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Registered
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Last Online
27th Apr 2026

roycv

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Member No.	#	5840
Registered	📅	28th Apr 2020
Last Online	📅	27th Apr 2026
City	📍	Watford
Country	🇬🇧	United Kingdom
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Age	👶	87
Posts	💬	2082
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small sailing yacht

I built this one for my grandaughter. She is from a MB free plan about 12 inches long that used to have a swing rig. I don't like swing rigs so set up a very simple sail set from ripstop nylon material. The sails are just hot cut so no sewing needed. The vane steering works very well and on a small pond keeps you very fit! Again no radio but a lot of fun for a young person. Susie says "Not seen this one before"! You are not old enough puss. Roy

roycv

3 years ago

0 Attributes

7 Comments

Anglian Trawler

I have been doing a bit of re-furbishing and this is the Very old Hobby's kit for The Anglian Trawler, about 18 inches long. The all balsa kit is from the late 1950s. The kit was complete, note the cast lines in the just visible lead weights, these came ready shaped! The Mighty Midget electric motor does its bit to give her a healthy turn of speed running on a discarded Sony movie camera 6 volt battery. No radio and only for small ponds. I have kept her as was, this is Susie, Just checking! Roy

roycv

3 years ago

0 Attributes

14 Comments

Celia May

This is one of those toy boats that I used to look at through the Basset-lowke window in Holborn. Not an original Bowman Sea Jay but a copy I made from the Basil Harley plans of Celia May 1988. I suppose I started in 1989 almost certainly a Sunday as I had to hunt round to find some 3/8ths" thickness wood. The only stuff I could find was some 9 ply which is quite tough. So I made a steam cylinder from plastic guttering tubing. I boiled an old fashioned kettle into it and about 5 minutes of this softened the ply for bending. I made a crude former, mainly big nails, and whipped it out and bent the ply to shape. Then the other one followed and the hard bit had been done. The rest of the hull was straight forward. The superstructure was made of aluminium, not easy to bend but a friend showed me how. The boat was meant to have a steam plant but the one I had built by an excellent engineer for me was in the end too heavy. So I left the boat for a few months and then decided to go electric. If you look at the plans the 3 parts of the s/s are individual and have another bend also to form the deck, great for steam not so for electric. I cut the flanges off and made a wood deck and planked it to look pretty, well it is a toy after all, and fitted the s/s parts into the deck. Those ex-Meccano gents will spot the rudder parts a 2 inch pulley which I carefully sawed to make the 2 parts. These have a wrap round chain and a small spring to tension the chain. The rudder servo has a small extension and the whole has worked with a little oil ever since. The motor is a Bassett-lowke Marine bought when I was in my teens but not really used. The yellow U/J is I think from SHG it has a loose "bone" as the connection between the 2 ends. It allows for a lot of positioning of the motor as I had planned to use the boat as a test vessel. Notes The cat is Suzie my little helper and is 13 now. I really like the funnel, it is rolled aluminium with a half inch piece of dowel on about 6 thicknesses of blanket. The aerial is a working one connected to the receiver which is 27Mhtz 2 channel. Apologise for the prop I originally made my own it is somewhere in the shed! Roy.

roycv

3 years ago

10 Attributes

16 Comments

Huntress

Hi all this model was scratch built using the free plan Sparkler as the basis. She is just over 16 inches long and has a 380 geared down 1 : 2. Unfortunately she was over-powered and on 6 cells only has 2 or 3 inches of the hull is in the water. I have slowed her down a bit but it is difficult to ballance the hull. Either the hull is climbing a hill or just splashing through the water. I built her in 1986 so she is getting on a bit. The pulpit is brass tubing and painted silver. The perspex wrap round screen was fractured a while ago and left for several years, then I decided to replace it and it is fine now. Roy

roycv

3 years ago

0 Attributes

9 Comments

Mary Ann No.2

This is another Mary Ann, I bought her off ebay after a good negotiation to lower the price. She was built as a decorative model quite attractive but again many problems. All the glueing was minimal and I just lifted off the cabin! I stripped her completely and drilled into the deck to get an opening for the engine and RC. I grasped the side gallows to pull them off expecting brass they were delicate laser cut wood! So a recent model! I had a spare brass pair and that is what is on her now. The prop and shaft are just a short push in dummy! So a new shaft hole was opened up, I did an initial fit of motor and prop and into the bath, luckily I did not walk away! I watched the water coming in. This took a while to sort out and I had to open up the forward bulkhead which was sealed in. I poured in varnish and swilled it around and then poured the residue out. After drying I found the main leak and as I was not going to re-do the planking and I remembered seeing a fishing boat drawn up on the beach and it had additional planks nailed on, I presume repair leaks. So I did the same. She is a different colour as these fishing boats should be white hulled, this is because both of the Mary Anns work from a single 4 ch. Tx. (reference Admiralty Naval Intelligence November 1942) This I have found may need a more alert brain than mine to do successfully! The right stick, no problem but the left (hand and) stick do not give the right rudder movements when coming towards me. My left hand needs re-educating. I found the father and 2 sons crew lurking in my garage and after I got them new gear here they are. Roy

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Lilla Dan

Lilla Dan but not as you might know her! She is an extended version 36 inches stern to bowsprit. The hull is a Graupner Elke fishing boat hull. The plans were kindly sent by Billing 20 odd years ago. However I am the new owner as she was built by my late friend John Cook. I bought her earlier in 2022 and did an update on the insides and renewed all the rigging, which took quite a while and rather than serve the lower parts of the shrouds I used white heatshrink electrical insulation. She needs a good breeze to sail and really hates tacking through the wind and wearing ship can lose all you gained previously. However my daughter in law got her to go very nicely. Roy

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

3 Comments

The Schooner Theresa

Here is another of my yachts, the hull is 40 inches loa and the bowsprit makes her a bit longer. She was built by my late friend John Cook back in 1965 and first came to my notice when many years later we had a club stand at Olympia. I had offered to take the boat and John said he would be along later, so he was very surprised when he arrived and found I had assembled the boat. (To some eyes it would be a jumble of sails and spars). We became friends then. I bought the yacht from his estate when he died and started refurbishing her. I simplified the RC and kept the double drum winch as it works very well. Replaced the 2 hatches in keeping with the rest of the boat, they have custom made brass pins on a retaining string to keep them located. All the rope rigging had lost it's strength and was replaced and there was a lot of whipping to to do on the spars, this is something I like doing. The paintwork you see is original I just cleaned the paint and gave it a spray of varnish, the sails are cotton and also original. The winch system looks the part where it can be seen on the deck, it is functional and easy to adjust. The plans and building instructions were in one of the old F.J.Camm A5 size books on model yachting and about 6" X 4" but the table of 'off-sets' was the main guide, John drew them up to full size and the construction is plank on frame and has well stood the test of time. She sails very gracefully and responds to the helm easily and always draws a small group of people when sailing. I keep her in a large 'Christmas Tree box' a plastic one with a lid which is excellent for model boats. Most of the plastic box makers do them but they only come out at Christmas! Roy

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

9 Comments

Condor

This was drawn up from a 6 x 4 plan out of Yachting Monthly and is called Goosander. She was designed as a home buid yacht 27 feet loa 4 berth. My model is 1 : 12 scale. The hull shape is unusual being a double chine. When I came to draw up the plans it was not easy to accomodate a little more displacement and still balance the hull. This involves keeping the waterline right and doing some calculations for in and out wedges for heeling over and staying level. She got wet for the first time in 1975 and then having learnt a bit more about sailing I gave her a re-fit in 1990 and entered her in the Class C5 in the Model Engineering exhibition where she gained a Bronze medal. She sails remarkably well and also has a small prop, (purely for lunch time purposes of course). I found some more detail photos. The stanchions were mechanically drawn down to size on diameter from some Aluminium rod to match the brass tubing used at the pulpit and pushpit. The anchor sits at the bow and takes any knocks etc. The side view shows the tabernacle used to hinge the mast down. She is fitted with life saving apparatus. The handrails are cut from the solid and were a bit fiddly to make. I recently did a few repairs and some changes to the jib arrangements and the photo was taken a week or so back.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

6 Comments

Mary Ann

Hi all I like fishing boats and this must be one of the most popular judging from prices. This is an old one with brass fittings. It took me a while to recruit the crew as the hours are long and no holidays. She runs with a Monoperm on 6 cells and a small brass prop. The esc is a very small pcb one from China. I have another one but different colours can't go to sea yet as no Captain!

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

4 Comments

Fishing boat Norderney

I bought this boat at an auction it was started but not much more. I paid £40 and when I got home I found a ready made set of sails wrapped up in the plans which are from Graupner. She sails with internal ballast and a small (drop down) keel, but this is fixed. Against Graupner advice with internal ballast she sails very well. Not great into wind but easy enough to control. I used a Hitec arm winch but this was too fast so I used a slow down circuit which works well. There is a motor so needs a 3rd. channel.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

6 Comments

Ferry from St. Lawrence Seaway

This is my version of Glynn Guest's free plan of Ogdensberg. I have timed it as the 2nd. August in 1937, which was the August Bank Holiday and the cars are all left hand drive with passengers for each. There is a story behind each group for my own satisfaction. The main s/s is located on brass ferules that come with servos, the lifebelts are the 'heads' of brass rods that hold the s/s in place. Took me ages to work that one out. Motor is a 555 with an old Hitec esc and runs on 6 cells, moves nicely. The ramps were made of coffee stirrers but it is crap wood and would not do it again, they do hinge down on dolls house hinges. Of the vehicles all to 1 : 43 scale the most sought after is the motor cycle and side car, I put in her a very disappointed girl friend expecting a naughty weekend but ending up in a sidecar!

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Inga IV

This was a gift but needed a complete re-build. The insides had grown with new additions and I took everything out reduced all to run from 6 D cells right down low. She had some rather unfortunate red sails but I have now fitted a new but original set of sails. Lovely to sail but rather heavy to move around for me now.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

9 Comments

Clockwork boat

This was a collect it or it goes in the skip email to me. I went to collect wondering what electric motor it might contain. So opening up was indeed a surprise! "will you restore it"? the lady said. "more like a ressurection " I replied, however a collector friend convinced me to restore her. It was very crude s/s and heavy but very solid construction I reckon the mid 1930s the clockwork motor at first a mystery was revealed in an article by John Parker in his Flotsam and Jetsom series. Turned out to be a top of the range clockwork motor and she runs for about 7 minutes. I put in RC! This was for the rudder and also a stop on the motor. I found by the time I got low enough to launch her the motor had run down!

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

2 Comments

Yachts

This just to show the 2 similar yact hulls I bought £30 for both of them! Had to go to Salisbury to collect just as the Novichok problem allowed us all back again. I made the boatstands myself to my standard format.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Graupner Gracia

Gracia is my all time favourite! I had the plans and was about to build when I had an email from friend Keith Bragg who said would I like to take on his inherited part made kit, I jumped at the chance. It took me a month including planking the deck and making the sails, and she looks great on the water. I have recently found some original sails and am contemplating revising the rig. I usually separate the mast and sails and store them in boxes, so this would be another mast with new sails so I would be able to choose from 2 rigs etc. RC is simple winch with a far pulley on a stick so that it can all be withdrawn for maintenance. I finished her summer 2006. I have found some more pictures of the winch - on - stick which locates into a slot at the bow and the joggling of the planking. This is the stern and you can see the tiller arm. This is made of 11 laminates of 1/32 inch ply and shaped to fit over a 13 amp brass mains socket single pin. This is handy as it has a grub screw that retains it on the rudder stock. It is the second one as the first one was nicked while the boat was on display at a show!

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Nordfjord

This is a version of Glynn Guests Norwegian ferry free plan. I built my one from obechi and not balsa and she was top heavy, After much thought I sawed my one through just at the foredeck level and added 8 inches with appropriate lead ballast. I turned her into a cargo carrier which is exactly what was done to many of the ferries after WW2 due to the high cost of steel. The various derricks are made from an old 27Mhtz aerial so very light in weight. They do articulate. My model runs on a 555 motor on 6 volts with a 45mm brass prop, but there is enough power lower down to control the speed on the Tx, trim control alone. She has had a lot of admirers and running at slow speed my initial problem duck turned into a swan.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Dolphin

Although no longer in my possession this a kit from the late 1940s. I was asked to finish an already constructed hull and there were the plans to go by. The drive is an orange and black Hectoperm motor, which I supplied so in keeping with the era well just about. She drives like a dream and even though I was paid well I found it difficult to part with. She is about 42 inces loa, originally for i/c.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Endeavour

This is a conversion of the Amati static kit to RC. She is about a metre long and looks very graceful when sailing. Note for display purposes there is a 1 : 35 scale crew on board as well. The kit is on sale and you can also buy a booklet showing the conversion which I wrote with the kit, all rights sold to distributors.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

1 Comment

Yacht

This a bare hull I bought a few years ago, I think it was made in the early1950s judging from build. She had a sealed deck and I used my worm camera to look inside down the mast hole. B & B construction so I delved inside and fitted RC and kept it looking like a Pond yacht. Interesting part is there are 2 hulls almost identical and I am working out a new rig for her.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

2 Comments

Pelican

This an Aeronaut Bella with a gaff rig. 3 channel RC as there is an additional tweek to tighten the fore jib, makes a big boatspeed difference. I like the old 40 Mhtz sets with a flick arm for the 3rd. channel and I use this to flatten the jib after a tack. I had to fit a bowsprit because of the extra sail, and also move the mast back about half an inch.

roycv

4 years ago

0 Attributes

5 Comments

Recent Posts

💬 Re: Fin

24 hours ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 12 Views · 1 Like

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💬 Add Comment

Always nice to see an old model, they are mostly spoiled by the set of the sails.

When cutting a sail from cloth note they are all triangles. then the selvedge (non-stretch) side of the cloth needs to run parallel with the longest side of the triangle.

Otherwise you get the hollow curve in the sail, as seen in the picture, which makes the sail inefficient.

Regards
Roy

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⟩⟩

hermank

📝 Question of the Day?

2 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 35 Views · 2 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi Steve , Just how old are you????😮😮😮
Roy

▲

⟩⟩

Steves-s

hermank

📝 Question of the Day?

6 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 43 Views · 3 Likes

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📝 Reply

In my thinking if you were to the leeward of an enemy you would be leaning over and pointing your guns higher giving more range to fire.
Whereas the enemy ship would be leaning towards you with guns dipped lower and less range. Possibly having to close the lower gun ports.
But what do I know it all seems a bit dangerous to me.
Roy

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Steves-s

SouthportPat

hermank

📝 Question of the Day?

6 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 43 Views · 2 Likes

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📝 Reply

It's the first time I have got that question right! I chose longest answer and crossed my fingers
Roy

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⟩⟩

Steves-s

hermank

📝 Water-jet drive

8 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 61 Views · 4 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi all I have a never used large brushed electric water-jet drive with bucket reverse toothed belt driven.
It belongs to club and I am looking for a buyer. It is a Rip Max model they had on sale for £160. £60 and it is 'yours'.
P.M. me if interested.
Roy

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Rookysailor

Madwelshman

hermank

chugalone100

📝 two motors one esc

8 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 21 Views · 2 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi all, as far as fuses go I do not use them as I have small boats with about 15 - 20 Watts power and the esc can deal with a stall current. It has never been a problem with my models.
Roy

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⟩⟩

LewZ

hermank

📝 U.S. Easter Rivers - Towboats

9 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 24 Views · 1 Like

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📝 Reply

Thanks Lew for the videos. Have put the 3rd. one in my archive. Beautiful boat.
Roy

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⟩⟩

LewZ

📝 Boat Identification

9 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 35 Views · 2 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi in the photos you can see a blue elastic band, and the other end goes via a bowsie to adjust tension according to wind speed.

The system works and I would leave it, but disabled, and fit 2 more cords of similar type but going to a concealed rudder servo.

Would look nice in the water but needs checking for leaks. A close up of the hull may reveal if the planking is screwed in place or glued. If glued it is post 1960 as it was only untill then that suitable glues were available.

Roy

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jumpugly

hermank

📝 Boat Identification

9 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 39 Views · 3 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi Lew I share your disappointment about sale values. I think for kits it is mainly about the inability of so many to contemplate making a model as their education although excellent in its way left out working with your hands and being able to see the finished model from the plans alone.

The model yacht in question looks a lot like Marbleheads I remember from the late 1950's.
One of the photos with the large sail area looked like a 36R, the R stands for restricted, not radio!

Roy
Best
Roy

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⟩⟩

Ronald

jumpugly

hermank

📝 Boat Identification

9 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 39 Views · 4 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi all just got back from Oz! The close ups at stern this is Braine steering, no question. I once set up a Braine for someone else some years ago. Should be a dead elastic band in there or a spring with calibrations for wind stregth.
The calibration on the main boom is also classic racing yacht intent.

I mentioned Soling as someone told me it was like a Marblehead but never seen one for myself.
Regards all,
Roy

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Hsailer

Ronald

jumpugly

hermank

📝 two motors one esc

11 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 44 Views · 5 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi Black shoe. With unkown motors I use a rule of thumb approach. Assuming you have a volt meter capable of reading 20 amps I connect the meter in series with the drive battery and motor.

Using a pair of pliers I grip the drive shaft and measure the stall current. Do this for the shortest time as it can effect the permanent magnet.
The most efficient running of the motor will be with a load (prop) at 20% of the stalled current. You would be OK for running at 25% but this does work where performance data is not known.

If the numbers come out rather low then it is likely the motor was designed to run at a higher voltage than you are using.

Roy

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Black Shoe

robbob

RogerA1

hermank

AlessandroSPQR

📝 Boat Identification

11 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 52 Views · 3 Likes

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📝 Reply

Hi, it sounds like a Marblehead Class yacht. I can just about see Braine steering at the rear.
This class is 50 inches long and 800 square inches of sail.

Can you get to the yacht i.e. behind the glass? Quite often there are boat details inside the boat.
However, there are no registered numbers on the sails so does not look like she ever raced, as being registered was required for racing.

Looks a beautiful boat, nowadays they are used as decorative items so there is value but finding the right person may not be easy.
The other point is dismantling her for transit.

Try contacting the American Vintage Yacht Group they may have a buyer and or help with further identification.

The lead keel was cast for the yacht and this makes the yacht over 60 years old and the Braine steering even older.

There is another class in the USA called the Soling class of similar dimensions.

Good luck with the search.
Roy

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Hsailer

hermank

jumpugly

📝 U.S. Easter Rivers - Towboats

11 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 33 Views · 3 Likes

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📝 Reply

I have a kit from 2001 which has the fibre glass hull. Annoyingly I had made the deck with the funnels as from plans as a shallow V but the reality is a curved deck, not that difficult to do.

All the structure on this deck is soft porous balsa, totally unsuited. The wire included is too thick and there are no stanchions on the lower deck mentioned on the plans which are also not full size.

I have mentioned before that I made all the underwater kit and will stick with that. My intention is to use right stick for the forward rudders and left stick sideways movement for running with the reverse rudders.

The kits for the barges is a joke considering the price charged, I have 2 but not sure what to do with them as they need enormous displacement to suit towing.

Overall the prototype earns its title and from a distance the model hopefully will do the same.
Roy

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RodC

hermank

chugalone100

📝 Question of the Day?

11 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 43 Views · 3 Likes

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📝 Reply

I feel at home again Titanic hit the spot for me!

I thought Bark 'eel was part of dog training.
Roy

▲

⟩⟩

hermank

Steves-s

Nickthesteam

📝 LiFePO4 BATTERIES (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries)

13 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 44 Views · 1 Like

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📝 Reply

Hi Alessandro nearly all our modellers on the web site have used SLA batteries and you put down the experience I have had to an effect I have never heard of wheras it is a straight forward piece of arithmetic.

I have not seen the lead acid batteries you refer to at the size suitable for model use.

I compared NiMh as they were known batteries to me and the arithmetic was about Amp hour capacity calculations rather than battery types.

Roy

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hermank

📝 LiFePO4 BATTERIES (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries)

13 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

✧ 39 Views · 1 Like

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📝 Reply

Hi Allesandro I do not agree.
Just to compare SLA and NiMh at say 5Ah each stated capacity.

SLA to give the full capacity has to discharge for 20 hours which is 250 mamps multiplying 20 x 0.25 = 5 (Ahrs).

NiMh which will deliver full capacity over 5 hours and gives a discharge rate of 1 amp for 5 hours. As I said witness the price difference.

I have run both of the above and stopped using SLA batteries years ago.

To answer the other question I do not use for my models any Lithium batteries purely from a safety angle.

The last part of your post supports the arithmetic I have put forward.

Regards
Roy

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hermank

📝 LiFePO4 BATTERIES (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate batteries)

13 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi all Have you considered how the amp/hour capacity is measured?

Lead acid batteries are measured against a discharge time of 20 hours.

However the lead acid cylindrical cell batteries are measured against a 5 hour discharge rate.

NiMh batteries and NiCad batteries are measured against a 5 hour discharge rate.

From what I have read LiPo and Life Po4 batteries are measured against a 1 hour discharge rate, happy to be corrected on this.

So we are not comparing like with like as the capacity discharge rates are different. If you discharge a SLA battery in 1 hour it will get hot and give a much lower value of capacity, (volts x amps x time).

That is why there is a difference in price between SLA and NiMh batteries of the same 'indicated' capacity.

There are now several types of lead acid battery AGM etc. This should also be noted by car owners. Modern cars with a stop/start option need different (AGM etc.) and dearer batteries to the older and cheaper ones.

A more inclusive measurement would be the Watt hour capacity of a battery and this can become more clear if you use a capacity measuring electronic unit with i/p and o/p connections.
They can be connected to measure charging or discharging values.

Also if there is heat involved in the battery or the discharge component (motor) then this is part of the power available.

Interesting discussion point.
Roy

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stevedownunder

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LewZ

📝 Building from plans

15 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi Zooma you are right Health and Safety have left a trail of filled in ponds and neglect mostly done by local councils where 'No' is so much easier than considering a possible Yes.

Fisherman pay lots of £££s for exclusive use of ponds. We have a lot of ex-quarry ponds but no access. You might find local libraries have an on-line list clubs and societies that might help find a place.

Back in the 1890's when Royalty was sailing their yachts it filtered down to would be Captains who would run a sailing club and have 'their man' build and sail their yacht but collect the trophy if they won. Gradually with various conflicts Royal yachting's last phase was Prince Phillip and his yacht.

I note that Princess Anne has a yacht a Rustler 44 which she sails in and around Scotland with her husband. Two Admirals on one boat there's a thought!

Sorry for the aside but society has left the act of making and doing and has gone over to preening and image.

Roy

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ColinJ2

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RodC

📝 two motors one esc

15 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi, John the brake you refer to on Chinese esc's usually has a tiny switch for turning it on or off. When on it provides regenerated braking used for model cars but when off it gives a straight reverse as in model boats.
Roy

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hermank

📝 Question of the Day?

15 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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That is an interesting and misunderstood question.
WHARF has become a word but it is an acronym. On the maps around rivers etc a whare house with river access was abreviated to:- Whare House At River Frontage. Hence Wharf.

But it has now become a word but really only applies if it has quay access to the river.

I don't expect A.I. knew that!

Roy

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DuncanP

hermank

Steves-s

Nickthesteam

📝 Question of the Day?

17 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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I think the ASD / Voith propulsion question should be at least re-thought as the answer given is too debatable.

Roy

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SimpleSailor

hermank

Steves-s

📝 Question of the Day?

20 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Not happy with that answer at all. It looks like I am not alone either! Most harbour tugs I have seen are the Voith Schneider propulsion types. Did not even know azimuth systems were used on harbour tugs.

Roy

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hermank

Steves-s

EdW

💬 Re: Guestbook

21 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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I echo DW... you get out what you put in, a phrase I go by myself. As an ex club Secretary, it is always nice to have a new member join in, take part and get accepted. In administration there are far more people avoiding it than taking it on.

Roy

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robbob

DWBrinkman

Ronald

jumpugly

hermank

📝 Question of the Day?

23 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi SS, like people there are different ideas/facts. There are rival A.I's and soon they will start breeding and then they will turn on us! Terminator was a glympse of the future be warned.

I am worried for different reasons what has happened to Titanic answers and questions, like:- How many funnels did the 4 funnel Titanic have?

Worried of Watford.

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Steves-s

SimpleSailor

📝 "New" Kid on the Block: Meus Racing?

26 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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I have been using RC for so long now, about 60 years and I have accumulated so many sets, I stay with the old equipment. I have around 20 or so Tx's and more rx's. Futaba and Hitec and Fleet have been good for me and I still use 2ch. 27Mhtz which all still works like it used to and very little competition for frequencies..

Failures are mainly battery connections in the back of the Tx as they corrode with time. But with a little bit of work they can be by-passed with triple A rechargeable. 10 cells will fit in the back where only 8 AA cells were and last longer.

Nothing wrong with the new stuff just no need for me to go there. There are some very cheap electronics in the way of esc's and mixers and especially more powerful standard servos. I use 9 gramm servos for powered boat rudders and the 6 and 7 Kilogram / cm torque standard servos for sail arms.
So one foot in the past and one foot in the future!

Roy

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hermank

RodC

📝 Post-Scotland inspiration

29 days ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi Ron Model Boating is a very serious business no sign of enjoyment allowed anywhere!
Happiness is for others, typical Scotsman whisked over to Canada. OMG what is happening to us?
I am sure Canada is not a dismal place I have several relations there at the western edge.
Roy

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LeeA1

HappyHaggis

Mike Stoney

hermank

jumpugly

Ronald

📝 Question of the Day?

1 month ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Right, I hope that puts the seal on all the puns!

However, I would like to expound on the virtues of bathroom sealant! I use it to secure the prop tube inside my model boats. It can stand up to 50 watts power (that is as far as I have been), it keeps the water out cuts down vibration and allows time to exactly position the tube. I connect a 1.5 volt battary to the drive motor and adjust position until it runs as easy as possible.

Ere in Oz I have to work hard to know what time it is. Nearly missed a QoD.

Roy

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hermank

Steves-s

SimpleSailor

DuncanP

📝 1990 era Traxxas XL-1 electronic speed controller

1 month ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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The first of the RC tx's just turned the 27Mhtz carrier wave on and off, there was no modulation as that required a stable carrier frequency. My Fleet 4 Ch pre-proportional set had a blue crystal soldered in place to stabilise the oscillations. That was the first time I ever saw a crystal in use.
That would be around 50 years ago now.

In those days a servo was an electric motor powered escapement. I had a rudder servo that drove a screwed rod with a travelling 'nut' which was for the rudder movement. This needed 2 switch controls one left and one right, the rudder would move end points and then the end microswitch would cut the current and when you released the Tx switch it would centralise the rudder again. Very sophisticated!

Back then for speed which was from dry batteries I had a sequenced pair of relays that would run the batteries in either parallel or series with stop in between. Still got them!
I never did use i/c always electric.

Roy

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premecekcz

hermank

📝 1990 era Traxxas XL-1 electronic speed controller

1 month ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi Ron I have the rubber powered escapements which had 4 positions and were used just fo the rudder. The Radio type I do not know as several early ones were suspect and never heard of again. Then American RC was the one to have but too much beyond my pay grade!

My first RC was a ED Mk4 with a ground level TX and a control box plugged into it. That was in 1958 (cost £7.7s.0d) never worked as I did not realise that it could not deal with electric motors. I was learning electronics at the time while training on Aircraft radar equipment.

I built some DIY which did not work often enough to take to the lake. The first successful equipment was from Fleet with electronic tones instead of tuned reeds.
That cost a week's wages, prices are ridiculously low now compared to then.

£50 in 1960 is equivalent to £1000+ now! £50 now is just a bit more than pocket money. So my £10 then would be £200 now. Both figures shop for groceries for a week for 2 people. (that is my main job now!).

Roy

Roy

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premecekcz

hermank

Ronald

📝 1990 era Traxxas XL-1 electronic speed controller

1 month ago by 🇬🇧 roycv (

Fleet Admiral)

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Hi Garth Fleet in the UK followed the same order and with their own connectors. I still have the Fleet rx.s and servos and apart from one model with all Fleet connectors I have cut the Fleet connectors off and soldered on the standard ones in the correct order.
Now I think about it Sanwa were much the same wiring order.

Fleet was agressively British and the founder uncompromising, I met him several times. I complained about his special short aerials with all of 6 yards range and the early sail winch he sold which twitched the whole time. He would accept no criticism of performance and no possible responsibility.

The tx.s were very good and much like the Futaba M3 in polished aluminium and lovely to hold. I had a very early non proportional set which was excellent, so not all bad. I still use the sets on 40Mhtz never having ventured to 2.4Ghtz.

His 40 Mhtz sets all had labels underneath proclaiming them as 35 Mhtz and this works for all the ones I tried just insert a 40Mhtz crystal into a 35 Mhtz set and they work fine.

Now of course it is almost fit and forget for nearly all manufacturers.
Regards
Roy

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