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 and
Sovremenny-class destroyer. 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.aspThe 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.
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)
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!
The prop shaft tubes were glued into holes also drilled into the pod sockets.
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.
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:
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.