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[RST]

Hi,


Got one of these to build again at some point so sharing the contents:


Plus:

• Nice ABS (?) mouldings, only a few very minor areas which didn't form right but as they are in corners it's not so surprising
• Instructions are complete and really quite reasonable to follow
• Reasonably complete kit for 50 quid and small, but not too small, but pending some small issues I see as a "down-grade"

Negatives -I compare the first one I bought knocking on for 30 years now as what I still expected with this:

• Seems a shame in the nomenclature Billings refer to this as a "Royal Navy" boat -it's poor attention to basic detail
• For some reason Billings replaced the nice plastic parts for the lower wheelhouse with very thin wood now (ooof!)
• Shocked to see now the propshafts and tubes are dummy and non-functional now although the supplied (nice) props are still M2 thread -black plastic rather than green now if I recall.  It looks like the rudder stocks are similar in terms of non-functional (what the hec?)
• Lettering:  Bit surprised to see something that looks like it was produced and printed (quite badly) on a home printer.  They used to be on a vinyl sheet.  These ones are just pure junk in my opinion whether you build static or R/C example (shameful!)

Quick picture attached and I will try and find a pic of my first one also.  This is a kit I will hold in-stock until I get the notion to resolve propshafts and start on it as I've not found anything close to replace what was in the kit before.  I have brass stock now myself to make up if required but not found any M2 dies yet though.


I will build this at some point soon.  I did it before as a teenager and was laughed at by the guy in the model shop in front of my dad who was buying it for me for R/C before -way before mini R/C was available but it was easy enough back then.  I actually still have that first one in my folks loft, and that model shop closed years ago anyway so ya boo!


Rich


 

[RST]

Original boat -albeit with everything stripped out since (these pics must be 15 years old at least rather than 25+ when I made it):



...by the way, this time I will probably convert it to the Whitby pilot boat as there is a little more room for modellers licence.


https://www.flickr.com/photos/lifeboatphotography/17177446738

[Taranis]

Nice pictures  I had a similar experience in a Cardiff model shop when I was 9 yrs old as my mother bought me the Keilcraft balsa tug, the Otter I think?

[RST]

Hi, I was given a kit of a small keilcraft boat kit when I was way too young to be able to complete it. Local newsagents sold them as I recall along with airfix kits! Afraid I made a mess of it at the time.  Looking back I still dont have r/c gear small enough I could have completed it. It taught me though how easy it is to make something a bit bigger from any other materials later!  My first motorised kit was a speedboat with quite a rare outboard now. Used to send it across the canal to my brother on the end of a kite string in case it got lost inbetween. Have been trying to find the same kit for years now, found the outboards and they cost a fortune now!!!  They were Japanese kits, very rare now.