Ha, ha, no idea that was one of Dave's photographs.

Yes, you could say that Doug! 😀

This is a 650mm long yacht and was brought out as a cheaper alternative to the DragonForce 65. It has a wider beam than the DF but the sails etc. are very similar. It is a great yacht to sail and is ideal for learning to sail as it was for me.

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This is the third of my scratch builds in progress and again at a scale of 1:12.

There are drawings available at this scale but I wanted to produce the rear cockpit version where the roof sits just under the coamings rather than the one with the roof level with the deck or the fully open cockpit version. I also wanted to incorporate changes to make it easier to build it the way I wanted to.

The build of this boat is behind the other two and will continue to be so because I'm going to plank the deck and rear cockpit roof.

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This is the second of my scratch builds in progress and like them all is being built to a scale of 1:12.

I've produced my own design because I wanted the whole of the superstructure to be removeable in one to allow easy access.

This is the first of the scratch builds I'm undertaking and is at 1:12, so 23" long.

The River Cruiser was a Fairey prototype based on the Huntress 23 hull but with a greater freeboard. Only one was built and didn't survive. My build is based on a black and white photograph and reference to the Huntress hull.

This is a 1:12 model, so 23" long. It's one of the 2 prototypes designed and built by Dave Milbourn and as such the build quality and attention to detail is superb.

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It's a Precedent Huntsman 31, scale 1:8 and 47" long.

My first purchase about 3 years ago when I first took an interest in the hobby. Well built, but heavy with the lead acid battery. Since taken that out along with the old RC gear, which is going to be replaced with modern kit, brushless motor and LiPo batteries for lighter weight and better performance.

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Little Charlie - I wouldn't bother going down the IC route again, there aren't many places where you are allowed to use them now.

I bought one of the big Huntsman 31 (though all timber) a little while ago and it is fitted with a brushed Torpedo 850 motor which with a 7.2v lead acid battery (very heavy) has mediocre performance.

I plan on changing to a LiPo battery and a brushless motor and would be looking at something like an Overlander Thumper 5045/10 720 kV. This has plenty of torque to get a heavy boat moving and as you can use 3 to 8s batteries it should give you all the performance that you want.

Chris

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You appear to have two separate threads running on this?

Chris

As DodgyGeezer says the model in question is an Aerokits Swordsman with an aft cabin under the deck - others versions had an aft cabin with a higher roof just under the side coamings (I'm building one) or a full length open cockpit, which is the one that many models are based on.

The Huntsman 31 was available in two versions, the more common version with the aft cabin and the rarer open cockpit version the Sport.

The Huntsman 28 and as stated the Huntress are open cockpit only.

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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 planks 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

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Hi Stuart - I have a Huntress which is the same length as your Huntsman which was built by Dave M. it will be a little lighter as it doesn't have an aft cabin. it is fitted with a Turnigy D2836/11 750kV so the one recommended to you is a good choice.

Chris

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I guess you will only be able to tell properly is when it's primered. I suppose you could always fill it and resand - that will be my fallback position!

Is the motor size in the instructions? Had a look at a build article and it's not in there. if you haven't got it it's well worth getting because as well as the build of that very kit Dave Milbourn has written an article on finishing nd painting which I'm reffering to. it's the Model Boats Winter Special Edition 2018.

Chris

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Hi Stuart - I'm scratch building a Swordsman, albeit larger than your Huntsman as I'm building at 1:12, so 33" long. I haven't worked on it for a few weeks but am at a similar stage with the hull in that I'm just about to sand the concave into the bow to form the flare. This is a stressful part and I might delay it and start on the superstructure!

From the photos it's difficult to tell if you have overdone it or not due to the different materials breaking up the lines. it looks OK head on and from the side but when looking down towards the keel it does look a little excessve.

I'm going to be building a Huntsman 31 as well soon but again at 1:12 so will be from plans, either existing or my own. I've got three Fairey builds on the go at the moment and another on the drawing board, well PC.

Chris

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I would have thought the motor size would be given in the build instructions or on the plans given Dave Milbourn's (the kit designer) attention to detail.

Chris

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An outrunner is better for this type of boat as it is more torquey. if cooling is needed (and it may not) just use a proper water cooled motor mount. Chris

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Only just seen this thread, don't know how I missed it? Some lovely boats.

Here's my Fairey River Cruiser which is in the process of being built along with a couple of other Faireys. Chris

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Yes, that is what was thinking. Normally with brushless motors it is the motor mount that is water cooled which draws the heat out of the motor. it may not need cooling anyway.

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"I wish I had never said anything or about Biro pretend deck planking Cheers Ian T"

You weren't to know he was selling such crap! Are you sure it's the same guy you got yours from? I can't believe he was supplying first class drawings years ago and is now supplying rubbish. Why bother drawing (well trying to) around the frames etc. when you already have good drawings?

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Yes, copyright is a real hornet's nest.

I remember reading an article in Building magazine many years ago on the subject of copyright where one large housebuilder tried to take another to court because it had copied one of its designs. But because the defendant had slightly altered the design it got away with it.

So for example if I put my Swordsman drawings on Ebay, which were based on the kit drawings, I shouldn't have any problem as I have made a number of alterations. I won't be of course as I've only drawn enough for me to build my model, they are not full working drawings and I'm not interested in doing that.

Where that guy on Ebay is at fault is that he is blatantly copying the original kit drawings with Aerokits on them rather than redrawing them - not that he has the wherewithal!

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Don - that's basically what I did but went a stage further by tracing the top and side views on the PC and then producing the frames from them which is very accurate.

DodgyGeezer - I'm in no way condoning what that guy on Ebay is doing but the problem with the copyright owner is that they are not making drawings available for all of the boats that they produced hence why the likes of that guy on Ebay are able to keep on selling albeit illegally.

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Yes, I first started redrawing the frames by choosing the "best" side and then doing a mirror image but they are so poor even that didn't work as the angle and position of the stringers wasn't consistent from frame to frame.

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Absolutely. Why would you think anything less? if he was being honest he would say "very badly and inaccurately drawn and printed to a high standard!

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Sorry a bit off the original topic but here's a picture of my Swordsman build underway, ready for skinning.

I made quite a few modifications to the drawings because I wanted the aft cockpit version at a scale of 1:12 and added a spine and "fingers" to help with construction.

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Don - Unfortunately I didn't see your post until after you had ordered, so too late to warn you and I may have been wrong as regards those particular plans. Unfortunately I wasn't.

Jacko - I see what you mean but drawn and printed are all one sentence so I read it as both were to a high standard and that is what you would reasonably expect. Even if the draughtsmanship wasn't the best (and I can draw to a very high standard on the drawing board and PC) they should at least be accurate, which they are anything but. The guy's just a chancer.

Modelboatdevil - the plans I got were for the Swordsman. There are some original Philip Connelly plans for the Swordsman on Ebay at the moment, though they are somewhat yellowed and creased! I've never seen an example of the Aerokits Swordsman or Veron Huntsman 28 kits. What size are you looking to build to?

Chris

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Probably means 500mm, I hope so! Otherwise it is going to need one hell of a motor!

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Hi Don - unfortunately I didn't look at them in detail for some time and it was too late to do anything about it. it was useful having the kit drawings though which are drawn well. Whilst redrawing I did modify the construction etc. so not a complete waste of time.

Yes, the "drawn to a high standard" made me laugh, maybe if they had been done by a chimp! Lines were wavy and the frames weren't symmetrical and would be a nightmare to build from and someone even had the cheek to put the copyright symbol on them!

Maybe the ones you bought will be better, but I doubt it.

Chris

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Hi Steve - yours is 1:12 then which is the scale I'm building all mine at.

Yes, the building is the best bit (and the drawing in my case) as I doubt I will use them that much.

Where did you get your bollards etc. from as I shall need to start getting those bits and pieces together.

Chris

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Let us know what the quality is like. I bought some plans for a Fairey and the quality of the drawings for the templates was appalling.

Fortunately I was able to redraw them using the kit drawings for the plan and side view.

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