HI Dave,

If you have a look at the very bottom post on this page it explains a fair amount of the boats stats:

http://modelfireboats.com/rc/setups.php

The motor is brushless, it would be my recommendation to go down the brushless route no matter what the price difference is! it is a little more expensive but it's certainly where to get the power from. Brushed motors are old technology in many ways, but okay for tugs!

My boat also uses Lithium Polymer (Li-Po) batteries which are also quite new to the boating world. They are very often used in model planes when it's Important to keep the weight to a minimum as for their size and weight they pack a lot of power!

The propeller is a 40mm two blade type. I only have a single prop, although I guess with you having an original with an IC engine that will be the case with yours too.

I'm personally not a big fan on IC engines anyway, they require a great deal of work before anything works! So yes, electric is the way to go. You can get even more power from electrics in my opinion that with IC engines anyway.

I can't give you any advice at all on motors as I don't have any proper information to give you on mine. it was made by a company that has since stopped producing them, I would recommend speaking to brushless motor suppliers and seeing what they recommend to be honest. Don't be fooled by the size though, for small motors they have a deceptive amount of power.

The speed controller will need to be a brushless one too if that's what your planning on doing. it's worth just noting here too that I'd be careful to get one with reverse as most of them are forwards only.

That's all I can think of at the moment, let me know if you need any more information. You could start of a restoration blog on the website? Not sure if you have a digital camera but it would be interesting to see the stages of restoration. People can then help you as you go along by posting small responses. Only an idea!?

Best regards,
Stephen

www.modelfireboats.com


--- ORIGINAL MESSAGE (REPLY ABOVE) ---
HI Fireboat my name is Dave, I am in Birmingham and have retrieved my fire boat from the loft where it has sat for some 30 years. I think it was the Kiel Kraft and is 35 inch long. it currently has 3.5cc OS glow-plug engine which I can not use at my local boating lake in Bournville. I like the way your model sails and planes well. and looks very much like my model and size. As I start out on restoring my fire boat I would be interested in what motor/batteries and prop you have used as I am effectively a novice again, as the technology has changed so much!
Many thanks.
Dave

I have the 46 inch version I/C & does not run in reverse but any drips in the stern well is no matter . You have a bulkhead sealing to the forward (cabin housing the engine room in the full scale1:!). The hull bottom skin has to have many many coats of paint. The rear deck well is merely held in place sitting on two runners on each side of the hull inner sides and the well deck plate merely lifts up at the stern inner side and can slide forward under the towhook box arrangement then you put your finger under the rear well piece and lift up . Lyle.

this Boat is on twin drives as well. it is set up for gear boxes but I can still use 1-1 belt drive so it will be direct, the reason for the gearboxes was so I could get the motors in a similar position to the full size boat and I have found you need the weight of batteries central to stop the front coming up to high. I am hopping to use two brush-less motors and nimhs batteries or lipos. its about half the weight of a aerokits boat so should perform well,
one thing I have noticed of late is that they can go to fast and didn't turn very well at very high speed.
there is a chap on hear that has just been playing and he has decided to go back to a slightly slower. and that is still very fast and looks good on the water.

Peter

Hi.
what motors & power supply will you be using?
I've been trying a brushless motor & li-po's - I had heard that they were good, but I never expected the power from such a small motor - incredible technology.
With my crash tender being on twin drive it will be far too much power, so I tried it on another boat.


Cheers

am35

HI its a Kingston mouldings hull fiberglass 34" and the rest is scratch built it is ready for paint and has been for some time I hate painting . the majority is plasticard and the bulkheads are lite ply, the boat is very light. it has twin screws. Ill post some pictures.

Peter

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping to get some alternative methods for sealing the well deck (or cockpit). The way you have done seems the right thing to do & I will make mine the same - I think I will make it in fiberglass.
I'll post some pics when I have it completed.
Your boat seems very well made - is it a modern kit?
Can we have some more pics.


Cheers
am35

Ive done it by making a removable section that is like a tub if water comes o the stern , and it always does if you go astern the water only goes in to it and not in to the bottom of the hull, it seems to work ok and there are several ways you can do it.Ill post 3 pictures, see: [url=http://modelfireboats.com/photogallery/view.php?gallery=1#97]http://modelfireboats.com/photogallery/view.php?gallery=1#97[/url]