Blog

Krick Police Launch

I have just started to build the Police Launch that I have had for a while. Work commitments have left me with little time lately but hopefully I can get a good run on this one for a while. I hope to finish it by late July which just leaves me enough time to send it to Hungary so that I can test it. The kit is said to be good for a beginner. This would be good as many years ago I built a Patrol Torpedo Boat which took me five years. I am currently restoring this one as well but I think that will take most of this year to complete.😁 I have started by buying the speed cont. The motor is a 400 brushed. Probably not going to be too difficult to keep up with this one. The kit itself is not too bad considering the price, but I do feel that the ABS vacuum formed hull could be of a slightly better quality. Also I am finding the ply wood to be rather brittle. Does anybody have an idea for a good filler to use to fill the chips which will take to acrylic paint. I have prepared the hull and added the propeller shaft and rudder holes. Care taken here to avoid splits in the plastic. Cellotape on both sides before drilling helps.🤓 I have assembled the internal parts which hold the motor, battery and rudder and also fitted the prop shaft.😲 I will start on the deck and superstructure next. An additional note about the kit. The instructions are reasonable but they are in black and white which is not helpful considering they are photograph based with text. I found a PDF on the web which is in full colour. Why don`t Krick supply this. Surely not that expensive.🤔

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Forum

Simple Smoke Generator

In discussion with jbkiwi, we felt it would be a good idea to bring together into one post the different smoker experiments we have each conducted to make them easier to find for anyone interested in having a go. Here is a summary of my experiments. JB will add his in time. My implementation is based on an e-cig H2 atomizer. These are readily available at low cost. The unit as purchased comprises a 2ml tank, heating coil, and a coupling which would normally connect to the e-cig electronics/battery. I made a simple end cap from acrylic which is a push fit into the coupling. Any insulating material could be used for this, even a piece of hardwood could be carved to shape. The end cap is held in place with a couple of small screws through the side of the coupling. Before fitting, it was smeared with silicone sealant to ensure an airtight seal. A central screw in the endcap can be adjusted to make electrical contact with the coil. The other contact to the coil is via the body of the coupling, using one of the endcap retaining screws. A brass tube fitted through the side of the endcap allows air to be pushed through the atomizer. For installation in my Crash Tender, I increased the capacity of the smoke fluid tank by adding an additional tank around the outside of the original atomizer tank. The smoker fluid I use is 3:1 glycerine:water. The coil seems to work best when energised with around 5 watts of power. This can be achieved by using a DC-DC converer to drop the battery voltage to around 3volts. Simple low cost buck converters are available on-line. As an alternative, a PWM electronic circuit can be used to power the coil direct from the battery voltage, provided the power to the coil does not greatly exceed 5w. I found to my cost that feeding 25w of power into the coil (circuit error!) vaporises the coil in the blink of an eye! Fortunately, replacement coils are readily available. The exposed metalwork of the atomizer typically reaches a temperature of 30 -35C while it is running but that depends on how much power you feed into it.😉 The air pump is not critical. I have tried a couple of different types and the both work well. It is useful to be able to adjust the pump speed, and hence the volume of air being pushed through the atomizer. Small motor speed conts are easily obtainable. The atomizer works best mounted in a horizontal position. if mounted vertically, as shown in part of the video, it has a tendancy to flood the coil. By adjusting the pump speed and the coil power a range of different effects are possible. The video shows several examples of different settings. It is possible to generate just a gentle waft of smoke suitable for a funnel on a tug or a quick pulse of thick smoke possibly suitable to simulate gunfire on a destroyer. For my Crash Tender I mix pulsed smoke with water using a venturi type connector and then feed the resulting mix out through the exhaust ports. More details of the installation in the Crash Tender can be found in my Crash Tender Refit blog. Happy to try an answer any questions. Graham93

4 years ago by Graham93

Forum

New Smoke Generators

HI to all, I hope everyone had a good Christmas... I have started a new line of smoke generators here In Australia, At the moment I have 2 sizes available and more on the drawing board. These new units will run on 12 volts and draw about 1 amp using oil based fluid. Two Sizes SG-1 80 x 45 x 50mm outlet 1/2" This unit Is design for the smaller craft or small spaces a neat little unit that performs great runs for 25mins on 1 fill of the tank (25mls) $65.00 SG-2 100 x 65 x 60mm outlet 1/2" Designed for the larger boats with a bigger tank and more powerful fan unit runs for 40min on 1 fill of the tank (35mls) $75.00 Both smoke generators can be connected directly to your power supply or to your motor for control of the fan speed ( Just need to make sure your speed cont can handle the extra power) you can set It up for 1 stack or 2 with 1/2" copper pipe fittings from your local Hardware shop.. Kit Includes : 1 x Smoke generator 1 x Smoke fluid (100mls) 1 x wire (300mm) 1 x nuts & washers Check out the short clip of the smoke generator SG-1 at youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3vpE0-ovlA or on my website www.modelboatsandfittings.com email: *Removed, PM Only - Admin*

13 years ago by shane

Response

Re: Reverted back to 40mhz!

Glad it`s sorted Ed. It will be a super cont if you want to build a submarine as well.😊

4 years ago by MouldBuilder

Blog

Futaba F-14 Conversion Problem!

I had purchased the Futaba F-14 Cont. To convert it to dual throttle! This was an easy step! I had purchased the 2.4ghz cont! But, I was having problems. With the expansion modules! No matter, what I did. I couldn't get the expansion modules to work! So, I sent the modules back to Cornwall Model Boats. They in turn sent the modules back to Germany! So, It turns out that the Modules do work! WITH A 40MHZ CONT! So, Now I have to take the Cont. And convert it back to 40mhz from 2.4ghz! So, the 2.4ghz conts aren't compatible. With the Expansion modules! SO, IF YOU WANT TO PURCHASE. THE FUTABA F-14 PURCHASE THE 40MHZ UNIT! THAT'S THE ONE TO PURCHASE. As the 2.4ghz unit doesn't work.☹️ With the Expansion modules! A very expensive lesson learned! Now, I have to purchase. A 40mhz reciever and a set of Crystals! Then maybe the unit will work🤞!

4 years ago by figtree7nts

Forum

Night Watch

"Very pleased to see that you have resumed control of all fleet administration." Thank you Cdr. Nerys. Needs must when the devil drives! Nevertheless I was disappointed that none of my senior staff jumped into the breech🤔 Sorry to hear of your troubles, confirmed by a note from the Fleet Surgeon Commander, without contravening his patient confidentiality restraints of course. (I have also been advised of two potentially long term health issues!🤔) Get well soonest🤞 The force badly needs experienced officers such as yourself. My very best wishes to you and highest regards to Cont of Construction / Number 1 Medic Alice. Please post some pics/vids of 'Nellie' 👍 Take care, Cheers, FLEET 😎

4 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Night Watch

FLEET TO LT. CDR. NERYS. CC: CO NW Squadron. CO Western Squadron Texas Navy Red River Patrol, Rear Admirals Ed and Martin, Lt. Rooky, Lt. CDR Marky. REF: "Even the Fleet Admiral seems to have deserted us." Even Fleet Admirals are only human and can be incapacitated!🤔 That's why one has a General Staff! (have often wondered why not an Admiral Staff for the navy!!) Have been disappointed to note that none of 'my Staff' have jumped in to fill the gap😐 In particular that Midshipman Ken failed to fulfil his promise to deputise for you on the BC Patrol during your unfortunate enforced shore duty. I trust that the latter has been successful and look forward to welcoming you back to full sea duty in due course Commander👍 Rear Admirals Ed and Martin will have a note added to their service records to the effect that, pursuant to MBWS RDDGSO/N November 2019 (Regulation and Definition of Duties of General Staff Officers, Navy) §217-13a/II for dereliction of duty they have been relieved of all executive command and sea duties and relegated to administrative shore duty in Logistics and Maintenance Commands respectively. Consequently:- Rear Admiral Ed is herewith relieved of all executive and operational command duties of our CONUS and Canadian units. Which command now passes to WO Cash AKA Hargett, in additional to his current duty as Cont of Naval Construction West, and Sub Lt. RHBaker in advisory capacity. No doubt with the able assistance of Lt. jg Ferrol!🐱 In addition:- Lt. Rooky is herewith relieved of command of the NW Squadron, which command now passes to Lt. Cdr Marky. Midshipman Ken's service record will include a note to the effect that he has thus far failed to fulfil the promise he had shown prior to being raised from the ranks. Command of our antipodean units, including CO Research & Development Dept., remains in the capable hands of Capt. JB, if he hasn't disappeared into his own smokescreen!? 😉 FLEET// EOM 0352 CET. 😎

4 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Re: Exhaust Smoker

Hi Michael, Thanks, glad you like it.👍 Re: Is the electronic cont based on PIC microchips a commercially available item? The cont is my design based on three baseline PIC microchips. Not the most elegant of designs, as this could all be implemented in one mid range PIC with a bit more effort, but it was quick to do this way, and I have a stock of the baseline parts. PIC1 acts as a simple RCswitch monitoring the throttle channel to turn the smoker on/off. PIC2 provides the smoke pulses by turning the air pump on/off at a rate determined by the throttle channel. PIC3 implements two motor speed conts, one for the water pump, and one for the air pump. This latter speed cont is modulated by the on/off pulses from PIC2. The circuit board shows the three PICs. On the underside of the board there are three surface mount power FETs to drive the smoker coil and the two pumps. I'm happy to share more details on my current implementation of this, but it is not very configurable/transferrable unless you have experience with PICs and the necessary tools. For example, following the trial on the lake yesterday, I think it would work better if the water pump was running a bit faster. To make that happen I have to change some values in the software, and then reprogram the appropriate PIC. It was just easier to put together this way, but its not very practical on the lake.🙄 I have it in mind to redevelop the software on a better PIC and to add some buttons on the circuit board so that various parameters could be adjusted without having to reprogram the PICs. It will be an interesting challenge, but will take a little while as I'll have to fit it in around everything else 😉. Graham93

5 years ago by Graham93

Response

Re: Sabre Canard on the SMBC lake

Probably needs a bow canard with a gyro flight cont to keep the nose level! Goes real well, stacks of grunt, what's the motor,- OPS, CMB?

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Response

Re: 34 inch Crash Tender refit

"I find I enjoy the building more than the sailing. After all, all it can do is go round and round, faster or slower!" Heartily agree Graham 👍 That's why my first ship build was a destroyer, thought it offered good possibilities for special functions. What happened? At 15 I had no resources for RC to even drive it round in 'wobbly' circles 🤔 She was free running and if she conked out Mum and I would stretch yards of Grandads fishing line across the boating lake at Radnor Park in Folkestone to haul her back in again! Caused some hilarity amongst the park sts and littl' ol' ladies sitting on benches around the pond. Highly 'embrassing'! 😁 Some twenty years later, after moving to Germany and doubling my salary, RC was added along with traversing gun turret, NAV lights, flashing signal lamps, smoking funnel, Whoop Whoop siren and fog horn and an experimental towing winch. The latter since landed- a) I needed a weight like a can of baked beans to pull the winch hook out b) The stern of a destroyer is much too low to get the hook on to any other boat. Of course I discovered that on sea trials after spending time building my own winch cont🤔 Here endeth the night's ramblings of the old sea dog. Thank you for your patience 😌 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Supplies Arriving!

I had to order various supplies. For the Smit Nederland build! I just received the Metric Drills I ordered. See I have a set of American standard drills. But, I didn't have Metric. Now I have Metric drills. Which are used on the build of the Smit Nederland! Monday I should be receiving the Batteries. I ordered for my F-14 Cont!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

How many Channels?

Today I ordered an upgrade. To my F-14 Cont! I will now have 16 or is it 24 channels! I'll let you know as soon as I receive the documentation! I'll have plenty of channels to play with!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Forum

Mtronics ESC's

I have used these speed conts for many years and never had a problem. Just recently there seems to be a few now that have burnt out or have just gone pop. I am wondering if there has been a change in the manufacturing process. It could be a good question to ask them! Martin555.

5 years ago by Martin555

Blog

New Motors and Throttles (ESC)!

When I ordered the Futaba F-14 Cont. I forgot to order some motors and ESC's. So, I ordered them from CMB. They should arrive in a few days! The ESC's are the Mtroniks 15 amp's The Motors are MFA-919D 11.1 Ratio! They should prove to be ample power. For the Tug: Smit Nederland!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

Re: Futaba F14 Dual Thottle Installed!

Hi Mouldbuilder, I like the Flysky conts! I have the FS-T6. It's a nice little cont! Now your pick of the Frsky X9D Plus. Looks very good! But, I chose the Futaba F-14. Because I wanted to add the Dual Throttles! Have i mentioned the F-14 is a monster size cont! It's about a inch and a quarter bigger than a standard cont!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

Cont on it's way!

My Futaba F14 Cont will arrive. Monday afternoon from UPS over seas! I'm looking forward to getting aquainted with it! Also installing the Dual Throttle controls!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Blog

Ugh, Shucks!

Well, I had Ordered the Futaba F14. Dual Throttle Cont! But, Harbor Models had run out! I tried to order from the UK But. Have to wait a week, Some reason! It’s an international order. And I have to wait for approval! Really want that cont. I’ll wait to order then!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

Re: Futaba F14 Dual Throttles!

"Dual Throttle Cont!" So you'll have a "Tank tug" Ed 😉 Not easy to steer a smooth course, but you could turn it round on it's backside if you want to 😁 Good luck🤞 Using two hands to steer you're going to need a third hand (or a First Mate) to control all the special functions. Happy juggling!! Cheers, Doug 😎 BTW: As senior officer aboard you have Command 😉 G'night Commodore💤

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Futaba F14 Dual Throttles!

I just Ordered the Futaba F14. Dual Throttle Cont! My idea is for indepedant control. Of her port and Starboard motors! Also the cont is expandable to 12 or 16 channels. Just imagine what can be done. To the the Smit Nederland! The F14 Cont i'm receiving. Will be the 2.4 ghz radio!

5 years ago by figtree7nts

Media

40'' Seaplane Tender, new build. Quest for the correct engine sound

Found a sound by accident which sounds quite a bit like the sound of the GM Detroit 453 2 stroke diesels fitted to this boat (still has these today) Vid from cockpit is the sound I discovered while mucking around with some old electric motors, and my new voltage conts which just turned up. I'll add the link to the real engine for comparison (next post here). Sounds to be revving really high but being 2 stroke it's only doing around 2800 rpm! https://youtu.be/faNOYteDDoM JB

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Blog

40'' Seaplane Tender, new build W

Deck and cabin tops painted, grab rails done, mooring post, bow , fairleads and anti slip strips on engine boxes (wet and dry strips) done. To do, - tidy waterline, fit lights (remote switch already fitted) hook servo to steering rod, fit out wheelhouse and fit windows, (already cut), and fit cockpit strakes. Also have to fit upstands /internal coamings to keep any water out. I'll have to sort a way of locating the coamings, (probably wedges and pins, as the coamings drop down and slide back (about 40mm) into position. Getting there slowly.

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Blog

40'' Seaplane Tender, new build U

Cabin partly painted, (tops to paint), mast painted with LED riding light fitted. Second sound unit turned up and both now fitted and working, (with as near as I can find to Detroit 4-53s as fitted to this boat, in the programmed choices). Inner hull in cockpit and some interior painted and steering servo fitted. Props painted bronze (art acrylic metallic). Still waiting for shaft collars for the motor end of the shafts and some nice little shaft oiler cans (far easier than trying to make them). They have arrived in the country so shouldn't be too long. Off to get some paint tomorrow for the cabin tops and deck, also I have to fit the cockpit side battens which I've already stained and cut. Once the cabin's painted I can fit the windows and grab rails as the stanchions have arrived from CMB. Going to make a quick vid later, showing the sound units operating etc. Still have bow and a number of smaller details to go, such as tidying the waterline with a black boot topping and making the name decals (if my printer stops mucking about, - almost time for a new one)! Also have to do the nav, cabin and stern lights, ( have ordered a small adjustable voltage reg to adjust lights. Remote switch for lights is already fitted.

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Response

Re: 40'' Seaplane Tender, new build T

Hi Peter, always used nylon, Teflon or brass bushes in my IC boats and they lasted for years but these shafts were cheap so I bought a few. Seems the main problem is the shafts are stainless and seem very soft, (and as mentioned, not straight) and once they get to a high speed they are whipping and going out of shape, (I've managed to straighten the worst one and it runs much better). Thought about bunging a nylon bush in the center of the tube to stop that but I'll wait and see how they go once filled with oil and have a load on. Bearings appear to be a stepped 8mm outer and 4mm inner so I'll see what NMB has (either ball or needle ). As you mentioned the s would be better, (my friend used them in his Hydro about 35 yrs ago and swore by them,- they were bearings used in dental drills) If they are no good as is I might make the shafts from silver steel ($10/m length - just priced it) and chuck some decent bearings in. Haven't tried a file on the bearing outer yet, that will give an idea of the bearing quality.

5 years ago by jbkiwi

Forum

Handy tip. Simple balsa moulding tool

Great tool and simple too, I had an old pasta that was good for shaping soft wood. I used to soak the wood in watered down pva glue before rolling, and lay it on greaseproof paper to fully dry. Cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

Forum

Sub dive system.

Ho Peter, What gas do they use then? I was actually thinking more of Sparklets syphon soda blubs, er 'hic' 😮 If you want to go the gas route I suggest you look for some US model sub sites. They seem to favour gas tanks whereas in Europe the piston tank is more popular. I've been wondering for a few days why our antipodean colleagues haven't chipped in to this discussion! Reilly 4 for instance. He has at least one great sub model and has posted super videos of his underwater travels. BTW Pete, It doesn't end with just the ballast / dive tank system! If you want to keep an 'even keel' while travelling underwater the following are highly recommended. - Attitude cont (Pitch Cont), which constantly adjust dive planes to stop the boat pitching up and down, or even porpoising along the surface 😮 - Reverse detector. This actuates as soon as the motor reverses. It commands the pitch cont to reverse the action of the dive planes if you also want to be able to reverse while underwater. Otherwise the planes would have the opposite effect to that which is required and make the pitching worse instead of smoothing it out. Of course you can still sail and dive without these but depth control will be very difficult. You'll be constantly correcting and correcting the corrections 🤔 Just like with a dynamic diver. The Yo Yo effect! Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Repairs finished.

After varnishing and rubbing back every day for the last 18 days. My launch is now ready to sail again. The varnish was applied with an excellent quality artist brush. And wet rubbed with 2000 grit wet and dry. All the minor blemishes in the deck planks were left as she is 57 years old and well used. I've just got to replace the missing fairlead and bow and get a replacement anchor. I'm working on an idea for a launching system that's usable almost anywhere based on aluminium scaffold poles as the track and a wheeled cradle that can have its angle adjustable to suit the water. I will put some sketches together for the appraisal of the world of model boats. Cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

Forum

Electronics 43x esc

hi there, just an update. Electronize is around (in a fashion) although they don't advertise - Dave Mainprize, the owner of Electronize, is still running the Company. Although they aren't producing the 30 amp speed cont, I am lead to believe they are still doing the 43X which is a 15 amp one. How you go about purchasing I am unsure - however - if you do a web search you can come up with his telephone number/address. John

5 years ago by JOHN

Forum

Electronics 43x esc

Hi. These speed conts are really excellent quality and can handle a high degree of voltage and amps. I use two in my vosper which each handle 24 volts. Be warned though you can seriously damage them if you reverse the polarity when connecting to the battery. There are two adjustments on them. I think one is sensitivity around the low speed response which improves greater low speed control. The other is speed range which gives you adjustment on the range of speed in relation to your radio stick throw. I have found these to be excellent high quality conts giving excellent service and performance. You can wire in an anti reverse polarity circuit using a diode which is described in the instructions. Regards Kevin

5 years ago by kevinsharpe

Forum

Can anyone help please?

I had the same problem with a V40 Speed Cont. Used several times, until i switched on the the power through the RX and a proper smoke out. Cont was completely burnt out through the power switch. Still cannot understand Why?. A new Speed Cont was purchased, no problems since.

5 years ago by andyhynes

Forum

Fairmile c class maiden voyage

hi there Chewi having read through your postings and watching your video - I am not sure if you have the ACTion P94 set up correctly. You should be able to spin that model round on the spot as the P94 contains a rudder motor mixer built into it. However, be warned, the P94 doesnt like certain 2.4 transmitter sets. Basically, you have to set your transmitter back to zero manufacture settings with no mixing at all on your transmitter to get it working - and - its all done in the ESC - I have built several triple screw vessels myself - the RAF63and the MTBs and basically what I used to do there is use the old Electronize speed conts from the 90s which dont have the pre-programmed chips in them so that I could switch the signal on and off to the speed cont, thus allowing me to control the centre prop by switching the signal off and on. So, when I wanted speed I ran on all 3 props but when I wanted to manouvre I switched the centre prop off and allowed the 2 outboard motors to spin the vessel with the rudders, using mixers. In this particular model - I would ditch the gelcel battery and go for a Ni-MH battery and the 9.6 volt 500 mAh - 3 of these batteries one for each motor should give you ample run time. John

5 years ago by JOHN

Blog

Free fall anchor winch, Maersk Topper, scale 1/50

My home made Free Fall anchor winch for my model Maersk Topper. The original design is made by http://www.ankerwinde.eu/de/ But My anchor and chain is to heavy so I adjusted the chain and extra guide s. First I made a test model to test of all modifications are really working.

5 years ago by maersk-topper

Forum

What batteries?

HI all, I am building a 1/24th Perkasa wooden kit. And I have no idea how to power it. I have bought two Graupner Speed 700BB turbos that run from 9.6v to 12v. I don't want to use a 12v gel battery as the boat will sail like a brick! I want to use two coupled 50 amp speed conts with Lipos, but I dont think I can use them with these conts as they are for brushed motors and have a bec 5v / 1amp which I think would destroy the Lipo. What size Nimh battery pack would you recommend, and would I need two packs or would one pack be enough. I have other boats that only have one motor and are smaller than this one so have not had this sort of conundrum! I am on a limited budget so cant afford to waste money on trial and error combinations. I would be very grateful for any suggestions.😭

5 years ago by Daveyboy

Forum

Slightly confused newbie

hi ya, I have just been reading up on your transmitter and it looks as though your transmitter was originally made for cars but it doesn't make any difference. Apparentlyit is a 2 channel transmitter which is supplied with a 3 channel receiver. Therefore when you plug the speed cont into channel 3, it isn't going to work. So the way you originally had it set up is the only way to get it working unless you go for a different transmitter. What is the range of these transmitters? because I have one myself which is a Planet 2.4 Advance T5 and its got an extremely short range because its called a park flyer - I am wondering if yours will be the same just for curiosity. Best of luck. John

5 years ago by JOHN

Forum

Slightly confused newbie

hi ya J that looks like an Mtroniks speed cont in the pic - does this one have the button on that you press to set it up? because I know what you would need to do is set your trim in the neutral position for the throttle and then go through the procedure of switching on the transmitter and then the receiver and then pressing the button on the speed cont so it recognises where neutral is. I believe some of these Mtroniks are something like 100% rpm forward and something like 75% rpm in reverse. if this idea doesn't work you could always swap the wires over on the motor. (NOT ON THE BATTERY) 🤓 Chinee smokey come out of speed cont if you do dat 😲 John

5 years ago by JOHN

Forum

Mtronics W-tail marine mixer connections.

hi ya Colin, sorry for the delay - but I am going to open up a can of worms here. Although a lot of people use the 'Y' tail or the 'W' tail mixer from MTroniks or other Companies to actually mix two speed conts and a rudder movement in the marine environment, (personally) I don't think this is effective as a dedicated marine mixer. The reason for this, is, I built the Forceful tug a little while ago and I incorporated the 'W' tail mixer in it for independent control of the 2 paddles and the rudder and when this model did 'sea trials' 😊 on the lake & in the test tank (the bath) 👍I was never 100% happy with this. it didn't seem to perform quite right, especially in reverse. The model seemed to go better in one direction than the other. One motor always seemed to lead the other motor so therefore the model would steer off course and you were always correcting it. When I eventually checked the speed of each motor individually with a tachometer I found that one motor was indeed increasing in revs so - I took out the 'W' mixer and went for tank steering (using 2 individual sticks on the transmitter). This was a lot better and saved the day at the lake. Then I wend and had a look at what mixers are available and yes there is the ACTion P94 which in my eyes is extremely expensive - but - there are one or two on Ebay market but also there is a guy called Alan Bond he runs a company called Forge Electronics and they make an independent mixer which I use myself. I find it extremely good. 👍 the name of the game though is for yourself to try setting up the 'W' tail mixer and playing around with it or you could look at individual mixers that do not have the speed conts built in with them i.e. there is one from ACTion as well, there is one from Forge and as I say there are 2 or 3 off the web market place. Have a look - here are a couple of pics of the Forceful and my set up. The speed conts I am using in this tug are Electronize and it's Alan Bond's original mixer which used to be sold from Technobots - but he opened up business on his own and I will put a link on when I find it. http://www.forge-electronics.co.uk/ http://www.forge-electronics.co.uk/

5 years ago by JOHN

Forum

Aeronaut Pilot Boat

Hi Ron. I have just fitted the rudders and controls last weekend. I have built almost the complete model but held off from fitting the deck until I had time to consider this problem. The best I could come up with was to reverse the control arms so that their screws fixing them to the rudders were accessible from the front after the deck had been fitted. Doing the linkages this way means that you have to bend the control arms to miss the strength rib in front of the rear skin and also you might have to reverse the servo travel direction on the Tx. I had to do this.😉 I have included a picture to show what I have done. it does not solve all of the problems but makes adjustment possible. I have also included a picture of the dual speed cont. I know you have solved this problem but I have tested this unit and it works very well. I hope this helps in some way. Peter.😊

5 years ago by MouldBuilder

Forum

Aeronaut Pilot Boat

Hi Ron. I am currently building the Aeronauts Pilot Boat Kit. it is reasonably well advanced now but I still have to fit the electronics. I bought two 400 sport brushed motors and was advised at a very early stage that two speed conts were necessary. I looked into various solutions and found that Hobbyking sell a dual speed cont especially for two motors. it is a Hobbywing Quicrun 860. I hope this helps.😊 Peter.

5 years ago by MouldBuilder

Forum

Aeronaut Pilot Boat

Steve. Since my last message, I have made progress, purchased a kit from Cornwall Models. Started building hull just before Xmas and as you mentioned, you need to have patience to get it right. Before going to far, I am planning how to set up the Motors and the Speed cont. I have got a Viper Marine 25 ESC and 2 Motors (380's). Looking back at some photos of yours, it looks as you have 2 Speed Conts. I am having problems in getting the ESC to talk to the 2 Motors. Do I need to have a second ESC to operate the 2 Motors? How would this be set up through my Hobbyking Cont? Would appreciate some clarity of my thinking. Best Wishes. Ron👍😁

5 years ago by RonW

Forum

Brushless motor(s)

Hi, I have recently purchased a Precedent KD Perkasa kit 37" and would like to power it with a brushless motor, but being an Old F**t I know nothing at all about Brushless Motors or their relevant speed conts or battery power. So I would like your input on what exactly I need, obviously I would like the model to have a fair turn of speed. Thanking you in anticipation of your much needed assistance. Little Charlie

6 years ago by Little-Charlie

Forum

Does anybody recognise this old boat

Hi all does anybody recognise this old model l have been given she,s in good nick but needs a serious update. the chap who gave it to me said the model belonged to his grand father and is at least 40 years old ( l can believe it the speed cont looked like a clock face with lots of wires comming from it.) She,s 24 ins long and 10 ins wide. been kept in a dry loft so some of the joints have come apart.

5 years ago by jimdogge

Forum

How to RC small boats?

There's no great need to dismantle a servo to get motive power - nowadays you can buy model motors that are not much thicker than a typical boat propshaft, and speed conts the size of a thumbnail. Usually for about a pound. These small drones have really helped in this regard. This one, for instance, is 0.6cm diameter by 1.5cm long - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Original-JJRC-H20-RC-Drone-H20-08-CW-Motor-Spare-Part-For-JJRC-H20-08-RC-He-M4S2/332826605276?hash=item4d7e02f6dc:g:7AIAAOSw989bsxkP:rk:39:pf:0 Your biggest problem will usually be rudder control - there will be little room for a servo and tiller right at the stern of small boats. For an EeZeBilt I recommend a closed loop system which lets you relocate the servo anywhere convenient - see http://eezebilt.tk/radio.html The EeZeBilt Terrier below is 10.75 inches long...

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Forum

Smoke/steam output for models

Here is the vaporiser I have managed to scrounge, its missing it's battery pack, but have tested with a borrowed battery pack. I am thinking of using a small cylinder pump like a bicycle tyre pump, running on a crank, with its own speed cont allowing for a gentle puff-puff at low speeds, and speed it up for getting a more constant stream of vapour. Another option is a 12v air pump from a fish tank setup, another item in my oddments box. All ideas will be considered before starting the build. I think it should work with most of my larger scale models as it works either vertical or horizontal. Give me your views, cheers Colin.

5 years ago by Colin H

Forum

Smoke generator

I have made a smoke generator using a piezo transducer and a P68s variable speed brush less fan cont from action electroncs. The transducers tend to be 24v dc and are relatively cheap (£2-£3 each). I am using S3 lipos so I only have 11.4 available but a very cheap variable output unit gives me 24v. The fan is connected in-between the receiver channel for the throttle and the speed cont. The fan speed increases with the throttle and follows the throttle speed regardless of direction. The net effect is quite pleasing for diesel exhaust simulation, with a steady stream when the stick is centralised and the fan just idling. On fwd/rev throttle movement you get an increasing amount of exhaust dependent on speed. I have this installed in my Forceful paddler with twin funnels. The effect is quite realistic but can be difficult to see. I am looking for a another transducer that will produce more vapour. in its present configuration it will run for around 3 hours before topping up is required.

5 years ago by marlina2

Forum

My other hobby

Hi. Mi private pilots license also does not include night flying. But interesting is to consider when they define what is included. When having a certain number of instructed night flights you are entitled to fly in the vicinity of an airport. Vicinity of an airport German definition is that you have to be able to see the traffic in the pattern of an airport. When I did my flight from San Jose, CA to Phoenix SkyHarbour, I was able to see the traffic being about 1.5 hours from the airport. The night definition is that the night begins 30 minutes after sunset. So was entitled to do this night approaches as you can see the traffic in the pattern, on a large airport like Sky Harbour, and in the Southwest of the USA from very far. But when doing these landing operations at a large international airport, shortly before touch-down you are flying into a black hole. Due to this on my first landing in Sky Harbour, I made an awful 3-point-landing making the plane jump 2 or 3 times. Fortunately, I was aware of how to react properly when this happens. The second special experience is when you are taxiing on the runway to get to its exit and report "runway vacated" in a small plane like a Cessna Cutlass the lights lose their structure. So I went to search for the yellow line on the left side of the runway until it curved into the exit. But this yellow line and the blue runway lights are hugely distant from each other so I had to focus my efforts to stay to the right of the blue lights but still being able to see the yellow line. Once I crossed the lines that mark that you are leaving the runway I could report back to the tower "runway vacated". My second-night landing was when I did try to fly to an airport next to the "Grand Canyon". As the report of the airport said expect gain or lose 40 knots of speed on final I decided not to land and flew back To Phoenix. What a wonderful experience. The landscape was already impressive on my flight to the Grand Canyon, but it was topped when I flew by night. First I was in contact with one center in charge while being above a certain altitude. Then this center passes you to one in charge below that altitude. Makes you feel like a professional pilot. Finally, this center did pass me to the tower of Sky Harbor. I was approaching from the north. Then, what conts of large airports like they make you cross the airport midfield what ensures you stay away from the other traffic of the airport. You cannot imagine what a sight it is when you approach a large city like Phoenix by night. After he gave me its clear to land I was remembering my awful night landing earlier. When I did have the feeling that I was about to touch-down I did control the airplane so that all you felt on touch-down was the vibration of the wheels turning. A Geman friend of mine that was on the plane with me was so impressed that he said he would fly again with me at any time. One other fact I want to share is the importance to really dominate the phraseology of radio communication and what Americans call to know the system. On my first approach by night to Phoenix, I did confuse the last VOR with the ILS beacon. So when switching to what I thought to be the last VOR the needle got full to the right and stayed there. So I did a report I was not able to tune in the VOR and so tower did give me instructions for the further approach. When you fly in from the west you fly over a mountain full of antennas and the red lights on top of it. I felt very good being routed by the tower. Those of you familiar with night-flight and how to find the location of the airport know the rule of the black spot within the lights of the city is where the airport is. Well, Sky Harbor has the terminal building between its 2 runways and so Sky Harbor does not look like a black spot. So when the tower asked me if I had field in sight I did respond negative a couple of times until he reported that I was on the 45 for the runway. Then I finally saw the airport. Here is something that is the consequence of good radio training. My instructor always said to report negative until you are really enabled to say affirm. So Tower knows when you are really able to report affirm. Do not be shy, it is your and others life! The second time on that approach was when tower gave me the instruction: 3-60 to the right until further advice! My teacher played the role of the tower and one of the things he said to teach us the right behavior was to stay silent and fly as instructed until tower contacts you again. I do confess I had never done 3-60s neither by night nor during the day! So I put the plane into a standard curve, kept it there, watched my altitude and speed. Being so familiar with this instruction from the tower I felt "at home" and this being relaxed was very useful!

5 years ago by Hellmut1956

Blog

Vintage Model Works 46'' RAF Crash Tender

Here's the history bit so pay attention... Many years ago as a boy in the fifth year of my north London secondary school, circa 1971, our woodwork class was given the option to make something of our own choice. Having mastered the majority of joints, wood turning, finishing techniques and the making of table lamps, stools and bookshelves etc. this seemed a good idea, so myself and a fellow classmate and model making chum asked if we could construct a model boat. The teacher, on hearing that it was to be from a kit and not from scratch was a little surprised but agreed. So my friend and I jointly invested about 20 quid in an Aerokits 34.5 inch RAF Crash Tender from Blunts' model shop in Mill Hill (long since gone like many others) and we set about construction during lesson time and sometimes at break times. I recall we used "Cascamite" to glue it all together on the advice of the woodwork teacher because neither 'Scotch' glue nor PVA was suited to marine construction. Good progress was made over the course of our last year at school but it was never fully completed, only requiring painting, running gear and detailing. My friend decided that he needed to withdraw from the project as he was enrolling in a college away from home to study for a career in the merchant navy and I agreed to buy out his share and continue with the project. And so it was that I carried on with the painting and installing the running gear which consisted of a 1.5 cc marine diesel engine, water pickup, prop shaft and rudder and a MacGregor radio system with a stick for steering and a single button for speed control. The engine and radio came from Michael's Models in Finchley (also long gone) for £20 as my elder brother, who had started a Saturday job there, was able to get a staff discount for me. The diesel engine was noisy and smelly and a pig to start with a leather thong around the flywheel and I decided to abandon this means of propulsion (I foolishly ran it for slightly too long 'dry' and melted the soldering around the brass water jacket!). By now I had graduated from my part time job in Woolies to an engineering apprentice with Post Office Telephones and my new income of 20 quid per week could support my modelling and electronics hobbies after my contribution to the household for my keep. So off to the model shop to buy a Taycol Supermarine electric motor, two 12v volt lead acid batteries and a suitable charger. The diesel came out and was sold on Exchange & Mart and the mount and coupling re-made to accommodate the new Taycol motor. What an improvement that was! I can't remember now what speed cont or servo I used but whatever it was did the job, and it went like the clappers on Friary Park boating lake (also long since gone) even though the radio control system was a bit crude with the non-proportional steering and 'blip' throttle control. The boating took a back seat when I acquired my driving licence and my first car (a rusty old Cortina Mk 1) and I also got involved in sound recording for radio. I decided to sell the boat and bits for £60 through Exchange & Mart and bought an Akai 4000DS tape recorder and a 'Chilton' audio mixer, built a home studio and along with a good mate of mine started making radio commercials for the new commercial radio stations including London's Capital Radio. We even won a 'Campaign' advertising award for one of our efforts! And so after several years as a 'phone engineer I moved into professional recording for A/V and broadcast and then into TV production. Fast forward to today. Semi-retired with grand kids and with more free time on my hands I still had an interest in model making so in Jan 2016 went to the Model Engineer exhibition at nearby 'Ally Pally'. It was there that I saw an RAF crash tender just like the one I built all those years ago and got into conversation with the chap on the stand. This re-ignited my model making interests and I researched the hobby and that model in particular.

8 years ago by robbob

Blog

Must get the skins on before I pull all of my hair out!!

This build is proving to be much more difficult than I had expected. 😤 I think I started this project thinking that all of the parts were ready to fit and glue. As I went on, it became clear that this is not the case. Due to this, and as detailed in the earlier post, I have had to break down the glue joints of the hull frame, and reposition after deepening some of the assembly slots. I have re-assembled the bulkheads, stringers etc. and then started to fit the side skins. This has proven to be the most difficult task so far. You need six arms. After several failures, removal of all of the fixing tape and then starting again, they finally started to look reasonable. I watched a time lapse video on you tube and he seems to do it fairly easily. Oh well. 🤔 Now that I was happy with the fit of the sides, it was time to start on the bottom skins. I started by trying to form chamfers along the keel centre joints so that they look reasonable. Then I once again applied tape to hold them in position whilst glueing with my other three hands, I wish. This only took two attempts. I must be getting better. I still have most of my hair also. Next, I tried to mount the motors onto the angled bulkhead. The front location was very loose so I made a couple of thin silver steel rings to improve the fit. They work very well. 😊 Next job was to fit and align the prop shafts. I decided to make these solid joints and avoid the use of universal joints. The first motor went straight on with perfect shaft alignment. The second was not so good. After two hours of fiddling with a packer, I finally achieved perfect alignment. Next job was to give good joint strength and make the hull water tight. Rightly or wrongly I use a lot of glue to give that perfect seal. I used epoxy for all of the skin inner joints and Stabilit for the outer seams and joints. I used the Stabilit around the shafts as well which looks a little messy at the moment, but I will tidy all of this up next. I will paint the inner Stabilit with white paint to hide a little. This weekend I will do a water test to ensure it is water tight.😱 I think after that I will fit all of the electrics, servo and speed cont. Then I will spray the hull and the main deck prior to fixing together. I would be interested to know what others think about when to paint, before or after assembly, especialy regarding the hull. Enough for now.🤐 I will try to speed up the build a bit now as I am expecting the new 46" Crash Tender to arrive soon. Wood!!! Love it.😊

6 years ago by MouldBuilder

Forum

Mixer

Hi TJ, RE: RX battery. Any 4 or 5 cell (4.8 or 6V) NiMh of 1000mAh up will do. Use the biggest one you can without upsetting the boat's trim or reducing it's performance / planing etc. BUT: don't forget to disconnect the red wires between your ESCs and RX to disconnect the BECs in the mTroniks speed conts!!! Also check that your RX and mixer module etc can handle 6V+! If not use the 4 cell pack. A fully charged NiMh will be significantly above 6V. Some modules; e.g. Action Electronics / Component Shop don't like that 😡 Alternatives are, esp if you need to save weight, 1 use ONE of the red BEC leads from ESC to RX, e.g. the centre one, and disconnect the other two, 2 Use a separate 5V UBEC module to syphon power off the drive battery for the RX, AND disconnect all three red BEC wires from the ESCs. Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

VOSPER 46'' Crash Tender

Actually 4 pole , "Graupner HPD 2920-4000 High-end brushless motor Particularly suitable for: MiniMono, MiniHydro, MiniCats, MiniHydroplanes, aircraft with wingspan up to 1 m, off-road and on-road 1:12 Features ?Special CNC-machined housing for maximum heat dissipation ?High-efficiency 4-pole 12-slot brushless motor ?High-performance rotor with Kevlar reinforcement ?High-purity copper coils for optimised conductivity ?Extremely strong sintered neodymium magnets ?Intense torque at low weight Specification Operating voltage range : 4,2-16,8 V No-load speed: 29600 U/min All-up weight, approx. : 90 g Free shaft length: 10 mm Recommended cont: Navy V75 G7257 Output : 650 W Number of poles: 4 Permissible motor direction : R und L Nominal voltage: 7,4 V Case length: 30 mm Shaft diameter: 4 mm Case diameter: 29 mm Revolutions/Volt: 4000 " Taken from one Google, first response at Cornwall Models Boats!😉 Note. 650W, Nominal voltage 7.4V. No wonder it's a bit quick on 11.1V 😲 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Hobby Engine Factory Tug Motors

Hi I have just read your post about your tug, I am one of those who modified mine to two new motors:- A. Because the original gear box nylon pinion gears split and there was no way that one could get them to fix securely back on to the motor shaft, plus the fact that when initially refitted they would no longer mesh and if the motors stopped at the wrong point they would not restart they just jammed. B. I wanted to make the tug more manoeuvrable so fitted separate speed conts to each motor enabling me to run one motor forward and one in reverse this with suitable rudder positioning allows the tug to rotate on its axis with very little forward or reverse motion. C. I was able to use a 6v 4Ah Gel type battery which gives a much greater runtime. As to the old gearbox I think that because the gears were split it was disposed of. Somewhere in my harbour here there should be some photo’s of the conversion. I am now using speed 300 motors with a 2.5:1 reduction position much further forward in the hull an I made extension shafts to the original fitted ones, and it all works. Hope this helps and perhaps explained the need to change the original setup. Graham

6 years ago by jelley_baby

Forum

Nomenclature...

Hi Martin, BEC is the Battery Eliminator Circuit built into an Electronic Speed Cont. UBEC is a Universal BEC which takes power from the main (drive) battery and supplies 5V or 6v to the receiver. it can be a linear device. SBEC does the same job as a UBEC but is a so called Switched device which is more efficient than a linear. So functionally for our purposes there is no difference. Alles klar Herr Kommissar!? 😉 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich