My Other Springer hunting for rats in the compost with her Cocker 'sibling'!
Nick

Already there, Bob, already there👍😊.
Warm Spring evening, glass of bubbly and a pootle around the pond with my Springer...the tug that is, not one of my dogs😆.
Question is, could this be construed as 'Drink Driving'?🤔
The Springer is a little large but manageable - Knocker White and similar sized models should go well - of course, the pond surround is still a work in progress - might have to do a little blog when it's a bit more finished...
rgds,
Nick

So this is how the build has progressed over the last 10 days or so;
11)Rudder tube cut from brass stock tube (5/32" internal dia) and glued using superglue after roughing up metal surface - epoxy could be used, but if the hole is a snug fit, I have started using super glue, as it wicks nicely into the wood fibres and scratched metal surface. The motor was test fitted so I could see if the battery pack could still squeeze through the hatch - it was at this point I broke off one of the contacts so had to get another motor🙄!
12)Rudder made up from 0.5mm thick brass sheet soldered to 5/32" piano wire; I cut a tight slot in the brass, and cut a slot into the end of the rod, so there is a mechanical fixing between the rod and sheet before securing with solder. The steering arm is a standard nose-gear steering arm from Dubro, with a grub screw that locates into a filed indentation on the piano wire.
13) Close up of the rudder assembly fitted.
14,15 & 16)Time to completely fit and test all the radio gear before sheeting the hull sides; looking to check the 5-cell AA 2400mAh battery can be removed/inserted easily, glue in spruce blocks to mount the steering servo, a 10gram item, fit a replacement motor(RS260 I think, more than enough for this little boat), plug into a Spektrum AR410 RX and 20amp ESC and wiggle the transmitter sticks - all seemed to work well.
17, 18, 19) Once satisfied all was well, the radio/powertrain etc was removed and hull side sheeting commenced. The pinning and glueing was carried out over 3 evenings, using 3/32 balsa vertical grain sheet for the sides up to the bow, then 1/8 sheet strips to form the rounded stern, as this would require more material removal for a smooth curved shape. Note I tried to cut the pieces to reflect the height of the bulwarks according to the plan - its actually quite hard to get it exactly right on both sides, so some sanding will be required later. Note also, the original used thick (1mm I believe) card for the sides, a nice cheap option, but I prefer to use balsa as the cost on a boat this size is very low anyway. I also like balsa as it can be reinforced easily with thin ply (see next pics) or thin balsa glued with the grain at 90degrees to form a 'lite-ply' - this is how I planned to reinforce the bulwarks to get a much sturdier structure, probably a good idea if I am to let my grand-daughter loose on this boat some day in the future!😉
20) Hull given a rough sanding to achieve the basic hull shape.
21) Bulwark reinforcement strips from 1/32" ply strips to allow handling without fracturing the vertical grain balsa. Ply was cut with outer grain vertical at the stern to assist the curve - without thinking I did the same for the rest, but the straighter sections would probably have benefitted more from the outer grain being longitudinal. Still, it will be plenty strong, I think.

That's all for now, just have rubbing strakes to do and final sanding/filling and I'll have completed the basic hull.

rgds to all, Nick

I mentioned in the Vic Smeed Vivacity forum I would do a few smaller builds while chugging through the Vivacity project; the first of these I have started (while waiting on certain components/materials for Vivacity), based on Glynn Guest's Knocker White tugboat plan from his book 'Small Radio Control Boats'.
The Driving force behind choosing this particular design was the fact I had just filled my Backyard Model Boating Pond for the first time and sailed a couple of small free-running boats in it.
I had already made Arcady and Bredette many years ago when they were first issued as free plans in Model Boats, so Knocker White was the next project from the book with the necessary compact dimensions to sail happily on my pond, the first of (hopefully) several small such boat projects.
Here are the first stages of the build shown in the photos;
1) Paper template traced/assembled from the book - a little 'guestimation' was required as the plan was over two pages that didn't quite align...
2)Carcass pieces (deck, bottom, bulkheads, stem) marked out on 1/4" sheet
3)Carcass pieces cut out
4 & 5) carcass glued together, care taken to get as square as possible - note extra piece placed in stern to support rudder tube, making stern slightly deeper than original
6)Power train/RC components; Specktrum 410 RX, Ali Express 20A esc, RS 280 motor (was eventually replaced with an RS260 type when I clumsily broke off one of the contacts while trying to fit the battery), 100mm prop shaft/tube assembly with 25mm 3-blade prop.
7)Power train set up & tested on the bench to ensure everything worked
8)Prop tube skeg/support added
9)Prop tube epoxied in place, sandwiched between skeg support and lower skeg piece.
10)6mm ply motor mount glued into position after checking alignment.
More pics and comments to follow soon,

Best regards to all following this,

Nick

Hi Muddy,

I bought this plan many years ago (about 30+ I think) along with various Vic Smeed plans including the Vivacity which I've just started to build. I re-discovered it in a file in the loft and have since unfolded it with a view to building one in the future (along with lots of others!)
I too am a big fan of balsa, and agree that when covered with tissue it can be surprisingly resilient to knocks.
I'll be following your build with interest.👍👍👍😊

Best of luck with it - keep the pics coming.

Best regards, Nick

Hey Murlough66, here's a suggestion,

- when you get your older boats out from the loft, assuming that some are salvageable, pick the one that will take the least work to get running again and focus solely on that until you have successfully run it (keeping us all posted with occasional pics, of course😉).
I have found that the completion of a project and test running of it is a supreme motivator for getting onto the next one. Having several projects on the go is the norm for me (currently the boating pond + surrounding area, small tug - see pics, Vivacity as well as helping wifey with the garden whenever she requests), but I agree there are times when there is too much on at once and motivation can wane. That's when I take a step back and focus on just one as much as possible until completion, and suddenly re-discover the will to finish the others in turn.
Hope this is helpful - I know it works for me, and perhaps others.
Looking forward to hearing about your boat stash.

Best regards,

Nick

Hi Guys,

so, I've started building model boats again to give myself a break from building planes over the last few years - I have a dozen airworthy (ie can be flown tomorrow if I charge batteries etc) airframes, and seven remaining kits (I've just sold the 8th) but as for planes yet to build that I have the want/need for...I will die long before I get anywhere near...!😊

And this brings me to boats; I've fairly recently built three, but one needs a motor swap, I've so far started two new builds (Vivacity and just this week a Glynn Guest Knocker White tug), but having just filled my back garden model boating pond for the first time (still a work in progress with all the planned landscaping etc - see pic with small free runner) I've been looking at LOTS of suitable small boat plans to add to my growing flotilla - Glynn Guest and Hal Harrison designs feature heavily, as well as adaptations of EeZebilt and John Reid designs (author of 'Model Boats That Really Go'- a great book from 1990, if you can find it online) . And that's before I even start on the Lesro/Aerokits plans I have that I want, as well as the Beachcomber....😉🤞.

Yes, I believe that cartoon definitely applies to me!😁👍👍

Best regards to all of you,

Nick

Although still waiting on the prop shaft and tube, I decided to go ahead and trace/mark/cut out the pine keel pieces - feels good to finally get this build underway😊. Pieces were placed together over the plan to check fit. Will wait a little longer to see if tube turns up in next few days, but if not, I'll go ahead and glue-up the keel as it is, then cut it to fit the tube and doublers as and when it arrives.
Next job will be to make up the bulkheads, and then a jig of sorts to secure the keel in place for fitting the bulkheads to it while keeping everything square....🤔.
What do you guys do as far as jigging is concerned, if anything?

rgds, Nick

Thanks for that, Bob. Yes I had thought of it, and now you've said it, it's probably the best compromise, a more elegant solution than what I originally suggested. I could also wrap a band of brass sheet around the end of the tube and bolt it through this skeg for further reinforcement - I did this with the Sprite (see pic). Looking at the shape of the hull, I can only assume the shape suggested on the plan was to improve the steering perhaps? Can't think of any other reason ...

Thanks again for the feedback,

Nick

Hi all, just a quick update ....and a question.

Firstly, I've started to draw up paper templates (see pic) for the bulk heads, including provision for the 6mm sq. stringers between the chines to support the slightly thinner (1.5mm) ply skins I intend to use.

I also managed to find a very nice piece of 10mm pine from which to cut the keel pieces - very consistent grain, almost dead straight (rare in depot stored pine, I've found - took me a while to find this one, after searching through the whole pile) and completely clear of any knots.

I'm still waiting for the prop tube and shaft, which I believe is meant to be 9.5mm outer diameter, allowing it to fit nicely between pieces of the keel with ply cladding on the outside. However, having looked at the plan, the original design leaves about 5 inches of the prop shaft hanging outside the keel unsupported, which I am not comfortable with, so I have decided to extend the keel piece as shown in the photo ie extending the bottom line all the way to the plane of the tube opening.

Here's my question; do any of you think this will have any kind of adverse affect on the boats performance? It might make the design look more conservative, I suppose, but I don't think performance will suffer, but I could be wrong - your thoughts...?

rgds Nick

Lovely video of your Rapier, Bob - feeling quite inspired to both start Vivacity and finish my backyard pond!👍👍😀

Nick

I recently had Ali Express apologise for an issue with the delivery of a brushless motor - the supplier somehow lost the tracking, so Ali Express fined them and ordered them to give a full refund, which turned up in my bank account a week or so later. I've since ordered another from a different brand, again through Ali Express, and I believe it's about to arrive.
Generally, I've not had too many issues, but then I probably don't use them as much as some....

rgds, Nick

Hi Bob, might have to try the ZNDT! 👍

Nick😊

Hi all,

firstly, many, many thanks for all your comments - I've taken on board everything resulting in a welcome (and almost certainly necessary) reality check!🤔 I must admit feeling a little foolish about perhaps giving the impression I am attempting to build Vivacity on the cheap. I too have traditionally always bought the best I can afford, but to be fair, I've never attempted a boat this size, and so was initially a little overwhelmed when I started to tot-up just how much the wood alone would cost.

However, it was never my intention to buy it all in one go, having usually bought just enough to get me to each stage, spreading out the cost over months or even years, so it hasn't been noticeable (I tell myself...and my wife...although I know she does the same with some of the pricier materials she consumes in her knitting addiction!😁)

Also, slightly in my defence, I hate wasting materials so if I can find a way to use up leftover wood in not too critical areas I will. I have used Basswood successfully as stringer and bulkhead material on smaller boats, but listening to you guys has made me realise this is a bad idea for Vivacity because of her size, so I will stick to the original plan of splicing (to get the necessary length) and laminating quality spruce strips on the chines, taking care to stagger the splice-joints. I have used this method before with spruce, using a 4:1 ratio of length to width of the joint - it produces joints stronger than the wood and allows continuity of grain strength. The spruce from my model supplier is of excellent quality.

With regard to bulkheads , I will be purchasing some brand new ply, although the type of wood is to be decided - I'm not going to get the Gaboon - the bit I have in the garage will make a nice stand. My choices from the model supplier are Birch, Hoop Pine, Bass ply and poplar. My recent models (Sprite and Springer tug) have used Hoop Pine ply for outer skins and other structural parts, which is strong and stiff, but MUCH more economical, when compared with Birch. It is more than strong enough for bulkheads. The only disadvantage I could consider is the fact it has a more open grain than birch ply, but this only means a little more surface preparation before painting, no biggie. Using oil based undercoat and enamels, I got a really good finish on my Sprite, one I was quite proud of, I have to say...

I am still tempted to use a new sheet of 9mm 5-ply from the DIY supplier for the bulkheads, as it has a nice surface finish and will provide a greater gluing surface for the skins - still haven't decided on which option, but NOT going to attempt to build bulkheads from 'scraps'!😉

I received an email reply back from the guy who makes model boat tubes/shafts today - he says he can provide me (I'm assuming he meant build up for me with the 3 bearings and oil tubes...?) with a 450mm (18") tube and shaft, so that's another component sorted, and he suggested he might be able to fabricate a 75mm brass prop, but needed to do a little more research... .

Finally, the keel piece; I'm going to go with the 10mm pine, as there are various doublers along its length, and the prop tube is 9.5mm in diameter, so will 'sandwich' nicely into the skeg which I will clad either side with 1.5mm ply to encase the tube. If you look at the plan, there are strengthening doublers at various points on the keel - and we don't have to contend with a thumping IC motor.

Bob, thanks for the photo of the double universal jointed shaft extension - I've actually used this idea successfully myself to iron out slight discrepancies in shaft/motor alignment, but with much smaller joining pieces between the universals. I hadn't thought of using it to deliberately extend the drive train - a very useful bit of info for future reference!👍😊

Thanks again for the advice - please feel free to keep it coming, I learn something new everytime I come onto this site, which is what it's all about, isn't it?😀

rgds,
Nick

Hi all,

further to my last post, I've just done some more pricing/research and as a result have made some decisions (prompting some more requests for your thoughts on my observations if at all possible) with regard to Vivacity.

My continuing analysis of the brushed versus brushless question has, I believe, reached a sensible conclusion; - there is no longer any point pursuing a geared brushed set up with this size of model, when there is a viable (and actually cheaper, I have found to my amazement) brushless set-up which gives more power, is lighter, and with sensible selection of motor kv/lipo battery capacity and capability to deliver higher currents without over-revving an appropriate prop, will almost certainly allow the model to perform admirably. One solution I have just costed out came out between 30% and 40% cheaper than a brushed set-up, using a high capacity 4s Lipo, which should easily be able to generate 750watts, double that of the best brushed motor. Yes it will require a smaller prop, but the max speed at this set up is around 9000rpm (4082 motor with 600kv rating, at nominal 16+ volts charged from 4s lipo = around 9600rpm without load- I suspect an M5 60mm 3blade brass prop will perform well at even half this rpm, and even if the current is up to the 52 amp max this motor can take, the costing includes a 90amp watercooled ESC ). Remember, we are looking for 'majestically' rising up on the plane , not skimming the surface of the water, more 'carving' through it🤞 at a 'reasonable' pace.

With all the above in mind, if I cannot acquire the desired 18" tube and shaft, I CAN get a similar diameter M5 thread 350mm (14") one; all this will mean is the motor will be set further towards the rear and possibly lower in the hull with a steeper shaft angle, but not as steep as the Beachcombers, so it should still work.

With regard to timber for the frame, My local DIY depot supplies some very nice warp-free 10mm thick pine in various widths and lengths - I'm fairly sure it will be stiff enough for the keel pieces (plan shows 1/2" or 12.5mm pine), although I was surprised they did not have 12mm - I'm sure they used to stock it. Anyway, the 10mm keel has doublers in a couple of places, and the 9.5mm diameter tube will be sandwiched nicely between these where appropriate as well as doublers adding stiffness wherever else necessary according to the plan.
I also found some 5ply 9mm ply board in 600x1220 sheets at a reasonable price - indoor grade, but as all the interior will be sealed with at least 2 coats polyurethane varnish, nothing should de-laminate, so I'm now looking to use this for bulkheads, but with a view to cutting out unnecessary material....OR...

...still considering using strips to 'build-up' bulkheads - while rooting around in my garage, I found the left-overs of a sheet of 12mm Gaboon ply left over from about 15 years ago, so it's about time I found a use for it. It's not wide enough to cut out all the bulkheads directly, but if I cut this into 25 or 30mm wide strips on my band saw, I can glue up some of the bulkheads as described in the previous post. The extra thickness won't matter as it is very light material, and it will give a greater gluing area for the ply skins. It has 9 laminations so is quite strong/stiff. And it effectively costs nothing!👍👍

The chine and gunwale stringers I'm still planning to laminate from 3/8 x 1/8 bass strips cut from sheet and spliced to make the necessary length, but I'm still not 100% convinced this will be strong enough - any thoughts regarding this would be appreciated. Other 1/4 sq stringers can also be cut from 1/4" bass sheet, again splicing to obtain the required lengths.

Keeping the initial build costs down as above should allow me to splash out on the plywood skins when the time comes. The plan prefers 2mm ply, but as this 'odd' size is almost twice the price of the 1.5mm, I'll stick with the thinner grade - the plan does suggest fitting extra 1/4sq stringers halfway between the chines to support the thinner ply panels. The last time I ordered 1.5mm ply (for the Springer tug and Lesro Sprite) I used Hoop ply, much cheaper than Birch and seemingly just as strong, so I'll go with this again, but it's a wee-ways off yet.

I welcome, and look forward to, any feedback regarding all the above.

Considering all the research I've done, I now have a fairly good idea where I can get what I need, so I'm at this point in time about 80% sure I will stick to building Vivacity before the Beachcomber, although I already see the Beachcomber as a very different kind of model, much more 'performance' orientated - more on that another time.

All that remains is to wait for a reply regarding 18" prop tube availability etc AND, of course, feedback from you all - it makes some sense now, but if any of you might do things a bit differently, I'd like to know, just in case I've missed something obvious..🤔..it wouldn't be the first time😁!

Looking forward to your comments,

rgds Nick
PS I've attached again a pdf of the plan so as to remind myself this is what I'm letting myself in for!?!🤔

A bit of an update regarding my research;

I'm just waiting to hear back from someone about whether they can supply an 18" tube and shaft assembly, and potentially a large brass prop and how much it will cost etc - if I can get the shaft/tube sorted, I can make a decision whether to proceed with Vivacity or Beachcomber. The latter has a much shorter tube steeply angled, although the motor type shown on the plan probably had something to do with this - I may have to get a slightly longer one to install with shallower drive-angle (better thrust/efficiency) as a brushless motor is more compact than an old-school petrol engine!😉
I will also have to decide on whether I use large slower moving prop or smaller fast revving prop for Vivacity - Bob's comments about his mate's Beachcomber brushless set-up have proven very useful in my research...the brushless option has fewer question marks around sufficient performance in terms of power output, and a lower power brushless set-up using perhaps a high capacity 4-cell Lipo may end up (ironically) being cheaper than trying to get a 24volt geared brushed set-up to produce sufficient power. The latter is potentially hamstrung by both weight and current limitations, but should work producing good torque at low revs with a large 6-cell lipo; these are expensive BUT much lighter than 2 x 12v lead gel batteries in series which are also limited by how much current they can give without getting too warm. A lot hinges on prop size, more than I realised initially, although I may have found another source of boat props from an outfit that supplies RC boat parts to the guys who race large offshore petrol boats (30+ cc Zenoah powered ) and electric brushless boats - they do 3 bladed props up to around 74mm I think, though again, they are not cheap! Still, I suppose it's a one off cost ... .
Speaking of costs, I was trying cost out the wood materials for Vivacity - I stopped after I reached several hundred dollars ☹️, as I was using a model supplier.

I'm possibly going to try alternatives bit by bit to a) spread out the cost and b) bring it down considerably; as this large boat is to be electric powered, I question whether some of the components are critical in terms of their strength, as the electrics should provide few vibrations compared with a thumping two-stroke petrol engine.
E.g.- some of the chine strips I can probably build up from strips of basswood cut from hobby sheets up to 100mm wide which are relatively cheap ie laminate 3 x 1/8 to make up 3/8 etc. Although more time consuming, the thinner layers will be easier to bend and when glued up should be stronger despite being perhaps a potentially weaker wood than spruce or Ramin.
I also wondered about making up bulkheads from glued strips rather than just solid, with reinforcing gussets in corners and thin ply either side of the joints - as long as they are rigid, they should be lighter than solid 1/4" ply and much cheaper... .
Another possible avenue is to buy a whole 8 x 4 sheet of 1/4" Gaboon ply (not cheap, but nice and light with enough wood to laminate up to thicker sizes where necessary and cut strips for chines etc so may prove cheaper in the long run) for all the carcass work, allow the real investment to be on the ply skins.

I was thinking of looking today at availability 12mm x 75mm pine and just going ahead to make up the keel piece as the Vivacity plan suggests - once I hear back about the tube/shaft etc. Timber prices in NZ have rocketed over the last few years, so you have to shop around.

Thoughts anyone? Would be interested in hearing your suggestions regarding sourcing materials cheaply.

Best regards, Nick

You've REALLY got me thinking now, Bob😉 - love the fast patrol boat build - another plan I have! We mentioned earlier smaller builds in between sessions of a larger project; you have now given me another excuse to make a decision and get started on Vivacity/Beachcomber, if only to have the added excuse to have a go at these great smaller Aerokits designs👍👍.

Question, do you pre-drill the holes before pinning the ply skins/deck with your (brass?) nails? I presume (probably shouldn't...🤔) you remove them after and fill the holes... . Do you use this technique on all your boat builds? I'm asking because I sometimes struggle to find a way to use small clamps when ply-skinning.

I suggested in an earlier post the Moonglow would make a great 'quickbuild' intro for a junior to have a go at boating, but this model (and Sea Scout) would be just as good, if a little more taxing to build. They are a nice size at 20-24" (Moonglow is about 35" I think, considerably larger, perhaps more of a physical handful for small hands).

What motor/prop/battery you going to use in the Fast Patrol Boat, Bob? You are well on the way with it - would love to see it in action.

Rgds, Nick

Apologies Bob,

you are absolutely correct - the plan is from Aerokits ltd, but designed by L J Rowell - I had just assumed it ended up in the Lesro range. I must have got it around 1983-84 if that helps. The lad I got the plan from went to Bishop Stortford College, I think, as I recall they had a comparably strong swimming team to us at Bradford GS (bit of nostalgia for me, there😉). I'm therefore not sure if the Lesro/Aerokits boats were marketed here in NZ at all - would be interesting to see if anyone else from NZ on this website knows better.

I was actually born in the UK (Irvine, Scotland until 3 1/2 yrs old, raised in Yorkshire) and didn't emigrate until January 2004, but having been here for nearly 22 years with a kiwi wife and 3 stepkids (two with their own kids now), I tend to identify with being a kiwi these days (I have a NZ passport!), although I still have extended family back in UK.

rgds, Nick

Hi again Bob, just caught up with the thread;
re your Sea Scout, I got a Sea Scout original plan from a kid I was billeted with on a school swimming match back in the 1980's. He had built it from a Lesro Kit with a 540 motor and buggy pack. He'd had difficulty bringing the 1/16 ply sides together at the front so despite the nose up attitude at speed in his indoor swimming pool (the family clearly were well-off compared to us🤔) the boat took on some water through a small hole in the bow, but still managed 10-15 mins run time at reasonable speed.
The point of this story, he gave me the plan to keep - it wasn't long after I had built the Eeze Bilt Neptune, I think, so I must have been around 15 yrs old. I still have that plan in my collection, and originally intended to built Sea Scout before the Sprite, but felt the Sprite was simpler design to start with.
And then, of course, Vivacity came along....
Anyway, Once I embark on a 'large' boat build, I suspect I will have a smaller one on the go as well (I did this with my big Centurion plane build and smaller planes, as the Centurion took 3 years on and off - hopefully I'll get the boat done quicker as time/money allow), so maybe Sea Scout is an option.

Quick question to all reading, has anyone tried to build the smaller Lesro designs with balsa frames/stringers etc coupled with ply skins to save weight?
I realise balsa bulkheads probably require thicker sizes and if the outside skins ARE attempted with balsa sheet they would need/benefit from doped tissue/nylon or glass/epoxy for strength/durability, but it IS easier to work with and can potentially produce a lighter boat for a better planing performance on more limited brushed (ie cheaper..?🤔)motor power....thoughts anyone?

Looking forward to replies - I have some balsa stashed away begging to be cut! A hybrid balsa frame with ply skins, or all balsa...? Or should I just stick to the designed materials ie ply? Bear in mind, I'm only referring to the smaller Lesros up to the Sea Scout in size.

rgds, Nick

Thanks for the reply Roy, much appreciated.😊👍

Bestest regards,

Nick

Lesro Sprite cont....
This one in the video is powered by an OS10 glow engine. I have an OS10LA for planes and it produces around 200watts at max rpm - I suspect the one in the video is around 150-160 watts or a bit less under load, so any small brushless set-up that can comfortably put out 150watts+ should work well. I am intending to replace the original brushed motor in mine with a brushless I have just ordered, so I'll update this post when it's done and sailed for the first time.
I'll also eventually publish a more detailed build log. Until then here are a few pics to keep the interest; I believe the Sprite is the easiest of the Lesro range to build because of its relatively simple lines, but I could be wrong. I'm hoping to build a few of the Lesros, but I've other boats in mind first.

rgds to all, Nick

Here is my Lesro Sprite under construction and as it was on its maiden voyage.
I bought the plan from (I think) 'Vintage Model Boats' around 13-14 years ago, together with the Sea Queen, RAF Crash Tender (46" version), Fast Patrol Boat and Sea Nymph, but it took until earlier this year to make any of them.
I took measurements from the plan and made my own bulkhead paper templates, sticking them to 3mm basswood. Once the keel pieces were glued up, the keel acted like a jig, allowing me to slot the bulkheads into place before adding the stringers and then skinning the whole thing.
I had planned to just use a 540 type motor with a 6-cell buggy pack and 35mm prop; I didn't really pay much attention to the weight of the boat, but with this marginal power output (probably only 50-60watts) it should have been a bit lighter, I think. The boats performance on the maiden was 'okay' at best - it didn't get up enough speed to really plane. If you want to see a Sprite performing the way it's meant to , checkout this You Tube video;

Hi Roy,

it's under the Build Blogs tab - very interesting stories so far - would love to hear yours.👍😁

Best regards,

Nick

Built as a cheap-ish rescue boat driven by a planetary geared 540 sized motor off the Ali Express website, turning at 2300rpm max off 12volts, allowing it to turn a 50mm 4-bladed brass prop - plenty of pushing power!
Have had it chugging around for over 30mins while having a conversation with a local dog-walker about hobbies in general; thought it would have used a fair amount of the battery (2 x 1.3ah in parallel), but only around 500mah consumed. I guess those gears work well, as the motor seems to stay nice and cool!
The figures are cheap 1/18 scale (about right for this size of Springer Tug) 'Peacekeeper' soldiers from Toyworld, repainted to mimic a salvage crew. Bruder figures could also be an option, but they are very expensive here in NZ.

rgds,

Nick

This simple Vic Smeed design was originally for the 'Unit Steam Powerplant' but the plan does say suitable for electric...!😊
I've had this plan for decades, finally using it to give myself a break from building RC planes and re-kindling my interest in boat-building.
Mine was blown up to 33.75ins from the original's 27ins, giving a beam of around 4ins and a weight of 3.8 - 3.9kg. I used a re-purposed RS370 motor gearbox from an old foamie RC trainer plane, with the gear ratio around 3:1. This allowed this otherwise high-revving motor to easily drive a 3-bladed 40mm prop off a 6volt 4.5ah Lead gel battery, drawing very little current. Only drawback is the gearbox is a little noisy, but the boat sails very well after a slight adjustment to the positioning of the lead weighted keel. I've sailed it around for up to 20 minutes at reasonably scale speeds so far, and only had to put around 450mah back into the battery, so I guess it would probably sail for well over an hour if necessary.
A great build for having a go at making your own scratch-built fittings eg, railings, vents, windlass, derricks, rigging ...

Nick

Hi Will,

is that a re-purposed shower curtain rail for your Sprite stand handle? Hats off to you for ingenuity - I try to use up 'scraps' or old hardware whenever I can, the only downside being I've become somewhat of a 'hoarder' of odd bits of leftover wood/board/mdf/ply etc. and random hinges/brackets/bits of tubing/fixings etc.

Great to see your Sprite so might add a few more pics of mine to Bob's classic boats thread after re-engining it. What motor/battery/prop set-up are you using in yours? Got any pictures of it running?

Sadly, Ali Express cancelled my Brushless motor order for the Sprite and refunded the money (something to do with supplier messing up the tracking) so I've had a set-back and need to order another different motor - might do that now while it's on my mind. 🤔
My Beachcomber plan also just arrived in the post, so need to look at potential power systems for that one as well, bearing in mind Bob's mate's Beachcomber power set-up - still can't decide between which of Vivacity and Beachcomber to attempt first - may come down to ease of power system acquisition/cost etc...

Nick

Hi Guys, I'm not sure if my offerings count as 'Classic' designs🤔, but they certainly were originally designed to have model diesel engines in them, so here goes...🤞.

My first 'proper' larger RC boat build from a plan was Vic Smeed's MOONGLOW, intended for model diesels from 1.5 - 3.5cc.
I actually bought this plan at the same time as the Vivacity plan, together with Vic's MOONMIST and MOONWIND plans. I had already had a go at the Moonmist, a small, very simply built lightweight balsa boat of 20" length for electric power. Prior to this I had only ever built Glynn Guest's 15" Arcady tugboat, and a keil Kraft Eeze Bilt 16" electric Neptune as a free runner when aged 15 or so.
MOONGLOW was my first ever attempt at plywood construction, and it was certainly a potentially very easy build with just 8 pieces forming the basic hull. I managed to source 1/16" birch ply for the skins, but could only get heavy 'Far Eastern' DIY ply for the base, deck and bulkheads (1/2" thick as I recall!). I think the superstructure was 4mm ply...? Anyway, it weighed a ton, and as I didn't have access to an IC engine , I stuck a good old standard RS540 buggy motor in with a 6v Lead gel battery.
Of course, I was really flying blind back then (March 1993ish) so thinking a coarse pitched 45mm racing prop looked 'about right' (the plan shows a 45mm 3 bladed prop I think, but that was for a 3.5cc diesel!), I couldn't understand why performance was so marginal, and lasted just 5minutes. And the motor got VERY hot!

Still, I learned a fair bit from it all, not least that larger boats often impress bystanders more (..."Did YOU make that...?" - I never tired of answering affirmatively with not a little pride, just wishing it went a bit faster!).

MOONGLOW would be a great 'quick build' for giving a youngster a cheap intro to RC boating, as long as it's kept light. I've often wondered if I should make another to allow my grand-daughters to 'have a go' when a bit older (both still under three years🤔).

I did build the MOONWIND as well many years later, but I'll post again about that IF I can find a photo - not sure I took one.

Regards,

Nick

Many thanks, Bob, yes that's definitely a big help👍😉!
If at all possible, can you find out what size/type of battery he was using and the capacity (at this stage I am assuming it is a Lipo; the nominal voltage and capacity indicate a potential rpm range and discharge capability - any indication of how long a sailing time your friend gets from this battery/motor/prop combo?

By the way, Will should be forwarding to you soon a Lesro Sprite plan, correctly scaled to pdf. Apologies for not sending it direct to you, but I didn't have your email...s'pose I could try attaching it here, just not sure if the correct scaling will apply - let me know.

Just going to add a post to your new Classic Power Boats section...😀

rgds, Nick

Hi Bob, how big is Maybelle (ie length/beam?). Would be interested to know the current draw at speed - it looks like the two 6v/5ah batteries are wired in series to make 12volts. Also, did you get a look at the prop size? Any discussion/comments on motor rpm...?

The boat is very nicely finished - particularly like the varnished wood-planked deck and superstructure - giving me lots of ideas👍😊.

I've been looking at brushed 997 motor/planetary gearbox combinations from Ali Express - some of these could work using a large prop with either 12 or 24volt (2 x 12 in series lead acid, or perhaps a 6-cell high capacity lipo - comes down to cost versus weight, I suppose...).

Keep the info/comments coming - your input gives me lots to think about, all useful.

rgds,
Nick
ps dropped off Lesro Sprite plan today to get it scanned - assuming it turns out ok scaled on pdf , I'll be sending it to you and will in the next day or two.

Hi Bob,
thanks to Will (many many thanks, mate!👍😀), I now have pdf copies of Vivacity and Beachcomber, allowing comparisons while I wait for the Beachcomber paper plan in the post.
Beachcomber certainly gives the impression of being a sleeker and potentially racier design in terms of performance. I'm already building up a picture of what brushless power system I could use, although I'll wait for your input before any decisions are made (there is also the small matter of having to save up my 'pennies' as I have a backyard boating pond project on the go which is soaking up any spare cash at present🤔! - see photo).

I'm still toying with the idea of a heavyweight brushed motor system for Vivacity, as long as I can find a suitable grunty motor (with gearing?) to turn a large prop, as the deeper hull lines of Vivacity suggest to me that she should 'majestically' rise slightly up on the plane carving through the waves at full speed, rather than skip over the top of them as Beachcomber's shallower hull might suggest... or perhaps I'm delusional?!?

What do you think? Interested to hear how you envisage these two classic designs performing in comparison to one another.

One thing I am going to focus on with Vivacity is lightening the structure somewhat - I think there is plenty of scope for removing unnecessary timber from bulkheads etc, rather like in the Beachcomber design, and using lighter sizes for the superstructure. Some of this may, of course, be limited by whatever timber I can lay my hands on when the time comes.🤔

Right , better get back to laying that sand in the pond...

Looking forward to your comments, Bob,(and Will and everyone else...😀)

Nick