Model Boat Mayhem

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Author Topic: New  (Read 2048 times)

zeusbheld

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New
« on: July 01, 2014, 02:22:35 pm »

I'm new to this forum, new to R/C and new to ship modeling, unless you count the plastic kits i built, took to the river, and blew up with gasoline and fireworks when I was a kid. However, I do tend to be ambitious (and somewhat obsessive) and should do all right at acquiring the necessary modeling skills; I studied Art and I'm currently a secondary Art teacher. I'm not as well equipped for the technical side of radio control modeling, but I did manage to survive a year and a half of engineering school before bailing out, so I will (eventually) figure out how to make things do what I want them to.

What attracted me to modeling was simple: I live in a neighborhood on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand that's peppered with placid little lakes. As I was sitting in a lakeside restaurant, I saw, swimming like 'nessie,' a monitor lizard (closely resembling Komodo dragons, and they grow almost as large, although this one was no giant). Magnificent creature, but taking a cue from my cat, I started daydreaming about creeping up on him at periscope depth and firing a spread of torpedos at the Beast from 2,000 Centimeters... and so I got it in my head I need a tricked-out RC submarine.

Then I started researching RC subs and decided that, due to the technical complexity and wife-unfriendly budget involved in building a static-diving RC sub, I might need to start with a surface runner. This meant a not-submarine. I couldn't live with the indignity of being seen in public with a non-diving sub, and didn't fancy my chances of evading the monitor lizards if I couldn't dive. Also, scratch-building an I-Boat or World War One U-Boat is not an ideal first project. So I wanted a kit, something... expendable. Then it hit me... expendable? PT BOATS!

Then I saw a thread on the Italeri 1/35 PT boat here and decided to sign up. That will almost certainly be my first RC boat. I haven't bought the kit yet, but I've started researching. I'll probably go with an early-war boat based on the 109 kit.

Things will move slow, at first, as there's a lot of research on both the real boat and RC modeling to do, but eventually I'll be out on that lake. I may not dare torpedo that monitor, but I can depth-charge a few fish.

I'll start with a large plastic kit, and eventually I want to scratch-build. Longer term I'd like to one day have a sub or two, and probably at some point a 1/72 destroyer tricked out to do destroyer-like things. I may tinker with some tiny RC boats, too, like a Pibber.

PS if anyone lives in Thailand, or even if you're just passing through, I'd like to hear from you.
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malcolmfrary

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Re: New
« Reply #1 on: July 02, 2014, 08:34:58 am »

Welcome to model boats.  While messing with wildlife is rarely a good idea, on the grounds that it might want to mess back, getting the urge for a model boat is good.
If you haven't already found it, http://www.pt-boat.com/ has a wealth of information.
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Brian60

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Re: New
« Reply #2 on: July 02, 2014, 11:44:20 am »

Good on you. After reading the second paragraph I immediately thought of a torpedo boat of some kind, third paragraph you go there on your own :} Have fun and don't harm too much of the wildlife %%

RAAArtyGunner

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Re: New
« Reply #3 on: July 02, 2014, 12:53:48 pm »

 
Is there much available in Thailand for model boat builders or do you need to source accessories etc from overseas
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zeusbheld

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Re: New
« Reply #4 on: July 04, 2014, 01:30:35 pm »

:} Have fun and don't harm too much of the wildlife %%

you haven't seen the wildlife here...

"We're gonna need a bigger boat."

MalcomFrary, It's a great resource, and i've got a few more PT boat resources I'll post up links when I get 'em sorted out.

RAAArtyGunner: I don't know how much there is here for model boating, as I've not yet found a good hobby shop (although I do know they exist, and a lot of Thai guys are obsessed with RC). There is a massive RC car scene here, and they hold pro races in Thailand. Haven't found the boaters yet, but I just started looking about a week ago.

Futaba have a distributor here, so I'm gonna talk to them when I'm ready to shop electronics but most everything I'll likely source from overseas, either by mail order (eBay,  Rakuten, etc) or fly to S'pore or Hong Kong. I may pick up some goodies when I'm in the states. It'll be interesting to see what has import duties. Model kits seem to, but most electronics (phones, computers, etc) don't, so I'm wondering how RC electronics will be priced here.
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zeusbheld

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Re: New
« Reply #5 on: July 05, 2014, 11:54:24 am »

UPDATE: I just bought a Revell (Matchbox) Flower Class corvette. It jumped the queue because I got what I thought to be a good price (40 pounds sterling on e-Bay). I already have a lot of plans for turning this into an overwhelmingly complicated build, with both heaps of detail and lots of moving parts. I'll most likely build it as the Free French Aconit, but I haven't 100 percent committed to that (yet). I'll do a build thread when I get to that point, but as this is my first model in decades I have to trick out my studio with some of the basics like an air compressor, tiny power tools, and um... a table. Just buying equipment will take a couple of months as I forgot to be born rich.

I'll probably build a small, relatively unambitious static 'out of the box' plastic model as a warmup (probably not a ship, maybe the Fine Molds 1/72 x-wing or y-wing, either of which can be displayed flying CAP when the Aconit's on the shelf.

The Aconit's likely to be an expensive, slow build once I finally get started, so I may 'play through' with an RC MTB. I may, however, go with the Revell Schnellboot instead of the Italeri Elco, and keep the Battle of the Atlantic going until I have the know-how (and money) to menace the Aconit with a u-boat.

I've ordered some books on Flower class corvettes, and started reading the Lambert book (on Kindle!). I've also found some online resources, so if anyone's making a Flower and wants to share bookmarks, give a holler.  That said, if anyone knows offhand whether Aconit had a long or short forecastle, please let me know...
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zeusbheld

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Re: New
« Reply #6 on: July 05, 2014, 12:19:57 pm »

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malcolmfrary

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Re: New
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2014, 08:02:12 am »

A useful link - http://www.internetmodeler.com/2001/october/galleria/RN_Flowers.htm
And for bits and pieces for those with the money, skill and good intentions - http://www.djparkins.com/acatalog/Great_Little_Ships.html
If doing a comprehensive fit of working bits, remember that the total weight is a tad over 6 pounds, and that needs to be well distributed and kept low.
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zeusbheld

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Re: New
« Reply #8 on: July 06, 2014, 04:22:04 pm »

Thanks for the links. Jonquil has a particularly spiffy paint job that could almost tempt me, although the Aconit's war-weary, weatherbeaten look has a charm of its own.

I am tentatively planning on the Parkins detailing in spite of the eye-watering price, but I will build the hull, prime it, install the guts,  and take it out on the water (swimming pool at work) first. Once I'm satisfied it's running well then I'll trick it out.
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