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[Popeye the Sailor]

I was a very good boy this past year.........my Christmas wish list reflected this.  on a website that I frequent,  I saw that they had a Billing Boats U.S. coast guard life boat, with the motors and running hardware for $165.00.  it was under the tree for me,  and will be my very first R/C boat project.  it's a 1:20 kit of a Waveney Life Boat,  from the information I've been able to find out so far.  I'm a big fan of Billing Boats and have built several models already.  the admiral {my wife} was hoping that one other package would arrive before Christmas......but it was hung up in the mail.  it finally came in,  which was another model that I was wanting......an IJN aircraft carrier,  the Shokaku.  there was another kit in the box.......Billing Boats RNLI Waveney class Life Boat in 1:40 scale!  I had never seen this kit before......took a browse through old catalogs I've collected through the years.  I still don't know much about the kits......still trying to find information about them.  I'd love to start on them,  but I have a few projects I need to finish first.  has anyone ever had these kits?

[malcolmfrary]

20+ years ago Billing did a range of small kits, ostensibly for beginners.
https://www.billingboats.com/index.php/modelboats-footer/5/120/0/root/boats/the-beginner
Originally intended as display pieces, they were on the limit of what could be fitted with radio control back then.  Advances in gear have made much more more easily possible.  Batteries are lighter, radios are smaller, micro servos are available at much more affordable prices and available motors are much smaller along with their ESCs.

[RST]

 I bought my first small Waveney as a young teenager and remember being publicly ridiculed in the shop for saying I’d RC it.  Did it no bother with standard servos, microswitches for motor power and 27MHz radio.
 
I bought a second one last year (still got the old one but wanted to do a better job) and I’m a bit disappointed Billings seem to have “downgraded” to some wooden parts from plastic, and didn’t include working propshafts now so it’s been sat on a back-burner for a few months.  It should be very easy to convert with modern electrics these days.
 
The only thing is access: various youtube videos out there on how others have done it.  On my first one the whole deck screwed down and I sealed the edge each time with artists masking fluid.  Worked OK but think there’s a better way now -and with better radio gear and high-capacity Ni-MH compared to Ni-Cd batteries, don’t need anywhere near the same volume of access.
 
I’m going to do my new one as a Pilot boat this time like the one at Berwick on Tweed.  I have a recent obsession with pilot boats!
 
 

[JimG]

I built the smaller Billings Waveney life boat many years ago (still have it although needing some restoration). I powered it with the motors and electronics of two servos and used a mixer to give steering control using the motors (no rudder servo used). It used a standard AA NiCd receiver pack for power. I did modify the electronics by replacing the normal servo feedback pot with a small trimmer pot with the same resistance. Used 27MHz radio as this was pre 40MHz. The coupling from motor to shaft was a length of tubing. Worked well although steering could be a bit vague at times.
With todays micro radio you can now fit small motors with micro esc and still find plenty of room for a micro servo for rudder.
Jim

[JimG]

Just looked it out it was in fact the US coastguard version I built (a friend made the Waveney, he fitted a rudder servo so didn't need the mixer) Here are some photos of it. I used two hatches for access, the rear cabin was lift off and a hatch was made in the main deck. You can see the two motors under the front hatch (there is a socket for a chargeing jack between them. The rear is mostly empty as this was where the receiver fitted. The mixer is under the deck between the hatches and can't really be seen, the last photo shows the servo electronics mounted on the side of the hull.Jim

[Ralph]

I can still remember JimG and I sailing the steering and docking course at Tarlair side by side with these models, early 1990s I think - happy days!  Regrettably mine is no longer around as it got seriously crunched during a house move but fun while it lasted.


I used a 4 channel radio set and as Jim says, fitted a rudder servo as well as independent motors but with tank steering on the motors I really didn't need the rudders.  Hatches were much like Jims and I can't remember any problems with access.

[Popeye the Sailor]

thank you gents for your kind reply     Billing Boats is my favorite,  having built several.  I've always built models...my first wood model was back in 2009.  a co worker gave me one he started to build,  but gave up,  or fell out in interest wit hit.  it was a very old kit of the Nordkap.  the early kits were not laser cut and did not include the fittings...they were ordered separately.  a couple of Christmas's ago,  the admiral got me another one,  which I decided to build as the Progress,  another kit that was produced back in the early days of Bi9lling Boats.


the larger life boat {pilot boat} kit is the Coast Guard model in 1:20 scale.  I'm not sure of the production date of it,  but the smaller 1:40 scale model was produced around 1982.  I am a bit puzzled though,  because most of the ABS hull models by Billings usually have some degree of framework inside the hull.  these don't appear to have any....I've checked out the smaller kit,  but haven't really looked into the larger kit.  as I mentioned,  I've never really tried to build an R/C model before,  but reading your posts,  it looks like I'm in very good company     I hope these pictures show up......I've dealt with this format before.

[Popeye the Sailor]

WoW!!!!!!  it worked!   glad to meet you all..by the way


Denis