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The Fairey Fleet
I got interested in the hobby getting on for 5 years ago as something to keep me occupied during the winter months.
Soon after I bought a 47" Fairey Huntsman 31 off Ebay. It was a lovely model but I found it a bit cumbersome and so eventually sold it to a fellow club member. Before I sold it though I bought one of Dave Milbourn's prototypes off him that he'd used for producing the plans for his 1:12 scale Huntress. I found this to be a nice scale for the Fairey range of boats and set off on a mission to build a number of them all to the same scale. As well as scratch building them I produced my own drawings because they either weren't available at that scale or I wanted to modify them. A case in point being the Huntsman 28 where I wanted the whole superstructure to be removeable.
As well as the classic Faireys; Huntsman 28, Huntsman 31 and Swordsman 33 I wanted to build the more unusual ones and those, as far as I'm aware have never been built. These are the River Cruiser 23 (using a modified Huntress hull) from a black and white photograph, a Huntress Long Cabin fitted with a stern-drive, a Fisherman 27 motor sailer and a 17 foot Faun lake and river cruiser. The first five are being built and the last two I've produced drawings for. Instead of concentrating on the first builds I kept starting others!
ChrisF
7 months ago
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Fairey Faun
Not quite ready to start building yet as I must progress my other builds a bit more first but I'm chomping on the bit to get going on it so thought I'd kick off anyway.
Not the most exciting of boats but it is one that I've been planning to add to my Fairey fleet after seeing a small photo of it in a book I have which also provided the inspiration for some of my other builds.
Anyway, it is a small river and lake cruiser, 16' 6" long and is based on the hull of the Falcon daysailer which is of hot moulded construction, like many other Faireys.
Like my other builds I'm building at 1:12. The only drawings I could find were from a brochure showing the top and side views and it is those that I've used to start my drawings. The hull lines have been arrived at by trial and error and I hope they work out!
Most Fauns were fitted with an outboard, which was my original intention, but I've decided to do an inboard version first. Maybe an outboard later?
Because of the hull shape I've decided to do plank on frame which will be a first for me, so fingers crossed!
Hopefully it won't be too long before I can post progress of the actual build.
Chris
ChrisF
2 years ago
Recent Posts
π Date line of all model boats
16 days ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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The well known kits aren't too much of a problem. But how far do you go with the lesser known kits? There's quite a few of those.
And are you including drawings or just kits? As per those extracts on the other post I think some history is important as it puts things in context. Some of the Fairey 31 kits for instance had a life before and after Precedent.
To get this in an A to Z format someone would have to compile all the information before it's published on the forum. Don't under-estimate the size of that task!
Chris
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π Date line for old boats
24 days ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Model Boat Mahem have posted extracts from magazines in the past including advertisements from kit manufacturers. Googling also throws these up.
I've come across web-sites in the past listing the history of various kit manufacturers.
Model Boats Magazine have had articles on the history of the various kit manufacturers as well.
So the information is out there!
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
1 month ago by
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Thanks Will
Might be a little time as away on holiday for a week at the moment, back for a week and then away again. But can't wait to see how it performs as it is different (for me) from my prop shaft models and is probably the only Huntress with a stern-drive ever built.
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Flaxybuck - no problem, some folks get arsy on other forums when someone dares to go off thread but I take the view if we were face to face having a chat other things would be discussed and some useful and interesting things often come up. Some threads would be very short if we stuck rigidly to the subject!
As Rod says your hull will have no problem getting on the plane. It is similar to my Fairey hulls which are deep vee which were designed to give a more comfortable ride in rough seas than more flat bottomed boats.
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π Receivers
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Even if you could reprogram each of the 3 channels up to 6 each how do you control them!!! I'm not even sure if I understand what that means!
You can bind more than one Rx to a Tx but I don't know if both Rx can be used at the same time. Usually they are in separate models. Having said that I did read somewhere of someone running 2 boats at the same time from one Tx so I guess 2 Rx's can work? I suppose he would use different channels from the Rx for the rudder on each?
My head's hurting again!
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Did some Googling on strakes and as I guessed the lads with very fast/racing boats do in some cases fit strakes for purposes other than creating lift to get on the plane.
They fit them to reduce the amount of sliding and running wide in fast turns. In some cases to stop the boat tripping over its keel as it slides, forcing the boat to sit upright and causing the "driver" to lift off the power. It varies from boat to boat and not all of them benefit from or need strakes.
I know that full-sized Faireys can have different layouts of strakes on the same model e.g. they can run either parallel to the keel or the chines and finish differently at the bow. I doubt that there is much difference in practice though.
Flaxybuck, what is that hull of yours for, as it is unusual to have the strakes like that at the bow?
Here is my Huntsman 31 build which is different again!
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Rod - I think that was due more to the power, or lack of, of the engine!
When I was young we had a Fletcher speed boat which initially we fitted with a 40hp Evinrude from another boat. It did get on the plane but the performance was just adequate. We later replaced it with a 70hp Volvo Penta and it performed well, though it used to go through a 5 gallon tank of 2-stroke in a short time on full chat!
Even that is small by today's standards and some of them are the price of a small car!
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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I've finished the RC installation apart from fixing the Rx and switch in place and it works!
Will do another bath test to check for leaks and can then try on the lake.
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
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With our examples I don't think it matters as the part of the strakes that connect with the keel or chine rail are mainly out of the water as speed increases and the bow comes up - they could be stopped short of the bow really. At lower speeds they are more effective as spray rails.
As you can see with my Huntsman 28 hull in the first photo I stopped the strakes short of the transom, as per the full-sized boat, which are laid out like that to suit the twin props - I've only used one though and on other builds I've run them to the transom. Only for the look really as you don't need strakes at the rear either. So you could just fit strakes to the middle part of the hull but it would look a little weird. In fact model boats don't need strakes at all, because as John says they have plenty of power and don't need the lift generated by them - my Club 500 doesn't have strakes and has no problem getting on the plane. It may be that the fact that water isn't to scale actually helps models to get on the plane? I don't build light as I think heavier models sit on the water better and handle better and with brushless motors power isn't a problem. They get onto the plane quickly and the hump that full-size boats go through doesn't seem as significant due to their lighter weight.
I doubt that you find any scientific data on strakes/spray rails as regards model boats as they don't really matter and I think are usually only applied because the full-size craft has them or for aesthetics. Unless the racing boys consider them, though that may be for other reasons like stability?
Chris
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π Bauer Modelle issue
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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I bought a stern-drive off them, albeit before Brexit, and had no problems. They were also very helpful over a query I had. Someone else on here recently bought a stern-drive off them as well.
Been thinking of buying one of their water-jets for a future project.
Chris
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π ESC
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Well, I've pondered, and my head hurts!
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Bit more work on the installation, including building a shelf for the ESC, bolted in to give access to the servo. Just need to extend the motor wires and she's ready to try on the water.
Chris
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π Motor cuts out
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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The motor and ESC combination is fine as the 6V refers to the BEC. I take it you bought these specifically for the model?
What about the Tx and Rx, have you used them with any other models and if so did they work Ok? Did you bind the Rx with the Tx?
What voltage and type of battery have you tried? Was it/they fully charged? Did you program the ESC?
Lots of questions I know but we need to know the basics to help. Too many variables at the moment with trying different motors, ESCs and batteries. Need to try one thing at a time to identify the problem.
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π power boats
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Phew, I can sleep tonight now Doug!
Chris
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π power boats
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Yeah, I read somewhere that bow thrusters are ineffective at other than very slow speeds i.e. when manoeuvring. Also at higher speeds the rudder provides plenty of turning unlike at low speeds.
Even if bow thrusters did work at higher speeds they wouldn't be used in full sized craft as that would require additional power and make them less economical.
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π Circuit board
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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I think you need to find the instructions!
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π What Paint Do Members Use?
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Well, I was going to spray paint my Fairey builds and even bought the Halfords cans. But needing to spray outside I kept missing the window of opportunity and masking would be fiddly.
So in the end I decided to brush paint, as I can do this in the house and during winter, even though brush marks and dust can be a problem. For this I'm using International Paints Toplac Plus which goes on nicely and has a high gloss. I can't get a perfect finish but it's good enough. It's expensive though for say two colours with their respective primer-undercoats and thinners but as I'm painting at least five boats it's not too bad.
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Thanks for the kind comments.
Yes, the stern-drive is more complicated but as well as the usual Faireys that I'm building I wanted to do something a bit different. Drawings were produced for this version by Fairey Marine with, as well as the stern-drive, a longer cabin with different side windows, but it never actually went into production.
Flaxbybuck - yes, strakes must figure amongst the worst jobs! On larger models some folks have cut the triangular sections on a band saw or planed them but for the small sizes I need it would be very difficult and not something I fancy doing. For my Huntsman 28 I used square section timber which once glued on the hull, which had been finished with Eze-Kote and light-weight cloth, using thick cyano, I then sanded to a half-round shape which doesn't look too bad.
But on the other builds I wanted triangular and as you can't buy timber sections for love or money (well apart from short lengths for use in dolls houses) then I thought about using styrene subject to getting a strong glue bond on the Eze-Kote which I was able to get using Deluxe Materials Canopy Glue. Again a problem getting long lengths but did obtain in the end from Deans Marine, though the postage was very expensive - I did off-set it though to some extent by ordering some brass rod for the pulpit rails.
For both timber and styrene I pre-bent the sections by steaming over the kettle. For the styrene using canopy glue I had to tape in place and leave to set over night. Once set I filled up the sides of each strake with fine filler. All in all a fiddly and time consuming job!
First photo shows those to the Huntsman 28 and the second one those to the Huntress - forgot about all the taping required when using styrene! Third one is the Huntress hull finished.
Chris
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π Gluing PVC Sheet
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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That's good news, especially as you already had the glue.
Chris
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π Fairey Huntress Long Cabin
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Builds coming along and I'm working on the part I was looking forward to, that is, installing the hardware. Trouble is I forgot to install the rubber bellows for the steering and I've got to take the stern-drive out again and it was fiddly to install! Hey-ho, serves me right for leaving it for so long!
Chris
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π Gluing PVC Sheet
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Hi Greg
I did a test earlier and it's holding Ok. Takes quite a long time to dry fully as you are gluing two impervious materials. As you say needs to be left overnight to dry fully. Advantage of canopy glue of course is that it dries clear.
Chris
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π Gluing PVC Sheet
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Trouble is with that Greg is that it melts the plastic to weld it and may well deform it, especially the sheet.
I still reckon canopy glue will do the job and it's useful to have. I use it for gluing timber planks down as well as the plastics I mentioned so it won't get wasted.
It looks like styrene and polythene sheet in your photo? I'll try a test a little later and let you know.
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π Final finishing
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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From reading up on it, it sounds as though the G10 is the way to go as the G3 is a bit too coarse and can introduce its own minor scratches. You can get 500ml for around Β£12. I may try some myself at some point as I've got some dark blue painting to do which I think will show up blemishes even more.
I've read the pain that the Riva builders have gone through on the Mahem forum, they have even tried varnishing in the bathroom with the extract fan on!
Fortunately I've only got the decks and mahogany rubbing strips and trim to worry about.
Chris
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π Final finishing
2 months ago by
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Hi Duncan - If you use good quality paint you shouldn't really need to polish it to achieve a good shine though it can be difficult if hand painting not to have the odd defect in the surface e.g. from having missed a bit or brush strokes. I'm having quite good results with my Fairey builds but can't achieve perfection! Another polish recommended is 3M Finesse but that is even more expensive!
Dust is the bane of applying paint and varnish unless you have an extraction system which most of us don't. A wet sheet hung over the work area and covering with a big cardboard box can help.
Chris
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π Gluing PVC Sheet
2 months ago by
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I'd give Canopy Glue a go. I bought some to glue styrene strakes onto hulls coated with Eze-Kote and for gluing clear acetate to styrene window frames which will then be glued onto painted surfaces. I also repaired my wife's kitchen scales by gluing between metal and glass!
For the strakes I did a test, as well as the canopy glue I tried thick cyano which pulled off.
Chris
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π Toroidal Propellers
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Sounds like a good project for 3D printing. A lot of folks print their own impellers for water jets in both plastic and metal.
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π props on boats
2 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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A Fairey deserves to have a brass or bronze prop! π
If it performed well on a 40mm I'd stick with that or maybe go up to 45mm if you have the clearance.
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π How to Remove a Post, Harbour and Building Log?
3 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Firefighter. The post was on Page 2 of Forum.
It's quite unusual to be able to remove posts/My Harbour on a forum but you can on here.
I have used it in My Harbour to tidy up my boats.
Chris
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π Question about UK cars
3 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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I find the hardest thing about driving a left-hand drive manual is using my right hand to change gear. I'm Ok with it but it just feels a little strange and requires more concentration.
Trouble is it's only usually for a couple of weeks so not long enough for it to become natural.
I ride motorcycles with left and right-hand side gear changes no problem.
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π Old boat, new deck planking
3 months ago by
π¬π§ ChrisF (

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Not cheap, unfortunately, but SLEC have ply with laser marked planking that looks very effective when varnished. I've used some for cockpit floors.
It's what they supply in their Fairey kits for the decking.
A cheaper way is to draw the planks on with pencil or waterproof marker and then varnish.
Chris
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