This little model was built to see how much my Parkinson's had affected my modelling abilities. Surprisingly little as it turned out but I cannot write legibly and find keyboards tricky too. it must be muscle-memory! The model is loosely based on Challenge and is built around a tug hull that I made as a boy I made in the sixties but with some modification. She is fully lit for night running. The crew figures are model railway lineside track gang models. They have been left in their modern high viz and helmets as the model is depicted as she is today operated in preservation as a Dunkirque little ship. She is equipped with 2 function R/C. She has not yet maidened at the time of photographing (ESC: Motroniks) (5/10)

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Hi Marky,

Your interest in the Bustler design is correct. I have a relatively basic model of this class of vessel, built my late father and it is a superb runner. Earlier on this year, my partner Maggie spent some time in Liverpool for the Tall Ships rage. We found this example in the Royal Albert dock dry dock. it has been painted in a WW1 dazzle camouflage and modified to serve as a pilot boat.

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Hi Floating Voter,

I do so agree that I should be flying, not ploughing. in fact, she does plane quite well, but she is 'dirty' at very high speeds.I am concerned that sooner or later, I will have electrical problems, despite trying to be careful not to overuse the throttle.

She is fitted with 2 x JP EnErG brushless 600 O/R 1550 (C35 141), driving 38mm scale-type brass three bladers, contra-rotating. The pack is a 7.4 v, 30C lipo.

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That is quite a good idea, right out of left field. Thanks, I will look into it.

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She's already low, so I am loathed to try this. and no this is not wunwinglo from large scale planes. I do small scale planes!

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Hi Doug,

They are Lipo's, small and in the stern already!

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Hi Canabus,

I cannot really do this as she is slightly heavy. I was aware of this when I restored her last year and was careful to keep it light and aft. She is lighter than she was.

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Guys, my MTB has a tendency to get a little flooded by her bow wave when under way at high speeds. She has a scale spray suppression rail at the bow which is notched like the full-size. I do not want to mount anything TOO gross but do any of you have some practical suggestions to make to alieviate this problem?

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Hi Guys,

May I change the angle slightly? I use the lakes at Oxford, St Albans and other 'park' locations and I am heartily sick of having to put up with other users of the parks feeding the ducks etc from the jetties, platforms etc from which were clearly intended for model boat use. Result? Waterfowl poo everywhere I put the model, TX or tools. Perhaps if they had to feed the ducks by kneeling in duck poo, they would not do it....😆

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Titan was published as a semi=scale deep sea admiralty salvage tug, based on the Bustler class. My late father built her in 1953/4 and with an endless variety of radios from early valve sets to the current 2.4ghz, she has remained active ever since. Her claim to fame is that she was once operated by HM the Queen. Now fully lit, she is a favourite for night runs. (Motor: Ancient brushed electric) (5/10)

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This model was originally built by my father in the 50's for i.c. power. it was laid up in 1962 and remained inactive until two years ago. At that point, I egan recommissioning it, fitting twin brushless motors in place of the deafening single glow motor and straight-cut gears. I also added a great deal detail that my dad had never added. it performs very well nicely in this guise with the added drama of a throttle-linked digital sound system. (5/10)

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I can well imagine how you feel about your i.c. models. My recent renovation/recommissioning of my late father's Vosper MTB is kind of ironic in that it last ran in 1962 when noise suddenly became an issue. Mind you, it was VERY loud. My rebuild, needless to say, was centred around brushless motors and lipo's. But I also put an excellent sound system into it as it was so quiet. The system, by Action Electronics and is nice and loud as per the full-size but it does seem ironic that I felt the need to put sound(noise) back in! I use lots of small diesels in free-flight model aircraft and still hugely enjoy getting them 'singing' and savouring the wonderful smell in the car going home afterwards!

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I thought that they were depth charges!

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My uncle Peter was a flotilla leader with coastal forces in the Mediterean, in the second half of WW2 . My late father, Douglas, his brother, built the pictured MTB in 1956. it ran with i.c. power until 1962, when it was mothballed.

I recently restored and upgraded the model (brushless motors etc) and thought that it would be great to take the model all the way down a lake in Devon to demonstrate it for him. Not having any local knowledge, I put a request on this excellent site, asking for help from local guys and must say that the site has some wonderful subscribers who came forward with help and support, especially Keystone. He was brilliant and greatly contributed to make the visit a great success. thanks, mate. My uncle and the other members present greatly enjoyed it, though the windy, cold conditions rendered the rum tot most acceptable!! The photos are self explanatory. The tug was there as a rescue boat if required.

Many thanks to all Model Boats' members who responded to my request for help.

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Thanks Keystone, that's a great help. Hopefully, we will not strand! However, I will keep your contact details handy.

RNinMunich ,

Any suggestions re spray rails?

Charlie

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Thanks for the kind thoughts, guys. I will let you know how it goes. There will be a rum tot! The hull does have the original spray rails, but they clearly need development which may or not be done by the 28th.

Keystone - we will be thereabout from 0930 until about 1100, depending on the weather. is the park open in the evening so we could have a recce the night before?

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Hi Keystone,

We will be visiting the lake in the morning on Saturday, 28th April.Will there be pedalo problems at that time?

The MTB has now passed her trials with flying colours - see photos. Sound system by Action Electronics is great!

Charlie😆

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Hi Keystone,

Thank you so much for a very generous and thoughtful offer. I will certainly take this up if my uncle feels he needs it. I do not expect to do this until the weather is warmer and more reliable. Say April/May. Are you a member of the Paignton Club? I have unsuccessfully tried to find contact details for the Club to let them know what I want to do rather than just pitch up.

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Thanks Mouldbuilder, Sounds good. I will check it out.

Magic photos! I have a similar Vosper that goes well too!

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Hi Jarvo,

Thanks for that. it certainly sounds like a splendid water but it is too far for my uncle to travel.

My 95 year old uncle is a former MTB captain living in a care home in Exmouth. His brother, my late father, built a nice Vosper MTB model in the fifties that has not run since 1962. I have recently restored, upgraded and recommissioned this model and I would really like to show my uncle her running on a lake.

Unfortunately, the lake at Exmouth has been filled in recently and the nearest alternative that I can find on the net is about 45 miles away which is too far for him to travel.

The model is now electric and so is quiet, about 40 inches long and a fairly hot performer at full chat. If you are active in this area, I would be most grateful to be informed of any suitable closer waters and the requirements to access it.

Thanks guys.

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Thanks for yet more good advice, Dave M . I will try 20-25 amp fuses to start with. As it happens, there is the original ic water cooling system still in the hull, kept for realism but I could easily make it functional.

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Hi Doug

I had wondered about doing that. Having never used a brushless before, a couple of years ago I 'tested' a much smaller single motor in the household bathroom (I am not married!) and was very surprised how little water was left it when I pushed the throttle fully forward.. Thank you. your thinking is sound!

Sorry Doug, I have mixed up you and another so this will make more sense if I say thank you for your advice. I wll combine it with the lakeside test above.

Charlie

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Hi Crew!

I could do with some help with fuse ratings for my MTB restoration. It was built in the mid-50's for i.c. power and has not seen its bottom wet since 1962. Needless to say, it now has a couple of brushless motors plus a lipo pack , ESC's and a sound system. I am about to put the fusing in but am concerned about the initial start point for the fuse capacity. I do not mind burning fuses to achieve the level required but where would be a good starting point? This is by far the most potent power train I have experienced and I do not want to torch a family heirloom....

The setup is as follows:

Motors - 2 x EnErG 600D/R 1550 ( C35-14) pulling about 42 amps max.
ESC's - 2 x Hawk BL 50A on 2 x lipo cells

BEC employed

Over to you


Wunwinglo

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I don't think that Her Majesty understood the principle of R/C. if you look carefully, you can see that she is the lady in the pale longish coat facing right. I think that she is holding the button box of a typical ground-based TX. She almost has her back to the model......My father worked as a scientist there and met many dignatories. His POW - learned German meant that he took Willi Brandt round the site on one occasion.

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This Titan model was built originally by my late father Don Newman in the 1950's from a Model Maker design. She has always sailed well and apart from some short lay-ups,she has remained active over the years. Various upgrades in her electronics and lighting mean that she is a very effective model for night runs. in1954, she was operated by H.M. Queen Elizabeth during an official visit to the Hydraulics Research Startion at Howbury Park

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This Fast Patrol Launch was originally built by me and my father in'62/3 it was my entry into marine modelling. initially free-running with a tiny old school blue-cased Mabuchi, it was never 'fast' -as a result it was recomisioned several times over the years but remained dull. in 2013, it was refitted yet again but this time she got a nice potent brushless and a full array of lights. Now she goes very well here at the Oxford lake.

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I have never had any problems watching the liner clip. Thanks guys for the pyrotechnic information - I have had similar thoughts and experiment with increased confidence! Back to the plot though - anybody know any more about either the liner or Renown?

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