Model Boat Mayhem

The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Pleasure boats, Sports, Race, Power and Leisure Boats: => Topic started by: mikesf on February 16, 2009, 12:13:12 pm

Title: Riva Florida config log...
Post by: mikesf on February 16, 2009, 12:13:12 pm
Hello from Greece fellow captains, my name is Mike and I have just finished configuring my Riva Florida and I thought I would share it with you... I have a few years experience in fast rc boats, both nitro and brushless and decided to have some scale models, one of them is the Riva Florida and an english pilot boat built from a close friend.

The kit is from Equipage and I expected compromises in quality as it comes from Vietnam. I must admit it caught me by surprise how well is built, for the price I had to pay. It cost me 120€, roughly 100 quid and 15 quid postage from Germany(didn't mention the war though  {-))

Here is how it arrived, only had to install the windscreen and the steering wheel...

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0643/04180d90c60a48a08467d337be6bdbc0.jpg)

Decided to go for a brushless setup, mainly for maintenance free operation, already watercooled, and most important of all, it was sitting in my drawer...

Ditched the crappy coupler, installed a robbe one...

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0645/a5dda1a6a62542cf953e4bb3a649db5f.jpg)

Installed windscreen and rudder servo, a standard Futaba S3003.

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0645/854f38a569b34582b6c736a26fc6c6d3.jpg)

Installed:

2600KV BL motor
2.4GHz Futaba 3 channel radio
100A ESC
2 X 7.4V 4000mAh Lipos

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0646/06c0de1c23b244a09fa5bfb8b489aa26.jpg)


At that point I kept putting off the next steps, drilling the hull to install water pickup and water outlet... Opened a window on the servo tray to have access ton the bottom of the hull...

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0646/d727bd1b61934bec869f154863a59f04.jpg)

Putting it of for a few days more...  {-)

Finally installed the water pickup and used one of the dummy exhausts as a water outet...

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0647/0ff149e2d40943c580fe813c7f4de5a4.jpg)

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0647/4be59582962b45e5b49a7509b43092a9.jpg)

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0647/830fb4f06b164b22b60efcabe7e614d2.jpg)

Here is the water-pickup from under the hull, tried to keep it as minimal as possible to drill through a solid plank and keep the hull's integrity...

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0651/bed00fb28d264cd5875cfce50986e967.jpg)

Epoxied both outlets from the inside of the hull and painted the inlet white, not shown here...

Finished and ready to be tested...

(http://media.share.ovi.com/m1/large/0647/874e20f3b9f8422aa936690abdbe24a8.jpg)

PS, been 5 years in Swansea in the late 90s, so no funny comments on my accent...  {-)
Title: Re: Riva Florida config log...
Post by: craftysod on March 04, 2009, 11:30:41 am
Looking good,nice to see how it performs
Mark
Title: Re: Riva Florida config log...
Post by: dan on March 04, 2009, 05:36:57 pm
beautiful model, well done, :-)) any pics of it on the water?
Title: Re: Riva Florida config log...
Post by: toesupwa on March 12, 2009, 01:14:18 am
Hello from Greece fellow captains, my name is Mike and I have just finished configuring my Riva Florida and I thought I would share it with you...

The kit is from Equipage and I expected compromises in quality as it comes from Vietnam. I must admit it caught me by surprise how well is built


Equipage boats are well known for splitting the hull and deck as the wood used in their construction is only a fibre based board... once you get it wet and it dries out... things start to move  :((

Kmot on RC Groups did a lot of work to his Venice 90, also from Equipage...
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=525368

Nice.. until it started to crack... (From page 28, post #411 onwards)
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=525368&page=28
Title: Re: Riva Florida config log...
Post by: mikesf on May 19, 2009, 10:25:04 am
I have epoxied the boat from the inside to make it waterproof and to avoid loose planks...

I have a video, quality is quite bad and I was filming while commanding it with one hand, with a pistol grip radio....

Here goes...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuolG6wz66I