny), I'll attempt to do the rebuild in stages, so the model is still in a reasonably presentable and intact state to run on the pond!. First of all I'll work on all the surface details on the deck and superstructure, such as hatches and doors, windows, portholes, handrails and ladders, along with basic deck fittings like bollards; then I'll give the whole thing a base coat of paint, and start work on the mast and the more complex fittings such as the crane, winch, armament, searchlights, etc.
Apart from the hull + deck, I'll definitely be keeping the superstructure, the main "lattice" part of the mast, and some of the smaller fittings (searchlights, bollards) with extra detail in some cases. Some other parts like the crane may also turn out to be usable with some work. Everything else will be scratchbuilt or replaced with commercial fittings. This is going to be a much more comprehensive "upgrade" than the 1/200 Sovremenny, which basically just needed a repaint and a bit of extra fine detail - but the much larger scale of 1/48 makes scratchbuilding replacement details a lot easier and also more interesting (working with millimetre-sized bits of styrene and brass wire can get tedious). Reference material for the Island-class cutters is easy to find, as there are plenty of very high-res photos on http://www.uscg.mil.
I've made a start on a couple of areas - mainly the cabin windows - but probably won't have much time to work on the project until January, so I may not post any updates for a week or two.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/structureA1.jpg)
The main superstructure/cabin is going to need a lot of work on the surface detail as well as the fittings. I've drilled out a hole below the location of the mast, which will be the new location for the aerial wire (I'll eventually add a tube inside the mast to conceal the wire)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/windowA1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/windowA2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/windowA3.jpg)
The cabin windows are all moulded solid, I decided to cut them out and add glazing, as the plastic is fairly thick I had to resort to the method of drilling holes around the edge then cutting between them, the edges of the window were then cleaned up with a file. I also drilled out the portholes (including those on the hatches - which will also get new hinges + wheels later on) and added new surrounds from the spares box. Glazing will be added (much) later when all the other surface detailing is complete and the superstructure has been painted. Most of the surface details you see here (except the hatches) are going to be cut off and replaced with more in-scale and detailed scratchbuilt bits.
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This is going to be another good conversion,
now to start looking for one of these
Mark
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Here's some of the work I did a few days ago:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/deckhole1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/deckhole2.jpg)
There are about 20 holes around the deck edge for the attachment screws, covered with rubber seals. These look rather unsightly, but I still need the deck to be removable to access the hull interior. So I decided to fill in all but 6 of the holes, leaving one each side at the bow, stern and amidships. The other holes (after removing the screws) were filled with styrene discs, which I then sanded flat.
The deck fits into the hull quite securely (and has a rubber sealant strip underneath), and the boat never gets water over the deck when running anyway, so this should be enough.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/structureA2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/structureA3.jpg)
The superstructure has loads of very crude, simplified and overscale detail moulded on intended to represent hand rails, lights, fire hose reels, etc.
I decided to remove all of this at the same time, as cutting, sanding + grinding the moulded detail off is a very messy job, and if I did it in stages I'd probably end up damaging details which I'd previously added. The locations for the new scratchbuilt details are marked out in pencil.
I kept the hatches, which are about right in size and shape; new scratchbuilt hinges, catches + wheels will be added later.
The second photo shows the temporarily assembled structure, as you can see I've also cut out the windshield for the open bridge (I thought of rebuilding this from scratch, but keeping the original framework will give it a lot more structural strength) and cut down the mast by about 2cm. It actually needs to be a bit shorter to be the correct height, but to do this I'll need to modify the attachment "pegs" to get it to fit in place.
The mast will also need a lot of detailing work, but this will have to wait until later on in the build!
This will probably be my last update for a week or two, as I don't have much time for modelling at the minute! Here's a photo of a (static) model I built last year - a USCG 95' Cape-class cutter. These were built in the '50s and were more or less the predecessors of the current Island-class (they went out of service in the 1980s). The model is built from the 1/72 Lindberg plastic kit, with some scratchbuilt additions. Some people have managed to convert this kit to R/C.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/capegull3.jpg)
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Originally I was going to complete all the basic detailing work on the superstructure first, but it seems to me that it'd make more sense to start with the hull + deck fittings. Before painting + varnishing the hull I added some extra detail:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/hulldetail1.jpg)
The anchor hawsepipe (with circular strengthening plate) is added to the starboard side of the hull, along with some other detailing from styrene stock. Everything looks rather messy at the minute - mainly due to having to sand off the white paint from the red plastic hull in areas where I needed to glue things - but will look a lot better when primed + painted.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/hulldetail3.jpg)
The fairleads and "bullnose" (large bow fairlead) in the forward bulwarks were drilled out (the fairleads were made by drilling two adjacent holes then cutting + filing between them). The bullnose has a rim added using a brass eyelet. I then added some basic structural detail to the inside of the bulwarks. Again,
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/hulldetail2.jpg)
Engine exhausts and water outlets were added at the waterline (on both sides) from thin plasticard and styrene washers from the spares box.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/paint1.jpg)
I then sprayed the whole hull with a base coat of grey primer.
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Next, painting:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/paint2.jpg)
Once the grey acrylic undercoat had been left to dry for 24 hours, I sprayed the upper and lower hull with white and red oxide acrylic primer. The red oxide is perfect for the hull bottom colour, but the white didn't turn out as well - despite the base coat of grey, it took on a slight pinkish shade in the areas where I'd originally sanded down to the red plastic! So I added a couple of coats of brush-painted Lifecolor matt white acrylic. The surface finish isn't quite as good, but at least it's the right colour now...
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/paint3.jpg)
The boot stripe was masked and painted by hand using Revell matt black acrylic.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/paint4.jpg)
Finally, the USCG "racing stripe" again masked + brush painted by hand. Decals will be added later (I have a sheet of 1/48 USCG helicopter decals which include emblems and text in about the right size). I also corrected the boot stripe at the bow (it should be straight, rather than following the curve of the "knuckle") - I certainly wish I'd got this right the first time, as white paint doesn't cover very well when painted over black!
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/painted1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/painted2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/painted3.jpg)
The hull, at least, now looks more like a scale model than a plastic toy - now I just have to do the same to the rest of the ship! The hull still needs decal markings, weathering and a protective coat of enamel varnish, it also needs an anchor which I'll scratchbuild later.
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Now the hull is complete, the next stage is to add the basic deck fittings (more complex assemblies like the gun and boat crane will be added later), once I've done this the deck can be painted.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bollard1.jpg)
First are the bollards, of which there are 9 (four pairs and a single one at the bow). The bollards on the RTR boat are rather odd, mushroom-shaped things, nothing like the real ones! I didn't have any of the right size and type in my fittings spares box, but they aren't too hard to scratchbuild.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bollard2.jpg)
The new bollards are made from styrene sheet and tube. The caps were cut out of 1mm styrene sheet using a large paper hole puncher, which happened to be exactly the right size!
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bollard3.jpg)
In place on the deck. Note that the forwardmost bollard is actually supposed to be at an angle. As you can see, everything else on the deck has been stripped off for detailing or replacement, and I've added the waterway strip at the deck edge using thin styrene sheet.
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Lots of progress over the last few days, I've now done most of the deck fittings and details.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/windlass1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/windlass2.jpg)
Anchor handling gear. The windlass was missing from my second-hand RTR boat, but it was probably too crude to use anyway! The new one is scratchbuilt from styrene sheet, Grandt Line rivets and a metal windlass drum from the spares box. Also scratchbuilt were a circular hatch (possibly for the cable locker), the chain port (copper tube) and the "pulley" that the anchor chain runs over before going into the hawse pipe. The latter part was adapted from the fitting supplied with the RTR boat. Chain (and an anchor!) will be added later.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/vent1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/vent2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/vent3.jpg)
There are a large number of "gooseneck" ventilators in 2 different sizes along the edge of the deck, especially at the bow and stern. I scratchbuilt these from brass wire + styrene tube. Brass is a bit more expensive than plastic and adds to the top-weight of the model, but it's a lot easier to bend into curved shapes like this.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/ventb1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/ventb2.jpg)
There are also several "mushroom"-type fan ventilators at the stern (at least, I assume this is what they are), these are scratchbuilt from styrene.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/stanchions.jpg)
For the railings, I bought some Robbe turned brass stanchions - these are the best value brass stanchions that I've found so far, at about £3.50-£4 per pack of 10. The model has about 28 2-rail stanchions around the deck, and a few 3-rail ones on the upper superstructure.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/railA1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/railA2.jpg)
Here's a photo of the stanchions temporarily in place on the model. I'll glue them in place later, when the other deck fittings are complete. The stern has a solid welded railing structure, rather than rigged stanchions. The figure in the second photo shows scale - hopefully I'll get some better crew figures soon!
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This is transforming very nicely. :-))
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Here's the next lot of photos:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/deckhatch1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/deckhatch2.jpg)
Hatches: there are 4 of these, 2 at the bow and 2 at the stern. I cut off all the moulded detail from the original hatches, and used them as the bases for scratchbuilt ones. The hatches themselves are made from 1mm styrene sheet with brass wire handles and hinges from styrene scrap. The etched brass handwheels are temporarily in place, I'll glue them permanently after I've painted all the deck fittings.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/locker1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/locker2.jpg)
Two 25mm ammunition lockers are situated aft of the gun platform, with a smaller one which is probably a pyrotechnics locker (signal rockets, flares etc.) in between. The parts on the RTR boat are usable with some work, I added styrene sheet to the sides to cover the "dimples" (the real lockers only have these dimples on the front hatch) and scratchbuilt the hinges and catches.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/liferaft1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/liferaft2.jpg)
There are 3 liferaft canisters (some boats seem to have only 2 fitted) on the aft deck. I couldn't find any clear close-up photos of the canister storage cradles, so improvised as best I could. They're made from styrene sheet. The liferaft canisters themselves are the original parts, with the supporting pegs cut + filed off.
In the second photo you can also see the detail added to the storage lockers on the aft deck. The two red boxes are covered in red or blue tarpaulins in all the photos I've found (hence they're moulded in red on the RTR boat!) I'm guessing that they're storage lockers for the aft .50 calibre machineguns and/or their tripod mounts (the same red or blue covers are also often seen on the forward 25mm and bridge wing .50 calibre guns). The large blue bollard is an unmodified original part, and is just about the only one that didn't need any extra detail, although it does need repainting!
Unfortunately I've had to keep 3 of the swiveling catches for the battery compartment, but these should be a bit less obtrusive once they and the deck are painted.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallA1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallA2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallA3.jpg)
The deck fittings are now complete and ready for primer + paint. There are still a few things to add (such as the gun mounts) but all the basics are done!
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallB1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallB2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallB3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallB4.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overallB5.jpg)
The deck + fittings are now fully painted. I used Revell and Lifecolor acrylics over a spray-painted base coat of light grey acrylics. USCG vessels have most of their deck fittings, as well as masts and funnels, painted in a yellowish colour similar to the "buff" paint found on Victorian ships, though somewhat more orange in tone. I used Revell "Ochre" which is a very good colour match.
The hull and deck of the model are now basically complete - the superstructure and mast are next! I'll give the model another test-run soon (if the ice has melted on the local pond!) to check that the balance is still OK. It may need some more ballast in the hull due to the additional top-weight of the added fittings.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/railB1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/railB2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/railB3.jpg)
To rig the railing stanchions, I was originally going to use thinnish (about 0.6mm) tinned copper wire to represent the steel cable. However, I later had a better idea: make scale(ish) metal cable by twisting strands of very fine (38 SWG) tinned copper together. I used a bench vice to hold one end of the two strands of wire, and a pin vice to hold the other end, which I rotated to twist the strands together. (A small hand drill would have worked even better, but I didn't have one with a small enough chuck) See photo 1 for the finished result.
This worked really well - the twisted wire both looks realistic on the model, and has a fair amount of structural strength and "springiness" so isn't too vulnerable to damage. As the metal is already silver-coloured it doesn't need painting!
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You didn't need a smaller chuck as you could have used a cuphook in the chuck.
Get cable, fold in half, hold two ends in vice and hook loop of cable over hook. :-))
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:-)) Edward you are doing a cracking job on this mate, made me quite envious. I think I'll get my old Dicky Tug out and re-work it, keep on it, you have really got the nack.. look forward to seeing more. bigH
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/basic superstructure.jpg)
Now the hull and deck of the model are done, the next stage is the superstructure. This is a single plastic moulding (plus a smaller moulding for the bridge) with a lot of very heavy and crude moulded detail, almost all of which I cut and sanded off. I also cut out the windows and the bridge windshield. In theory it would have been easier and quicker to build the whole thing from scratch using styrene sheet, but I don't have any plans to measure it from, and the supplied moulding has the advantage of having plenty of structural strength and built-in screw fittings to attach it securely to the deck.
I decided to first add the surface detail to the superstructure, then spray paint it; once painted I'd start work on the superstructure fittings (searchlights, etc.) and the mast.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure handrails.jpg)
First to be added were the numerous handrails, made from brass wire. The crew figure is from Hasegawa's 1/48 US Air Force ground crew set. These figures make quite good USCG crew with some modification (this one just had his ear defenders removed)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure doors.jpg)
The forward door/hatch on the starboard side is different to the other two (not sure why), with no porthole and latches instead of a wheel to secure it. The ladders will be added later, once the superstructure has been painted. Also visible in this photo is one of the forward aerial bases, scratchbuilt using metal tube and styrene bits. The grey vent-like objects are lamp fittings, bulbs (probably carved from clear styrene sprue) will be added to these later.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/upper superstructure detail.jpg)
Various details added to the superstructure deck and bridge area. Wheelhouse doors were scratchbuilt, as were the ventilator gratings (probably for the engine room) and the brackets for the machinegun mounts. The box aft of the bridge appears to be some sort of transmitter or other piece of electronic equipment, it has a bracket-shaped "TV aerial" on one side (made from brass wire; the aerial vanes will be added later using thinner wire)
Bridge instruments and detailing will be added later on once I've actually found some photos of this area!
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/fire hose.jpg)
The fire hose connectors are spares from the fire engine in Airfix's old 1/72 RAF Emergency Vehicle set, with copper wire for piping. Etched brass handwheels will be added later. Running lights are commercial castings in a scratchbuilt styrene housing.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure painted 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure painted 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure painted 3.jpg)
It looks much better with a coat of paint! The superstructure is airbrushed with Lifecolor acrylic matt white over a base coat of Revell light grey. The base coat was necessary as the white colour of the plastic would otherwise make it hard to spot unpainted areas. It also gives the white paint better coverage on the metal parts.
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Now that's looking real good. :-))
Mark
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure painted 4.jpg)
The windows and portholes are now glazed (after painting the interior black), the ladders have been attached, and the decks are painted.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure complete 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/superstructure complete 2.jpg)
The superstructure details have been painted and the whole assembly re-attached to the deck with screws. The aft deck (boat deck) needs a lot more work, including the support frame for the RHIB boat. The crane is located here on the RTR boat, but should actually go on the main deck (approximately between the hatch and storage locker on the battery cover)
The model is now (finally) ready to sail again. I've added some packaging air bags (basically giant bubble-wrap) to the interior of the hull, to add buoyancy - the model is very stable with plenty of freeboard, so hopefully this won't be needed!. Weather permitting, I should have some more photos of the boat on the water soon.
The next stage of the build is the mast - this will be removable via brass pegs fitting into holes on the bridge. I'd already added these by the time I took the last photo, but they need to be trimmed slightly as the mast is now too high. A replacement for the awful 25mm gun moulding is also a priority!
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water B 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water B 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water B 3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water B 4.jpg)
I gave the model a test run on the pond a couple of days ago, unfortunately the battery didn't have as much charge in it as I thought so I only got about 5 minutes run time. But the model certainly runs very well and is quite manoueverable with a realistic scale speed. I added a bit of extra lead ballast to the hull to counteract the additional topweight of all the extra detail (some of which is metal, such as the railing stanchions)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast photo.jpg)
The next stage of the build is the mast. The Island-class cutters have a very complex mast for such a small ship. It has what appear to be dozens of aerials, radars and other electronic gizmos on it in addition to the running lights, searchlights, siren and other equipment, and ladders, wiring, rigging, flag hoists etc. Scratchbuilding all this is going to be quite a job but there are plenty of high-res photos available on http://www.uscg.mil for reference.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mastA1.jpg)
I kept the basic lattice structure of the mast from the RTR boat, as this has much more structural strength than a scratchbuilt one would (very important on a working model). Everything else will be scratchbuilt.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/removable mast.jpg)
The mast is removable via lengths of brass rod which fit into holes drilled in the bridge deck. This will make it much easier to transport without damaging the mast details. It fits very tightly so no danger of it falling out on the water!
I also painted the interior surfaces of the lattice structure (the exterior will be airbrushed once detailing is complete) and added a plastic tube to hold the aerial.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast A 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast A 2.jpg)
I've resolved to get this model finished within the next month or two - it has too much potential to sit unfinished on the shelf! As I previously posted, the mast is the next part to be done. I kept the central lattice structure and am rebuilding everything else (including all the aerials, lights etc.) from scratch.
The photos above show the first stage of construction. Most of the parts are made from brass wire and aluminium tube, and are also fitted into drilled holes rather than simply glued, so will hopefully have enough structural strength to reduce the chance of accidental damage! I also added a ladder which is from Slaters' O gauge (1/43) model railway accessory range.
Next stage is to add the various pieces of equipment that go on the mast - these will all be scratchbuilt from styrene stock + spares-box oddments - the whole assembly willl then be sprayed with a base coat of "USCG Spar" and the details brush-painted.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast B 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast B 2.jpg)
The mast structure is now complete, other than the radar domes, lights, etc.:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast B 3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/overall C 1.jpg)
and has been spray-painted and installed on the model. Still a lot of work to do, but it looks much more complete with the finished mast in place! It's removable so hopefully shouldn't be too vulnerable to damage...
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Great job! :-))
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/fwd fittings 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/fwd fittings 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/fwd fittings 3.jpg)
The fittings for the forward superstructure roof - searchlight, spotlights and horn, plus a couple of angled boxes the function of which I have no idea! The spotlights are completely scratchbuilt, the other fittings are the original parts, heavily modified. All of the fittings have external electrical wiring, which is quite visible on photos of the real ship, so I added it using thin copper wire painted black.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bridge railings 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bridge railings 2.jpg)
Railings added to the upper deck, along with the tripod mounts for the .50 calibre machineguns.
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Excellent job Edward, some really nice detail work there :-))
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This just shows what can be done with an RTR. I'm still keeping an eye open for one for my son. O0
Mark
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This just shows what can be done with an RTR.
Thanks - though there's not much of the original RTR boat left! Still, it cost much less to buy than it would have cost to buy a commercial GRP hull of the same size, and quite a few of the fittings (not to mention the deck, basic superstructure, battery + radio mount, and ballast) were usable. Like the "Seaport Workboat", the RTR out-of-the-box wouldn't look too bad on the water with just a straightforward repaint.
Here's progress so far: (also nearly finished the 25mm deck gun, will post some photos of this later)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast C 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast C 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast C 3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/mast C 4.jpg)
The mast is finally complete (other than flag halyards and electrical wiring - which will be added later)! This is probably the single most complicated model part I've built so far on any of my projects, it was quite a challenge given that I didn't have any plans (just photos) and there are certainly some inaccuracies and omissions compared to the real thing, but the finished result still looks reasonably good. The mast on the Island-class cutters resembles a Christmas tree not only vaguely in shape but in the sheer amount of stuff attached to it (including numerous multi-coloured lights, and the ship's bell)! I'm not actually sure what many of them actually are; there are certainly 2 radars (possibly one surface and one air), a direction-finding loop, speakers, and running lights as well as a large red spotlight aftl, but there are many aerials, equipment housings and small gadgets the purpose of which is a mystery to me.
Most of the various fittings are scratchbuilt from styrene and metal - the speakers are modified Graupner parts, the bell is a metal casting, and some of the dome-shaped radar housings, and the large red lamp, are adapted from spares-box parts (aircraft propeller spinners, etc.)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/rhib 1.jpg)
The small boat carried by the cutter is a Zodiac RHIB (rigid-hull inflatable boat). The one supplied with the RTR is a boxy and unconvincing-looking object, though the outboard looks more or less salvageable. I picked up a small vacform plastic kit for a RHIB at the Leamington show last November, so decided to use this as a replacement. It's still not quite right (the real boat is a bit longer) but close enough.
The above photo shows the original "boat" with its slightly more seaworthy-looking replacement (which still needs the smaller details adding)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/rhib 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/rhib 3.jpg)
The completed RHIB ready for painting, details are made from styrene + metal bits, with the modified original outboard and a wheel from the spares box.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm photo.jpg)
The main armament of the Island-class cutters is a 25mm "Bushmaster" automatic cannon, this is the same gun as carried on military vehicles like the M2 Bradley and LAV-25, and is also fitted on larger US Navy warships for close-range defence. (The photo above is on a larger USCG cutter, the 210' WMEC Alert) The gun is manually aimed, similar to the old 20mm Oerlikon, but on a powered mount and with belt-fed ammunition.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original 25mm.jpg)
There are plenty of photos of the naval 25mm available online, so reference material isn't a problem, but turning the plastic blob supplied with the RTR boat into something actually resembling the real gun is! The shape of the mount and side equipment/ammo boxes approximately resembles the real thing, but is very simplified and chunky. The barrel is more suited to a 4-inch gun! As a replacement, I found a 1/35 25mm Bushmaster barrel in my spares box, which, though still a bit overscale, looks a lot better.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 1.jpg)
I dismantled the gun into its component parts and cut off all the crude moulded "detail" such as the sight and shoulder rests. I then made a new (pivoting) mount from styrene and brass. The replacement barrel was drilled out for about 30% of its length, and a brass wire inserted which then fitted into a hole drilled in the main body of the gun; this should reinforce thir rather thin and fragile part enough to prevent it from being inadvertently snapped off. For the same reason, I also cut off the muzzle brake and re-attached it to the barrel with a short length of thin brass wire.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 3.jpg)
Details were added using styrene, brass and plastic kit oddments (the latter including the ammo belt)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 4.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 5.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 6.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/25mm 7.jpg)
The completed gun in place on the forward deck. Though there are a few spots of colour such as the shoulder rests, warning plaques and status lights, the entire gun mount, other than the barrel, is painted a uniform black or dark grey, so I drybrushed it with a slightly lighter shade to bring out the details.
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Super rebuild, I've been watching with intrest, cause I'm still trying to get a hold of one of these for my son. I missed out on one on e-bay. Still looking though.
Mark
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/rhib 4.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/rhib 5.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/rhib 6.jpg)
Here's the completed RHIB in place on the boat cradle. It's airbrushed with Revell acrylic gloss orange over a matt white base coat, the details are brush-painted. I also added a few details including a throttle, aerial and blue warning lights.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/50cal 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/50cal 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/50cal 3.jpg)
The two M2 .50 calibre machineguns, mounted on the upper deck either side of the bridge, were a much easier job than the 25mm gun. I used Aeroclub 1/48 white metal castings, with scratchbuilt mounts and ammo canisters + belts from the spares box. The guns actually pivot (I drilled a hole through the mount bracket + gun, and fitted a brass pin), not so much for added realism as to reduce the chance of them being accidentally snapped off! For the same reason, they're trained fore and aft rather than outboard, otherwise the barrels actually project beyond the edge of the main deck and are bound to get snapped or bent sooner or later.
The model is now finally nearing completion; I'll post some photos of the boat crane and bridge details (currently working on the latter) soon.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water D 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water D 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water D 3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/water D 4.jpg)
Some photos of the model on the water at Black Park a couple of weeks ago (I've now joined Black Park MBC). I replaced the transmitter with one from the "Smasher" RTR destroyer (the frequencies are the same) which gives much better manoeuverability; it has "tank-style" control over individual motors.
I plan to eventually replace the RTR radio gear with a proper crystal set; currently I have to run it some distance away from other boats with more powerful radio, otherwise the transmitter gets "swamped" and stops working when more than about 1m away from the model.
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looking a lot more scale like now. :-)) :-)) :-))
Mark
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Forgot to post this earlier - some photos of the crane:
The sizeable crane fitted aft appears to serve both as a boat crane for lifting the RHIB in and out of the water, and a general utility crane for lifting salvaged debris out of the water (there are several photos on the USCG website's gallery showing the crane recovering parts from a downed airliner) and supplies onboard.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/original crane.jpg)
The crane part supplied is simplified in detail, and in the wrong place (on the boat deck - it should be further aft, on the main deck) as well as the wrong colour, but is more or less the right size and shape.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/crane 1.jpg)
Here's the original part with some scratchbuilt detail added:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/crane 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/crane 3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/crane 4.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/crane 5.jpg)
and here's the finished article in place on the model. The hydraulic cables are copper wire painted black. I have no idea what the purpose of the blue tarpaulin-covered cylinder on the boat deck is, but it appears in most photos of this area, so I made it using a plastic cylinder covered with PVA-soaked tissue, painted blue.
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(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bridge 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bridge 2.jpg)
The bridge (actually, the "flying bridge" - the main bridge is in the superstructure below) is not as detailed as I'd like, as I have been unable to find any reference photographs of this area. I did manage to find one high-res closeup of the binnacle, but the rest is basically guesswork based on small glimpses of this area visible in photos. The instrument panel is from the original RTR model, as I don't know what the real one looks like I didn't think it was worth scratchbuilding a new one!
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/bridge 3.jpg)
I also added the two small signalling lights either side of the bridge. These are totally scratchbuilt, as I didn't have anything of the right size in my spares box.
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Hi Edward,
Can you tell me what size of motors and battery this build runs on?
At last I've managed to secure one for my son. :} Still to pay for it, but if all is well I should have it in a couple of weeks.
Mark
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Hi Edward,
Can you tell me what size of motors and battery this build runs on?
At last I've managed to secure one for my son. :} Still to pay for it, but if all is well I should have it in a couple of weeks.
Mark
The battery is a 9.6v ni-cad pack. I used the same motor type as the ones in the "pods" as I didn't want to risk overloading + burning out the RX circuit by fitting larger motors (this happened to me once). Can't remember the exact name for them, but the ones I bought were sold as 5240 RPM.
Good luck finding one of these models at last!
My own build is now complete (apart from the crew figures), and has been for a couple of months - if there's anything I'm worse at than finishing models, it's getting round to photographing them when they're complete! I'll try and take some "static" photos of the finished article in the next few days, and will take some on-water photos once I've fixed a problem with the motor mounts.
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Great, thanks Edward. :-))
Mark
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Looks great!
Are you sure that the lower part of the mast (near the bulwark and the bridgedeck) is build correctly?
If i look strengths of material it seems to be better to make a knuckle in the legs rather then simple weld to tubes on eachother.
If you make the tubes going over in eachother nicely (like in the scetch below) it also is better.
Now the forces need to make a turn of 90degree's over the full breadth of the tube, making it pretty tough for the material to handle.
This isn't any problem on a model, but in real it does, that's why i'm telling you this.
(http://albums.modelbrouwers.nl/coppermine/albums/userpics/10782/Schets_krachten.JPG)
Greetings Josse
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Hi Edward,
Can I ask, what size of props and shafts you have installed?
Many thanks.
Mark
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I was stationed on one of these while on active duty. I can tell you about the flying bridge area. There is no wheel on a 110. the helm, both on the flying bridge and below, in the pilothouse, are metal "jogsticks". I will look through my photos and see if I can post them for you. Of course, I have to screen the photos due to secure radios and such, that may appear in the photos. You'll understand.
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I was stationed on one of these while on active duty. I can tell you about the flying bridge area. There is no wheel on a 110. the helm, both on the flying bridge and below, in the pilothouse, are metal "jogsticks". I will look through my photos and see if I can post them for you. Of course, I have to screen the photos due to secure radios and such, that may appear in the photos. You'll understand.
Thanks for the info! Didn't realise the Island-class don't have a wheel on the flying bridge. I was (loosely) basing the setup on the RNLI Severn-class lifeboats, which though much smaller craft, have a similar flying bridge/pilothouse setup, with a wheel in both. Thanks for the offer of photos - I'll send you a PM with my e-mail address.
BTW, this model is now basically finished (and has been for the last 6+ months) - I'll try and get round to posting some photos of the completed article soon {:-{ . However, it hasn't run for a while; I've finally decided to give up on RTR R/C hardware, with its limited range, short battery life and (above all) interference problems, and am planning to refit the boat with some half-decent radio and running gear, including rudder steering (and proper motor mounts - I bought some cheap metal bracket mounts at the Beale Park show which are ideal for small motors like the ones in this boat).
Hi Edward,
Can I ask, what size of props and shafts you have installed?
Many thanks.
Mark
The props are the same type as those originally fitted to the RTR boat (and identical to those on the RTR Severn) - plastic 3-blade, about 25mm. Prop shafts are about 2mm, they were just some matching shafts + brass tubes from the spares box. When I re-do the radio I'll probably also replace these with reasonable quality props + shafts (the "economy" ones sold by Howes, which are quite good value)
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Edward,
I have been reading with great interest your thread on this project. You have done a wonderful job of taking what was a child's toy and converting it into a very respectable RC model. I found a fellow here in the States that has a few of these boats, brand new, and still in the original packaging. Your work has inspired me, so I will be picking one these boats up next week, and will be using your rebuild report as a guide for modifying mine. I included a couple of pictures of how you boat looks new out of the box.
Having spent a good deal of time boating, I developed a great respect for those brave souls that put their lives on the line to rescue unfortunate boaters who find themselves at the mercy of the sea. I became interested in Coast Guard boats as a result, and have added a couple to my fleet of RC Sailboats. They make great recovery boats for my sailboats when they are stranded in the middle of a lake.
I have attached some pictures I hope are of interest to you, and other forum members. Both boats are scale versions of US Coast Guard boats still on active duty here in the US. The Motor Life Boat is actively used both here in the US and in Canada. I haven't seen the Utility/Life boat in use in Canada, but it could be used there as well. The Life Boat is a slightly larger scale than the MLB as you might detect from the picture with them together. Still pretty close.
Both of the actual CG boats are designed to right themselves in 10 seconds if they are knocked down (over). Don't think I'll try that with the RC versions. The first boat is a scale model of the Coast Guards 47’ Motor Life Boat – The 2nd boat is also a scale model of a Coast Guard 44 foot Utility/Life Boat. Both are powered by twin counter rotating electric motors. My MLB has a fiberglass hull and was produced by Pro Boat. Two companies produced versions of the MLB; Pro Boat (Fiberglass) and Midwest (wood). Both versions were recently discontinued and have become somewhat of a collectors item. If you were to see both boats properly assembled you'd be hard pressed to see a difference. The Utility boat is made out of wood and built by hand.
My brother is active in the US CG Auxiliary and wanted one of the MLBs, but was not able to find one. It seems that those that have them, are keeping them. Once I get the new boat modified, I will give it to him for his birthday. I hope you enjoy the photos and if you have any questions, just shoot me an e-mail.
Again, very nice job!
Windchaser
(http://s3.postimage.org/PMMe9.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPMMe9)
(http://s3.postimage.org/PRf5i.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPRf5i)
(http://s3.postimage.org/PRmzJ.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPRmzJ)
(http://s2.postimage.org/j38uJ.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=Tsj38uJ)
(http://s1.postimage.org/s1_U9.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxs1_U9)
(http://s1.postimage.org/s24Tr.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxs24Tr)
(http://s1.postimage.org/s27nA.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=gxs27nA)
(http://s3.postimage.org/PSZQA.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPSZQA)
(http://s3.postimage.org/PTWI0.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPTWI0)
(http://s3.postimage.org/PUTzr.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPUTzr)
(http://s3.postimage.org/PXldi.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=PqPXldi)
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Your MLB models look great - thanks for posting the photos. Is the 44' boat a scratchbuild or a kit? I know Billing Boats make a couple of kits of this class (a small wood-hulled one and a larger plastic-hulled one intended for RC, I think). Dean's Marine also sell an ARTR model (link (http://www.deansmarine.co.uk/shop/product_info.php/cPath/10_58/products_id/407)).
There was a cheap RTR model of the 44' available few years back (under the name the "Pelican"), about a foot and a half long, 1/32 scale. I bought one but had the useless "pod" motors rust up solid after a couple of runs - I still have it, and one day will get round to installing replacement radio and giving it a repaint/detailing job. It's not a bad model in terms of scale accuracy even though the radio + motors are junk!
I'll be interested to see how your 110' Island-class turns out. The RTR boat is very crude and toylike but definitely salvageable - the hull and about half of the fittings, at least! You might be better off scratchbuilding a new superstructure/cabin - although mine turned out OK it was a slow, messy and frustrating job carving off all the crude, inaccurate moulded detail, and it would probably have been quicker to just build a new superstructure from styrene sheet, using the dimensions of the original as a guide.
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Edward,
The CG Life Boat was built from a very rough kit and plans. Here are a few pictures taken during construction. I have an RC mentor. Pete Sinclair who is responsible for the outcome of this project. He has taught me and is teaching me about building boats and aircraft. Until recently I have been able to stay focused on my boats, but I just purchased "The Real Flight Simulator by Great Plains. It is really fun. I can see how so many chaps get hooked the RC flying thing. Some of the aircraft are magnificent.
I love the water and most every kind of boating, and believe I have this flying thing under control. The worst thing that has happened to one of my boats, is it has bumped into the side of the lake. In watching my chums fly, even the best of them crash. Their planes come home in a bag! Very expensive aspect of the hobby. For now I am more interested in boats. Time will tell if the con/convince me into flying.
Moving forward, I will let you know how the upgrade goes on the new CG boat. Should be fun!
Windchaser
(http://s2.postimage.org/yEShA.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsyEShA)
(http://s2.postimage.org/yEUMJ.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsyEUMJ)
(http://s2.postimage.org/yEXgS.jpg) (http://www.postimage.org/image.php?v=TsyEXgS)
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I completed this model not long after my final post in the thread, but it hasn't seen much time in the water since then (or at all in the last year or so) due to the lousy RTR radio installation - no range to speak of, interference problems, and a run time of about 5 minutes before the Ni-Cad battery pack goes flat do not make a boat much fun to sail regardless of how good it looks! It's been sitting on a display shelf gathering dust for well over a year, but now I've finally finished my subchaser build, I've decided to get out some of my older projects and refit them with decent radio gear. As I use a removable radio/ESC module for most of my boats, the only additional expense required is a rudder, servo and linkage along with some wires and connectors.
I stripped out all the old RTR gear, along with the extra lead ballast I originally added (the SLA battery will be enough extra ballast) and cut out the battery compartment as well as cutting a large rectangular hole under the superstructure. I fitted a single rudder - I'd like to have fitted two, as on the full-size vessel (I have a matched pair of small rudders in my spares box, which would have been ideal) but the cylindrical sockets for the old "pod" motors would get in the way of the arms and linkage; there's only just enough room for a single centre-mounted rudder!
I glued a flat plate of styrene card inside the hull to provide a base for the battery and radio. The former is a small Powersonic 6v 4.5ah SLA type and goes in a tray made up from 1mm styrene sheet.
Once all the radio gear had been installed, I glued the deck permanently in place and made the superstructure/mast removable via metal pegs fitting into the old screw holes (this is the same method I used on the Seaport tug rebuild). The old battery compartment lid is held in place by tape, so it can be removed if necessary to give access to the motors + propshafts.
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Radio installation.jpg)
Here's a photo of the new radio + running gear installation. The main hatch is covered by the superstructure which is held in place by 6 pegs fitting into the former screw holes around the hatch; the mast is now permanently glued in place (and the aerial wire tube has been removed, since the boat now uses 2.4ghz radio). Since taking this photo, I've filled in all the other holes and retouched the deck paint.
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And here are some on-water photos from last Sunday at Black Park:
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 1.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 2.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 3.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 4.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 5.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 6.jpg)
(http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~pinniger/models/ship/island/Water 7.jpg)
I was very pleased with the model's sailing performance. At low to medium throttle it runs at a very scale-looking speed, and the 6v SLA battery gives plenty of running time. Manoueverability isn't as good as I'd like (due to the twin prop/single rudder setup) but is probably fairly close to scale.
Once I've finished painting the crew figures (modified 1/48 aircraft ground crew) I'll post some closeup photos of the finished model. As you can see in the above photos, it now has a hull number and name, rigging and flags - also an anchor chain, but this is rather hard to spot in the above photos.
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very nicely done. im not sure if i read somewhere in this thread or ones linked to it that you made a steam boat using the rtr radio have you got a link to it?
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very nicely done. im not sure if i read somewhere in this thread or ones linked to it that you made a steam boat using the rtr radio have you got a link to it?
I built (or started) a model a few years ago of a 1900s steam yacht which used RTR radio - electric rather than steam-driven though. Here's the build thread: http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=11028.0. This one is next on my list to refit with proper radio gear (and finish the build).
I wouldn't nowadays recommend using cheap RTR radio gear in any boat (motors and props etc. are usually OK) - the lack of proportional control, short range and interference problems make it a false economy.
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i have bult 4 or 5 boats with the cheap rtr radio gear in. Theres a shop near me selling brand new rc rtr cars for a ten pound each. I upgraded the motors to slightly larger 280 ones from the normal flat side ones, but i thought they were pretty good considering it cost me 20 quid to scratch build a boat.