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    Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    6 Posts · 10 Followers · 45 Photos · 40 Likes
    Began 3 years ago by
    Petty Officer 1st Class
    United Kingdom
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    Latest Post 3 years ago by
    Petty Officer 1st Class
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    📝 Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 138 Views · 11 Likes · 21 Comments
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    I love making plastic model kits but I've always fancied making an RC model boat ever since I saw a Leander class frigate being made by Bob Symes on TV in 'Model World' back in the 70s. Having had no model boat building experience and no knowledge of electronics I considered myself more than qualified to 'throw one together'... 😂

    After half an hour on Google I found myself buying a set of Vic Smeed plans for a 1/24 scale Thornycroft MTB and a Belair kit for it. It was when they turned up that I realised what I'd let myself in for.

    Firstly I did a 'dry run' with the Belair Kit. All seemed reasonably straightforward so I got down to chamfering the keel pieces. Then I started glueing all the bits together, leaving a 1/4" gap for the propeller shaft. I didn't have a set square, so used some lego stolen from my son to make one.

    When my timber turned up I started to fit the chines and gunwale. I noticed my first gunwale strip had made the stem/bow/front bit too sharp. It needed a bit more curve, so I added a couple of 'spacers' to the inner strip so the outer strip would give a broader curve and ensured the inner strip wouldn't be pushed inwards by adding a strut from the stem reinforcement. I then started to apply the skin (1/16" ply), moving from stern to bow.

    Of course it started really easily, but as I approached the curvy bits towards the front I started to use cardboard to make patterns for the pieces of ply I'd be cutting. Some of these I'd soak in hot water for a couple of hours so I could get a decent bend to them. I used PVA glue with superglue for when I couldn't use clamps and needed an instant strong bond.

    On the hull pieces I decided to cut the apertures for the portholes, but wait until I'd varnished it all before fitting the nice shiny portholes I'd ordered from Amati.

    So as you can see, the bow looked a right state - I didn't have any clamps capable of bringing the skin together neatly at the front. I knew that whatever I used to fill it would have to be very tough to withstand the knocks I knew it would get in this landlubber's hands. So I used milliput, an epoxy putty that sets rock hard, won't crumble and is waterproof.

    I filled with wood filler, then gave it all a good sanding starting with coarse sandpaper, working down to a fine one. So here's where I'm up to - quite pleased as it looks the part and more or less symmetrical.

    Now I need to think about what I'll be putting inside it to make it go so I can fit and seal the prop shaft, varnish and then see if she floats

    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 122 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks JB - yes, got that image and 2 others - interesting history! thanks for explaining torque roll - i was going to keep the prop as close to the hull as possible - maybe a 25 - 30mm one
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    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 122 Views · 1 Like
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    Gathering a spot of dust Martin, probably needs the decks swabbing😁, mind you, if you've ever seen pics of the full sized ones in the war, mine looks brand new compared to some😁. Don't think they had much time to look after them, just basic maintenance, a cuppa and out again.

    JB
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 122 Views · 3 Likes
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    Hi Nick, to minimise possible torque roll (quite often caused by too steep a shaft angle, causing the boat to roll on the bow,) try and keep the prop as close to the hull as possible (that's one of the reasons racing boats use parallel cable drives and stinger drives for better thrust line and control). Also, too big a diameter prop with too powerful a motor will cause roll as shown. Try and get a small prop going fast, it will lessen the roll, ( the shafts in mine spin at about 12,000 RPM). Not sure if you have this pic of the original subject. A bit of history as well. Apparently no 49 was a 75 footer, (according to records)

    JB
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 124 Views · 1 Like
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    Thanks Rowen - ok, was originally going to stick to one engine for simplicity, but everyone seems to be saying two will be better (gulp) - gonna ponder this and i may be in touch regarding the specs for your RTTL...

    cheers, nick
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 124 Views · 2 Likes
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    great stuff - thanks so much JB! looks a cracking model and those images and technical details have given me a lot of food for thought - i've been struggling to find references for all the deck 'clutter' as i've only found a couple of long shot visual references for the original vessel. i think i'm going to stick with the one motor for the time being and discover what 'torque roll' is on her maiden voyage...🤣

    best, Nick
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 125 Views · 1 Like
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    She is showing her age now Jb,

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 123 Views · 1 Like
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    Hi Rowen, the original plan was for a single Albon Marine Javelin diesel (50s) which would have been fun to start in a scale type boat (I had Davis Charlton diesels and they were cows to start at times, not to mention messy!) I had a DC Spitfire in the 60s which I contemplated fitting in mine, but the thought of the starting cord ripping the scale bits off made me use electrics.

    You are right with the twin set-up (you would struggle to fit a triple set-up in these due to a lack of room and access to the internal spaces) which I've used in mine which runs and turns nicely. I think a lowish powered single would be ok, but they are quite narrow (8"), although the bottom is almost flat at the transom, which might help stability. I kept my props as close as possible to the bottom to prevent any lift. The bow is quite fine, so you don't want it digging in on turns.

    JB
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Rowen ( Captain)
    ✧ 123 Views · 4 Likes
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    Imagine the scale layout is for triple screws.
    Did this with my Brave Borderer, for which there is a blog. Would not recommend that though for a new modeller.
    A single screw will work, but brings sensitive handling issues. Not insurmountable, but it is the simplest installation.
    Am finishing off a 34" long R.A.F RTTL withe twin screws. Powered by two brushless 37 kv motors and 35mm brass screws.
    A test run recently showed great, stable performance. A more complex layout, but worth the trouble. Particulary as your earlier steps look so good.
    Drop me a personal note and will dig out the specs if you decide to do that.
    Rowen
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 123 Views · 3 Likes
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    Hi Nick, started this one from the Vic Smeed plan (which I bought around 1966) about 45yrs ago and finished it around 25yrs ago, thought some pics might be of help. It is best to fit your your rudder set -up (especially the scale type) at this stage, and make sure it all works and the servo placed so you can get at it easily, as you will most likely not be able to get to it later.

    With the external scale rudders, you will need to make them removable to be able to get the shaft/s out for greasing etc (unless you fit oiler tubes). I used brass electrical connecters so that the top pin is the back of the steering arm and the lower screw holds the rudder shaft. The rudder shafts run in bushed brass tubes soldered to the brackets. The rudder tillers are linked with a rod and a clevis on both ends, with one side having a tiller and another connection for the servo (I have the servo under the front hatch, and a cable which runs to a bell-crank attached to the rear deck, which hooks to the tiller connection ,- you could set all this up easily at this stage) If you are using this twin set-up, you would need to sort out all the angles before soldering the tillers. The bell-crank is placed for ease of adjustment.

    You can also run all your wiring outside the inner frame at this point (add more for later extras,)- LEDs can be fitted also as there is nowhere for cabin lights to shine through due to the solid frame, - I had to try and do it later and it was not fun😐) I use speaker double wire as it usually has + and - marked . You can drill holes in the inner frame now, where you need the wires to enter/exit for particular items. this makes life a bit easier unless you have very small hands and arms. Your ESC and motor wires can be left out in the hull, for ease of fitting.

    Re - motors, I used 2 -12v high revving brushed 380 motors (very cheap to replace) with homemade brass shafts and 3 bladed 25mm props (mainly for a more scale look). The motors are cooled with clip on heat sinks and a large 12v computer fan mounted in the bulkhead of the engine compartment. They can get quite hot, but have been in there for years. They run it at a pretty scale speed and will run for hours on a 3s 3000Mah lipo. You can use the Hobbywing brushed ESCs which are very good, or the cheap car ESCs which I have changed it to recently, (they aren't perfect but they are cheap and work well).

    Brushed set-ups are far cheaper than brushless, but brushless are more powerful but can be quite expensive. You can of course just use a single motor and std rudder, but you might have issues with torque roll due to the narrow hull. I'd recommend twins with counter rotating props which cancel this out. A single brushed 540 motor of around 30T on a 2s LiPo and a 30mm prop should push it quite nicely if you want to make it less complicated. It's still a bit of trial and error, but you have to start somewhere. For reference, my MTB weighs 2.7kg with battery. There is a vid in the media gallery (under Thornycroft MTB,) if you want to check the performance with the twin 380s.

    Hope this gives you a few ideas.

    JB
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 126 Views · 1 Like
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    i know - i was gobsmacked when i discovered there was still one in the country - and only 20 miles away from me!
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 126 Views · 2 Likes
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    Model Shop! what's that LOL!!!!
    I thought that was a thing of the past LOL!!

    Martin555.
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    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 127 Views · 1 Like
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    heh heh - i'm sure someone will be able to help - i've got a model boat shop not too far away in windsor so they may be able to offer advice!
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 127 Views · 1 Like
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    Nick,
    I am sure you will get some answers from other members that will help.

    As I am the type of guy that will fit anything that i had lying around just to see what happens LOL!!
    So i don't feel qualified to give you a proper answer.

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 127 Views · 1 Like
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    hi martin - yes, but many of them have two props and i guess it will be dependent on size/weight etc - the original plans call for a what i guess is a 2 stroke engine - a marine javelin (i don't want to go up that creek just yet) - wondering what electric motor would suit to push about 2 kilos or so of wood and plastic through the water at a reasonable rate...
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 128 Views · 1 Like
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    Nick.
    Have you looked around the site at other MTB builds to see what is powering them ?

    Is there any recommendations in the kit instructions ?

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 128 Views · 1 Like
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    hi fred - yes on the model boat mayhem facebok page - thanks for the compliment! dunno how i'm going to power her - i want to go electric to keep it simple (and to match my experience) 🤣

    as she only has the one prop and is quite large i imagine i'd need a reasonably beefy off the shelf motor to get to a decent scale speed (5-6 knots??) - anything you'd recommend?
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 128 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks martin - really appreciate the kind words - i've learned a lot and i'm really enjoying the build. just hope she floats! 🤔
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Fred ( Lieutenant)
    ✧ 128 Views · 2 Likes
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    Hi Nick

    That is looking great for a first timer, keep up the good work.

    Did you post on another forum that you were going to start this build?
    I only ask as I made this boat back in the early 90's from 1/8" ply and used a heater motor from a Ford Cortina as the power plant.

    Fred
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 128 Views · 1 Like
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    Hi Nick,
    You have made a great start with your build log and as a first time RC Boat builder you have done a fantastic job so far.
    I am looking forward to seeing the next instalment.

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 129 Views · 1 Like
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    thank you!
    💬 Re: Newbie takes on Vic Smeed's Thornycroft 73' 9" MTB
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Seanympth ( Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class)
    ✧ 136 Views · 2 Likes
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    Amazing work. Thank you for sharing. Well done👍
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    📝 Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 106 Views · 7 Likes · 6 Comments
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    So I've got the hull all done, cut the apertures for the portholes and got the foredeck down. I can't really do any more until I have the gizzards. So ignoring the things that will actually make this vessel GO, I've concentrated on the fluff that will make it look nice 😂

    I made a list of everything that will go on the deck with the links to various suppliers. But looking at it in the cold light of day I realised it would add up to an awful lot of moolah so I banished all thoughts of ESCs, water cooling, servos and inflammatory LiPo battery packs and got scratch building, using plastic card and the odd plastic lid. I won't do it all (Battlecraft's twin vickers turret and torpedo tubes are too beautiful to ignore - and you can see their ship's wheel and lifebelt in the pics) but had a go at some lockers and hatches. I've used a couple of portholes on the porthole hatches, applying a drop of PVA glue over the glazing which should provide a decent mask that I can remove once it's all painted.

    Here's how it's looking currently, with wheelhouse and some bits of foredeck litter placed on the deck just to see how it looks - come on, we all do it don't we?😜

    I've made a hinge for the mast so it can fold down in transit and held in place when erect by wires hooking onto the 'stick thing' at the front (you can tell I'm new to this can't you?)

    So regarding the gizzards: I'm going to stick to the original plan of one engine/prop (i'd hate to think what horrors would ensure if I tried to convert it to 2 props at this late stage - doable I know, but I want to keep things as simple as I am...)

    After various nocturnal saunters through Googleland, I've come up with a tentative plan:

    Motor: Fusion 3535/05 Brushless Motor 1500kv 35mm Outrunner

    ESC: Hobbywing Seaking-30A-V3 Speed Control (with a water-cooling setup)

    8" prop shaft with a 30mm prop, keeping it as close to the hull as possible without slicing a hole through it - to minimise any torque roll (you see - i'm learning!) Regarding the prop - RH or LH as there's only the one? And is brass worth the extra cost over plastic?

    Batteries: I like the idea of Nimh batteries as apparently I can use 2 battery packs which would help with weight distribution - but what packs - and how would I link them - any ideas?

    I think I know what I'm going to do with the rudders but I'll obviously need a servo. I've seen some rc packages that contain transmitter, receiver and servo - any advice on a half decent one that doesn't cost the earth?

    does all that make sense?

    💬 Re: Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 102 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks rick!
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    💬 Re: Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Newby7 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 101 Views · 2 Likes
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    I like Nick. Keep up the good work.
    Rick
    💬 Re: Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 106 Views · 1 Like
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    Thanks Martin!
    💬 Re: Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 106 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks JB!
    💬 Re: Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 105 Views · 1 Like
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    I agree with JB,
    She is taking shape nicely.

    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Thornycroft Update
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 104 Views · 2 Likes
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    Looking good so far Nick👍

    JB
    📝 She floats!!!
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 93 Views · 5 Likes · 3 Comments
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    Electrics arriving in dribs and drabs - the two 6v NiMh batteries sit nicely either side of where the engine will be installed so I made 'compartments' for them which they fit snugly and there'll be no risk of them falling out - seemed neater and more secure than using velcro and they're easy to extract.

    The twin Vickers turret and Carley float arrived from Battlecraft and they really look the thing - had fun painting them and completing the engine hatch which they'll be attached to.

    Did a rough positioning of the gizzards (I bottled making the engine mount and ordered one on fleabay but it'll take a while to arrive so I'll have to wait awhile to seat and seal the prop shaft.

    Fitted the portholes (unglazed - I'll glaze them after the hull is painted) and decided to see if she'd float and see how much ballast I'll need.

    I remembered to seal the prop shaft aperture with duct tape, filled her with the engine, batteries etc and gingerly lowered her into the churning maelstrom of our bathtub. Phew! I had a nasty moment when I saw a glittering on one side at the bottom, but fortunately only the bathroom light reflecting off some wood glue. She was floating about half an inch below the waterline so I used whatever was to hand as ballast. I'll need 450g near the bow and another 600g just astern of the engine compartment. Once the ballast's in I can get the deck down.

    💬 Re: She floats!!!
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 88 Views · 1 Like
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    Coming along really well Nick,-like your battery boxes,-very tidy👍 Hatch and wheelhouse are looking great also.

    JB
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    💬 Re: She floats!!!
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Newby7 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 94 Views · 3 Likes
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    She floats is a good thing Nick.Good update well done.
    Rick
    💬 Re: She floats!!!
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 95 Views · 1 Like
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    Hi Nick,
    One step closer and a big sigh of relief.
    Keep it up.

    Martin555.
    📝 Nearly there...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 77 Views · 4 Likes · 4 Comments
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    Crikey - hadn't realised it's been 2 months since my last Thornycroft post. I haven't been neglecting the build - just trying to fit the motor, tillers and all the electronics inside. I was envisaging two access panels at the rear, but decided to merge them into one large panel, giving me more room to squeeze in the ESC, switch and fuse, without interfering with the tiller mechanism or the prop shaft.

    Even then as you can see from the photos it looks a right pig's breakfast 😂. I'd got to the stage where I was ready to switch it on and see what happened. To be honest I wasn't expecting much as this was my first time putting electronics together and I didn't have much faith in my cack-handed attempts at soldering. As I bound the receiver and transmitter, something stirred and i was flabbergasted to see the rudders twitching. everything actually worked 😮.

    My biggest headache has been the transom-mounted twin tillers. I tried combination after combination of various linkage components. In the end I went back to the drawing board, fabricating 2 tiller posts from brass rod, with soldered arms extending through the transom which linked up via brass strip, steel rod and brass tube mounted on the servo. This appears to work. I just need to put some finishing touches to her and I'll post some more pics of her in a finished state in the next week...

    💬 Re: Nearly there...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 76 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks rick - certainly been a learning curve for me...
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    💬 Re: Nearly there...
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Newby7 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 78 Views · 2 Likes
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    Looks close to a sail Nick. Rudder linkages give me trouble. Well done on the new rudder setup.
    Rick
    💬 Re: Nearly there...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 77 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks martin! 🤞
    💬 Re: Nearly there...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 77 Views · 1 Like
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    Looks good to me Nick,
    Not far of compleation now.

    Martin555.
    📝 Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 68 Views · 6 Likes · 15 Comments
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    Well here's how she's looking. I must say I'm really pleased with the way she's turned out. I scratch built a fair bit of the detail, but did invest in some of the major fluff (mg turret, torpedo tubes, depth charges, anchors etc from Battlecrafts)

    She's taken me about 4 months to build and I've had great fun learning new skills and techniques. I'm actually dreading taking her down to the nearest boating lake for her maiden voyage as I've convinced myself she'll catch fire and sink without trace.😂

    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 58 Views · 2 Likes
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    thanks bruce - hope she performs on the water!
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    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 58 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks JB!
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇳🇿 jbkiwi ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 59 Views · 2 Likes
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    Nice job Nick, looking forward to seeing it on the water.

    JB
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Brucep ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 68 Views · 2 Likes
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    That’s certainly a nice looking boat. You should be very pleased with yourself.
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 63 Views · 2 Likes
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    thanks pete - just waiting for some decent weather 😀
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Rookysailor ( Commodore)
    ✧ 84 Views · 2 Likes
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    That's a tasty looking gunboat Nick, get her on the water and show her off👍

    Cheers, Pete😊
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 66 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks robert - i'll be keeping everything crossed...
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Robertcooper ( Chief Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 69 Views · 2 Likes
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    Hi

    I really do like that. I hope it goes well in the water for you .👍
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 66 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks colin!
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Colin H ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 71 Views · 3 Likes
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    Nick, that's a super looking model, have faith in your work and all will be well.
    Cheers Colin.
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 66 Views · 1 Like
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    🤣
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    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Martin555 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 68 Views · 1 Like
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    Great work Nick.
    Very nice detail.
    I seems a shame to get her wet.

    RE :- I'm actually dreading taking her down to the nearest boating lake for her maiden voyage as I've convinced myself she'll catch fire and sink without trace.

    Don't take her. LOL!!


    Martin555.
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Newby7 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 67 Views · 2 Likes
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    Hi Nick She will fight to keep her head above water.
    Rick
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 66 Views · 1 Like
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    thanks rick - i'm sure she'll look very atmospheric at the bottom of the lake covered in algae 🤣
    💬 Re: Complete and ready to go...
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Newby7 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 67 Views · 2 Likes
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    Well done Nick She's a beauty.
    Rick
    📝 Thornycroft MTB maiden voyage
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 42 Views · 7 Likes · 4 Comments
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    My Vic Smeed Thornycroft MTB has been sitting in dry dock over the summer, due to holidays but also procrastination due to my fear that when I finally launched her she'd go straight to the bottom...

    Anyway, this morning I plucked up courage, took her down to Black Park lake near Slough and chucked her in. She appeared to sit well in the water. I gently engaged the throttle and waved a tearful farewell as she moved off 20 yards or so towards the middle of the lake. I took her round in a wide arc and back to port. I repeated this a couple of times and did some straight runs until the tiller mechanism jammed, fortunately she was within grabbing distance.



    💬 Re: Thornycroft MTB maiden voyage
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 40 Views · 0 Likes
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    Thank Nerys - tiller arm popped off the servo - may fit a bracket to keep it in place :-)
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    💬 Re: Thornycroft MTB maiden voyage
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 nickcouldry ( Petty Officer 1st Class)
    ✧ 40 Views · 0 Likes
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    Cheers Rick!
    💬 Re: Thornycroft MTB maiden voyage
    3 years ago by 🇬🇧 Nerys ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 49 Views · 1 Like
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    Well done Nick, always good to get them on the water and always a relief when nothing untoward happens. Sure you'll get the cooling system sorted out and there can't be much the matter with the steering. Expect you can't wait to get her back in her natural element for another go.

    Nerys
    💬 Re: Thornycroft MTB maiden voyage
    3 years ago by 🇨🇦 Newby7 ( Fleet Admiral)
    ✧ 48 Views · 1 Like
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    Well done Nick Sea trials went well no fear of the bottom.
    Rick


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