Response

Hull finishing touches

Stuart - as you can see from the article in Model Boats, Colin has fitted a contrasting timber to the perimeter of the hull and up the centre of the bow and then infilled with planking. Another method is to veneer the deck and just varnish it or drawn lines on it with Biro or pencil before varnishing. SLEC do laser etched ply but the are straight. Really it depends on how accurate you want the result to be and how much time you want to spend on it. With my Huntsman 28 build I'm just using birch ply and varnishing it whilst with my larger Swordsman 33 (but same scale) I'm going the whole hog and planking it. Chris

5 years ago by ChrisF

Response

Enclosing the controls.

Hello Rob, Can I be cheeky, and enquire as to where you got the large ball head pins, they are perfect for holding the of obeche in place, also the long stainless 'T' headed pins you have used in past builds. cheers, Peter😊

5 years ago by Rookysailor

Blog

The deck planking.

The kit I’m constructing is a pre-production prototype and consequently it does not have the ‘laser etched planking’ feature that has been subsequently introduced in the final production kits on the ‘upper’ deck and the ‘well’ deck. This is of no concern to me because I think I prefer to do my own planking anyway but I do have to do a bit of preparatory ‘laying out’ of the deck pattern to ensure that it’s symmetrical and laid in a pleasing fashion. I have chosen to use 1.6 mm x 9.5 mm obeche hardwood strip-wood (from SLEC) for this with a thin black plasticard caulking between the . This is what I did when I constructed the VMW Fire Tender and the result was very effective and visually pleasing. Obeche has a pleasing grain, takes stain very easily and is also considerably cheaper than mahogany which I feel would be far too ‘dark red’ when finally lacquered. Because I wanted an outer curved plank around the hull edge I had to cut this from 1.6mm obeche sheet to the correct shape and width as it would be impossible to bend a strip to this extreme curve. These also needed a section trimmed out to allow the bow gunwales to be positioned correctly. Once both sides were cut and shaped I could then form the ply gunwales to the correct curve by my heating and bending process and glued them down to the deck. I understand that on the production kits these gunwales are now incorporated into the side skins which will make the construction a bit easier. The remaining outer on the hull edges were made from straight lengths of obeche but required some easing cuts so that they could be bent to the curve of the hull. Hopefully these cuts will not be too noticeable in the finished deck. When all the edge were glued in place I temporarily laid out the obeche planking strips with a thin strip of black plasticard as caulking and all held in place with masking tape. The centre plank was arranged to lie over the centre line from bow to stern. The setting out of the in this manner confirmed that the layout worked as intended and so I began fixing down the planking from the centre plank of the hull outwards with a fast bonding superglue and the process proved to be quite quick to complete. The side deck were equally straightforward but did require some to be carefully shaped in a tapered fashion at each end to fill the remaining gaps. The rear deck was also planked by working out from the centre plank and thankfully the planking layout matched and followed the bow deck planking perfectly. The surplus plasticard ‘caulking’ was then trimmed flush to the with a very sharp chisel and the entire deck rubbed down with my sanding plate until it was all perfectly smooth. For those building this model that don’t feel confident enough to do ‘real planking’ will probably want to make use of the laser etched planking on the ply deck panels to achieve a similar result with very minimal effort, but I quite like the challenge of doing it the hard way and the benefit of a slightly better finish.

5 years ago by robbob

Forum

riva

Given that the inner core of the riva is some sort of plastic (onto which the are laid and glued), and given that the one shown has some 15 coats of clear epoxy and varnish, it is quite well sealed. And stable in our experience. I should have mentioned that you may be carving out space for the electronics and motors as well. (I say "may" because it has been a few years, and my memory is not photographic...)

5 years ago by bustedknuckles

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Hi I use popular ply for construction and decking it is much lighter than birch but is much stronger than light ply . The decking is a light straw colour and of very close uniform grain one coat of danish oil 'can be applied with a soft brush if you are worried about rags washed out with turps use dividers to measure plank widths use biro for curved use a wheeled block device as per the yacht books to follow deck edge apply several coats of oil burnish with fine Scotchbrite Cheers Ian

5 years ago by TOWN3810

Forum

Pretend deck planking

The bend was done using a "jig" and two strips of a thin plywood as a protection of the (nor to distort them by clamps as it happened for the first time). First, I cooked them a little, of course. When dried, they kept the shape nicely. For caulking, the epoxy (or aliphatic wood glue) could be "injected" into the gaps left between the . I have tried all three methods (black paper, epoxy and aliphatic glue) and went for paper, at the end.

5 years ago by Zdenek

Forum

Pretend deck planking

As far as the bending of the is concerned: the thinner and wider the are, the more difficult the bending is if you don't want them twisted. As a "caulking", I usually use the black card (thickness of some 0,3 mm or so) and the result is not a tragedy, I would say (the on the picture are 4 x 2 mm, lime wood. You have to make a choice of planking method because everyone has his own "best" one 😉. Good Luck! Zdenek

5 years ago by Zdenek

Forum

Pretend deck planking

McDonald's have changed the shape of their stirrers all wavy sides I have seen a deck with the held down with drawing pins to make the gap between them. This was into a wooden sub structure then the gaps between the filed with black bumper body filler Scout

5 years ago by scout13

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Found some info that said 16foot was the most common length. 22' is available but the price goes up considerably. 16' will be fine by me as that is half the length of the actual boat so 16" on the model. Having trouble finding and sheet in the same wood and thickness. I need some sheet for the king etc. Have found Maple and Lime so now need to know which comes closest to Teak? Steve

5 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Pretend deck planking

I don't want to build the deck up too much so have been looking at 0.5mm thick . Scale wise they need to be 5mm wide. And as Doug said 10:1 plank/gap so I'm planning to use 0.5mm black plasticard as the caulking. On a full size cabin cruiser what would be the normal length of a plank? I've been on Google to see if I can find any info but the best I found was an advert for that were 1220 long which seems rather short to my mind. Steve

5 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Pretend deck planking

I found the pencil did not give enough definition to the plank join. A fine fibre tip pen produced a good line but the ink still tried to chase the grain of the wood. I managed to smudge a couple of lines before they had dried. But finally, the grain of the plywood looked 'wrong' on the which would not be too bad down the side of the cabin but the foredeck will have a quite significant curve and a large surface area to see how 'wrong' the grain is. I have a wallpaper steamer somewhere in the garage so modifying that will be the next job. Steve

5 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Pretend deck planking

A good supply of free is available at most McDonald's eateries and coffee shops, my family and friends always grab me a handful when visiting such places. I now have a good supply. I usually pop them in my wife's old pressure cooker for about 20 minutes which normally allows me to bend round the forming jig and pin down till dry. As for colours, coffee, tea, food colour or commercial wood dies, it's your model so you have to decide. And I usually try a few spare to test the colours. I hope this helps, cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Hi Steve, What went wrong? 😲 1. Drawing on deck planking, i.e. on a veneer or thin ply- Why/how did it go wrong? Surely since the are all 'parallel curves' all you need to do is make a curve template in plasticard from the plan. Then at a few strategic points along the plank length mark the widths of the . Set the template along these points and 'Bob's yer Uncle - Fanny's yer Aunt' 😉 Mind you; doing it that way the 'curious grain of the ' would betray the fiddle🤔 2. 'what type of strip wood - Any very close grained type. Possible source- http://www.slecuk.com/index.html 3. How to glue it!? Any thin, spreadable waterproof wood glue! 4. Gap? Max 0.5mm perhaps. Ca 10 to 1 ratio. 5. 'How do you secure the bent whilst the glue dries? Modelling pins at strategic points along the plank. Assumes are pre-shaped by steaming!! See 6. 😉 6. 'Do I need to steam the ? - YES! As mentioned above; make a template defining the curve required. From this make a jig of ca 5mm x 10mm in which you can set the steamed to cool and set to the shape required. To allow for the so called 'spring back' make the jig with a slightly sharper curve than the actual deck curve. When fitting the to the deck it's easier to 'push them out' than to try to increase the curvature. Finally; mark on the deck base the plank widths at strategic points along the plank length as alignment points. Glue alternately left/right (OK port/starboard😉) using modelling pins to hold in place until the glue is fully cured. For the 'gaps' There are various solutions in Build Blogs on this site. One that I like is the use of thin black card. When the whole deck is planked and properly cured sand lightly (ca 240 grit). 7. 'weathered teak' there are various suppliers of teak stain and also deck weathering stains; e.g. Jotika stain, Lifecolor Washes for Hulls and Wooden Decks, set part no. LP04, which includes Wooden deck darkener and Shadower, amongst other useful weathering pigments. http://www.astromodel.it Google Lifecolor and you'll surely find some UK distributors. Enough answers for enough questions!? 😁 Hope this provides some inspiration, Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Right ho. Change of plans. Tried some experiments with drawing on my deck planking and screwed it up after only 8 worth. I also tried just using pencil but the curved are just impossible to draw. So...what type of strip wood is best to replicate a weathered teak look? Where to buy it? How do I glue it to birch ply? What gap should I use for 5mm wide ? How do you secure the bent whilst the glue dries? Do I need to steam the ? Should be enough questions for now, Steve

5 years ago by steve-d

Blog

Elizabeth Cabin/superstructure

The cabin has now been finished off with a well deck, the well deck is made of balsa mostly, and the floor is oly, the well deck floor is lined as ( urghh ), firstly scored with a blunt Stanley type knife blade the the plank lines infilled with pencil, the floorboard nail marks are just scored with a sharp pin with a little cyno rubbed in the hole to colour the pin prick, decided to make this as an all in one removal unit, it still has to be glazed and fittings plus furniture, as in windscreen , door's consul etc: .. The deck and all other woodwork has been varnished and the cabin roof painted white, awaiting suitable weather to paint the hull, as this is done outdoors.. Muddy....

5 years ago by muddy

Response

Elizabeth

Sorry chaps but canna remember how far into this build we progressed.. But hoping not to bore you, the decks were added, in Walnut 5mm x 3mm, edges lined with beech, ( this I named Bendy Beech ) it has been treated and one can tie this in a knot, no need for steaming or water soaking just apply glue and tack it down or clamp it until glue dries. BUT-it aint cheap.. Made a start on the cabin upperworks, this is veneered 3mm ply. Basic innards construction with formers trying to make it as light as possible. More to follow.. Muddy..

5 years ago by muddy

Forum

Metal sanding plates

They sound similar, but sure mine are by Sandvik. I never thought to clean them with paint stripper. Thanks for that, I'll give it a try. The new laser etched one's from Japan are highly flexible though, perfect for sanding a round bilged hull. At £6.99 including P&P I'm going to order a course and medium to make up the set. My main interest is static sailing ships and my new NT Sander has already made itself indispensable, levelling veneer . Their durability remains to be seen. Mike

6 years ago by Nonsuch

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Don't know if it is still available, but I downloaded the construction manual for the Graupner Valvdiva, which has a joggled king plank and curved planking which is started on the outer edge of the deck. I haven't tried it yet, but it appears to be a good "how to." Greatest concern for me is bending the to the curve of the deck, as they are wider than their thickness.

6 years ago by Peejay

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Nice work but in my case the are all curved and herringbone jointed so far more complicated than I am prepared to put into this model. it is going to be hard enough just trying to draw it. Steve

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Pretend deck planking

May be too late, but have you thought about real planking? This was my first attempt following advice on various youtube videos and studying pictures of the full sized boat. supplied by Jotika. They have various sizes and woods and worked out to quantity when I gave them the deck measurements. I used cyano to glue to a plastic deck and sealed with a proprietory outdoor satin varnish. I found it very satisfying and was pleased with the end result. Ps. Please excuse the black dots of fly sht. on the deck in the first picture. Steve

6 years ago by cormorant

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Hello from Australia, First start off with a scrap piece of plywood the same as you intend to use for the deck. Work out the width of the and score lightly with a scriber (not to deep). Using a ruler or suitable guide ,mark the lines with a no 3 fine tipped marker pen. wait till dry(usually 24hours to stop bleeding) then either spray or paint on satin laquer. (3coats). Always works for me. Good luck. Sid

6 years ago by sidley70

Forum

Painting

I have a Huntsman 31 model I am refurbishing. The paint is peeling off from age, the muppet who painted it only applied one coat (Me), the Humbrol enamel was probably too thick for the fine grain of the birch ply and spruce. I am planning to start with cellulose sanding sealer as it is nice and thin so should get a good key into the grain. So.. What paint should I use over the sealer? Some parts of the ply I want to look like teak deck planking so first I think I need a stain. Then line in the with fibre tip pen followed by what type of varnish? Some of the spruce needs to look like mahogany so do I stain it or use some sort of paint? Thanks Steve

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Painting

Ah, there are motor boats, Doug and then there are woodies! Woodies have varnish...everywhere, motor boats are a little more utilitarian I think. Perhaps the Fairey tendency to be on the sea rather than freshwater lakes meant they had scrubbed teak decks. If you made the deck from, say 2mm stuff, they would curve no problems, but veneers would have to be cut to shape. Nice sharp knife and gently does it is the trick. Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Painting

Except on Rivas and the like Martin😉 (and restored Sea Scouts of course😁) Both my pics were taken from Huntsman 31 For Sale ads. Rather like the curved planking, but would be a devil to do! would have to be pretty thick to stop 'em warping while trying to curve 'em 😲 Way to go Steve 👍 Joggle jiggle, what's it matter so long your mojo works 😁😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Painting

I notice your first picture shows properly joggled into the King plank, but Doug's picture shows no joggling on, I assume, a similar boat. Joggling will look so much nicer. Not keen on the varnished deck of the boat seen from the rear. Scrubbed teak is the "proper" finish for a deck. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Painting

Yes coming to the same conclusion on a template rather than calipers because the follow the hull curve along the side of the cabin but do not follow around the bow. I'll make a template of the side and see if I can move that forwards and achieve the required result. I think I may also cheat a little and have slightly wider than scale and hope there arn't too many 'rivet counters' (Land Rover expression) out there.

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Painting

Ah! I thought Fairey might prove the exception to the planking rule. Well, it'll look nice, that's for sure. Paint. I always use enamel and my local auto paint shop will make me 1/4 litre tins up, of HMG, which lasts a long time from a small spray gun. Failing that, Rustoleum do some lovely rattle cans in a range of colours that spray very well and are only just over a fiver a tin. One tin would do you if you're careful. I've just given my Darby One Design its second coat of blue after a rub down and I'm happy with that. Dries very quickly, but is a nice gloss. it is a bit thin, so be very careful how you spray. Better to do two coats than one thick one. But really, if you can get it, HMG is the best bar none. Worth hunting for. Paint, alas, just ain't cheap anymore. Would that we could get tins of Valspar or Japlac, eh? The proper original stuff. Plastikote was a good paint when it was an enamel, now it's acrylic water based muck. No coverage and reacts with itself, let alone owt else. I would be inclined, btw, to do that curved deck in veneer, so all your mistakes will be made before it goes on the boat. in which case, once the are made and fit bang on, go up the edges with a black marker pen. it will look like caulking when all is done. Good luck, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Painting

Thanks Martin you came to my rescue...I had already sanding sealed the deck. I like the idea of scoring the ply and rubbing the stain in but the curve following the line of the hull and I don't fancy my chances of controlling a scalpel along the curve. They try to take your fingers off in normal use without giving them an unfair advantage. I've still not decided how to mark the lines even with the fibre tip pen. Think I will have to make a form of 'Odd Leg Caliper' to do most of it.

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Painting

Oh and back of a scalpel's fine or I found a slightly blunt scriber, which is less likely to follow the grain. Of course made from suitable veneer would give you the laid deck look as well, but take longer. Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Thanks for the reply. Had already sussed the curved but think I will stick to a simple join to the king plank. Just bought some fibre tip pens 0.3mm which should do the job. So, seal and sand the ply first?...the ink would track into the grain otherwise. Doing it before fitting means you can bin it if not happy or turn it over and start again.

6 years ago by steve-d

Forum

Pretend deck planking

Steve, something like a 2B pencil is a good density, but keep it sharp. if you like a nice contrast then a fine fibre point marker pen would do it. Bear in mind that most sailing boats had that followed the edge of the boat whereas motor boats had straight that follow the king plank down the middle. On a sail boat the curved joggle into the king plank in a variety of patterns, all tedious to draw! I lived on a Victorian racing yacht for a few years and its deck were, oddly, straight, so it ain't a golden rule. They leaked so bad I had a Gamalan orchestra of pots and pans catching the drips until the deck "took up" and stopped leaking, then the sunshine would shrink em all again for the next rain shower. I would draw the on before you glue that ply deck down. So much easier. Cheers, Martin

6 years ago by Westquay

Response

deck

All work on T. C. stopped for a wile. I have 7 boats after the summer sailing none are seaworthy. Repairs WILL TAKE SOME TIME.

6 years ago by hammer

Response

W1

Thanks for the kind comments. Planking did take a couple of days but was not done all that neatly (just clamp and cyno) as I was glassing it later - it was all thin resin coated inside to seal it). Planking was just a hint at the original so you could just make out the through the glass. Have included a few more pics of the motors and interior which is not that flash but is unseen, (more for the fact that I had seen the original and was sort of putting down what I remembered from when I was 15) There is a small picture at the top left of the stairs which on the original, was a Photo from an HSL looking off the Stbd rear 1/4, to 2 64ft HSLs side by side climbing over its wake at speed The stair set is the original from the wheelhouse to wardroom, which has been kept and used again by the present owner (down to utility room in front of engine room) and still has the original 'POWER BOAT' rubber treads (not bad nick for 79yrs old!)

6 years ago by jbkiwi

Forum

St Canute Planking Help?

Hello everyone, l am looking for some tips / advice with the planking on the St Canute currently under construction. I have completed 5 on each side, but now it’s getting a bit complicated at the stern end. I have sat and thought about it over a few days, do l plank the majority of the hull and leave the stern to plank in small strips of left over ? I acknowledge that to get the ideal shape there will be some considerable filling and shaping. If anyone out there has some pointers that would be great. Have attached a couple of photos, not very good but will try better photos in the morning. Thanks guys for your time and help, Richard

6 years ago by Richard7

Forum

St Canute Planking Help?

Hey guys, I cannot thank you all enough for all these suggestions and advice, what a great website this is!!! I am swaying to purchase some blacks of balsa and give this a try, I did the same with my first model of the Billing Boat Norden (much smaller model) but on that occasion the stern block came with the kit. Does anyone have a website that I can purchase these blacks of balsa? I will try my local Hobbycraft store but they are sadly winding down on a lot of items. it is my intention to paint the St Canute the same colours as Billing Boats suggest, so none of the will be varnished but I will have a lot of sanding and shaping to do. Many thanks again to you all,👍 Kindest regards Richard

6 years ago by Richard7

Blog

Mid Deck

Now I am in the swing of planking I may as well do all the remaining decks that need planking. Therefore, very much the same procedure as before with a mahogany border, followed by caulking the inside edges of the mahogany border, then cutting the roughly to length, and then finally trimming on the disc sander for an exact fit. When all he have been dry fitted, they can are removed and glued with aliphatic glue. A couple of days to completely dry then it’s on with the sanding before finishing with sanding sealer I marked all the nail holes using the marking tool I made. This is all on this deck until final finishing which will be done with all the other decks.

6 years ago by mturpin013

Response

deck

Great work Hammer! I really like the craftsmanship!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

deck

All the rails made, deck held up as the ends not cut off yet.

6 years ago by hammer

Response

deck

Rails fitted just to see how they look. Remove and paint when the aft section is at this stage. Etching primer for copper & brass. I will cut off the excess below after final fitting. The speaking tube also fixed.

6 years ago by hammer

Response

deck

On to the railings. I am using striped electrical wire. Free & easy to solder, and different sizes. The only drawback it is a little soft. The hardest job is getting it straight. This is done in vice & between fingers.( fingers not in vice) I also flatten the stanchions where rails cross. The long silver is the flagstaff at the bow, half way along the section being made. Held in a jig to solder, saw cut hold stanchions & nails stretch rails. The tape was to hold rails against stanchions. This was not needed as I pushed them down with a screwdriver as I removed the soldering iron.

6 years ago by hammer

Response

deck

the state of play. I must wipe off those finger marks.😁

6 years ago by hammer

Response

deck

"Take him down Bailiff"! 😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

deck

Finished companion ways. Open & shut case

6 years ago by hammer

Blog

Aft cockpit deck

I first cut the base material to size allowing a card thickness all round for final clearances. The lower deck has a number of features in it that need to be measured. I took dimensions from the plans and marked out the base. Again following the upper deck which has a mahogany boarder I cut and planed a further amount of 6mm x 1.5 strips of material. I started by outlining the mahogany boarders, Some years ago I made a mitring device for picture framing which has come in very handy for doing the corners. Having all the pieces cut they are then glued and temporally pinned in position until set. The next job is to prepare all the edges with black card and then measuring each plank across the width starting from the centre line. I must take into account how the sit against main access hatch and the battery hatch opening however, all seems to look good but until each plank is positioned and glued with its caulk divider it’s difficult to tell. When preparing each plank I first cut each piece oversize with wire cutters then using the disc sander I trim square one end, then place in position and mark for final length and finish again on the disc sander giving each plank a nice push fit Because lime planking varies in colour across a batch I numbered each plank across the deck varying the pattern of colours as I cut each to length. Next I cut a number of card pieces to length and start to glue (using Aliphatic glue), plank, followed by card filler across the half width, then repeat the other side. Finally the battery hatch and main access hatch are treated in the same manner. Next comes the finishing , I use a very fine grade on my belt sander (I attach a block on the underside of the main access deck to control the sanding process) to remove the majority of excess irregularities followed by an orbital sander for a fine finish. if there is any staining by the black card residue I simply remove it with a pencil rubber. Next I put the nail holes in again using the jig I made to ensure uniform spacing and then gave a coat of sanding sealer. Final finishing will be done as a complete assembly. Preparation of the side panels is the next process before final assembly

6 years ago by mturpin013

Response

deck

Paddle boxes well on the way. Just the face to do now. Note they are bolted to hull & fit behind plates holding bearings. So they are removable.

6 years ago by hammer

Blog

Deck

Deck , 5 x 3mm Walnut, not a good choice perhaps up a size would have been better Every fixing pin ( .7 x 10 mm Brass Flat head ) had to be pilot drilled. it does sand to a mirror glass type finish but very hard wood, so again a time swallowe'r. Regards muddy

6 years ago by muddy

Blog

Hull + Deck

Once the hull was finished, with planking on the base and ply skins on the sides, made a start on the deck.. Decided to go for Walnut 5 x 3mm with pear .5mm as caulking. Quickly found out it was bad choice, as each pin/nail hole had to be pilot drilled. Using a bradawl just split the Walnut . it may have been better using 6 x 3mm for .. And what with this weather, not at all helpful in the quickness of construction. The spray strips were added next to the chine and at deck level, plus a couple of reinforcement strips along the sides, i refer to em' as bumper bars. The next thing was the hatch combing, this is .8mm ply with a 3mm square top edging, hoping to improve water ingress improvement. Regards Muddy

6 years ago by muddy

Response

The Saga of the Cabin Roof or - Arrrgh!

Did you mean me John? Or Mike? I had considered planking but my mahogany are very very thin about 0.5mm x 5mm wide, and I would still have had the problem of 'warping on' a plywood base skin. So I persevered with the mahogany veneer and I'm happy now with the result of making it in two pieces. matching the edges for the centre line joint took the most time 🤔 More power to your plank cutters Gents👍

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Inspiration for beautiful boat builders ;-)

Yes Martin I agree we are a dying breed in this Virtual Reality Throw Away Rush rush world. But also please don't forget that you are a professional model builder with decades of experience. BTW: my 1/72 HMS Hotspur was absolutely scratch built. My first ever ship model, I was about 13/14 when I started it, with extremely basic hand tools. Kits out of the question and there weren't nuffink like her around anyway. Built to plans drawn up by me on foolscap paper from measurements taken from an Airfix 1/600 kit with a plastic micrometer and scaled up with a slide rule!! Remember them!? Had just started technical drawing at school, very handy. My Type IA submarine, built 30 odd years ago, was a Krick 'kit'! Ha Ha! 4 20mm of wood for the hull, a big lump of steel bar for the keel, crude half shell vac-formed tower, and a bag of assorted brass rod and tubing for various fittings. Some brass sheet for the dive planes. 'Thanks for the cash the rest is up to you' sort of deal! A visit to the Deutsches Museum showed up many 'simplifications' in the Krick plan so all the corrections were 'scratch' as well. Notably- Correct hull shape, correct rudder assemblies with skegs, railings, net cutters, flooding slots, wintergarden etc etc. Looks like Gina 2 is going to be a scratch rebuild from the gunn'l up as well. Actually I just thought my post might create a little wonderment and some Oohs and Aaahs, not loose off such a debate. I'll know better next time. Now back to Pete's lighting. Ciao, Doug

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Spektrum, new, useless...

Mornin' 😲Martin, Yeah, I thought the TX was good for both too. I bought it 'off the shelf' in Conrad, in Tal here in Munich. Then much later in the small print on Spektrum's website I read - "DSM2 not for EU models'! 😡 Odd! UK was also in the EU then!? Will PM U wot I paid for it. Came from HobbyKing - Where else? No wonder model shops are dying like flies 🤔 You're right about plane size. Last one I built (a few decades ago🤔) was the little Simprop 'Zaunkönig' (= Wren). After I 'd built it I looked at the short double decker wings, about the length of my forearm!, and cut the top plane down the middle and added a centre section to about double the span for more lift, and hopefully to make it less twitchy.See pics. Last pic is the sad mucky state when I found it in the cellar last year. Shortly after that I moved to Munich and had my hands full with other concerns. Still got the Enya 047 Glowplug and fuel tank intended for it somewhere! Might try fitting a brushless instead. When I was a kid, around 13 / 14, I made a scratch built (no plan - just 'thinks'!) free flight (RC? Wossat?) soarer. Basically 3 of 36x4x1/4" hard balsa. 72" span, 36" tail boom fuselage. That was BIG in those days. Bloody thing climbed and flew so well on it's Maiden that the last I saw of it was at zig thousand(?) feet over Hemswell Cliff in Lincolnshire heading due east at a rate of knots 🤔 Had launched it from the top of the water tower at RAF Hemswell, Dad was a Crew Chief on Thor missiles there. Hope someone in Denmark or Norway had some fun with it 😉 I've often wondered where it ended up. Must dig my Flying Boat / Wing outta the cellar! BTW: the foam wing/flying boat and Catalina arrived as kits with the foam cutting already done😁 Cheers, Doug 😎 PS: I still have the Glow-plugs I bought for the 'Zaunkönig', intend to try them as ignition for Flash Paper firing of depth charge throwers and guns on my destroyer. One has to have dreams or there's no progress! 😁 G'night all 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich