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peep31
Petty Officer 1st Class
60inch crash tender
I have at last fitted the action p100 and p101 sound unit and it sounds great,yet to go for trials on the water will add more when I try it out
1 comment
  • GreggSub-Lieutenant
    Whats happened to the video clip?
bigmacmodels
Able Seaman
1 / 4
The real/original RAF crash fire tender
Hi, I'm sorry if these pictures are on here already, I did search through and couldn't see any.... I'm after a few peoples opinion on colours etc 💭 As the pictures are all black and white (grey scale) it is difficult to get the colours correct. A lot of model boats seem to be grey on the deck with white roofs, some with wooden decking, some just white and any number of variations. I'm trying to rebuild mine to be as close to the real thing as possible. in my opinion it looks like the top is all in white (as it matches the shade of the "FIRE" sign). The handrails appear to be brass ends with wooden rails?? Most of the other fittings seem to be either white to match the boat or silver for the tie-offs. The spot light seems to be darker than the monitors so I'm not sure if that is a dark silver or maybe black? Any thoughts??? 😉
Liked by circle43nautical
4 comments
  • chrislangWarrant Officer
    I was sailing my 34" fireboat at Portsmouth's Canoe Lake a couple of weekends ago when someone came up to me and said he had been a member of the crew on one of the two actual Vosper Fireboats, and that the cabin sides should be a light blue colour and not grey as on my model - ( I still like the look of the grey though! )
    Regards
    Chris
  • Pete DMaster Seaman
    There is much talk about colours on these old craft,some say Grey, others say Light Blue, and again White also comes into play, These craft were only in service for between 5 and 6 years, during their time in service they underwent maintainance and modification, I have spoken to guys who served on them and on one occasion they had not got enough paint to repaint the mast white, so it got painted Brown, how many of you out there have ever seen one of these craft with a Brown mast?, also you will see that 93 had no breeches connector behind the main cabin, 94 did, most photo's avilable of 93 show no suction hoses on the aft well foam boxes, 94 did, look closely at the photo's and you will clearly see two different types of monitors fitted and in one photo you can clearly see one of each, for what its worth my opinion is Pick a date Pick a colour, I know what we painted ours as taken from V/T drawings.
    Best of luck, kind regards,
    Pete D.
bigmacmodels
Able Seaman
RAF Crash/Fire Tender
Just thought I'd show you guys my boat with the "too fast" brushless setup. I have now put a smaller motor and turned it down on the controller. Almost lost it though 😁
7 comments
  • bigmacmodelsAble Seaman
    The motor I have has a built in water cooling jacket, works really well..... 😀
  • rfinemanRecruit
    Tecnical details please.ie, inrun, rpm, prop size & material battery type & voltage.
bigmacmodels
Able Seaman
1 / 4
Crash Tender 36"
This boat was left to me by my grandad 29 years ago. I have just recently started to rebuild it with a friend and put it in the water for the first time 2 weeks ago. A bit too fast with the brushless set I had so I will be getting something slower in the next few weeks. The pics are from start to now, more to do as I'm not happy with it (and probably never will be 😯 ) I have been looking through everyones pictures and they have given me some great ideas. Thanks guys.
Liked by circle43nautical
4 comments
  • Dave MVice Admiral
    Great news. 😀
    You can now convert all the sceptics at your local pond. After you have left their models standing they very quickly learn. Took my fellow club members about 1 month. Now they all run brushless in their fast models.
    Good luck 😀
  • RaydindayalRecruit
    Many thanks for all the information and attractive pictures about the 'FIRE' I shall get cracking on the repaint job, and then get the motor installed and try again. This won't happen until the spring of our new year. I shall do this at a very suitable pond at Clapham London which is not too far from where I am. Will fill you in then.
    Thanks & Regards Ray
alan44
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
1 / 4
crash tender
my effort at scramble nets. they look ok rolled up.
Liked by circle43nautical
4 comments
  • alan44Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
    have a look at how I made them described in my last post. Alan.
  • cakfilthLeading Seaman
    Ok thanks, they really look great.
alan44
Chief Petty Officer 2nd Class
1 / 4
crash tender
A few more pics of my almost complete 94. 9 months to build- countless hours!
Liked by jbkiwi and circle43nautical
7 comments
  • Dave MVice Admiral
    HI PeterD
    What a brilliant idea. Have to go to the local market or pound shop to find some
    Stephen (Fireboat)
    Another good tip from PeterD for your Masterclass.
  • circle43nauticalChief Petty Officer 2nd Class
    BRAVO ZULU! Nice boat. That's a great tip regarding the nets. I now think I can use it for the netting on my USCG Cutter flight deck netting.
Gazzayre
Recruit
1 / 4
Crash Tender Rebuild update
Since my last posting I have spent weeks stripping the paint, refilling where required and have had to make new roof and floor sections, worst part has been been the front windows as these were totally rotten once the old paint was removed, and making new ones was hard because the old frames they attach to is warped. I still have not fitted them yet as I'm looking to paint and glaze first.
Liked by circle43nautical
AlanR
Leading Seaman
RAF CRASH TENDER 46 Inch
Have had this boat 30 years .Started it for my eldest son but never finished. But now with two boys of his own I am determined to give it my best shot.
Completly stripped it, repaired delaminated sections,took out all the gear (motor,radio,servos) and started again.
I will update progress as time goes on but I am determined this will be on the water this year.
Liked by circle43nautical and Squirtgun
6 comments
  • AlanRLeading Seaman
    HI Dave
    Type in Jack Harkness on Ebay few going cheap at the moment
    Alan
  • Dave MVice Admiral
    Thanks Alan
    Have ordered one to see what they are like.
    Dave
tugboat
Recruit
1 / 4
RAF Crash Tender Posted Jan 13th 2012 by Tugboat
Have had this boat in my shed for 2yrs,so I decided now to start doing it up. The boat was given to me by my friend who had it in his garage for 20 yrs, and it was given to him by his boss as it was sitting in his garage for along time.So I am not sure how old it is I think it is a Yeoman 34" model, because it has all metal cast fittings, as shown in the photo with rest of fitting which were on the boat. The hull paint work and decals are the original one that came with the boat, the motor which came fitted to the prop is a Johnson made in Hong Kong.So if some can tell me the approx, year that would be helpful. Could some one tell me where I can get the fire hoses for the stern well please.
Liked by circle43nautical
6 comments
  • triumphjonMaster Seaman
    re suction hoses , Ive just made ours by using a section of sink unblocking snake (from tescos A£ 1.27 ! ) stretched out and covered in 7mm heat shrink tubing before being heated / shrunk , the ends will be made up in brass tubing . jon
  • Dave MVice Admiral
    HI Tugboat
    Just seen your post. Very nice looking model. 😀 Yeomans were the official supplier of white metal fittings for the Aerokits fire tenders and from the pictures it certainly looks like an original Aerokits model. I sold just such a kit and the Yeomans fittings on this site last year.
bat44
Leading Seaman
1 / 3
RAF Crash Tender
here's some pic's of my fire boat, it's taken me about 18 months to get it to look like this, not happy with the air vents on top of the boat but have got hold of some of the original vents, so will be taking a mould of these and then I will put them on the boat, then I can start the painting
Liked by circle43nautical
7 comments
  • LylePetty Officer 2nd Class
    Hello all you Fire Boat restorers, I carefully noted the rather belled style of the vents as less streamlined as compared to the bought ones and when the vent front edge is carefully sanded flush, I found suitably thickened in section, silicone "O rings" from my big box of multiple o rings pack as sold by car part and engineering shops. A small piece of plasticine was used to hold the rings in place and super glued to affix.With care the small dab of holding plasticine was uppermost to not stick as the glue ran around down due to gravity. When a few hours later the usual re paint of the modified vent was done,the paint adhered. I Oz I have to run in salt water at the lake entrance and no effects at all ( obviously). I love my I/c Fire boat ( some 34 /39 years or so) with its third engine now and I still cannot help myself as I did hinges for the rear hatch roof to now open. All the best for detailers. When Peter Dimberline stayed with us some years back he ran it at ballistic speed, which shocked me as I run it just up un the plane. (Secret) you can cheat and add an extra wide strip along the chine up to almost an additional 1/8 inch extra wide without visual loss to the lines of the vessel to help her get up and stay in a hard chop as mine is the 46 inch version and some 18 to 20 pounds in weight, so perhaps the smaller 34 inch version and electric may benefit from this idea as the smaller versions tend not to sit too well and seem too far out of the water exposing too much of the f'd keel for some reason? I really enjoy all the Fire Boat resurgence of you guys. Lyle.
  • LylePetty Officer 2nd Class
    Hi, I was so surprised at your having some printed pictures and two reference pages of the Fire Boat ? is a set of emailed copies of the two reference pages displayed on the right hand side of your picture available to be sent my email if your are inclined, please ? (I can forward my address for email) Certainly very nice to have . Regards Lyle.
BOATSHED
Captain
1 / 4
RAF Crash Tender
HI to all you Fire Boaters,
I have decided to finally bring my Fireboat out of the closet and up for inspection.
This is the first of my many boats I am showing, I will probably show others in the future.
I started to build her back in 2006 after being off work and having a shoulder operation. She was not going to be a R/C boat, just a bit of something to do whilst on recovery.

I have a 34" still in the box unmade, purchased back in 1994 from Aerokits.
I drew round all the parts and then shrunk them on my scanner. She is 27" long I think that's
just fraction over 1/20th scale . She is almost all balsa except the 2 under skins that are balsa laminated with 1/64th ply. The hand rails are 1/4" balsa blocks I cut from a strip and the rail is ally tubing.
The mast is made from plastic strip from packets from the model shop.

When I returned to work she was put into the shed and left unfinished.
I stumbled across the Fireboat website and registered in 2009 when I was off work once again. This then made me think more about working on her again and I decide to turn her into an R/C model. So out she came and I fitted an Electomax Delta 480bb motor and a M3sonik esc.
I also purchased a couple of Robbe fire monitors, put them together shortening the nozzles and cutting the bottom of the base of to try to look a bit moreto scale. I know they are not the correct type but if I want to go down the road of getting them working then these ones will.

Then off I went to Wilkinson's and bought some paint. Then set out to paint her, as I brushed on the paint it seemed to be drying almost as quick as I was painting her. Dragging the paint I had just put on with next brush stroke. What a TOTAL DISASTER !!. I gave up on her and back into the shed she went.

2010 arrived I started again rubbed the paint down a bit and bought some Tamiya spray acrylic and started spraying, underside red, it seemed look all right. I used a nice new roll of low tack masking tape, taped up the underside and the decking and sprayed on the black on the sides. I thought that look all right. Took off the masking tape, which also took off the red paint and the dope from the decks. Another DISASTER. Back in the shed she went once again.

A couple of months went by and I was up in Norfolk on my own boat and watching the workers in the boatyard, ideas came to me and when we returned home, out she came and I repainted the sides
and then with red oxide paint I painted her undersides to make it look like antI foul paint. I used some white stripe to cover the join of the two different paint colours.
I had bought some roundels in Anglia Model Shop in Gorleston and some lettering in a shop in Norwich and after painting put these on.
Not looking fantastic but passable I was a little happier with her, but still not satisfied, back in the shed she went again.

Now after so much nagging from my brother out she has come, I've started again. He talked me into changing and trying a brushless motor and a smaller esc he had in his tool box from his helicopter he was shelving as its rota head was damaged beyond repair.
I have now fitted them and if they work I will change the esc to a forward/ reverse esc in the future at some point.

Sea trials are still away off more than likely in the spring, because the decking has yet to be painted. That will be the next job.

I think that's all for now, as I have probably bored you all to tears. I hope update as I progress further.
Just to let you know I'm Tom (alias BOATSHED).
Liked by circle43nautical and cenbeth and
6 comments
  • SquirtgunLeading Seaman
    I was cruising the blogs, and saw this from 3 years ago, I'm guessing you're retired now%uD83D%uDE06! We're able to finish it? Your perseverance is commendable.
  • BOATSHEDCaptain
    HI Squirtgun, up to no she still hasn't changed, and is still unfinished.
    I did take her out and try her on Clapham Common Long Pond, a bit of a disaster ☺️ , the prop that was on her was a 4 blade 40 mm, was a bit to big and would not steer and tended to react to the torque and pull one way 😭 .
    I have since purchased three smaller prop's 20,25 and
    30 mm 3 bladed brass props. will have to experiment with these at some point.
    Sadly what with work and trying to get some work done on a classic car I have, I haven't had chance to do anymore 😭 .
    Haven't retired as yet, that date isn't until August, but as the law has changed, you do not actually retire anymore I'm told from work, you either work on until you decide or you just resign now.
    So I will get some more done soon but have just been to busy on the classic car.
    Thanks for asking and when done more I will post it.
    Kind regards Tom (alias BOATSHED )
    Liked by Inkoust
GreyWolf
Leading Seaman
1 / 4
RAF Crash Tender
HI Fellow Enthusiasts
Photo shows my RAF crash tender in the colours as it was when first built in 1956/57 from a kit. (Red tops like all fire engines, well I was only 9 at the time.) This photo was taken at lakeside in 1993 when I first joined the Cwmbran Modelling Society. The Second photo shows the boat on display at the Portis Head Open Day event in 2000 several modifications taking place to the overall look of the boat. in 2008/9 I decided for it's belated 50th. birthday to revamp the model and bring it closer to the real thing. Damage to the woodwork being repaired and a colour scheme close to that of the real boat being applied. Several new deck fittings being made along with new window surrounds made out of plastic replacing the cardboard ones fitted in 2000. New decals and correct flag also fitted. The model was entered in the 2010 society Chairmans Comp. winning joint first place with one of my other models. Photo 4 shows my model as she is to-day repaired once again ready to sail, after hitting some Ice over the christmas period 2010 resulting in a hole in the bow that almost caused her to sink.
The model over the 54 years it's been around has been fitted with single and twin electric drives and to day it has a single johnson 550 brushed electric drive via a 2.5/1 gear box run off two 7.2 volt racing packs in series. The torque generated being too great for standard plastic props resulting in me using 40mm three blade brass props. The motor controller is an electolize 15 amp unit and I also use one of their switch units to activate the water pump for the scratch built water cannons. The water pump being salvaged from a 1960's car washer system and still goes to-day.
Hope you enjoy the pic,s as much as Ive enjoyed this model over the last 50 years plus.
Regards
GreyWolf
Liked by circle43nautical and cenbeth
2 comments
  • larryshaw48Able Seaman
    Does anyone remember the 'Triang' Vosper Air Sea rescue launch?
    spent many happy hours on Letchworth town pond with that!
  • GreyWolfLeading Seaman
    HI Larryshaw48 🙏 Sorry for the delay, been down with a bug from before Christmas. Several of the Triang Vosper Air Sea rescue Lanches came up for sale before christmas on E bay listed under Vintage Model Boats. All seemed to be for sale with their original box and in fair condition taking their age into consideration. Never had one or needed one myself as the boat shown above has been with me from 1956/57. Regards GreyWolf

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