Forum

Fast attack craft

Hi Nerys, I agree with you it is definitely not my thing either. But as you say I might appeal to the younger ones. I will have to think of something more seaworthy and large enough to be able to have room for some decent in it. Something that will appeal to a bigger audience. Mjartin555.

5 years ago by Martin555

Forum

EeZeBilts From Keil Kraft

"Perhaps DG is the best one to answer this -" Dunno why - my boats will sink like anyone else's if they fill up with water. Partly it's horses for courses - don't sail a boat with a low freeboard on the choppy side of the lake where the waves break over the bow. Fast boats which deflect water away might get away with it - slower displacement hulls where the water creeps up the side won't. Google 'Coandă effect' for a more technical description of the reason water sticks to surfaces. Tugs usually have heavy ballast and are more likely to have waves breaking over them than to ride up and over them. And sealing a deck effectively is going to depend very much on the way it's designed to fit on the hull... Adams of Adamcraft fame in the 1950s used to stretch clear plastic 'clingfilm' over the decks of his open boats (it was invented in '49!) to keep the water out, and you might find that trick useful if you have to have a removable deck. The clingfilm would go underneath the deck, of course... Sinking is less of a problem with EeZeBilts (though the Beaver with its heavy ballast would go down). They are made of many watertight compartments. If your boat doesn't have such flotation support, try using expanded foam in all the spare cavities. I do this in my boats, partly as a safety measure, partly to deaden the motor sound and stop the decks from 'drumming' and partly because I mount batteries and in it. Here is a shot of a PT Boat with removable centre deck, which is happy in heavy waves - you can see the foam blocks...

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Response

Re: Up to now

You are doing a great job,keep up the good work. Unfortunately when they design these models they tend to forget about being able to get at all of the as well as motors and rudder. Martin555.

5 years ago by Martin555

Response

Re: 34'' Crash Tender

I don’t remember McGregor offering kits in those days. They may have, but the cost would probably been out of my reach. There were companies who advertised in RCM&E who offered kits to build , often based on articles in the mag. My 27MHz set was scratch built. I worked for a company at the time that had an engineering workshop that I could take advantage of at lunchtime. So the case was folded from aluminium sheet and then covered with red vinyl. The sticks were turned from Perspex. The circuit board was etched in the lab. Sadly I got a better job elsewhere and lost access to the workshop 😠

5 years ago by Graham93