Model Boat Mayhem

Mess Deck: General Section => Tugs and Towing => Topic started by: PETER G. on April 07, 2010, 05:39:17 pm

Title: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: PETER G. on April 07, 2010, 05:39:17 pm
Hello all, I'm new to the forum and have just won a scratch built model of the Plaudit on ebay for £19. It is a bit rough and needs a repaint. some parts are broken and need fixing. It has no rudder, propshaft, prop or radio gear fitted. I hope to get it fully operational so my grandson and I can sail a real model. At the moment he has a cheap radio contolled  plastic speedboat. You know the type, avalible in most toy shops. I did build a cabin cruiser some 30 years ago and still have the radio gear from it which I hope to use.
  I need to know what size motor and speed controller to buy. It does have a brass prop tube fitted with bronze bushes so the shaft will be easy to sort out. The tube is quite low and it looks like I would need a motor with gearbox to keep the output shaft as low as possible. I also need to know what size prop to use. At the moment it is painted black and bright red. I would like to paint it in the colours it was when working with the P.L.A. Does anybody know what colous/shade it should be.http://i.ebayimg.com/23/!Bo6!Dc!BWk~$(KGrHqEOKj0EuZRriyW+BLpWGCdPk!~~_35.JPG (http://i.ebayimg.com/23/!Bo6!Dc!BWk~$(KGrHqEOKj0EuZRriyW+BLpWGCdPk!~~_35.JPG)
 Thanks in advance, Peter.
                                       Looking forward to many happy hours of model boating!
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: The Antipodean on April 07, 2010, 05:59:59 pm
Try going to  a site called The Liquid Highway. You will have to join to view the gallery but they have many Thames river tugs listed and the Plaudit along with her sister ship Plashy are there, with the various colours and configurations used in their careers.

http://www.riverthames.co.nr/
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: KEMO on April 07, 2010, 07:05:21 pm
Hiya Peter,
               try here

        http://website.lineone.net/~alanann/myboats.htm

Keith.
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: PETER G. on April 07, 2010, 07:42:12 pm
Thanks, Not much on the liquid highway. Have a couple of pictures of the Plashy and just a couple of the Plaudit. I will be painting it P.L.A. colours. Still need to know motor sizes etc. If anyone can help.
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: The Antipodean on April 08, 2010, 12:43:23 am
Isn't the cream and green P.L.A colours?
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: KEMO on April 08, 2010, 12:05:30 pm
Hiya,
      Green and cream is correct for Plaudit, see my earlier link.

Keith.
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: sentry on April 08, 2010, 04:06:52 pm
yes plans says olive and oak, will write more later Peter g
                               Regards Sentry,
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: The Antipodean on April 08, 2010, 04:34:38 pm
On the plans I have it shows a 45mm 3 blade prop, on a 680mm model.
It suggests a direct drive 545 Monoperm motor using direct drive.

I am not sure when these plans were drawn but they aren't the same ones I used from ModelBoats in the early '90s.
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: PETER G. on April 08, 2010, 06:08:12 pm
Hello. Yes the P.L.A. colours were green and cream. I just need to know what the shades were. Its a bit difficult to tell by the few pictures I have seen. I want to get it as near as original as possible. I may have trouble getting a direct drive motor to fit as the prop tube seems quite low in the hull. I may have to cut the bulkheads or try and remove and reposition it. Not a task I look forward to. I dont want to ruin the hull trying to remove it.
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: PETER G. on April 08, 2010, 06:17:51 pm
Just had a measure, and from the bottom of thr hull to the bottom of the keel is 60mm. The prop tube is dead in the middle. Does this seem right. If so I'm going to have to cut the bulkhead. :((
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: The Antipodean on April 08, 2010, 07:40:11 pm
60 mm is about right and that fits the plans I have. The boat is around 680mm long and 185mm beam.
545 Monoperm  direct driving a 45mm 3 blade prop.

I am very sure one of the tech savvy guys on here can put you onto a motor to use as I know nothing about Monoperm.
If you look at the build of one of my boats you will see the stuffing tube sits very low but you can move the motor forward by using a longer prop shaft.
I manage to fit a 12v7ah gel cell  near the bow with lots of room for the rest of the electronics. I do have to add more ballast as the boat needs to sit low in the water. I believe the whole thing ends up around the 10 kg mark when it is done.
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: PETER G. on April 08, 2010, 08:48:55 pm
Good idea ! Yes I will use a longer shaft in the tube I have fitted, then I can move the motor forward which will mean I wont have to cut any bulkheads. Fantastic !
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: sentry on April 09, 2010, 12:03:19 am
Hi Peter G.
 This is taken from the orginal plan hope it is of help.
 Motor,suggested motor is 545 monoperm or similar, use 6v. 3amp. hr. battery
 Prop, 50mm,dia,3 bladed prop.
 Colour scheme,
  Hull below W.L. - red oxide.
  Hull above W.L. - olive green.
 Superstructure & wheelhouse. - oak.
 Deck. - light gray.
 Liferaft. - orange.
 Rubber fendering. - black.
 Stern grating. - bleached pine. 
                         Regards, Sentry.
 
 
Title: Re: Hello all, Plaudit questions. Can you help!
Post by: PETER G. on April 09, 2010, 05:23:07 pm
Thanks very much. I'm off to the model shop this weekend !