Guy
I will not even be stating on mine for at least a month. It may sit under the "bench" even longer. I have not even looked at the instructions yet. I ask about the sails because this kit did not come with them, but everything else seems to be there. What are you doing for ballast and for electronics? I will most probably just stick to what's in the kit on this one.
Anyway I would appreciate some pictures as you progress if it's not asking too much.
Don
Hi Don
I'll try to post the odd photo now and then, though I'm not a compulsive recorder of a build. Half the time I get engrossed, finish something and then remember I should have taken pics!
So far I've done the basics to the hull but not fitted the sub-deck. I'm in no hurry to do that until I've schemed out the r/c set-up in case I make life difficult for myself. I've also stained the dowel for the spars and done a lot of prep work on the winch. If that sounds a lot it's because I tend to escape to the narrow boat on the moorings where I have my workshop ATM for days at a time but only infrequently so I do whole days of work at a time. I'm working on modifying the supplied bowsprit to give the square aft end. I'm getting there but if I'd got access to my lathe I'd have taken a different approach and turned down the last few inches of the taper to a constant diameter and then taken a piece of square section wood, drilled it through and glued it over the reduced section. I may redo it that way if I'm not happy with my present attempt.
There are a number of differnces between the model and the reference pics I have, the above being one. Others are the cockpit area around the mizzen mast which is much simplified on the model, the timberheads which are shaped on the original and simply chunks of rectangular section on the model and the bow and sten eends of the rail which are supplied as plastic mouldings whereas the originals are simply continuations of the wooden rail. Since the rails are stained, I may have to fabricate wooden ones if I can. I'm sure I'll spot others, some worth altering and some not.
R/C-wise I shall use my Spektrum 2.4Ghz kit with a Hitec 785 sail winch for the main sheet. The jib and fore staysail sheets are led back to the cockpit so I hope to operate at least the jib sheets from there using a servo with a double ended sail arm. I've not decided about the mizzen yet. I'd quite like to try Ivor Bittle's method using 2 servos and a transmitter mix function to allow sheeting in and out and also hauling to port or starboard. WRT the rudder, the temptation is to go for a standard pushrod operation via a slot in the stern. However, since the original didn't work like that, I've wondered about trying a pair of transparent lines attached to the tiller and run across to each rail and under the deck to a servo with a suitable double arm.
Has anyone tried that?
BTW I've fitted the prop shaft as I'm modelling CA as she is now, but I doubt that I can be bothered to fit a motor.
WRT ballast, the instructions advise 6kg ballast will be needed. I'm going to use 5.5kg of lead shot poured into the bilge and then topped up with polyester resin. I'll save 0.5 kg until the model's complete and then use that plus any extra needed to get to the waterline. I'll probably put that in cotton bags so it can be moved around if required.
Cheers
Guy