Model Boat Mayhem

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length.
Pages: [1] 2   Go Down

Author Topic: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette  (Read 11189 times)

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« on: June 07, 2008, 09:50:50 pm »

Well, went down to Westbourne models today, get a few bits for my Pibber, and more than likely collect the Thunder tiger sub. Argued with myself while sitting in one of the many revenue collection areas, about getting something that, to me, despite its obvious quality, still looked like a toy. walked in and asked if they had the Engel Lafayette. Unfortuantly they did. Now quite a bit poorer.
Any pointers? specifacly fiiting the baynet, crucial. the ends of the hull on mine are not particualy flat, reckon that this could end up with the fore/aft not being in line(bowed).
suggestions.
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Mankster

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 768
  • Wheelerdealer
  • Location: London, UK
    • RC Model Submarines
Re: have now joined the club
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2008, 10:19:52 pm »

Well you picked a good one, straight forward build and a sold performer. I built one a couple of years ago, and my hull was a perfect cut either but it lines up fine when you install the bayonet, the small gap is easily filled, and you have plenty of time to line everything up. Bond the fore end first and the the stern second, that way you can prop it on its nose whilst you line up the stern end and lit it dry. You should be ready for the Pool run with plenty of time to spare.

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: have now joined the club
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2008, 09:38:03 am »

being an early riser i have now got the teck rack assembled, lots of sanding to get the disks through the baynets, slow and sure. check and receck. thanks for the heads up on fixing forward baynet first, makes sense. was thinking of fixing aft first. but lots of dry fits before i get there. locked the resin glue away for now.
there was a nice catalogue in the rather large box. some models i havnt noticed before, IE U19. looks interesting.

Jeez, finish at least one model before i start casting my eye round.

colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

das boot

  • Guest
Re: have now joined the club
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2008, 10:50:41 am »

You'll not go far wrong with an Engel kit, my Patrick Henry was the best performing boat I've ever had.

Enjoy...


Cheers,

Rich
Logged

Mankster

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 768
  • Wheelerdealer
  • Location: London, UK
    • RC Model Submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2008, 05:04:03 pm »

I found a sanding drum attachement on the Dremel was the way to go with the rack, about a minute for each circular pvc plate was all  it took me ( easier to do it this way after you have build the rack, as you may find the rack sags a little over its length after it is assembled and supported old by the rear bullkhead) I trust you've tracked down my Woodrow Wilson build on SP.

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2008, 05:31:35 pm »

if youre wheeler dealer, then yes, reading it at the moment. if not, then no(?)
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Mankster

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 768
  • Wheelerdealer
  • Location: London, UK
    • RC Model Submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2008, 06:58:11 pm »

Thant will be a yes then  :)

Subculture

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,187
  • Location: North London
    • Dive-in to Model submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2008, 02:23:26 pm »

So I can put your name on the list for the Brockwell Lido pool runs then?

Andy
Logged

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #8 on: June 09, 2008, 04:06:00 pm »

New there would be down side to posting. Yes of course, thats assuming i can get the thing to work. YES i know its a peice of cake. Just remind me when.
Cheers
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Subculture

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,187
  • Location: North London
    • Dive-in to Model submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #9 on: June 10, 2008, 04:44:27 pm »

Ha, ha! Twist your arm.

Have you got a leveller for this boat?
Logged

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #10 on: June 10, 2008, 04:49:40 pm »

not yet, guess you are going to say get one. will do
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Subculture

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,187
  • Location: North London
    • Dive-in to Model submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2008, 08:05:30 pm »

Ramesh's Laff went really well with Norberts LTR5. Engel sell it too.

You can get by with just a pitch controller like the LR2, but I think the depth control makes it that bit easier to maintain periscope depth from what I've observed of this boat running.

Ramesh will confirm or deny this I'm sure.

Andy
Logged

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2008, 08:34:47 pm »

got to recover from bying the Lafette first. just priced up batteries. easy £100 squids worth, but will shop aroud a bit. may also need to get another receiver, not sure i have a spare.
found that the alluminimum rod that acts as a spacer between the dive tank and the rack has not been finished, no thread bored in the end!! waiting to hear back from Westbourne.
i lied about locking up the resin, the two baynets are now fixed, gawd help. tried it when i got home, just filled her from the rear hatch, no water gushed out at least.
have made one mistake. got the first two bulheads round the wrong way, the holes for the 2 tubes are the wrong way round. soon fixed with rough reamer.
tried the rear rack and main bulhead in the rear hull. cool. havnt tightened down the motor as yet, but the shaft seems to rise up, closer to the top of the hull. with the bearing in i am only pulling .6A. so not to concerned. so much to get right, non of it refversable.
having fun
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Mankster

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 768
  • Wheelerdealer
  • Location: London, UK
    • RC Model Submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2008, 05:19:58 pm »

I've only ever run my Laf with the depth controller part swithed off (so just with pitch controller) haven't found a stretch of water clear enough or deep enough to eye ball my sub when it any more than a few inches below the surface. Without knowing what horrors like at the bottom of my regular lake, I wont take her any deeper than I can see. But a regular pitch controller works perfect. I get most of my NiMH packs from http://www.vapextech.co.uk/acatalog/High_Power_Model_Control_Batteries.html. A 6v pack is £13.25, you'll need 4 for sub.

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #14 on: June 11, 2008, 06:21:24 pm »

you lot are are wonderfull.
just glued in the main bulkhead. fingers crossed, resin every whwere.
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #15 on: June 15, 2008, 06:03:48 pm »

crossing my fingers worked. dropped it in the bath today, not one bubble. phew.
wired up the ballast tank today. when filling, ok. reaches the end of the "spindle", then it automatically returns to the "80%" on the pilot shaft, sometimes. mostly it seems to overrun and then stop. if i just "empty" it runs back, but stops and starts. any ideas. the system is totaly open to atsmosphere. the pressure switch works, blew down it while holding it in fuuly submerged.
also it only stays fully submerged if i hold the stick in the fill. using a proportional stick as oposed to a 3 position switch.
does any of that make sense
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Mankster

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 768
  • Wheelerdealer
  • Location: London, UK
    • RC Model Submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #16 on: June 15, 2008, 11:26:31 pm »

Cant quite visualise  :( Try a 3 position switch, incase moving the slider slowly across the range is confusing the BTS.

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #17 on: June 18, 2008, 08:58:38 pm »

oh wise ones, silly question, are  Ni-HM ok as opposed to ni-cads ?
darnt even sign my name
so
regards
anom
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Subculture

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,187
  • Location: North London
    • Dive-in to Model submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #18 on: June 18, 2008, 09:08:16 pm »

Preferable- much higher capacity and better bang for buck.

Don't think you'll be able to purchase Ni-cads for much longer, they're being phased out as Ni-MH and Li-po battery technology takes over. Also, cadmium is highly toxic, another reason for them being phased out.

Andy
Logged

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #19 on: June 28, 2008, 12:02:13 pm »

made a fair amount of progress. just waiting for my batteries, then a real test. gulp.
made a few changes to the internal layout. first off the plastic yoke for the rudders didnt fit, or rather it did but needed filleting, didnt think that would leave enough meat on the yoke to be safe. made a new one out of laminated glass resin sheet. that sorted it apart from the fact i can only pinch the securing screw. hope it holds.
moved the BTS to the upper compartment behind the pressure switch. the receiver goes in the compartment under the BTS. reckon i will move the speed controller to the compartment the other side to where the leveller goes. hate have things where i cant get at them easilly. using a Mtronics 15A controller, no need for receiver batteries. changed the rudder and planes push rod for a snake, moves much more easily.
going to mask of all the missile hatches and the other markings, some of them are pretty vague, and then spray with a high filll primer. hopefully that will make them more pronounced. well see.
having fun
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #20 on: July 12, 2008, 08:56:21 am »

what is the best "grease" to use for the main seal? ages ago i read something about not using vaseline as it is'nt good for the type of "O" ring used, and something else was reckomended. damned if i can find it now.
Layffte is coming along a treat, just messing with weight at the moment.
Unfortuntly i rubbed away the detail on the rear of the hull when getting the two halves to match. Also the detail is somewhat vague and inconsitent around the silos and the "wiggley" bits. (towed array rails?) so these willl want sorting. thinking about filling them with resin and re-scribing. will not be fun, keep putting it off.
cheers
colin
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Subculture

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,187
  • Location: North London
    • Dive-in to Model submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #21 on: July 12, 2008, 10:51:27 am »

Silicone grease. I use the servisol brand, which you can get from Maplins.

You could also try the plumbers merchants. Plumbers use silicone grease for rubber seals.

Andy
Logged

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #22 on: July 12, 2008, 06:41:05 pm »

ta, was in Maplins today and forgot to get some, me and my brain cell.
Logged
grumpy old XXX

Subculture

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 4,187
  • Location: North London
    • Dive-in to Model submarines
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #23 on: July 12, 2008, 08:56:56 pm »

Don't think I can help any further there! :D
Logged

colin-stevens

  • Full Mayhemer
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 731
  • Location: Southwater
Re: I have now joined the club - Engel Lafayette
« Reply #24 on: July 12, 2008, 09:26:37 pm »

and theres me thinking you had the answer to everything O0
Logged
grumpy old XXX
Pages: [1] 2   Go Up
 

Page created in 0.094 seconds with 22 queries.