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Author Topic: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build  (Read 6620 times)

Coop

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Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« on: September 03, 2019, 12:50:01 pm »


Build thread? Newbie?


Yep to both.


Never built a boat before so starting with an Aeronaut Clipper. This is traditionally rudder-only, I know a lot of people convert these to two-channel but my ambition with this is just to get used to working with the wood before moving onto something more complex/more expensive. It will have rudder and radio gear in it though.


(I have built profile chuck and catapult gliders before so not entirely new to balsa, but they didn't really have to be watertight...)


Stage 1 - bulkheads, transom, bow "thing" in place.


Everything slotted in OK, but all a bit wobbly - ended up having to "jig" everything in place with Tamiya paint pots to keep it all square.


Next up - what I would call "stringers" were this an aircraft fuselage.


Quick question, assuming I need to fill gaps when the outer skin goes on, is conventional wood filler as you might use for windowsills and the like OK?


Another question - originally I was going to just put an old 27mhz RX in this for two reasons - I have several doing nothing at the moment, and that allows me to use an old 27mhz Traxxas stick TX that was thrown in with an eBay boat I won recently. So that's all "free" stuff. Normally I don't like stick radios - I'm a wheel heretic - but it seems wrong to use a wheel on a model like this. One stick, one rudder. And I'd have the direction reversed to act like a tiller.


However I then need to sort something out about an aerial and the model isn't set up for that. Would it OK to run the aerial up inside the aluminium mast? Is that going to create radio problems or is it fine? I don't know how this would have been done back in the days before 2.4ghz.


Coop
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SailorGreg

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2019, 04:33:36 pm »

Welcome to Mayhem!

To answer your questions -
Yes, normal wood filler will be fine to fill any small gaps you end up with.  Most people would waterproof the hull inside and out so any filler is kept well away from the damp.
No, I wouldn't put a 27MHz aerial inside an aluminium tube.  You might get away with it at short range, but the aluminium will reduce the signal strength reaching the aerial and you run the risk of losing control.

Have fun with your build, and do keep asking questions.

Greg

roycv

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2019, 08:14:41 pm »

Hi looks from the bulkhead lineup that there is a 'Chine' stringer to go in.  That is where the angle is in the hull.  You glue the wood either side of this with an overlap.  I usually put the bottom ply on first so that the overlap does not show from the side.

 Something that might help when glueing on the side panels of ply is to use 2 lengths longer than the hull per side of 6mm square ply (1/4 inch) along the edges on the outside to hold the side panel in place while the glue dries.  I would use electrical tape wound around quite tight to keep it all together.  The lengths of 6mm square hardwood will stop you getting ins and outs due to pressure of clamping etc.
If you have a 1/8th inch thick keel I would double up with additional ply each side to make it more stiff.  I had to do this with a Bella kit as when I received it part assembled the keel had bent in 2 directions.
Good luck
Roy
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #3 on: September 04, 2019, 08:46:01 am »

Cheers, wasn't sure if the aluminium mast would act as a mast, or just hamper it. Looks like a cheap 2.4 stick TX is on the shopping list.


Chine stringers in, one was easy, the other not. I suspect the included 5mm balsa strips were of different hardnesses (if that's a real word). Had to swallow my pride and tack a few joints with superglue before painting the joint in aliphatic resin glue. Yep, did take care not to get superglue anywhere where sanding may be needed - I've made that mistake before in the chuck glider world.


Instructions suggested pinning them in place but the first pin made such a bloody mess of the balsa, I had to patch it with glue+sawdust and ended up just holding each joint closed while watching Youtube videos for 10 minutes at a time.


I hadn't been looking forwards to this part, so nice sense of achievement to get it done.

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roycv

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #4 on: September 04, 2019, 09:04:53 am »

Hi again, I forgot to mention about the aluminium mast, can you get a self tapping screw into the mast?  If so just bare some wire on the 27 Mhz rx aerial and make an electrical connection to the mast and screw it down.  The mast is now part of the rx aerial and nice and upright.

  I know the R.F. technicalities but do not worry about the aerial length, the yacht will never be far enough away for it to become an issue.

You can use your 27Mhz without problem remember to fly a flag or some similar coloured ribbon for the crystal in use.  Also put a practice hollow golf ball on the aerial tip as it is too easy to swing round and hit someone in the face with it.  (My cats are still looking for the one I nicked off them)!
I like to see the old sets in use they nearly all work, the thing that affects them most are the contacts for the batteries, best to take the batteries out if not in use for say, the winter.
all the best,
Roy
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #5 on: September 04, 2019, 09:45:48 am »


Ah, cheers this was what I was wondering was possible.


Yes, I like the old 27 now that nobody uses it. I slung a load of 27 gear out when I moved house a few years back as I found it was becoming too glitchy to use with my cars/trucks (had a nasty runaway once) but a lot of older radio gear was over-built so has a nice heft in the hand compared to the flimsy plastic rubbish you get with the lower end of the 2.4ghz market.


I've currently got two second-hand 1990s era electric powerboats running off an old 27 wheel controller which I originally felt a bit guilty about using at the club but since the band is always empty why not?


When I converted my older Tamiya buggies over to 2.4 I kept the 27 RXs in place even though they weren't connected to anything simply because the cars looked wrong without a long wavy aerial in a dayglo tube waggling about above them!

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roycv

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #6 on: September 04, 2019, 10:27:15 am »

Hi, many years ago we had an Acoms set and that was twitchy with the esc etc. in a Ford 4 wheel drive kit buggy.  It improved a lot by having a separate rx. battery, we got a lot more range.

I generally check my RC installations at 40 feet with the Tx aerial  down, if that is OK it's good to go.  You will find that a standard type 2 stick 27Mhz Tx could go for as much as a pound!  Might be easier to use than a wheel type one.

A small point but I now and again use good quality non rechargable cells.  If starting from scratch it takes quite a while to break even on dry batteries v rechargables and the charger needed.  I do not pay more than 60p per cell.  But it depends how many times you go sailing.

 I was surprised that one of my yachts in an emergency has 4 x AA Duracells in place of the usual rechargeables and they have worked for the last 3 outings and still going strong.  (I think I might re-name her Bunny).
regards Roy


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Terry

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2019, 09:31:50 am »

Hi Coop,
all of my boats, steam, sail, brushed motor driven,  have the aerial inside the hull. All but one are 40mhz the other 27mhz, never had a problem with any of them. To make it easier to get the aerial from one end of the boat to the other, early in the construction of the hull I glue in place plastic tube (even drinking straws) high up close under the deck to act as a conduit to feed the aerial into. Has always worked for me. Don't worry about using older equipment, if it works, that's good enough, and with a lovely shiny antenna on your Tx you have a built in (with a bit of ribbon) wind direction indicator. The 2.4ghz guys don't get one !!


Cheers, Terry
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2019, 09:02:56 pm »

Sides on (I'm sure there is actually a pukka nautical term for those somewhere), starting to look like a boat. No "bottom" to the hull past the chines yet, took the opportunity to brush a couple of coats of sanding sealer inside first.



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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2019, 09:05:52 pm »

Made a bit of a boo-boo at the bow, I didn't sand the front of the chine stringers as much as I should have done so the pre-shaped length of ply doesn't close. In retrospect I think I would have been better off just cutting off the very front of those stringers and relying upon filling the gap after the sides were glued on. You live and learn, and the idea of this kit was to learn the skills of working with the wood. Mental note made for next project.


Anyway I think I can just fill this and sand some sort of curve into it, it may well be that as a novice I do better with a boat with a slightly rounded bow, and not some knife-edge destined to shatter the first time it gently taps one of Aldridge Sailing Club's buoys.


Coop
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2019, 09:08:57 pm »

early in the construction of the hull I glue in place plastic tube (even drinking straws) high up close under the deck to act as a conduit to feed the aerial into.


Cheers, this is a great idea and worth adding to the boat even if I don't ultimately use 27mhz. Will have to keep a straw from next Burger King visit since McDonalds have decided to deny us the "plastic straw into pencil sharpener" trick used to tidy up messy wiring!
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coch y bonddu

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #11 on: September 05, 2019, 10:16:51 pm »

personally I wouldn't panic at all about the bow I would simply make sure that it is glued up 100% and then contact either Nylet sails or Housemartins nad buy a bow snubber,this is basically a peice or rubber that is glued to a flat surface on the bow.....hence NO panic about the bow....This rubber is simply fitted to a lot of Yacht's to stop damage and a potential sinking if a collision occurs.




Nice work keep it up




Dave
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grasshopper

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #12 on: September 05, 2019, 11:29:12 pm »

Buy a cheap pair of flip flops, stick a bit on and sand to shape.
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Terry

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2019, 08:46:45 am »

[size=0px] "plastic straw into pencil sharpener" trick used to tidy up messy wiring![/size]
[/size]
[/size][size=0px]Don't know that one, how does it work?[/size]
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #14 on: September 06, 2019, 09:02:55 am »

If you feed a plastic straw (of the type McDonalds used to supply) into a pencil sharpener you end up with a springy helical coil that can be used to tidy cables.
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Netleyned

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #15 on: September 06, 2019, 09:08:09 am »

Magic  :-)) :-)) :-)) :-))
Ned
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Terry

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #16 on: September 06, 2019, 09:26:21 am »

It works !!  Brilliant !!
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #17 on: September 08, 2019, 09:07:00 pm »

Followed Terry's advice and glued a plastic straw under the deck for the 27mHz aerial - wasn't too sure I'd be able to find one for sale anywhere in today's "climate" (pun not intended...)


But later on...
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #18 on: September 08, 2019, 09:12:18 pm »

Then everything went wrong, bottom of the hull went in place OK then moved over to the rudder. Assembled the rudder, didn't like the position so removed it - and dropped the brass tube the rubber sits in somewhere. I never heard it bounce out of the boat and onto the floor (laminate) and it certainly isn't on the floor anywhere. I suspect it has dropped inside past bulkhead 1 and got wedged. Failing that its in the parallel dimension as usual.


I couldn't see it, so prodded around inside with an aerial tube and the plastic straw promptly fell out...


Much profanity ensued.


Fortunately the instructions have got me out of a hole of my own making by listing the size of the tube (25mm length, 4mm diameter) so I'll have to head out to one of the local model shops tomorrow and source some brass or styrene tube. Lesson learnt - measure and make notes. As for the plastic tube, I'll replace it with one of the paper ones which should take glue a lot better.




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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #19 on: September 08, 2019, 09:20:24 pm »

Any road, while this was going on I was also reading ahead in the instructions and decided the superstructure could be built at the same time. Gave it three coats of sanding sealer and it darkened quite nicely - looks very vintage model boat!


However, I'm not sure about the resulting colour. The deck is a very light wood, and plan is 2/3 coats of sanding sealer followed by a tinted polyurethane varnish from Wilko. So the two woods won't match and I suspect this will look very odd. Therefore I'm considering painting the whole superstructure the same colour as the one I plan for the hull (Humbrol 48 Gloss Mediterranean Blue) but probably shouldn't make a decision until the deck is finished, and indeed the not-entirely-predictable deck colour means that I might have to see what paint looks good against it rather than commit to that particular colour.


Windows are supposed to be clear material, the kit didn't have any so I just nicked a couple of clear folders from the office.  But they will have to wait until after the s/structure is painted (assuming it is). It's all planning isn't it?
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #20 on: September 12, 2019, 07:09:04 pm »

McDonalds straw acquired (unused because I'm not 11 years old any more so never use straws for drinking), smeared in woodglue and held in place to dry via a piece of wire. Seemed to bond a lot better than the plastic one I tried before. I will have to start keeping these rather than throwing them away.


Also had started adding some tinted varnish on top of the sanding sealer on the decking here.



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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #21 on: September 12, 2019, 07:27:04 pm »

Three coats of a tinted varnish (Gloss Dark Oak) from Wilko in the deck. It isn't actually very gloss TBH.


Two coats of Humbrol 48 on the hull. I'm a wargames painter so have about a million pots of acrylic paint but felt that this needed to have the unmistakable finish of Humbrol Gloss to really capture that "toy yacht" look. It's been perhaps 30 years since I lasted used this stuff - I kept using the matt enamel for quite a while - bit of a culture shock when it came to brush clean up and drying time. No water clean up and then ready to paint over in about 10-20 minutes here.  {:-{


However no need to gloss varnish to get that shine unlike acrylics and the end result feels far tougher than acrylic. Nicely gap filling too. I haven't sanded between coats of sanding sealer or paint - it's a toy yacht not a scale model.


I did ultimately decide to paint the superstructure. While it's intended by Aeronaut that this be natural wood I decided that what was bugging me was the lack of planking detail on it when the deck is nicely planked (sort of - it has no grooves for the ends of individual planking. Gives the impression of planking rather than being accurate). So that's being Humbrol 48'd as well.


That might leave an awful lot of blue in the finished article. So I'm considering toning it done with a white pinstripe on the s/s and/or hull done with vinyl. The other option is to add a name in white lettering either just on the transom, or both hull sides at the bow.

AWOL rudder tube replaced with some Evergreen tube from Penn Models, it's not as snug on the rudder shaft as the original brass so will be packed out with some grease when fitted.

Coop
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Coop

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #22 on: September 16, 2019, 10:03:52 pm »

Superstructure on with roof warped to match the roofline curve (cheated with superglue to glue this down). The two "prongs" that run back had to be gently curved and glued in place - this would have been *much* *much* easier had I not previously varnished the deck and  painted the s/s with nice thick gloss enamel.

The hatch had to be carefully sanded to fit snug. I don't really like the way it fits, it's supposed to slide at an angle under the deck then slide back into position resting on two "lollipop sticks" along the sides with tabs under the ends of the hatch. My original plan was to forget the tabs and just hockey tape it down before use but I noticed when using hockey tape to mask the deck off for painting that it lifted some of the varnish. As it has not affected any of the stickers or paintwork on my speedboats I thought this would OK to use on wood  >:-o So back to following the instructions. I ended up shortening the "lollipop sticks" to make it easier to manipulate the hatch. No, I didn't realise this was needed until they were bonded in place...


As I didn't paint the superstructure roof I don't think the blue is too overpowering now. Nice balance between the different colours and surfaces.


Aluminium mast now sits inside an aluminium tube within the hull - what I should have done is check the fit before gluing the later in...


So some careful reaming was needed here. Another lesson learnt for future reference.


Coop
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jjolly3

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Re: Newbie Aeronaut Clipper build
« Reply #23 on: June 09, 2020, 01:31:47 pm »

Hello Coop,


Have you progressed further with your Clipper Build?  Did you keep the stock rudder?  How are the sails to install?
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