Model Boats - Special edition Winter 2016

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SPECIAL EDITION Winter 2016 UK £4.99

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PLAN!

Classic cargo liner from our new plan

BRUSHLESS POWER!

RIVER QUEEN Built on a GRP hull

MODELLING GROUP

FANTASTIC Flower Class corvee diorama

Build a practical working electric model outboard drive unit £4.99

The

Model PO BOX 104 Redruth TR15 9BJ Mail order Only. Phone line open Mon-Fri 9am- 1pm Tel UK: 01209 861733 Tel Int: +44 1209 861733

www.model-dockyard.com U.K Delivery Kits and Boat Hulls Add £10.00 Timber orders Add £10.00 Other Order value up to £50 Add £5.00 Other Order value Over £50 Add £10.00 Over £190 Free Delivery Free delivery does not apply to shipments weighing over 2 kilos, being sent to the Channel Islands or Northern Ireland, Scottish Islands, Scillies, or IOM. Delivery here will be charged at cost.

Orders are sent by 1st class post or UPS carrier. Large parcel deliveries to Scottish Highland and Islands, the Isle of Man, Isles of Scilly and Northern Ireland will be shipped by 3 day UPS carrier . Deliveries to Channel Islands will be shipped by Euro 48 service

We ship Worldwide too All prices correct at time of going to press but we reserve the right to supply at the prices ruling at the time of order despatch. E&OE

Amati Kits Dutch Royal Yacht in Bottle 1:300 95mm £44.95 Egyptian Ship Sahure Dynasty 350mm £74.95 Greek Bireme 480 BC 560mm £74.95 Venetian cargo ship, 1750 450mm £119.95 Santa Maria 1409 540mm £120.95 Pinta 1409 450mm 1:65 scale £89.95 Nina 370mm 1:65 scale £89.95 Mayflower 1620 1:60 scale 650mm £164.95 Chinese Junk Scale 1:100 400mm £84.95 Xebec.1753 720mm 1:60scale £149.95 H.M.A.V Bounty 1:60 scale 750mm £222.95 Robert E Lee Paddle Steamer 1:150 600mm £244.95 New Bedford Whaleboat 1860 1:16 scale 550mm£117.95 Bluenose. Fishing Schooner 1:100 scale 540mm £87.95 Titanic. White Star Liner 1912. 1:250 1070mm £378.95 Endeavour J Class. Wooden Hull 1:80 480mm £79.95 Endeavour J Class 1:35 scale 1130mm £258.95

Victory Models Kits Lady Nelson Cutter. 1:64 scale 530mm Granado. Bomb Ketch 1756 1:64 scale 800mm Fly. Swan Class Sloop. 1776 1:64 800mm Vanguard. 74 gun 3rd rate 1782 1:72 1171mm Pegasus Swan class sloop 1:64 800mm Mercury: 20 gun Brig 1820. 1:64 860mm Revenge 1577 1:64 scale 885mm

£101.95 £237.95 £246.95 £620.95 £337.95 £350.95 £361.95

Caldercraft Display Kits Diana 38 Gun Heavy Frigate 1:64 1180mm Cruiser.1797. 18 Gun Brig 1:67 scale 850mm Snake 1797 18 Gun Sloop 1:67 scale 910mm Mary Rose. Tudor warship 735mm 1:80 scale Brig Supply 1759. Yard transport 1:64 675mm Agamemnon 1781. 64 gun ship 1:64 1300mm Endeavour. Bark 1768. 1:64 scale 725mm Bounty. 1789. 1:64 scale 660mm Sherbourne. 8 Gun Cutter 1763. 1:64 500mm Mars: Captured Dutch 18 gun brig 1:64 790mm Jalouse Captured French brig 1:64 815mm Yacht Chatham 1741 1:64 scale 530mm Mortar Vessel Convulsion. 1:64 scale 530mm Schooner Ballahoo. 1804 1:64 scale 520mm Victory 1781. Nelson's flagship 1:72 1385mm Granado. Bomb Ketch 1756 1:64 scale 785mm Brig Badger 1778 1:64 scale 600mm Schooner Pickle 1778 1:64 scale 565mm

£468.54 £205.28 £205.28 £258.83 £145.04 £655.96 £243.63 £200.79 £74.92 £200.79 £223.13 £89.25 £95.93 £62.48 £740.78 £218.64 £175.64 £129.39

Deans Marine Kits Compass Rose. Corvette1:96 673mm H.M.S. Solebay.Destroyer 1945 1210mm MGB77. 71.6ft BPB 1:24 920mm 73ft Vosper Type 1 1:24 scale 965mm Bronnington. minesweeper 1:100 465mm Steam Yacht Medea 1904. 1:48 870mm Tradition. Seine net trawler 870mm 1:24 H.M.S. Cossack Destroyer 1938 1200mm Response. Steam Picket Boat 1:36 460mm Royal Marine. Minesweeper 1:100 619mm

£181.95 £315.73 £249.74 £269.46 £105.51 £176.14 £371.75 £290.13 £91.66 £112.25

Hull and Plan Sets Shirley Ann Inshore Trawler 1:16 scale 685mm Grand Banks Schooner 1193mm Victoria Steam Launch 1:12 scale 762mm Pilot 40 . Pilot boat 698mm Bluebird Of Chelsea . 1:24 scale 654mm Forceful Paddle Tug . 1:48 1003mm Guardsman Customs launch 1:32 scale 571mm Burutu & Bajima Tug 1:50scale 768mm Tyne Life Boat 1:19 scale 740mm Smit Nederland Hull 558mm St Louis Belle Mississippi Steamer 838mm Liverpool Lifeboat l 905mm 1:12 scale Cervia, Thames Tug 1:48 scale 711mm Brave Borderer 1:32 scale 914mm

£49.45 £87.50 £40.45 £50.45 £46.95 £51.49 £37.45 £47.45 £46.49 £42.45 £72.45 £91.50 £71.50 £86.50

Plan & Material Packs Vosper MTB Hull Pack 670mm Higgins Hellcat CNC Pack 610mm HMS Temerity CNC Pack 890mm

£52.49 £57.49 £54.95

Plastic Kits Trumpeter HMS Hood 1;200 scale Trumpeter HMS Nelson 1:200 scale Trumpeter HMS Rodney 1:200 scale Trumpeter USS Missouri 1:200 scale 1352mm

£269.95 £206.95 £206.95 £261.95

Dockyard Merit USS Hornet 1:200 scale £238.48 Tamiya IJN Yamato 1:350 717mm £270.95 Trumpeter Bismarck 1941 1:200 scale 1265mm £224.99 Trumpeter USS Arizona BB-39 1941 1:200 £160.16 Lindberg PT 109 MTB 1:32 scale 749mm £149.95 Heller HMS Victory 1:100 scale £149.95 Heller Le Soleil Royal 1:100 scale £149.95 Lindberg Sea Witch. Clipper 1:96 scale 838mm £149.95 Revell Flower Class Corvette 1:72 850mm £107.10 Italeri Schnellboot S-100 1:35 £161.95 IItaleri MTB77 1:35 scale 632mm £89.95 Italeri PT109 Torpedo Boat 1:35 scale £89.95 MTB Vosper St.Nazaire Raid MTB 74 £89.95 Trumpeter HMS Repulse 1941 1:350 £87.21 Trumpeter HMS Hood (1941) 1:350 £80.09 Trumpeter Prinz Eugen 1945 1:350 £64.96 Trumpeter HMS Belfast 1942 563mm 1:350 £62.29 Trumpeter Graf Spee. 1:350 531mm £47.16 Trumpeter Admiral Hipper 1941 1:350 £62.26 Tamiya Bismarck 1:350 717mm £61.99 Revell Type VIIC U-Boat 1:72 £59.99

Plastic Kit Upgrades German AA Weapons WWII 1:350 £8.40 Naval figures 1:350 scale £7.20 Passenger ship crew figures 1:350 scale £8.40 Naval Crew Figures German WWII 1:350 £8.40 Etched lifebelts set 1:350 scale. £8.40 R.N Naval figures Far East 1:350 scale £8.40 Bismarck etched detail Tamiya Bismarck 1:350 £22.30 Tirpitz (designed to be used with Tamiya kits) £30.60 HMS Hood detail sheet pack 1:350 scale £30.60 Admiral Graf Spee etched sheet set 1:350 scale £24.99 HMS Repulse etch detail sheets 1:350 scale £19.50 Prinz Eugen etched set. 1:350 scale £22.30 HMS Repulse railings set 1:350 scale £19.50 Prinz Eugen etched railings set 1:350 scale £22.30 Prince of WaleS etch sheet pack 1:350 £20.60 HMS Dreadnought 1907 Etched detail 1/350 £19.50 HMS Dreadnought 1907 Railing Set 1/350 £14.99 Wooden deck for HMS Hood 1:350 scale £36.50 Wooden deck for Graf Spee1:350 scale £32.30 Wooden deck for HMS Repulse 1:350 scale £34.80 Wooden deck for Prinz Eugen 1:350 scale £34.80 Wooden deck for Tirpitz 1:350 scale £34.80 Wooden deck for Admiral Hipper 1:350 scale £34.80 DX Wooden deck & Etch for Hornet 1:200 £230.70 DX Wooden deck & Railing for Bismarck 1:350 £37.99 Wooden deck for Bismarck 1:350 scale £31.50 Wooden deck for Tirpitz 1:350 scale £31.50 Wooden deck for KG5 1:350 scale £33.20 Wooden deck for Price of Wales 1:350 scale £33.20 DX Wooden deck & Railing for Warspite 1:350 £53.80 DX Wooden deck & Railing for Bismarck 1:200 £192.80 DX Wooden deck & Etch for Missouri 1:200 £215.99 DX Wooden deck & Etch for HMS Hood1:200 £238.99 DX Wooden deck & etch set for Nelson 1:200 £199.99 DX Wooden deck & etch set for Rodney1:200 £207.99 GLS Flower Class Deck & Fittings Set. 1:72 £99.99 GLS Flower Class Type `C' Bridge Set 1:72 £38.40 GLS Flower Class Corvette Depth Charge Set £39.38 This is just a selection from Gold Medal, MK1 Design, Master, Great Little Ships and Eduard.

Harold Underhill Plans Cutty Sark Clipper Ship 698mm Marie Sophie of Falmouth 1033mm Lady of Avenel. Wood. 850mm 74-Gun Two-Decker (Circa 1813 1422mm Lady Daphne Thames Sailing Barge812mm 12-Gun Brig-of-War. Lines, 1187mm Cunard Liner Servia, 1:192 scale 850mm 40-Gun Frigate (Circa 1790 831mm Valerian. Brixham Trawler 1069mm. Diesel Ring Net Fishing Boat 615mm Three Brothers. Rye Fishing Smack. 797mm Muirneag. Scottish Zulu- 1612mm Clyde Puffer Sealight, 588mm Leon. Wood Brigantine 514mm Iron Paddle Tug 1:48 scale 863mm This is just a selection of the range available.

£29.54 £44.41 £33.30 £77.71 £29.54 £55.51 £33.30 £66.61 £49.23 £29.53 £29.54 £66.61 £19.68 £59.07 £44.40

R/C Boat Plans MM1348 Miranda Steam Launch:42in £12.50 MM1040 Enterprise: 1:12 Northumbrian Coble £12.50 MM1390 Tyne Lifeboat: 740mm 1:19 scale £12.50 MM609 Brave Borderer: 36in Vosper P.B £12.50 MM672 H.M.S Hood: 1:192 scale £12.50 MM1367 Norfolk Wherry: 1:48 scale £12.50 MM1212 H.M.S Ark Royal : 1:192 scale £12.50 MM189 Will Everard Thames Barge: 1:48 scale £17.50 MM1290 Tank Landing Craft MkIV: 1:48 scale £17.50 MM153 Dinghy: 14 foot sailing dinghy21in £12.50 MM412 Range Safety Launch: 1:12 scale 43in £17.50 MM1292 Forceful: navy paddle tug. 1:48 scale £17.50 MM1365 Celia Jane: Sailing Barge 1:24 £22.50 MM1441 Formidable: Steam drifter 1:33 £17.50 MM567 Cervia:Thames tug in 1:48 scale £12.50 MM897 H.M.S Kent : 1:96 early cruiser 58in £17.50 MM1202 H.M.S Dreadnought 33in £17.50 MM1310 Clochlight Clyde Puffer 1:36 £37.50 MM1448 Liverpool Lifeboat: 1:12 scale £12.50 MM826 St Louis Belle: stern-wheeler 33in. £12.50 MM1178 Inchcolm Clyde puffe 1:32 scale £12.50 MM1275 Revive Brixham sailing trawler 1:60 £17.50 MM1368 Victoria:Thames steam launch 1:12 £12.50 MM737 Eileen: motor fishing boat 1:24 £12.50 MM1444 Pilot 40 police/pilot launch 27½ £12.50 MM500 Cossack: 38inTribal class destroyer £12.50 MM1335 Vosper 73ft rescue launch 1:24 scale £22.50 MM1407 Smit Nederland: 1:28 scale tug. £27.50 MAR2530Britannia Royal racing yacht1:32 £30.99 MAR2476Osprey wooden fishing boat500mm £32.99 MAR2552Riva Aquarama730mm £16.50 MAR2447TID Tug wartimetug1:24th scale £13.50 MAR2283Waverley paddle steamer 1365mm £18.99 MAR2521Altair gaff rigged schooner1:32nd £34.99

Static Display Kit Plans Greek Bireme 440mm construction plans. 560mm £7.12 Vikingship, construction plans. 1:50 440mm £7.12 Santa Maria planset 1:65 scale 540mm £8.85 Pinta planset 1:65 scale 450mm £8.14 Nina planset 1:65 scale 450mm £8.14 Mayflower, construction plans. Scale 1:60. £11.29 Sovereign of the Seas, plans 1:78 1100mm £16.18 HMS Prince, construction plans 750mm £20.04 San Felipe, construction plans. Length 950mm. £13.43 Chinese Junk, construction plans. 1:100 400mm £7.02 French Xebec construction plans 1:60 720mm £10.99 HMS Victory, construction plans 1:100 950mm £18.82

HMS Bounty, plans 1:60 720mm £13.43 New Bedford Whaler, plans. 1:16. 550mm. £12.72 Venetian Gondola, plans. Length 570mm. £5.90 Riva Aquarama plan set 1:10 scale 860mm £23.09 Endeavour Plan set 1:80 scale 480mm £8.85 Endeavour J Class Plans set 1:35 1130mm £22.38 Titanic Plans set 1:250 1070mm £48.83 Lady Nelson Cutter Plan Set 1:64 530mm £8.85 Granado Plan Set 1:64 800mm £16.79 HMS Fly Plan set 1:64 800mm £21.37 HMS Vanguard Plan set 1:72 1171 £40.49 HMS Pegasus plan set 1:64 800mm £21.37 Mercury plan set 1:64 860mm £25.13 Cutty Sark, construction plans, Scale 1:78. £31.00 This is just a selection of over 1000 plans available

R/C Equipment Tamco 2 Channel 2.4GHz combo £34.95 Hitec Optic 6 (2.4 GHz) combo £119.99 Hitec Optic 5 channel (2.4 GHz) combo £72.50 Ikkonik 6 channel Transmitter and Receiver Set £59.95 Tamco 6 Channel 2.4GHz combo £49.95 Viper Marine 40 amp speed controller £53.22 FR30HX 30amp speed controller £47.14 15HVR 15amp speed controller £37.69 Viper Marine 25 amp speed controller £34.99 FR12VR 12amp speed controller BEC £33.86 Hi Tech Mega Arm Sail Winch 19.8kg/cm £30.99 Proportional Drum Sail Winch £30.63 Viper Marine 20amp speed controller £28.99 Viper Marine 15amp speed controller £22.99 Viper Micro Marine 10amp speed controller £22.99 Viper Marine 15 Plug Play speed controller £22.99 Programmable mixing module £20.34 Waterproof mixing module (w-tail) £17.80 Waterproof mixing module £15.70 Full range of R/C installation equipment available

Sound Modules Petrol/Diesel Engine with Horn Bilge Warning sensor, light and pump Steam Engine Sound Destroyer Whoop Whoop Fog Horn Sub Dive Alarm Air Horns Large Ship Horn Old Steam Whistle 16inch Guns Salvo Tug Boat Air Horn

£45.72 £30.66 £45.72 £37.62 £37.62 £37.62 £37.62 £37.62 £37.62 £37.62 £37.62

Motors Schottel drive unit 40mm dia prop £62.70 Schottel drive unit 50mm dia prop £78.90 Schottel drive unit 70mm dia prop £95.94 Mabuchi Low Drain 545 £9.96 Mabuchi 540 £7.43 Electronize 365/14 low drain £5.56 Motor mount for MFA 800/850 Motors £4.50 385 Motor 6 to 15.0 Volt with mount £6.56 540 Motor 6 to 12.0 Volt with mount £10.36 RE800 Motor 12.0 Volt with mount £27.49 RE850 Motor 12.0 Volt with mount £27.49 Motor mount for 540/500.550 and 600 Motors £2.75 MFA 540 Motor and 2.5:1 Gearbox 4.5 -15v £19.33 MFA 540 Motor and 6:1 Gearbox 4.5 -15v £19.36 MFA 385 Motor and 2.5:1 Gearbox 4.5 -15v £17.56 950 series 385 Motor and 6:1 Gearbox 4.5 -15v £17.56 951 series 951 Motor and Gearbox 298:1 6volt, £9.00 800/850 Belt Drive Reduction Unit 2.1:1 £40.80

Rudder Assemblies 33 x 22mm Rudder Assembly 60 x 41mm Rudder Assembly 35 x 26mm Rudder Assembly 45 x 35mm Rudder Assembly 55 x 45mm Rudder Assembly 45mm x 30mm Rudder Assembly 53mm x 36mm Rudder Assembly 67mm x 44mm Rudder Assembly

£4.56 £5.34 £4.54 £4.54 £4.54 £4.95 £5.53 £6.43

Mini Bow thruster unit with motor 10mm I/D Hi-Thrust Bow thruster with motor 30mm I/D

£27.12 £81.30

Asst CAP Maquette Fittings CAP/R113 Modern boat fender, 48mm long £5.61 CAP/R112 Modern boat fender, 39,mm long £5.31 CAP/R114 Modern boat fender, 56mm long £6.20 CAP/A48/15 Searchlight, 21mm dia x 28mm high £5.02 CAP/A84 Danforth anchor 50mm long £5.31 CAP/R940 'D' section fender 9mm high 2 mtr £7.48 CAP/R6 Liferaft container 58mm long £10.13 CAP/A62 Enclosed round radar array 30mm dia £5.70 CAP/A83 CQR Plough anchor. 60mm long £6.49 CAP/R70/20 Orange Lifebelt 30mm dia £5.41 CAP/A91/10 Motorboat/yacht winch 47mm wide £8.95 CAP/R103 Modern boat fender, 32mm dia £5.61 CAP/A112/10 Echo sounder 23mm x 19mm£5.61 CAP/R942 'D' section fender 15mm high 2 mtr £11.02 CAP/A70/15 Fire monitor kit 37mm high £11.80 CAP/AQ9G Chrome steering wheel 48mm dia £11.41 CAP/B60 60mm dia ship's wheel. Chrome £11.61 This is just a selection of the range available.

BECC Letters&Number sets 2A Arial Lettering 2 mm, 3A Arial Lettering 3 mm, 4A Arial Lettering 4 mm, 6A Arial Lettering 6 mm, 8A Arial Lettering 8 mm, 10A Arial Lettering 10 mm, 12A Arial Lettering 12 mm, 15A Arial Lettering 15 mm, 20A Arial Lettering 20 mm, 25A Arial Lettering 25 mm, 5A Arial Lettering 5 mm, Available in most colours

£4.07 £4.59 £4.59 £4.59 £5.10 £5.10 £6.12 £7.14 £8.16 £10.20 £4.59

Quaycraft Ship’s Boats QL193 1:192 36ft double ended lifeboat 60mm £5.28 QR27 1:96 Scale 27ft Whaler 85mm £9.36 QD24 1:24 Scale 14ft Clinker Dinghy £20.28 QD20 1:24 Scale 10ft Clinker Dinghy £17.88 QL37 1:32 Scale 16ft Clinker Ship s Lifeboat £19.08 QD38 1:32 Scale 16ft Clinker Dinghy, £19.08 QS77 1:72 27ft Clinker whaler 115mm £19.44 QS70 1:72 Scale 16ft Clinker dinghy, £9.48 QR16 1:96 Scale 16ft Dinghy 51mm £8.04 QD34 1:32 Scale 14ft Clinker Dinghy £17.76 QP16 1:48 Scale 16ft R.N Clinker dinghy £11.04 QR25 1:96 Scale 25ft Motor cutter £9.84 QR33 1:96 Scale 32ft Motor Cutter £13.80 QAL37 1:48 Scale 24ft Clinker Ship s Lifeboat £19.08 QL59 1:48 scale. 22ft Lifeboat. double ended £16.56 QM91 1:96 Scale 26ft Carvel Lifeboat £8.16 QR14 1:96 Scale 14ft Dinghy 45mm £7.44 QS75 1:72 Motor cutter 2 cabins 109mm £20.88 This is just a selection of over 100 boats available

1:72 scale Warship Fittings Flower Class Corvette Depth Charge Set £39.38 4in Gun Mark IX Breech Loading Gun 1:72" £26.35 Coastal Forces Guardrail Set £17.20 21in Torpedo and Tubes Set (2)" £17.20 Moored Mine & Sinker Set £17.20 Single 20mm Oerlikon Guns (2) £14.99 2 Pdr. Pom-Pom Gun with Bandstand 1:72 £14.99 16ft Dinghy & Stowage 67mm long 1:72 scale £14.29 Oval Carley Floats 43mm x 25mm (2) 1:72 £13.86 18in Torpedo and Tubes Set (2) £13.86 Rectangular Carley Floats 38x30mm (2) 1:72 £13.86 2in Rocket Flare Set incl. Stowage Boxes 1:72 £11.28 Hedgehog Anti-Sub. Weapon 1:72 scale £8.91 Chemical Smoke Apparatus & Smoke Float Set £8.91 Wooden Reversible Life Raft 1:72 £8.91 Single Depth Charge & Chute Set £8.91 Type A Mine Set (4) £8.91 Twin .303 Vickers Gas Operated MG Set (2) £8.91 9in Porthole (Scuttle) Set 4mm O/D (60) £7.69 Twin .303 Lewis Gun Set 1;72 scale (2) £7.69 Holman Projector 1:72 scale £7.69

Coupling Assembies

Scalelink Etched Brass

Single Universal Jount Coupling £8.31 Double Universal Joint Coupling £13.61 Coupling set includes 2 inserts of your choice and an allen key. Inserts sizes 2.0, 2.3, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.00mm plain M3, M4, M5 thread

11mm 3 rail stanchions & railing 840mm £10.20 1:96 R.N 3 rail stanchions and railing 11mm £10.20 1:128 scale vertical laddering £10.20 1:72 R.N pattern 3 rail stanchions and railing £10.20 1:192 R.N pattern 3 rail stanchions £10.20 Clarendon serif Letters 2.5, 3 and 5mm high £10.20 1:200 Angled step ladders with handrail £10.20 Vertical rung ladders 4.5mm & 5.5mm wide £12.00 1:128 Angled step companionway ladders £10.20 1:128 scale vertical laddering £10.20 5mm and 6mm wide Angled step ladders £10.20 6mm & 8mm vertical rung laddering £10.20 This is just a selection from the huge range available

Standard M4 Propshafts 4in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 5in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 6in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 7in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 8in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 9in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 10in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 11in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 12in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft 13in long tube 4mm threaded Propshaft This is just a selection from our huge range

£6.96 £7.32 £7.50 £8.04 £8.28 £8.58 £8.94 £9.48 £10.20 £11.46

Raboesch Propshafts Waterproof Propeller Shaft M4 Waterproof Propeller Shaft M4 Waterproof Propeller Shaft M4 Waterproof Propeller Shaft M4 Waterproof Propeller Shaft M4

290mm 186mm 211mm 236mm 261mm

£25.32 £23.52 £23.52 £23.52 £25.74

Raboesch Brass Propellers Brass Propeller (A Type) 20 -3 Blade-M4 £9.94 Brass Propeller (A Type) 25 -3 Blade-M4 £9.94 Brass Propeller (A Type) 30 -3 Blade-M4 £10.84 Brass Propeller (A Type) 35 -3 Blade-M4 £10.84 Brass Propeller (A Type) 40 -3 Blade-M4 £10.84 Brass Propeller (A Type) 45 -3 Blade-M4 £12.65 Brass Propeller (A Type) 50 -3 Blade-M4 £12.65 Brass Propeller (A Type) 55 -3 Blade-M4 £12.65 Brass Propeller (A Type) 60 -3 Blade-M5 £15.36 Brass Propeller (A Type) 65 -3 Blade-M4 £15.36 Brass Propeller (A Type) 70 -3 Blade-M5 £17.61 Brass Propeller (A Type) 75 -3 Blade-M5 £17.61 This is just a selection of a huge range of 3, 4 and 5 blades props in stock

Raboesch Bow Thrusters Bow thruster unit with motor 14mm I/D Bow thruster unit with motor 16mm I/D Bow thruster unit with motor 19mm I/D Bow thruster unit with motor 22mm I/D Bow thruster unit with motor 25mm I/D

£33.90 £33.90 £33.90 £38.40 £38.40

Crew Figures 1:24 Standing civilian crew member £8.12 1:24 Seated crew figure wearing woollen hat £8.12 1:24 Standing R.N/Civilian officer with binoculars £8.12 1:24 Civilian crew member standing wearing beret £8.12 1:24 Civilian/R.N Officer wearing cap and pullover £8.12 1:24 R.N/Civilian wearing waterproof jacket £8.12 1:24 Standing civilian captain in sheepskin jacket £8.12 1:24 Seated ships captain with cap and pullover £8.12 1:24 Standing officer in wet weather jacket £8.12 1:24 R.N/Civilian wearing waterproof jacket £8.12 1:24 R.N crew in dress uniform leaning on rail £8.12 1:24 Seated civilian crew member 1:24 scale £8.12 CB205 Ships cat, sitting 1:48 Scale £1.25 CB220 Bearded Officer, 1:32 Scale £6.97 CB223 Crew member,1:32 Scale £8.75 CB851 Officer, clean shaven, 1 32 Scale £6.82 CB86 Bearded Officer1:48 Scale £4.89 CB87 Crew member, leaning on rail 1:48 Scale £4.89 CB88 Young boy,1:48 Scale £4.51 CB89 Small standing dog 1:48 Scale £1.18 Modern crew wearing dungarees 1:30 60mm £10.50 Modern crew in smock 1:30 scale 60mm £10.50 This is just a selection of the range available.

Rigging Thread Rigging Thread, 0.1mm Natural Rigging Thread, 0.25mm Black Rigging Thread, 0.25mm Natural Rigging Thread, 0.5mm Black Rigging Thread, 0.5mm Natural Rigging Thread, 0.75mm Black Rigging Thread, 0.75mm Natural Rigging Thread, 1mm Black

£1.76 £1.76 £1.76 £1.90 £1.90 £2.02 £2.02 £2.14

Rigging Thread, 1.0mm Natural Rigging Thread, 1.3mm Black (10mtr) Rigging Thread, 1.3mm Natural (10 mtr) Rigging Thread, 1.7mm Natural 5 mtr Rigging Thread, 1.8mm Black Rigging Thread, 2.5mm Natural (2.5mtr) This is just a selection of the range available.

£2.14 £2.46 £2.34 £3.28 £4.42 £4.54

BECC Flags GB02 White Ensign, Size: AAA 10mm £3.05 GB02 White Ensign, Size: AA 15mm £3.05 GB02 White Ensign, Size: A 20mm £3.05 GB02 White Ensign, Size: B 25mm £3.05 GB02 White Ensign, Size: C 38mm £3.96 GB02 White Ensign, Size: D 50mm £3.96 GB02 White Ensign, Size: E 75mm £4.95 GB02 White Ensign, Size: F 100mm £5.97 GB02 White Ensign, Size: G 125mm £7.91 GB02 White Ensign, Size: H 150mm £9.91 Also available, Naval ensigns in red, Blue as well and National flags from most maritime nations

Timber Lime Strip 0.5mm x 2mm x 1000mm £0.34 Lime Strip 0.6 x 10mm x approx 1 metre long £0.31 Lime Strip 0.6 x 3mm x approx 1 metre long £0.35 Lime Strip 0.6 x 4mm x approx 1 metre long £0.38 Lime Strip 0.6 x 5mm x approx 1 metre long £0.41 Lime Strip 0.6 x 6mm x approx 1 metre long £0.44 Lime Strip 0.5 x 7x approx 1 metre long £0.47 Lime Strip 0.6 x 8mm x approx 1 metre long £0.25 Lime Strip 1.5 x 1.5mm x approx 1 metre long £0.36 Lime Strip 1.5 x 10mm x approx 1 metre long £0.73 Lime Strip 1.5 x 2.0mm x approx 1 metre long £0.40 Lime Strip 1.5 x 3.0mm x approx 1 metre long £0.45 Lime Strip 1.5 x 4.0mm x approx 1 metre long £0.50 Lime Strip 1.5 x 5mm x approx 1 metre long £0.55 Lime Strip 1.5 x 6mm x approx 1 metre long £0.58 Lime Strip 1.5 x 7mm x approx 1 metre long £0.61 Lime Strip 1.5 x 8mm x approx 1 metre long £0.65 Lime Strip 1 x 1mm x approx 1 metre long £0.36 Lime Strip 1 x 1.5mm x approx 1 metre long £0.36 Lime Strip 1 x 10mm x approx 1 metre long £0.55 Lime Strip 1 x 2mm x approx 1 metre long £0.37 Lime Strip 1 x 3mm x approx 1 metre long £0.38 Lime Strip 1 x 4mm x approx 1 metre long £0.39 Lime Strip 1 x 5mm x approx 1 metre long £0.45 Lime Strip 1 x 6mm x approx 1 metre long £0.50 Lime Strip 1 x 7mm x approx 1 metre long £0.51 Lime Strip 1 x 8mm x approx 1 metre long £0.53 Lime Sheet 0.5mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £5.82 Lime Sheet 1mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £5.40 Lime Sheet 1.5mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £6.70 Lime Sheet 10mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £15.59 Lime Sheet 12mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £21.37 Lime Sheet 15mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £25.99 Lime Sheet 2mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £8.09 Lime Sheet 20mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £31.76 Lime Sheet 3mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £9.53 Lime Sheet 4mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £12.71 Lime Sheet 5mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £12.71 Lime Sheet 6mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £12.13 Lime Sheet 8mm thick x 100mm x 1 mtr £13.86 This is just a selection of sizes. Other woods stocks include Walnut, Maple, Tanganykia, Beech, Pear, Balsa, Obechi

Admiralty Paints Available in 14ml flip top capped bottles in the following colours. Light Ivory, Red Ensign , Maroon Admiralty, Polished Bronze, Antique Bronze, Olive Green, Walnut Brown, Matt Flesh, Gold/Brass, Copper, Dull Black, Matt Black, Dull White, Matt White, Yellow Ochre, Red Ochre, French Blue, Flat Matt Varnish, Matt Varnish Satin Matt Varnish £2.39 per colour

Books Plank on Frame Models. Volume Two £25.00 Plank on Frame Models. Volume One £20.00 Ship Modeling Simplified £14.95 Ship Modeling from Stem to Stern £16.95 Ship Modelling from Scratch £19.95 Advanced Ship Modelling by Brian King: £16.95 Scale Model Tugs £14.95 Period Ship Kit Builders Manual £16.95 Model Ships Fittings £12.95 Model Submarine Technology £12.95 Painting Model Boats £12.95 Scale Model Steamboats £12.95 Making Model Boats with Styrene £12.95 Simply Model Submarines £12.95 The Model Tug Boat Book: £12.95 Scale Model Warships £12.95 Submarines. Models and their Originals £12.95 Scale Model Boats. Building & Operation £9.95 Radio Control In Model Boats £9.95 Introduction to Marine Modelling £9.95 Ship Modelling Solutions £9.95 Scratch Building Marine Models £9.95 Photoetching For The Plastic Ship Modeler £12.95 Super-detailing the Cutter Sherbourne £19.00 This is just a selection from our huge range of books.

Modelling Tools Mantua 4 speed mains transformer Mantua 12v Electric Planer Mantua Spar Lathe. 12V Mantua 12v Electric Fret saw 12v Amati heavy duty Building cradle Building Slip Amati Electric Plank Bender Strip Clamp. Swann-Morton 3 knife ACM Tool Set Planet, special work bench 20 piece twist drill set .3 to 1.6mm Amati Pin Pusher De-Luxe Pin Pusher Waterline marking tool A3 cutting mat Pounce Tool with 4 wheels Assorted grade Sanding Sticks (5) Shroud Making Jig Zona Ultra Thin Kerf Razor Saw 52tpi Zona Ultra Thin Kerf Razor Saw 42tpi Zona Ultra Thin Kerf Razor Saw 32tpi Zona Medium Kerf Razor Saw 24tpi 8 piece twist drill set .5 to 2.0mm Archimedean Hand Drill Pin Vice with collets for .01 to 3.0mm drill bits K&S Tube cutter Miniature hand plane

£52.00 £79.00 £99.00 £110.00 £52.60 £54.95 £31.54 £32.95 £22.61 £10.58 £13.23 £11.45 £9.07 £10.48 £11.18 £11.16 £10.94 £12.72 £11.76 £11.76 £11.94 £11.94 £7.38 £6.74 £6.64 £6.50 £5.06

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RADIOS

POWER BOATS

Hitec Optic 5 - 5 channel 2.4GHz FHSS full range radio with Minima 6T Rx. £72.50 Hitec Optic 6 Sport Combo 2.4GHz FHSS full range radio system. £119.95 Hitec Lite 4 2.4GHz 4 channel radio complete with 6 channel receiver. £49.95

Aeronaut Ramborator builders kit of a Springer Push Tug suitable for 600 motors with 6 cell SubC battery packs and 2 channel radio control. £74.95

Vladyka 500mm semi-scale vac formed kits, full range. £35.95 Vladyka Falke 715mm fishing boat builders kit with ABS hull and wood strip for deck planking – we love this one. £69.95

BATTERIES NiMh Battery Packs from:

£21.95

Aeronaut Ramboline barge designed builders kit with waterproof compartments, to be used with the Ramborator. Special combo price with Ramborator Tug. £200.00

ACCESSORIES

Mega Mig 600 Turbo 12V BOAT motor with 3.2mm. Mega Mig 400 6v with 2.3mm shaft. JP 50A water proofed marine controller reverse. Graupner 30A water proofed marine esc reverse. Pelikan Foxy R35B brushless Esc reverse with prog card. Graupner fast electric and scale marine props from: Pelikan GO servos from 3.7g to 17MG from: JP rudder in brass threaded plastic fitting and tiller. Aeronaut water cooling plate.

SAIL BOATS ATS

£14.95 £4.95 £29.95 £45.95 £44.95 £2.50 £4.50 £4.45 £11.95

We are a major world dealer for Mega brushless motors, and we know how to use them! Lots of marine accessories on stock!

Our prices include VAT Orders are sent same day

ALL ORDERS POST FREE!

Aeronaut Bella ll 810mm semi-scale builders kit of a 1950s day sailing yacht with laser cut mahogany and ply parts. £149.95 Dumas Hobie Cat with fittings, nylon sails, and parts for the hulls in mahogany sheet and ply. Designed for free sailing, but could be adapted for simple radio control. £29.95 Aeronaut Clipper 17” builders kit with fittings, nylon sails, keel, and alloy spars for simple radio control. Perfect as a beginners or family project. £35.95 Dumas 17” Ace “racing sloop” builders kit with fitting, nylon sails, and keel. The hull is mahogany, balsa and ply, and looks incredible when varnished! Designed for free sailing. £29.95

Winter Special 2015

Published by MyTimeMedia Ltd Suite 25, Eden House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent TN8 6HF UK and Overseas: Tel: +44 (0) 1689 869 840 www.modelboats.co.uk

SUBSCRIPTIONS

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CURRENT AND BACK ISSUES Visit: www.mags-uk.com Telephone: 01733 688994

EDITORIAL

contents Features F

NEW PLAN 6 UNION-CASTLE CARGO LINER Glynn Guest presents a new Stand-Off semi-scale model plan based on the famous Union-Castle Line ships

Editor: Paul Freshney PO BOX 9890, Brentwood, CM14 9EF Email: [email protected]

PRODUCTION Designer: Steve Stoner Illustrator: Grahame Chambers Retouching Manager: Brian Vickers Ad Production: Robin Gray

ACCOUNT MANAGER Duncan Armstrong: 01634 238893 E-Mail: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS MANAGER Kate Hall

22 USING LED’S IN MODEL BOATS John Parker enlightens us!

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MANAGEMENT Commercial Sales Manager: Rhona Bolger E-Mail: [email protected] Tel: 01689 869891 Chief Executive: Owen Davies Chairman: Peter Harkness

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www.facebook.com/modelboatsmag twitter.com/modelboatsmag © MyTimeMedia Ltd. 2014 All rights reserved ISSN 0140-2910 The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever, including photocopiers, and information retrieval systems. All reasonable care is taken in the preparation of the magazine contents, but the publishers cannot be held legally responsible for errors in the contents of this magazine or for any loss however arising from such errors, including loss resulting from negligence of our staff. Reliance placed upon the contents of this magazine is at reader’s own risk. Model Boats, ISSN 0140-2910, is published monthly with an additional issue in January by MYTIMEMEDIA Ltd, Enterprise House, Enterprise Way, Edenbridge, Kent, TN8 6HF, UK. The US annual subscription price is approximately 53.40GBP (equivalent to approximately 89USD). Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster: Send address changes to Model Boats, Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription records are maintained at dsb.net Ltd, 3 Queensbridge, The Lakes, Northampton, NN4 7BF.

For plans, hulls, binders, books, and many other products, please visit www.myhobbystore.co.uk

30 RIVER QUEEN John Elliott uses the Models by Design steam launch hull as the basis for a new model

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42 SHIP TERMINOLOGY Richard Simpson discusses some familiar, and some maybe not so familiar, terms used to describe aspects of a ship’s structure

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

contents 50 HMCS SACKVILLE Ivor Warne presents a Gallery for this famous preserved Canadian Flower Class corvette

Bow piece his 100 page Model Boats Winter 2016 Special Issue includes a New Plan for a semi-scale Cargo Liner model based on the famous Union-Castle Line ships. The plan has been designed by Glynn Guest and we include a full supporting construction article. In addition, there is a full build review of an open steam launch built on a Models by Design GRP hull by John Elliott, and Phil’ Parker constructs a Footy Bantam tug. Ivor Warne has a comprehensive Photo Gallery for HMCS Sackville, the historic Flower Class corvette preserved in Halifax, Canada, and to go with it we welcome Christopher Drage who presents his superb waterline diorama for HMS Poppy, a warship of the same class. This 100 Page issue has for its second thread, the theme of ‘Improving your Modelling Skills’ and for this John Parker is covering in depth the subject of LED’s for our model boats and Richard Simpson, who in his other life is Chief Engineer on a cruise liner, discusses Ship Terminology and what it all means to us. On the same theme, Dave Wooley discusses Builder’s Models and how they are useful to us and we are pleased that Ron Rees returns to these pages demonstrating how to overcame the challenge of building a practical and powerful working scale replica of an Evinrude Outboard for his next unique model powerboat project. For the power boating enthusiasts, Craig Dickson describes the techniques and processes involved in building a D Class 30cc petrol engined boat for BMPRS offshore racing. I hope in this Special 100 Page Special issue that there is something for everyone who has a passion for model boats in their various forms, and please don’t forget to visit our website and participate in our Model Boats Forum managed by Colin Bishop. Model Boats is also on Twitter and Facebook for those readers who like to use those social media.

T

54 HMS POPPY K213 Chris’ Drage’s Diorama depicts this WW2 Flower Class Corvette rescuing the crew of the stricken S.S. Wanstead in April 1943

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72 THE BUILDER’S MODEL Dave Wooley explores this useful resource for model makers

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KIT REVIEW 82 FOOTY BANTAM TUG Phil’ Parker’s tiny model

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88 BUILD A D CLASS RACING BOAT! Craig Dickson builds a race proven petrol engine powered offshore model racing boat

Model Boats Winter Special 2016

62 EVINRUDE OUTBOARD MOTOR Ron Rees builds a scale, practical brushless motor powered miniature version

Paul Freshney - Editor

www.modelboats.co.uk

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Union-Castle Cargo Liner Glynn Guest presents a new Stand-Off semi-scale model plan based on the famous Union-Castle Line ships

adio controlled models based on merchant vessels are not exactly common, despite their obvious importance in world trade. A probable reason is that modern vessels are mainly built with their functionality and profitability taking precedence over everything else and any sense of aesthetics coming a very poor last place. It takes a great love of balance sheets to become excited at the sight of a massive block of containers sailing into view….. This model started with a search through vessels built from the 1950’s to 1970’s, a period which seemed to combine modern looking ships without them having a brutally efficient appearance. Something based on cargo-liners was immediately tempting since they had sufficient superstructure to produce, what appeared to be in my eyes at least, a balanced profile. The Shipbucket website was being idly trawled through when a small side-view drawing of the M.V. Good Hope Castle came up on the screen. This looked like it had the features to make a good working model, so more information was sought. By one of those strokes of luck, which can often convince you that you are doing the right thing, a small drawing of her sister vessel, M.V. Southampton Castle, was located in an old copy of Model Maker

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This model is based on a pair of fast cargo liners built for the Union-Castle Line in the mid-1960’s. It is built to an approximate scale of 1/156 which gives it a length of 45.5 inches (116cm) and a weight of 11.5 pounds (5.3 kg). Construction is mainly from Balsawood, Lite ply and conventional Plywood.

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& Model Boats (January 1966). This was part of a series called Miniature Merchantmen drawn by a Mr. R. Carpenter, and whilst intended for building small models (One inch = 100 feet), it included enough detail for a larger working model. A little work with Internet search engines produced more than enough information to get me started on a model based upon these vessels. Their appearance was smart with sufficient detail to be a challenge, but without it all becoming a chore. The Union Castle colours of a lavender grey hull and white superstructure topped off with a massive red and black funnel was also too much to resist! As the outline plan for this model was being drafted, a feeling of déjà vu began to creep over me. I little more searching and an article about these vessels by Robert Wilson was found in Model Boats, December 1974. He described a model built whilst serving as the Chief Radio Officer on the M. V. Good Hope Castle. It then came back to me, that having seen this article when first published, my immediate thought had been that it would make a good r/c model. I even remember drawing a few plan outlines, but clearly something else must have distracted me since it then took over forty years to start building.

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

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which renamed them Franca C and Paola C. After several years of further service, both made the sad trip to the ship breakers in 1984.

How big? The first thing anyone ought to consider is just how large, or for that matter how small, can they make their model and yet it still be a practical proposition. This might not matter if you just build the same type of model over and over again, but to stop getting bored I have to ring the changes. The full-size vessels were some 592ft (180m) long with a beam of 72ft (22m). Using a favourite scale of 1:144 (one inch = 12ft) would have produced a model some 49 inches (124cm) long with a beam of 6.4 inches (16cm), which was just within the size to fit our car. However, a quick and admittedly approximate calculation, suggested the model would weigh in at 16 pounds (7.3kg) which was a shade more than I was comfortable with. This being more to do with the strength of my planned wooden hull construction, rather than heaving it in and out of the water. Dropping the scale down to 1:196 (one inch =16 feet), another popular scale, reduced the model dimensions to 37 inches (94cm) and 4.8 inches (12cm) beam and expected weight to about 7 pounds (3.2 kg). Very ‘doable’ but the size would not, I felt, create a very impressive model, indeed it ran the risk of becoming ‘toy-like’ when sailing. After a few more false starts, a scale of 1:156 (One inch =13 feet) seemed to be the best compromise. It gave a model length of 45.5 inches (116cm) and a weight of around 12 pounds (5.4kg), values that past experience have been comfortable, at least for me.

PLAN FOR Union-Castle Cargo Liner The two sheet full-size Plan No. MM2121 is available from MyHobbyStore Ltd and is priced at £12.50 + p/p as of November 2016. MyHobbyStore plans may be purchased online at www.myhobbystore.co.uk or by telephoning Customer Services on 01684 588599 in normal working hours, Monday to Friday.

Skill level? A lile history The Union-Castle Line Southampton and Good Hope Castle vessels were built to provide a fast mail and cargo service between the UK and South Africa. This required the passage to be made in 11 days as part of a regular weekly service. The speed that this demanded of over 20 knots resulted in a powerful diesel engine installation and in fact they were the most powerful cargo liners of their day when completed in 1965. To allow for adverse conditions and unforeseen delays, they had sufficient power to comfortably exceed this service speed, which proved fortunate when their passage was expanded to include calling at the Islands of Ascension and St. Helena. This called for the service speed to be raised to around 24 knots and I believe they still had some speed in hand. M.V. Good Hope Castle suffered an engine room fire whilst approaching Ascension Island in 1973, the crew and passengers being quickly rescued. The damage was limited and the ship was repaired and back in service the following year. The expansion of long range and regular air travel reduced the need for this specialised mail and passenger service, and both ships were sold in 1978 to an Italian company

Personal choices Whilst this model started out being based on these two Union-Castle Line vessels, some deviations from scale soon became apparent during its construction. Sometimes this was to simplify the building process and at other times it was due to a lack of information and so, I’ll confess that the odd mistake was made. For example the underwater bulb at the bows is a shade too prominent and the bow is not as sharp as it ought to be. The model was built with the original design for the superstructure block before extra accommodation was added, and I am

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The model does not require any exceptional skills nor exotic materials and equipment to build it. There is however an assumption that the builder has acquired the basic skills and knowledge to successfully interpret plans and construction notes. I have tried to describe how the prototype was built, but this cannot include every small detail, well not without filling this Special Edition and possibly a couple more as well. If this is your first attempt to build by such methods, you can succeed with care and thought, but at times you might wish you had tried something simpler.

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not convinced that this section is totally correct. However, the construction is, or ought to be, straightforward and the resulting model looks smart enough and sails well. If you want to personalise your model, it can easily be altered. Changing the superstructure block, different cargo handing gear and a transom stern are all simple changes. Perhaps the easiest change would be to the colour scheme? Whatever you do, I would caution you to maintain some degree of harmony by keeping everything to the same scale. Nothing can look sillier that a model whose crew are a mixture of midgets and giants.

Materials The model was built using more or less standard modelling materials, but you may wish to substitute other materials to suit personal circumstances or tastes. This is perfectly acceptable, provided their effects on the construction are fully thought through. It would be very easy to alter one thing only to find that it caused a string of unanticipated and unwanted changes further along the line. The prototype model was built using the following materials: Plywood 4 x 1ft (120 x 30cm) sheets: One sheet of 2mm, 4 x 1ft (120 x 30cm) Lite Ply One sheet of 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) (120 x 30cm) plywood Balsawood 36 inch (91cm) lengths: Three 3/8 x 3 inch (9 x 75mm wide) sheets Two 1/4 x 4 inch (6 x 100mm wide) sheets Five 1/4 inch (6mm) square strips Pine (or similar) One 1/2 inch (12mm) square 4ft (120cm) length Two 1/4 inch (6mm) square 4ft (120 cm) lengths One 3/16 inch (5 mm) square 6 inch (15 cm) length

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Hints &Tips The adhesive used for all the wood to wood joints was Everbuild 502 All Purpose Weatherproof Wood Adhesive obtained in an economical large size from a local hardware store.

The adhesive used for all the wood to wood joints was Everbuild 502 All Purpose Weatherproof Wood Adhesive obtained in an economical large size from a local hardware store. It is described as weatherproof and suitable for internal and external use, but not for continuous water immersion. I have never regretted using it in my model boats, but there again I do not leave them in a soggy state either. Other similar products are also widely available.

Hull construction The two hull sides were cut from 2mm Lite Ply which combined the necessary strength and flexibility needed to build this model. The sides must be identical and after cutting one out, it was used as a template for carefully cutting the second, Photo 1. The hull base and rear bottom piece were made by gluing together two lengths of 3/8 inch (9mm) balsawood sheet. To keep the joints secure whilst the glue set and the sheets flat, I held them in one of those portable adjustable workbenches, Photo 2. The 1/4 inch (6mm) square balsawood framework was glued on the hull base taking care to get the crosspieces in the right positions for the bulkheads. The longitudinal strips must also be the correct length to match the hull sides from the bows to Bulkhead 3. This is probably best done in two stages, first between the parallel section between

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

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7 Bulkheads 2 and 3 as in Photo 3. Only when the glue has fully set can the strips be pulled inwards to join at the bows. Care is needed to produce a symmetrical shape, Photo 4. The three balsawood bulkheads must be square when glued to the hull base, Photo 5. The instructions on the glue squeeze bottle suggest that joints can be handled carefully after ten minutes, but need to be held together for three to four hours. Being cautious, I tend to leave glued joints for several hours and overnight if possible, before applying any stresses to them. The hull sides are first glued to Bulkheads 2 and 3, plus the hull base between them. Correct positioning is required, otherwise the sides will not meet correctly when forming the bow point and stern. Leaving it all alone then for the glued joints to acquire full strength is essential. As forming the hull shape in the bows was likely to be a stressful process (physically as well as emotionally), it seemed sensible to add the reinforcing strips around the hull opening first. I used some 1/2 inch (12mm) square Pine strip for this, but any similar wood ought to be suitable. Lots of clamps and the workbench were used, Photo 6. Two 1/4 inch (6mm) square pine stringers run the length of the hull sides from the bows to the

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transom. These act as important strengthening pieces and ought not to be omitted. They must be cut to match the hull sides, less 1/4 inch (6mm) at each end to allow for the bow and transom pieces. The slots in Bulkheads 2 and 3 allowed the stringers to be slid into place and then glued to Bulkheads 2 and 3 and hull sides but only between these bulkheads, Photo 7. This will allow the sides to bend more easily when forming the bow and stern shapes. There was a gap between these stringers and the larger strips above them along the hull sides between Bulkheads 2 and 3. I used some lengths of scrap balsawood to fill these gaps - please see hull cross-section on the plans. Forming the bow shape requires the hull sides to be forced inwards so that their lower edge butts up against the strips on the hull base. The bow flare and bulbous bow shape are created by placing bow pieces A and B between the leading edges of the side sheets. The bow shape is maintained by inserting the bow spreader piece at the ‘step’ in the sides that creates the forecastle. It all sounds complex and a trial run is advised so you can locate the best position and use of clamps to hold things in place, Photo 8. Also, the pine stringers need to be glued to the hull sides during this process. Forming the stern shape is a somewhat simpler

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process and a few pins and clamps ought to hold the transom and stringers in place whilst the glue sets, Photo 9. The hull is best inverted so that suitable weights can hold the stern bottom piece in place after gluing, Photo 10. The edge of this piece where it butts up against the hull base ought to be sanded to an angle to make a tight glued joint. When dry, the internal junction between this bottom piece and the hull sides can be reinforced with 1/4 inch (6mm) square balsawood strips between Bulkhead 3 and the transom. Please note that the stern spreader piece was not glued into place yet as I wanted to have clear access when installing the rudder tiller linkage.

Developing the hull shape The bulk of the excess material was trimmed away from the hull base and no attempt was made to carve the bilge curve, but even at this stage, the hull was beginning to show an attractive shape. The bows were lightly sanded to ensure a flat surface before a pine strip was glued into place, Photo 11. This was a precaution to offer some extra resistance to any impact damage to the bows, often the most vulnerable part of any model boat, but thankfully it has yet to be tested. The bow shape, including the underwater bulb, was created from pieces of scrap balsawood sheet. By laminating roughly triangular pieces together, the final carving and sanding to shape was minimised, Photo 12. The stern was built up in the same fashion,

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Photo 13. When the glue had fully set, a session of carving and sanding was needed to produce the final shape of the hull. This creates a lot of mess, so please do it where the scrap bits and dust will not cause domestic strife. The cross-sections on the plans show the curve needed to be made at the junction of the hull base and sides. Care was taken not to remove too much material and thus weaken the hull structure. I used one of those razor planes to remove the bulk of the waste, then finishing-off with sanding blocks. The bow and stern blocks were carved and sanded to shape taking care to blend them into the hull, Photos 14 and 15. Small defects can be corrected with a suitable filler and sanded back to shape. More serious errors might need a small piece of balsawood gluing in place before attempting to restore the desired shape. To add a little extra stiffness to the hull sides, some balsawood strips were glued vertically to the inside between the stringers and strips on the hull base. These are marked as ‘RS’ on the plans. I’m not sure if they are essential, but it’s something I usually do.

Driveline The full-size vessels had twin screws, but I opted for a single one on this model. This was on the grounds of simplicity, performance and handling, something a single screw and rudder equipped model has never failed me with yet.

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

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A rough and ready calculation suggested that for a realistic top speed, an input power of between 15 and 20 Watts would be needed. Using a six volt battery, this meant the motor/propeller combination ought to be drawing a current of 2.5 to 3.5 Amps. Looking at data from previous models and what was in my box of spare motors, the best combination looked like a brushed Crawler type of motor and a 40mm three-bladed propeller with a pitch and diameter ratio of about 0.8. These Crawler motors are aimed at the r/c car people who like to send their models clambering over off-road terrain. This requires motors with lots of torque but modest speeds, which can be a better match for some of our models than the more powerful and higher revving 500/600 types of brushed motor. A 12 inch (300mm) propshaft and tube assembly was used on the model, a slot being cut along the centreline of the rear bottom through which the tube could slide up and into the hole in Bulkhead 3. A little adjustment, involving packing with balsawood pieces, had the tube correctly positioned and with the right amount of clearance. The tube was marked where it passed through the bulkhead and bottom sheet, then withdrawn from the hull. These two areas were cleaned and lightly abraded with a coarse file before refitting into the hull. After checking that it was back in the correct position, it was secured to the hull and bulkhead with a slow setting epoxy adhesive. Using slow epoxy seems to give more time for it to get firm grip on the tube and wood before setting, in my experience.

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17 16

Hints &Tips I find it best to place the tissue panel on the hull and then, using a brush well loaded with dope, apply it to the centre of the panel and work outwards. If creases appear, then the tissue can be peeled back and re-laid with the dope brush.

One thing I did remember to do was fix an oiling tube to the propshaft tube before fixing it into the hull. This required a hole drilling towards the upper end of the tube which matched a short length of brass tube. They were then joined by soldering, taking care that the shaft was not fouled. The aim being to allow oil to be added via one of the removable deck hatches using a flexible tube fitted over the oiling tube as in Photo 16. The motor was connected to the propshaft itself with a commercial coupling. These couplings can accommodate some degree of misalignment, but it is still worth the effort to get the two shafts in-line. The motor was mounted on a wedge of balsa and adjusted until things looked good, Photo 17. An extra check can be to remove the coupling and propeller shaft and then look up the tube. If you see the end of the motor shaft squarely through the upper tube bearing, then the two shafts will be in line.

Steering system A commercial rudder assembly was used on the prototype, but the blade was made more scale-like by gluing thin aluminium around it, Photo 18. The hole for the rudder tube was positioned so that the blade would not foul the propeller and the tiller arm had free movement within the hull. The rudder servo was placed where access would be possible through one of the removable hatches on the deck. Two blocks of balsawood being made to secure the servo and these were glued to the

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hull bottom, Photo 19. A double or push-pull wire linkage was made between the servo and tiller arm. This is a personal choice, but it can offer more precise rudder control than a single wire linkage, plus it can be considered to be more reliable, an important point considering the limited access after the decks are glued in place. With the steering system sorted out, the stern spreader piece was glued in place between the hull sides. It is worth rechecking that everything still works properly and nothing can work loose.

First float test Having reached this stage in a model’s construction, I like to give it a test float on the garden pond. This is ostensibly to check stability, weight and power calculations, plus testing the motor and steering functions, the logic being that if any major problems are apparent, it is much easier to sort them out at this stage, but to be honest, my enthusiasm for the model can often be flagging at this stage and knowing that it will float and go, does tend to spur me on to complete it. Before it can be placed in the water, the wooden hull needs its outer surface rendered waterproof. There are numerous ways to do this and if you have a favoured method that you know will work, then please use it. That is the reason why this prototype hull was sealed with cellulose dope and tissue, my favoured method. Before starting this process, the whole external surface of the hull was examined. This revealed a few dints and dings that had passed unnoticed. They were filled using some fine surface Polyfiller, a domestic filler sold in handy ready mixed tubes which sets quickly, sands easily and bonds well to wood. A couple of thinned coats of dope were then applied, the first thinned coats penetrating readily into the wood to create a sound base for subsequent coats. This was followed by a couple

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of coats of neat dope. Light but careful sanding between each application of dope should produce a smooth surface, free of an obvious roughness. To toughen and give an even smoother surface, lightweight model aircraft tissue was laid over the surface and secured with dope. It is easier to work with convenient sized panels of this tissue to cover sections of the hull sides and bottom. The edges of adjacent panels should overlap a little and awkward corners, such as the bilge curve, might need the tissue slitting to avoid creases. I find it best to place the tissue panel on the hull and then, using a brush well loaded with dope, apply it to the centre of the panel and work outwards. If creases appear, then the tissue can be peeled back and re-laid with the dope brush. Once dry, the hull can be lightly sanded. If any uncovered parts are found, or you accidentally sand through the tissue, it can be recovered with a patch of tissue and dope. A couple more coats of dope and you ought to have a smooth and watertight hull surface. With the battery and radio gear now installed, it was finally out to the pond for the ballasting trial and the hull seemed to swallow quite a few of the lumps of metal I had brought along before it sat at the desired waterline. The motor was powered-up, but with an ammeter in the circuit to measure the current. At full throttle this was found to be about 2.8 Amps and this was towards the low end of the range estimated for a realistic performance. However, even with the limited shunting about in the garden pond, the model looked like it would be no slouch when it came to sailing on larger waters. The stability and manoeuvrability also looked excellent and so, thus fired up, I could tackle the next stages of this project with renewed enthusiasm.

Decks These were made from 1/16 inch (1.5mm) thick plywood which was strong enough, yet easy to work with. Alternative materials could be used, but adjustments to suit their different properties might be needed. Internal strips strengthen the glued

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joints between the decks and hull. The longitudinal stringer will act in this role and elsewhere, balsawood strips were glued to the hull sides and across the bulkheads and spacers, Photo 20. Once the glue has set, these strips will require sanding so that lay flush with the top edges of the hull sides and the decks can then fit with no gaps. I did note that in some positions the stringers were just below the top edges of the sides, so some strips of scrap balsawood were glued in place to fill the gaps and then sanded flush. The deck between Bulkheads 2 and 3 had to be detachable for access to the motor, battery and radio gear. This was achieved by making a ‘plug’ from balsawood strip inside the hull opening, Photo 21. Care is needed to avoid sticking this ‘plug’ to the pine strips around the opening and it is also a good idea to mark the top and front edges of this framework. The fixed and removable plywood deck pieces were all cut slightly oversize and then offered to the hull, Photo 22. The ‘plug’ part was glued to the underside of the detachable section of the deck and care was taken to apply glue only to the top of it, which is why it was a good idea to mark its top in the first place. The remaining fixed deck sections had the bulk of their excess material trimmed from their edges before gluing in position. I held these plywood pieces in place then ran a felt tip pen along the underside of the deck-hull side junction to produce the cutting guide. Before gluing the decks in place, the access cutouts beneath the removable hatches were made, this being easier and a much safer job to do now, rather than when stuck to the hull. To

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restore some strength to the decks and provide a larger gluing area for the coamings around these openings, some scrap balsawood strips were glued to their undersides, Photo 23. The fixed decks were then finally glued to the hull and held in place with suitable weights and you will notice that the first hatch straddles Bulkhead 1. As a result, a couple of notches had to be cut into the balsawood strips on the underside of the deck, Photo 24. A minor design oversight on my part, but it caused no ongoing problem. The edges of the decks needed a final light sanding so that they were perfectly flush with the hull sides. I also sanded the vertical surfaces of the plug on the underside of the removable deck section to ensure it would slide smoothly into its opening, Photo 25.

Superstructure This was broken down to a series of balsawood frameworks with interleaved plywood decks and was started by gluing the strips to the Bridge Deck, the detachable deck on the model, then gluing the Upper Bridge Deck over it and the strips on to it, Photo 26. The Navigation Bridge Deck is to be fitted over this.

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The full-size vessels had a distinctive curved front to their main superstructure blocks. The best way to duplicate this seemed to be to laminate a suitable piece of balsawood and then carve it to the desired shape. This task was made a little more difficult since the front was not only curved in plan view, it was also raked backwards. I decided it would be easier to incorporate the front of the bridge into this block and avoid the risk of an unsightly ‘step’ appearing. As a result, this balsawood block was made one deck level higher, Photo 27. When happy with the result, the excess waste was cut away from both sides of the bridge and at Bridge Deck level. Balsawood strips were then glued to the underside of the Wheelhouse Top, Photo 28 and adjusted to make a good fit with the bridge as in Photo 29. The base deckhouse unit for the funnel was also built in much the same way, Photo 30.

Deckhouses and funnel The various other deckhouses were made from laminations of scrap balsawood with 1/16 inch (1.5mm) plywood roofs as in Photo 31. The deckhouse at the base of the Hallen style mast is a more complex shape with a cutout for it. I made simple outline and then cut the shape out with an

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29 electric fretsaw. The large funnel casing was also built-up from balsawood laminations. A slot was left in the center lamination for the distinctive mast incorporated in the funnel, Photo 32. I figured that it would be easier (and safer) to carve and sand the funnel to shape and then add the mast. It was tempting to use pine for the mast, but in the end a piece of hard balsawood was used. Rather than sticking the funnel in place, the prototype used two lengths of dowel, glued into base of the funnel, which plugged into matching holes in its lower deckhouse casing. Having a detachable funnel and mast assembly has proven to be a boon for the storage and transport of this model.

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Card time? In an age of modern wonder materials, it might seem odd that card was used on this model. Conventional card has the advantages of being easy to cut, shape, glue and seal, not forgetting it is cheap, if not actually free. Thin card was used to cover all the vertical surfaces on the main superstructure block and deckhouses. This gives a nice solid appearance and covers up my sometimes none too neat glued joints. By extending the card above the Navigation Bridge deck, the bulwarks can also be made. A standard branded contact adhesive was used to glue the card to the balsawood. The bulwark around the bows was also made from card. This required a degree of cut an’ try to achieve the correct shape and I’ll confess it took me three attempts before the correct shape was achieved, but the card was free. Note that bottom of this card was in line with the main deck and extended just past the raised forecastle.

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A similar card strip was glued around the stern, again with its lower edge in line with the main deck and top flush to the poop deck. Card strips were also glued along the hull sides, lower edges in line with the main deck. You might ask why this card was added to the model and there are two reasons. First, the hull sides above the level of the main deck were painted white and this card enables a neat painting job to be done and second, it created the triangular pieces that run down to deck level. Card strips were glued around the inside of the hatch openings. You could use thin plywood but the card used (from the back of writing pads), is more than durable enough for this job. The external card, ply and balsawood surfaces were sealed with a couple of coats of thinned cellulose dope, sanding after each coat, which was followed by two light coats of neat dope.

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Finishing-off

Hints &Tips The whole model was given a few light coats of sprayed clear satin paint. If it is applied lightly, moving the aerosol can over the model once without any obvious liquid build up on the surfaces, and allowing to dry between coats, then there is lile chance of any adverse reaction with the paints beneath it.

The removable hatches were built over the deck coaming to ensure a good fit. A single strip of card was bent around a coaming and the ends glued together taking care not to stick it to the deck or coaming, Photo 33. The top of the hatch was made from card with extra transverse pieces and some strips along the sides to suggest the MacGregor style fitted to these vessels, Photo 34. The two fixed hatches were made using the same method, but gluing the card over balsawood rectangles. The hatches were then sealed with cellulose dope. The numerous deck fittings have been suggested by gluing card to the decks then sealing with dope. Bollards were made by drilling small holes through the card and deck, then gluing suitably shortened nails or pins into the holes, Photo 35 showing these and other deck detail. These vessels featured a small swimming pool on the superstructure block and this was suggested with a piece of clear plastic which had its underside painted light blue. It was then edged with strips of white plastic. Lots of winches were also needed, and without detailed photographs or drawings, I had to settle for ‘suggesting’ them with suitable assemblies made of plastic sheet, block, tube and strip. The two lifeboats were somewhat easier being carved from balsawood with soft wire for their davits. The winches, swimming pool and lifeboats were all fitted to the model after painting to make life a little more easy.

Masts Only three of these needed to be added to the model. The first being a simple pole mast which was made from brass tubing and stepped into the deckhouse, but the other two 35 were more demanding. Again brass tubing was used for them, these being stepped over short lengths of dowel glued into the deckhouse or deck thus allowing for easy removal. The tops and cross-trees were made from plastic sheet. Their booms were also made from brass tubes with the centre portion thickened by sliding a length of plastic tube in place. Short lengths of wire were epoxied into the bottom of the booms so they could be secured in holes drilled into the deckhouses. The Hallen mast ahead of

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the superstructure took a while to figure out its structure. The mast ought to be tapered along all its height, but I simplified it to a parallel tube up to the platform with a tapered wooden insert for the top section. The curved piece looked like it might be vulnerable to damage, so it was made from brass tube soldered to the mast at the bottom and epoxied to the top.

Painting One of the original attractions of building this model was the smart colour scheme used on Union-Castle Line vessels. The hull side colour is described as Lavender Grey, but on searching through many coloured photographs it was clear that it could adopt many shades depending on the lighting conditions and yes, I know about the origins of Mountbatten Pink! Not wanting to try and mix the colour, a search for a commercial product was performed whilst building the model. Luckily my wife wanted to visit the garden section of a DIY store and I wandered off to look at tools (as men do) plus check the paints. This was when a spray can of French Lilac in the Rust-Oleum Painter’s Touch range was spotted. It may not be the perfect match for the Union-Castle Line’s livery, but it is much better than anything I could create. Everyone will have their own painting sequence and mine was as follows: 1) White Primer spray: Hull bulwarks and sides above main deck level, superstructure, hatch sides, masts and booms. Then mask off the decks and hull sides above main deck level. 2) French Lilac spray: The hull sides down to below the waterline. Now draw the waterline around hull. For this, place the hull on a flat surface and then, using a felt tipped pen with suitable packing beneath it, draw around the hull. 3) Paint the underside of hull up to the waterline with gloss dark red. This paint was made by mixing equal amounts of Humbrol Gloss Red (No. 19) and Gloss Black (No. 21). 4) Matt Black for the forecastle, main, bridge and poop decks plus top of the funnel. 5) Matt Green for the superstructure decks and tops of deckhouses. 6) Light Grey for the hatch covers. 7) Grey Primer spray for the winches. 8) Bright Gloss Red for the funnel.

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37 Union-Castle Line vessels had a distinctive red boot topping along their waterlines. This was formed by simply sticking red self-adhesive plastic tape around the hull. This was something of an experiment, but done carefully without overstretching the tape, it has worked. You might ask why I did not just paint the whole of the hull below the waterline this colour. On full-size vessels you can usually see little of the hull below the surface of the water, but alas with our models you can see usually see all the hull and such a large area of red just fails to look right. Hence I tend to paint the underwater part of my hulls a dark shade, if not black, so they disappear from view when sailing. The windows in the superstructure were made with some strips of self-adhesive black tape, the excess tape between the windows being carefully cut and peeled away. The portholes along the hull sides and deckhouses were made with blobs of gloss black paint applied using the end of a suitable rod. However, this is a skill that might take a little practice, so please try it first on scrap material. The funnel casing featured several vent panels and a solid black colour would not have looked right. After a few abortive attempts, I settled for drawing the outlines of these panels with a fine tipped marker pen, then shading them in with horizontal lines. The final touch was going over each panel with a soft pencil to suggest the darker space behind the panels. After the paint had time to fully harden, the whole model was then given a few light coats of sprayed clear satin paint. If it is applied lightly, moving the aerosol can over the model once without any obvious liquid build up on the surfaces, and allowing to dry between coats, then there is little chance of any adverse reaction with the paints beneath it. Photo 36 is of the completed model and

Photo 37 is close-up of the rear of the main superstructure. At this stage, the model still had some small details to add, but the urge to sail it was too strong. I suspect that it is like a fair few of my creations and will stay in the 90 to 95% completed state for a long time henceforth.

R/c and baery re-installation The drive battery, a 6v 12Ah SLA type, was fitted into the space ahead of the motor, some foam plastic being cut and fitted around it to ensure it would not move when sailing, Photo 38. The lead from the rudder servo passes through a small slot cut in Bulkhead 3. Normally I’d place the receiver ahead of the battery, but this would have needed using extension leads to connect with the servo. As I planned to use a 2.4GHz radio outfit in this model, which ought to be unaffected by interference from the motor, it seemed worthwhile to try fitting the receiver to one side of the motor coupling. A block of foam plastic had a cutout made to accommodate this receiver and was glued into this position. To keep the installation neat, the ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) was fitted in the same manner on the other side of the coupling. A ballasting session resulted in blocks of metal (lead) being added to the hull via the access openings in the deck. This ballast was adjusted until the model was floating level on the desired waterline. The positions of the ballast were marked and then they were secured into the hull with some domestic silicone sealant. This is a messy job and you should leave the hatches off the model until the solvent fumes have fully dispersed. At this stage the model was weighed and found to be 11.5lb (5.3 kg) and close to the original calculated displacement.

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Sailing trials These are always planned to be a careful exploration of a model’s sailing characteristics and response to transmitter commands, gradually opening up the performance envelope. With this model I failed to follow this sensible and cautious approach as within minutes the model was being run at full speed and I was totally comfortable with its smooth, if not sweet, handling. Photo 39 is a port side view of the cargo liner and it could perhaps, float a little deeper. The rudder gave positive control from a dead-

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slow creeping speed, where you have to look carefully to make sure it is still moving, all the way up to top speed. Centring the transmitter’s rudder stick resulted in the model immediately running straight and it would hold its heading. Measuring the time to sail between two points a known distance apart, gave the top speed as around 4ft/sec (1.2 m/s). This was achieved in such an effortless fashion and looked just right for the fast cargo-liners on which the model is based. Turning circle diameters are not so easy to estimate, but 10 feet (3m) at full power is my best estimate. This would be too tight for true realism, but is nice to know if you should have to avoid unexpected problems. Astern sailing was also a dream with the rudder being able to steer the model once moving and Photo 40 is of the starboard stern quarter. I had wondered if a bow thruster ought to be fitted when the model’s construction was commenced. It would have been nothing more than an auto windscreen washer pump, sucking in water from one side of the hull and blowing it out of the other side, just enough to gently move the model, but as a result of these trials it really does not seem to be needed. The model has a nice balance between motor power, mass and rudder response, which enables it to get into and more importantly, out of tight spots.

Looking back I’ll have to confess that the design and construction of this model did throw up more than the usual amount of problems, but looking at the model and the pleasure realised when sailing and it has all been worthwhile. The colour scheme is surprisingly attractive and shows that models based upon merchant vessels do not have to be drab and Photo 41 is an overhead view of the cargo liner, perhaps as it is passing under a bridge somewhere? The two experiments of placing the receiver close to the motor and using self-adhesive tape for the boot topping, both seem to have worked okay and no doubt are handy things to remember for future models. Hopefully, a few more modellers will be tempted to build merchant vessels from this period when naval architects were still allowed to add some style if not beauty, to their designs. I’m already looking at contemporary vessels and compiling a growing list of possible building projects. Enjoy your hobby - Glynn Guest

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Using LED’s in Model Boats ight Emitting Diodes (LED’s) have many useful applications in marine modelling. Small, almost indestructible and with a long working life producing virtually no heat, they are now quite inexpensive and available in a wide variety of colours and types; they are also kind to your battery as they are very efficient. It sounds like the perfect score card doesn’t it, but LED’s are not incandescent lamps and either refuse to cooperate, or quickly expire if treated as such. This probably accounts for the degree of suspicion that they are viewed with by marine modellers and the continuing sales of ‘grain of wheat’ lamps. In this article I will attempt to dispel some of the mysteries and provide a practical guide to their use.

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John Parker enlightens us all! The nature of the LED LED’s display the property of electroluminescence when they produce light, that is light emitted from a material in direct response to an electric current, rather than through the heating effect on a fine filament as with an incandescent bulb. Electroluminescence was first noticed early last century, during experiments to find a better detector for radio waves. When the effect of passing an electric current through the ‘cat’s whisker’ detector was tried, it was noted that a faint light was sometimes emitted from the crystal. It wasn’t until the 1960’s that the effect could be brought to practical use, initially in the form of very rugged indicator lamps for military applications. Next came digital readouts, like the 1970’s digital watch that you could read in the dark when you pressed the button. In recent years development has been rapid, with LED’s now beginning to replace conventional globes in domestic lighting, automotive and signage applications as well as being an essential component in electronics. The characteristics of the LED follow from its make-up. Firstly, it retains the property of the cat’s whisker detector in being able to pass current one way only, and in this way is like any other diode. To operate, it must be connected with the correct polarity to conduct current, when it is said to be ‘forward biased’. Connected the wrong way (‘reverse biased’) it will block the current and produce no light, and too high a reverse voltage will destroy it. Secondly, it is a highly non-linear device: a small change in the applied voltage causes a large change in the current, ten times or more, maybe enough to destroy the LED. Both these characteristics are different to incandescent lamps, and must be allowed for, but fortunately

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this is readily done. When we say LED’s are almost indestructible, it refers to their physical properties, i.e. no filament to break, etc. A faulty or incorrect power source will soon destroy them. Some other characteristics of the LED are worthy of note before we look at their practical application. In the miniature sizes used in our models, they produce no detectable heat. This means they can be tucked away in unventilated spaces without causing problems such as warping plastic superstructures. The light produced by LED’s is highly directional and normally only seen over a small viewing angle. This can be either an advantage or disadvantage depending on the application and there are some tricks that can be used to help produce the desired effect. The colour of light produced by LED’s is a characteristic of the semi-conductor materials used. A red LED produces monochromatic (one colour) red light, unlike a red light bulb which produces broad spectrum white light that is filtered by the red bulb colouring (at great cost in terms of light output) so that we see just the red. This is why it took considerable effort over decades to produce LED’s of different colours as it wasn’t just a matter of tinting the housing. First came red and then green, orange and yellow LED’s and finally the blue LED in the 1990’s. Blue was a real breakthrough, because blue LED’s can have a special phosphor coating on the light emitting junction which absorbs blue light and re-emits white light, making possible room lighting, car headlights and LED torches; it was also the previously missing component of the RGB (RedGreen-Blue) colour system.

constant-current power supply, or via a series resistor to a battery. In effect, the series resistor and battery combination acts as a crude constant current source, preventing excess current from damaging the LED. The resistor is a cheap standard electronic component and its value easily calculated by Ohm’s Law, as we shall see. So the simple circuit (please see Diagram 2 again), is all you need provide to see your LED shining brightly for some 50000+ hours or about 5.7 years if left on all the time, although of course, you’ll need to change the battery a few times! A small grain-of-wheat bulb is good for about 50 to 100 hours (2 to 4 days) by comparison. The actual voltage that an LED needs to see (the Vf, or forward voltage) depends on the colour of the LED, as different colours of LED’s use different materials in their construction. A general guide is: Red Orange Yellow Green Blue or White Violet

ABOVE: LED light trails at a night sail.

1.6 to 2.0 volts 2.0 to 2.1 volts 2.1 to 2.2 volts 1.9 to 4.0 volts 2.4 to 3.7 volts 2.8 to 4.0 volts BELOW: Green and blue LED’s illuminate a model fish.

Connecting LED’s We might as well get used to the circuit symbol for the LED from the start which is an arrow (sometimes enclosed in a circle), with further smaller arrows to indicate light emission, please see Diagram 1. The two electrodes are known as the anode and the cathode; the anode is connected to the positive of the supply and the cathode to the negative. Remember the non-linear characteristic of the LED mentioned earlier? This is the reason for the other element of the circuit, a resistor connected in series with the LED as shown in Diagram 2. LED’s must always be connected to either a

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Calculating the value of Resistance (R) ‘Resistance is useless’ may have been the favourite chant of the Vogons in Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but they were wrong as resistance really is quite useful when it comes to wiring up LED’s. Imagine, by way of example, we want to run a white coloured LED mast light on a model with a 6 volt battery. The LED has an operating voltage of 3.3 volts (Vf = 3.3 volts) and an operating current (If, or forward current) of 30mA (30 milliamps, or .03 amps) according to the supplier’s catalogue. The series resistor will therefore need to drop 2.7 volts (6 – 3.3) when passing a current of 30mA, leaving 3.3 volts for the LED. Please Note: Resistance is R, Voltage Drop is E and Current is I ABOVE: A typical LED.

By Ohm’s Law: R = E divided by I = 2.7/.03 = 90 ohms The value is not critical, and in practice we use the next higher standard value available, 91 ohms in this case. The power rating required for the resistor can be calculated from the product of the voltage being dropped and the current being passed. In the example given, this would be:

LED’s are to be used to illuminate the navigation lights on a model ship that has a 7.2 volt battery, as per Diagram 3. The LED’s have the following characteristics: Red LED: Green LED:

R (resistance) for Red LED = E/I = 7.2-1.8/.035 = 154 ohms (use 160 or 180 ohms)

2.7 x 0.3 = 0.81 watts. A common 1/4 watt type is therefore sufficient. With a higher battery voltage, single LED’s may require a 1/2 watt resistor. The resistor will be a source of heat and usually this is not noticeable, but in heat-sensitive installations you may want to have the resistor remote from the LED. Resistor values are designated by their colour code and reference to a supplier catalogue or online explanation is recommended if you are unfamiliar with them. Need another example?

Vf = 1.8v, If = 35mA Vf = 3.5v, If = 45mA

R (resistance) for Green LED = E/I = 7.2-3.5/.045 = 82 ohms (use 80 ohms) If you ever find yourself with ‘stray’ LED’s for which you have no data, if you assume an operating voltage midway between the values shown for its colour in the table above, and an operating current of 20 milliamps, you won’t go far wrong. Later we will look at the best ways of connecting a network of LED’s to your battery, when you want to have multiple light sources. Varying the value of the series resistor can be used to control the brightness of an LED, within limits. Increase the value to decrease the brightness and vice-versa, but never such that it results in the LED exceeding its current rating.

Types of LED’s Standard LED’s are bullet shaped, 3mm, 5mm or 10mm in diameter, with the cathode (negative lead) identified by a flat on the side of the case and by being the shorter lead. A large variety of other types include: ● A rectangular 5 x 2mm style for greater packaging density. ● A shorter ‘straw hat’ style offering a wider viewing angle. ● Miniature surface-mounting ones (SMD, for Surface Mount Device) of the type you may have spotted on small circuit boards such as your speed controller. There are also many specialist and high-power types that are outside the scope of this article.

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The size of LED’s should not be taken as a clue as to their output, for the light producing junction is very small. So called ultra-bright or hi-brightness LED’s have the greatest light output for example and tend to come in the popular 3mm and 5mm size rather than the 10mm size. They are more expensive, but your money also buys greater efficiency as for a small increase in power consumption they produce far more light. They should be used where you need the greatest light projection, such as for a model searchlight. Avoid looking directly at the light produced by ultra-bright LED’s, which is projected in a narrow cone from the end of the case as it is potentially damaging to the retina, and will at least cause you to see spots before your eyes for a long time afterwards. Ultra-bright LED’s usually have a clear or ‘water clear’ housing regardless of the colour of light produced, giving raise to the description ‘clear red’, ‘clear orange’ etc. Lower-powered standard brightness LED’s generally have coloured housings of the diffused lens type and give an even glow all over, making them more suited to cabin and general ambience lighting. To these can be added the electrical variations: LED’s that are Bi-colour (usually red-green) or Tri-colour (red-green-blue).These are essentially two or three LED’s in the same housing with one electrode common. Flashing LED’s (the circuit to make them flash is in-built). Sequencing LED’s (that flash red-green-blue in turn). All of which can make things confusing, but it’s important to know what’s available just in case one of these suits your application. A flashing LED for example, might save you the trouble of building a flashing circuit. Usually however, one of the common types of LED will fit the bill.

Mounting LED’s Electronic component catalogues list a number of accessories for mounting LED’s either in singular fashion or in arrays, including chrome finished bezels for front panel mounting. These are not necessary and rarely look correct on a model, except perhaps for indicator LED’s on an internal control panel. The LED, safely supplied by its series resistor, will have a very long life and may be permanently or semi-permanently mounted without regard to its replacement. A permanent mount might simply consist of drilling two small holes for the wires in a fixture and holding the LED in place with a drop of epoxy. The series resistor can be mounted remotely if necessary, or it can be soldered to one of the LED leads and a length of heat shrink tubing put over it. Make sure the LED leads can’t short together through a metal fixing. Small bore heat shrink tubing, colour coded to identify positive and negative, is recommended for all joints. If you must have a semipermanent mount, use silicone sealing compound (non-corroding variety) to bed the LED. It can then be easily cut out again with a modelling knife. Make your soldered joints to the LED quickly and with a hot iron, particularly if you have snipped the

ABOVE: LED torch head used as a searchlight in 1:1 2 scale model.

A useful tester One of the photos shows a very handy and inexpensive tester if you are doing much work with LED’s. Battery powered (9 volt), it provides a number of sockets for the LED, each of a fixed current value (1mA, 2.5mA, 5mA, 2 x 10mA, 20 mA and 50 mA). By plugging a LED into the appropriate socket, it is possible to check whether or not it’s working, what the correct polarity is, the colour and relative brightness. Two 10mA outlets are provided for side-by-side comparisons. It is particularly good for sorting and comparing LED’s whose housings are ‘water clear’ regardless of the colour.

Applications

BELOW: A useful LED tester.

tsing, such as a navigation light. No problem, you might think, the LED will readily fit in a vertical orientation, but wait – the LED projects its light out of the end of its housing, not the side; the lamp will be seen to be lit, but very little light will be projected out. The answer is to orientate the LED so that is horizontal, projecting the light forward and out of the housing. This will require the leads to be bent carefully through ninety degrees where they exit the LED. If the scale doesn’t allow a small bullet shape LED to fit, try a ‘straw hat’ type if you can get them, which are stubbier. If they won’t fit, you still have two options. The first is to use a surface mount (SMD)

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leads short. It is after all a semi-conductor device and could be damaged if you take all day about it. The flat on the side of the LED will always enable you to identify the leads if they have been trimmed to the same length.

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Ideas?

ABOVE: 10mm LED searchlight in a 1:24 scale model.

BELOW: Headlight and canopy illumination in a model midget submarine.

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type LED. These miniature LED’s are designed to fit to the copper side of a circuit board without drilled holes; they have no leads and require careful soldering to the tabs extending from each end. They are the answer to many installation problems, but are only available as basic types in two or three colours. The second option is to modify the LED housing. The housing of a standard LED is epoxy, and provided you are careful not to disturb the working junction down near the base (a water-clear LED will reveal these clearly) then it can be carefully cut down or reshaped with modelling tools. Quite a bit, about half, can be safely cut off the length of a 5mm LED this way. It the cut surface is left slightly rough, or finished with abrasive paper instead of being repolished, the effect will be to diffuse the light coming from the end of the LED, spreading it over a wider, less concentrated beam. You can experiment with the effect of cutting off the end at 45 degrees to scatter the light forward, which may be the answer to the navigation light problem. Alternatively, repolishing the 45 degree cut and adding a reflecting surface to it may provide enough forward light projection. Faced with the problem of providing headlights for my Delfin midget submarine without spoiling the shape and creating extra drag, I drilled holes under the front of the hull and epoxied in two forward facing ultra-bright white LED’s with the bullet housings standing proud. Using a file and finishing off with progressively finer wet and dry paper, I was then able to make them exactly match the contour of hull, and enjoy the spectacle of this high-speed craft zipping around a swimming pool at night behind two clearly-projected cones of light. The midget submarine also required cockpit lighting for the pilot figure. After some experimentation, this was provided by two red LED’s behind the pilot figure, masked by brass tubes and projecting their light upwards to bounce off the silvered top of the bubble canopy and provide background lighting. A third red LED warning light on the control panel actually serves to light up his face. Unfortunately though digital cameras have difficulty capturing the effect, due to the high variation in brightness.

Many consumer products are using LED’s now and these may inspire their use in applications that the designer never intended. For example, the local supermarket (in Australia) was offering LED safety candles for a dollar each (about 50 UK pence), and so intrigued by them, I bought some. They consisted of two button cells (each alone worth more than the cost of the candle) and a switch in a representation of a candle stub, powering a flickering orange LED that simulated a candle flame. The flickering effect was built into the LED itself and would be ideal for representing an oil lamp on an old ship, on the mast perhaps or as cabin illumination, or carried aloft in the hand of a crew member who has gone to inspect the rigging. LED torches are now common and cheap. I used one, suitably cut-down, for the roof-mounted searchlight on my 200 Series Mk. 1 Seaplane Tender. In terms of size it was ideal and it certainly throws out some light, but admittedly the appearance of the multiple mounted LED’s inside doesn’t match that of real thing. That was not the case with the searchlight on the tugboat Craig, where its 1:24 scale is such that I could mount a 10mm LED into a brass manifold nut and make it able to swivel via a geared connection to a servo. On my US Coast Guard Picket Boat, I used an LED as a general deck light on top of the rear mast, with the wires concealed in the mast. The LED is mounted in a plastic lamp fitting and is upward firing, which is hardly ideal, but a measure of down-lighting is provided in this case by the cover on top of the light, which acts as a reflector.

Data tables and sourcing If you buy your LED’s from an electronic component supplier, the different types will probably have their characteristics summarised in a table in the catalogue. Usually there’s no need to know what they all mean, but for more critical applications or in case you are interested, a brief description follows. We have already mentioned Vf and If, respectively the working voltage and current. The colour of an LED is expressed as the wavelength of the light it produces. So, within the category of red LED’s, there may be different reds with wavelengths between 625 and 700nm (nanometres), whereas the green LED’s emit light at around 520 to 570nm, blue at 470nm and purple down around 390 to 400nm (Please note that one nanometre is one thousandmillionth of a metre). The power rating of an LED is simply the product of its operating voltage and current, expressed in milliwatts (mW). The viewing angle is I think self-explanatory, and the millicandela (mcd) rating is a measure of the brightness of the LED. This can vary from about 5 to 30000 or more; ultra-bright LED’s have millicandela ratings in the thousands and do so with proportionally less power consumption, i.e. are more efficient. Finally, because these are all mass produced components’ there is wide variation from one to another, resulting in typical, minimum and maximum values sometimes being quoted and your selection process may work something like this. Choose the most suitable class of LED in terms of its physical shape and size for your application.

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ABOVE: Navigation lamp LED’s. Confirm that it is available in the colour you want, then select one of a suitable brightness, bearing in mind that brightness is the major determiner of price. For searchlights you need very bright LED’s, navigation and mast lights can do with medium brightness and cabin lamps low brightness, but these are of course general rules and it will depend upon the type of housing they are in. An alternative source of LED’s is direct from Asia, as listed on popular Internet auction sites and online stores. The package deals available are quite staggering: For example, a quantity of 100 white ultra-bright 5mm LED’s for $1.64 (80p) with free postage which less than the price of a single one at my local (Australian) electronics store. How about 70 assorted colours including pink and purple for $6.98 (£3.50) including free postage and series resistors for 12 volts operation? I have tried a few of these packs and found them to be good, especially the ‘straw hat’ type, with only the occasional LED that was dead on arrival or failed after a short time. My suggestion to you is to connect up the ones you want to use on the bench before fitting them to the model, and ‘burn them in’ for a day or two. Once they have passed this test, chances are they will be fine for a very long time. And if the whole bother of choosing suitable LED’s and calculating their series resistor is too much for you, try a good model railway supplier. They should be able to offer LED’s pre-wired with their series resistor for 12 volt operation, the resistor being wired into one of the LED leads and covered with heat-shrink tubing.

LED’s, as is usually the case with a model boat, it becomes possible to consider joining similar types of LED’s into series groupings fed via a common series resistor. Please now refer to Diagram 4. The two ultra-bright LED’s used for the searchlights, for example, together require 7.2 volts and can be thus connected in series and fed from a series resistor calculated to drop 4.8 volts. In similar fashion the white mast lights can be joined in a chain; the yellow cabin lights can be connected as two chains of four; the navigation lights, being different colours and types, are best left at their original configuration. Remember, all elements in a series chain must pass the same current (hence have LED’s with the same current rating) and the sum of the LED operating voltages must be less than the supply voltage, by a couple of volts or so and what have we achieved? There has been a simplification of the wiring for a start, with fewer connections having to run back to the battery, and there are fewer series resistors to buy and solder together. Above all though, there has been a saving in the current drain from the battery, from 720mA in the case of the each LED having its own series resistor, down to 285mA in the case of the grouped circuit. This has been possible because the better arrangement of series dropping resistors is wasting less of the battery’s power, but the light output remains the same. If one LED of a series chain is brighter than the others, placing a resistor across the offending LED will bring it into line, but it’s a matter of trial and error to find the right resistance value. A basic multimeter will be found very useful if you are connecting networks of LED’s.

Online LED calculations I have saved mentioning these until now, because you may not have bothered to read the whole article if I mentioned them earlier. The fact is, you need have little or no knowledge of LED’s to use them successfully, if you make use of one of the many

Connecting multiple LED’s We have seen how an LED must always be connected via a series resistor (a possible exception is the case of a white LED running off two button cells, but let’s not complicate things!). Consider the case of a proposed model which is to have three white mast lights, two white searchlights, eight yellow cabin lights and a pair of navigation lights all running off a 12 volt battery. Please note that I’m making this up as I go along and there’s no need to quote rules of the sea at me! From what we have learnt so far, each LED would need to be wired to the battery via its own individual resistor, a total of 15 resistors. This would be a satisfactory way of doing things, but there is a better way. In a case where the supply voltage of the battery comfortably exceeds the operating voltage of the

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online resources such as the website: www.ledcalc.com These will ask you a few simple questions such as the battery voltage, number of LED’s required, their voltage and current requirements if known, but typical figures are supplied if not and lo and behold, the appropriate dropping resistors will be calculated, along with the recommended standard value, its colour coding and power rating. Some will even draw you a circuit, buy the parts for you, solder them up and make you a cup of tea when it’s done! Well, I may be exaggerating slightly, but they really do make things easy, but you, of course, will only be using them to check your own figures………?

The case for incandescent bulbs

BELOW: Types of LED’s.

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It must be said, albeit reluctantly, that there is still a case for using incandescent bulbs. Where an even omni-directional lighting is required, and using a diffused LED or housing results in too much light loss, you may want to go back to a grain of wheat lamp. This might also apply if you want the most natural looking light. White LED’s, are actually blue LED’s working through a phosphor coating. As a result they produce a very cold light with a bluish tinge, sometimes spoiling the effect of what should be a cosily illuminated scene inside the captain’s cabin, for example. They have improved in this respect and are getting better all the time with natural white types becoming available and the effect of combining white LED’s with yellow LED’s is worth trying. However, the crusty old captain of my tugboat Craig wouldn’t have it, and retains his overhead grain of wheat lamp.

ABOVE: Wheelhouse illumination on the tug Craig.

More ideas Further inspiration may be found in other LED products, such as Christmas tree lights (buy them in January) and garden lights, solar or otherwise. I have just heard from someone who has used LED garden lights (minus their housings, of course) to light a large liner model. The price, and the fact that the LED’s were already wired up in a loom, were big factors in their choice. Try and think laterally and ignore the original purpose of the product. I have a clip-on tie-pin that features a bezel full of randomly glowing patterns of LED’s running off a couple of button cells and it will become a radar display in a future model. Night sailing events provide the most scope for LED illumination, from the brightly lit floating gin palace with a discotheque on the rear deck to a more realistically lit passenger ferry or lone fisherman with a flickering LED hanging from the mast. LED’s mounted around the hull below the waterline, where the pool of light interacts with the wave motion, can produce some magical effects. Synchronised to a sound module, LED’s can flash when guns are fired, or with some simple circuitry, send out an SOS message. Interestingly, my domestic torch has this function built into it. I fitted LED’s (wired to their dropping resistors in waterproof heat-shrink sleeves) to some flexible silicone squid fishing lures, which should produce some interesting effects when they are towed behind a model boat on a night sail, and they might even attract some fish. The light from LED’s reacts nicely with smoke for special effects. A towed flexible ribbon strip of LED’s can become an electric eel; green LED’s can lend iridescent life to the eyes of model fish or that duck decoy; purple LED’s can… well, I think you get the picture. My hope is that model boaters everywhere will try a few of these ideas for themselves, and even more of their own, enlightened by this introductory guide, because, and dare I say it? Yes, I think I will - Many hands make light work! Enjoy your hobby - John

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special feature

John Ellio uses the Models by Design steam launch hull as the basis for a new model

River Queen hen visiting the International Model Boat Show at Leamington Spa in the November of each year, I keep my eyes open for potential new projects, but on one of the club stands in 2014 I noticed a hand-built smoke generator that was pumping-out a good plume of ‘smoke’. That was not too surprising bearing in mind that was what it was supposed to do(!), but this unit used tap water and the exhibitor had drawn a diagram of how it worked, so I took a photo of that for future reference. Making such a device didn’t seem to be that difficult and if it could be easily made, then a suitable model boat could also be built to use it. The generator works as follows: An ultrasonic mist generator vaporises the

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water it is immersed in, creating a fine mist which is then blown up the chimney (funnel) by a fan, giving the impression of smoke. If you don’t want to construct your own unit there is one regularly advertised in Model Boats magazine for £45 from: www.smokeeffect.com, the trading name of Colin Graham. I understand that he now makes bespoke units to fit particular spaces on different model boats, but having time on my hands and being an

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Data Box River Queen hull: Motor: Speed controller: Baery LiPo voltage checker Switch unit Propshaft Motor Mount 40mm propeller Boiler tube (1) Boiler Tube (2) Mist maker

Models by Design Turnigy D3536 910KV, Hobby King Trackstar 30Amp brushless, Hobby King Turnigy 5000 mAH LiPo, Hobby King Hobby King Technobots 7 inch, plus Powerflex coupling from Model Boat Bits 500/600 size, Cornwall Models Cornwall Models 125 x 350mm round pipe Part No. 54391 from Screwfix. 100 x 350mm round pipe Part No. 15872 from Screwfix. Ultrasonic Mist Maker Fogger Water Fountain Pond Atomizer from eBay Electronics 24v board From Best DC Fan Mini cooling Fan 12v 2Pin 25MM 2510s, eBay DC Boost adjustable step-up converter XL6009, also from eBay

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electrician, plus possessing the magic diagram, DIY seemed a practical option and a challenge.

Decision time? The ultimate size of the smoke generating unit depends on the size of the dummy boiler in which it was to be hidden. So, the next thought revolved around the dummy boiler and should it be vertical or horizontal, the former seeming to be a better option. Two plastic vent pipes were purchased from Screwfix (A UK discount tools and materials supplier that is actually part of B&Q), one approx. 100mm diameter and a larger version of 125mm. This larger size was used, but as you will see later, this was a mistake. Anyway, it was cut to a length of 180mm (7.2 inches) which would, I fondly imagined, give it the right proportions. Now the boiler size was determined, the search for a suitable open hull commenced. A GRP version from Models by Design called River Queen seemed to meet the bill, being 34.5 inches long with a beam of 10.5 inches and priced at a very reasonable £65. Now the hull and its dummy boiler were resolved, at least size-wise (but later changed), the first step was to make the steam unit and its tank to hold the ultrasonic mist maker and fan.

Steam unit The ultrasonic mist generator was easily found on eBay for a princely sum of 99 pence (UK) but unfortunately they run on 24 volts. With a little more

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research this was solved with a small electronic circuit board which converts a 5 to 12 volt input to 5 to 35 volt output with a maximum current of 3 amps, the output voltage adjustment being made via a potentiometer. As most of the mains adapters available for this unit only supply one amp, I assumed this board would be more than adequate, again being listed at 99 pence. One other electrical item required is a small computer cooling fan. These usually work on 12 volts, so in practice, the whole system including the main propulsion motor should operate nicely with a 11.1v LiPo (3 cell), or 12v NiMH (10 cell) battery. That’s the theory of it, but a non-leaking tank of the right size is the critical element in it all and of course there never is anything that is just quite right to be found domestically. Colin Graham produces his water tanks by 3D printing, but the alternative is to make one from styrene card and my version uses 3mm thick stock material to make a box 150mm long x 75mm wide and 110mm high and Photo 1 is of the basic box with the mist unit in the bottom. The size allows some room at each end and above for the chimney and electronics. The top piece has a cutout to enable access to the mist unit. A further outer lid for this box, Photo 2, is removable so that if anything goes wrong inside, a faulty component can be replaced and here we are looking down on the lid. This lid with the fan and chimney hole is attached by self-tapping screws to the box top with a thin foam gasket sealing the joint. The funnel (chimney) mounting is a standard electrical 20mm female adaptor in which the 20mm plastic conduit chimney is a push fit, a proper external funnel casing hiding this. Inside the tank the water bubbles with some force, so a baffle is required to stop the water splashing on to the fan which is mounted with long bolts which also secure the baffle, Photo 3, this being a side view of the lid. Two strips of styrene were mounted on the lid to support the boiler and protect the fan and electronics and you will notice several holes allowing a good airflow and triangular braces, Photo 4.

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Dummy boiler- first version The boiler tube of 125mm diameter was cut longitudinally on its circumference to fit over the smoke unit boiler, Photo 5. Once a comfortable fit was attained, two circles of styrene card were cut to fit inside the tube ends and glued in position, thus completing the basic boiler carcass, Photo 6. The boiler casing tube was planked with Mahogany stripwood and three brass straps added for cosmetic purposes, Photo 7. The outer funnel casing is 25mm electrical conduit which fits nicely over the 20mm ‘steam’ uptake. Its ends were flared by heating the tube with a heat gun and inserting a suitable cone, this in practice being the handle of a small pin hammer. So, now the dummy boiler casing (Mark One) existed as did this version of a smoke unit.

River Queen I bet you were wondering when we would actually start on the model boat, but here we are now. This Models by Design GRP hull includes external planking and fastening detail, is of excellent quality, and enables the builder to fit it out pretty much as desired. There will obviously be a deck covering, forward and aft, but the real conundrum revolved around the floor which sits low(ish) in the hull with cut-outs for the boiler and dummy steam engine, etc.

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The solution was to cut a piece of wood strip to fit fore and aft along the centreline at the required height within the hull, Photo 8. This wooden strip was marked at equidistant 50mm points from its front to back and measurements taken at 90 degrees to where these touched the inside of the hull. These were all noted and transferred to a piece of cardboard, the marked points joined in what I thought looked like a nice curve and then cut along those lines, so making a template and it was trial fitted, Photo 9. Minor adjustments were made by trimming or noting areas that would need extending. The cut-outs for the dummy boiler and steam engine housing, the front seat (which will house the battery) were all marked and cut away, Photo 10. The boiler was placed in position, together with a seat and the steam engine housing, both from cardboard, to see if it all looked okay. By using cardboard templates, this can save much grief later, although as already mentioned I missed the fact that the dummy boiler was probably going to be out of proportion to the rest of River Queen. Before this floor can be fitted though, the propshaft, motor and its mounting needed to be installed. A 7 inch (180mm) propshaft and a powerflex coupling from Model Boat Bits are the driveline parts with a brushless motor providing the ‘oomph’. The River Queen hull looked as though a Turnigy 3536 910KV 370 watt brushless motor would be more than adequate, but if too powerful, then

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11 using the electronics of the Tx, the ‘throw’ of the throttle channel could always be reduced and so cut the top speed of the motor. As it so happens, you can now obtain Brushless motors of the 35xx type that are as low as 300Kv from Alexander Engel, the German model submarine manufacturer. After drilling the hull for the propshaft, it and the base piece for the motor mount were fixed in place, small wooden wedges helping align the motor’s output shaft with the propshaft. The 3536 brushless motor, the ‘35’ referring to its diameter, fits a standard 500 conventional brushed motor mounting with no problem, the mounting screw holes being a perfect match.

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Top of hull The next step was to glue some 3mm square wood strip supports for the hull’s top edge capping rail and the bow and stern sub-decks, Photo 11, and Photo 12 shows the supports for the floor also glued in position, taking care not to obstruct an opening. In this last photo you can also clearly see the brushless motor and its ‘brushed 500’ type of plastic mounting. The fore and deck pieces are in two layers, with an inner sub-deck pieces having their centres cut away to enable access to the void beneath and the upper pieces being the actual deck, which in this case were painted green, but could be planked if you wished. In the aft section

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void will be the speed controller, receiver, battery monitor and rudder servo, Photo 13. The bow section houses the switch unit for the smoke unit’s On/Off electronic switch, Photo 14, and under the longitudinal front seat forward of the boiler will go the battery. Once again, using card templates will negate styrene card wastage. The removable deck panels were marked underneath where their supporting frameworks would go, as they are cambered, and Photo 15 is of the aft deck piece from beneath and Photo 16 is of the bow unit prior to trimming of its outer edges to match the hull. Stern and aft compartment bulkheads were also cut to size and fixed in position, once again using cardboard as a template. An r/c mounting board was also prepared and screwed to wooden supports within the aft compartment and much the same was done for the bow section.

Internal planking? The outside of the hull is very nicely moulded, representing a clinker built hull, but the inside is of bare smooth(ish) fibreglass mat. To simulate the insides of the planks, strips of 0.5mm thick styrene sheet, and the same width as the external moulded

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planks, were glued to the inside of the hull, starting from its top with clear UHU glue, Photo 17. It is not necessary to internally plank all the hull from bow to stern or beneath the floor as you can see from this last picture. To complete the hull’s top edge between the covered bow and stern sections, capping rails were cut to shape from styrene card and glued in position, Photo 18. At this stage, hull construction was well on its way to completion with the only functional piece still missing being the transom mounted rudder.

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Rudder This was constructed from three layers of styrene. The centre section is the main rudder shape and its top arm, with the outer two just being thickeners for the upper part, Photo 19. Rudder pintles (upper and lower) are from brass tubing soldered to brass plate with one wrapped around the rudder post and the other flat to the hull. Brass rod passing through the tubes completes hanging the rudder, Photo 20. A servo linkage rod screwed into the body of the upper part of the rudder is linked to the rudder servo through the transom, Photo 21 and yes, not true scale, but practical.

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23 22

24 Finishing-off 25

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The rear transverse seat base piece and engine cover are removable, the latter sitting over a coaming fixed to the hull’s floor, Photo 22. The steam engine is a dummy and only its upper parts are actually visible through the cover. The cylinders are two pieces of electrical conduit, with discs glued on their the upper ends to represent the tops with some short pieces of rod representing the retaining bolts. The valve gear covers are from styrene sheet glued to the sides of the cylinders, Photo 23. The engine cover itself is rather like a skylight and is a styrene box with sloping top panels with windows in each glazed with clear plastic. The hinge is just a piece of brass tube scored across its diameter at regular intervals. This engine cover is ‘skinned’ with Mahogany planks to create the wood appearance, Photo 24. The front central seat is basically a box around its coaming, but creating the padded ‘leather’ cushions for this and the aft seat required some thought. The solution was very simple in that a tablet (or iPad) cover purchased from the £1 shop provided the

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basic material. A piece of styrene is the base of the cushion, with some thin foam glued to it and then the ‘pseudo leather’ from the tablet cover laid over it with its edges glued underneath. The quilt effect is achieved by drilling undersized holes in the cushion and inserting brass pins, fixed with superglue and their lower protruding ends cut off and filed flat, Photo 25. The stern seat, which was constructed in a similar way is not glued in place but held with two sets of tiny magnets, Photo 26. A (dummy) steering wheel was fitted on the port side of the hull aft, Photo 27 and the scroll work on the bows, Photo 28, is left-overs from a period ship kit project from many moons ago, the moral being to never throw anything away.

Painting Much of this was done as work progressed and at convenient breaks in model construction. Halford’s (a UK car spares warehouse chain of stores) car touch-up aerosols have been the mainstay of this as

they are convenient, but alas are no longer cheap. Colour scheme is simple - a white hull, green decks and capping rail with a grey floor within the hull. The top of the funnel tube was painted in a brass colour, Photo 29, and a dummy steam gauge, fire door and whistle completed the boiler, Photo 30.

Radio control As you can see from Photo 31, there is nothing remarkable about this, but the device in the bottom left of this last photo is an audible alarm that sounds if the LiPo battery cells are dropping below their safe minimum voltage. The electronic On/Off switch for the smoke unit is mounted in the forward compartment, connected to it by an extension lead beneath the hull’s floor, Photo 32. The battery fits nicely under the forward central seat and a Battery Elimination Circuit (BEC) on the esc powers the receiver and rudder servo. The smoke unit is run off a separate circuit, but from the same main LiPo battery.

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All change…….

33 On the water (1) Some ballast was needed and figures are essential for this type of model, its large scale making it look odd when on the water if there is no one onboard, Photo 33. Action Men had been ordered, but not yet arrived for this first on the water trial. The problem that rapidly became obvious, was not in River Queen’s operation, but that the boiler looked very much oversize for the hull and the model as a whole, so it was clear that something needed to be done about this, but overall the performance on the water was fine although the turning circle was nothing to write home about and reverse was much as you would expect from a single screw flat transom boat.

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The Action men arrived from Argos (a UK high street discount store) and some more suitable clothing for them was ordered from eBay, but the boiler oversize problem remained and so what to do to resolve this? On the face of it, a smaller dummy boiler was no problem, but it hid the already constructed smoke unit and would a new reduced-size boiler casing still fit over it? Anyway, as mentioned back at the beginning of this saga, some 100mm diameter plastic drainage tube was to hand (Screwfix Pt. No. 15872) and seeing if it would fit over the smoke unit seemed like a good idea. Fortunately it did, although the space around and particularly above the smoke unit was now shall we say, rather tight. It’s worth bearing in mind that when using plumbing pipe, it will not glue very well with our liquid modelling polystyrene adhesive (Polyweld) or its equivalent. The commercial Polypipe plumbing solvent, which is quite ‘thick and stringy’ when being applied, does glue this pipe really well, but also tends to be exceptionally pungent when used in a confined space. The new tube, with its bottom section cut away as for the larger 125mm version, fitted okay over the smoke generator, but there was now a gap between its sides and the floor in the hull. A rectangle of styrene was cut to fit over and around the existing hole in the floor and then an aperture cut in its centre to suit the new boiler, Photo 34. This was spray painted grey and does not look out of place. In hindsight, if building a smoke generator unit again, I would make it a bit smaller, but that is perhaps what make our hobby appealing in that we learn from our mistakes. The snag though with reducing the smoke generating unit’s water tank size is that inevitably the capacity will be reduced and hence duration of ‘smoke’ coming from the funnel. The tank’s length can easily be reduced (or increased), but the height is critical with a minimum, since the mist maker must be covered with water. That creates another conundrum, in that you do not want the water to be totally used and the mist unit then to be operating in a dry environment, so bench tests to check duration of ‘one fill’ of the tank are a good idea. Anyway, fortunately the new dummy boiler fitted

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36 over the smoke unit, but only just, Photo 35, the styrene spacer filling the gap very nicely. It is perhaps worth mentioning that Smoke Effect (AKA Colin Graham) as mentioned earlier can make bespoke units with a tank to a specific size, on request.

On the water (2) Back on the water, River Queen now looks much better, the dummy boiler no longer dominating the hull and a non-scale large clear styrene rudder extension was also tried, Photo 36. To be truthful, this did improve the turning circle, but not by much, and not enough to warrant having a permanent ‘out of scale’ look. Photos 37 and 38 are of the modified smaller boiler version ‘puffing’ away and not looking too bad at all now. A minor technical problem was that some of the mist condensed inside the funnel, potentially running downwards on to the electronics of the system. Sealing this area with an O-ring or just a small piece of foam will resolve that problem, or simply moving the electronic board to a potentially drier place is a practical solution. Going astern was not too bad for a single screw set-up and the ‘range’ on the throttle channel on the TX had to be further electronically reduced from what looked like being okay when in the workshop, as full speed on the water initially was not dissimilar to that of Turbinia in 1897.

37 Conclusion This was a nice project based on the Models by Design hull. Whether you make your own or purchase a smoke unit is up to you, but River Queen looks much better on the water puffing the water-based smoke. You could also install a sound unit if desired and have more panelling, storage boxes etc. inside the hull and that is one of the good things about using a GRP hull as the starting point for such a model, since you can ‘detail’ it as much as you wish. The use of a brushless motor, albeit with the electronic speed controller turned-down to limit its maximum rpm has been perfectly practicable, the power of these small motors being out of all proportion to their size when compared to conventional brushed d.c. motors and in many ways they are as revolutionary for our hobby as was the advent of 2.4GHz for radio control. LiPo batteries are nowadays no more expensive than NiMH packs of equivalent capacity, are much less heavy and with the right charger are perfectly safe as well - they have to be because all our mobile phones, tablets and most other electronic goods rely on them. Total cost for this project was low, the hull for £65 being particularly good value. Enjoy your hobby - John.

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Õ̅œÀˆÌ>̈ÛiÊ À>܈˜}ÃÊBy Harold A Underhill, AMIES UÊ*>˜ŽÊ‡œ˜‡À>“iÊ]Ê6œÊ UÊ*>˜ŽÊ‡œ˜‡À>“iÊ]Ê6œÊ UÊ>Ã̈˜}Ê>˜`Ê,ˆ}}ˆ˜} UÊ ii«Ê7>ÌiÀÊ->ˆ UÊ->ˆˆ˜}Ê-…ˆ«ÃÊ,ˆ}ÃÊ>˜`Ê,ˆ}}ˆ˜} UÊ->ˆÊ/À>ˆ˜ˆ˜}Ê>˜`Ê >`iÌÊ-…ˆ«Ã Illustrated list of 70 Sailing Ship Designs £4.00 Illustrated list of 35 Power Craft £4.00

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special feature

Ship Terminology Richard Simpson discusses some familiar and some maybe not so familiar terms used to describe aspects of a ship’s structure

here seem to be so many things nowadays that are slowly but surely passing into history as technology takes us ever forward into a digitalised world. Whether it is the skills required to build a dry stone wall, or those required to cut a piece of wood into a ‘secret mitred dovetail joint’, or even the knowledge required to build a pushbike from a frame found on a refuse tip and a pile of battered parts, we all bemoan the passing of such things that were taken for granted when we were much younger. Another such loss is the amazingly widely varying terminology that we used to apply

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to the various parts of a ship’s anatomy. Often phrases passed down through many generations and massaged in their meaning along the way to words and phrases nowadays that seem to mean so little when considered with the part they refer to. Consequently I thought I would have a look through an old collection of ship terminology phrases that had been collected together a few years ago and share a few of the more interesting ones with you. A few of them we still use regularly in our model boat building, but it might just be interesting sometimes to ask if the user actually knows just what

ABOVE: Despite propellers being a comparatively modern means of propulsion, rudders have been around for thousands of years. The word rudder comes originally from the old English word ‘roþor’, which derived from the very flat headed nails (Rother Nails), used to attach the rudder irons. a particular name means. Let’s have a look alphabetically through some of the old naval architecture terms and see what we can dig up that might be of interest to us. Apron: This is an old sailing ship term and is considered as the timber situated behind the stem post, or bow, to create a landing for plank ends.

1 Bulwarks: The bulwarks are the vertical plating erected at the edges of decks to prevent persons being washed overboard and to reduce the amount of water breaking over the deck in a seaway. In many cases only handrails might be fitted, but bulwarks will be used where too much free surface effect water might be a stability concern. Originally a land based term referring to a defence structure, but which in this case is to defend against the water, Photo 1. Cofferdam: This is a void or empty space between two bulkheads or floors preventing contamination of the two spaces contents. Cofferdams will always be found around Photo 1: Bulwarks help to keep water off the deck and traditionally would include Freeing Ports that allowed water to drain from the deck while preventing it from flowing on to it.

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such things as fuel tanks and potable water tanks, and are invariably used as a means of accessing tanks located in double bottom spaces, Photo 2. Duct Keel: This is a space formed by twin longitudinal girders in a ship’s double bottom, either side of the centre line. It provides longitudinal strength and is usually used to carry longitudinal pipe mains such as those for ballast and fuel. Large ships can have a small cart on rails that you sit on and pull yourself along to gain access to the valves and fittings for inspection and repair, Photo 3 (Diagram). Earrings: These are not surprisingly nothing to do with Pirates or items of jewellery at all as they are in fact the small ropes used to secure the corners of sails to the extremes of the yards the sail is hung from

2 Photo 2. The honeycomb structure of a double bottom can clearly be seen here. There is usually a void space between tanks and more often now between the tank and the hull known as cofferdams.

Photo 3 (Diagram). A Duct Keel traditionally ran the full length of the ship and was basically a hollow keel beam. It was often used to house system pipework and could even occasionally incorporate a trolley on rails by which an engineer could pull himself along the void.

Photo 5: Gunwales are basically the capping rail of the bulwarks. They frequently have handrails fitted as well, but they play no part in the structural strength, relying on the flat plate to provide the required stiffness.

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Photo 4. A Fiddley on a new cruise ship. On old cargo ships these could be particularly hot and inhospitable spaces, particularly if exhaust leaks had not been immediately attended to. Through the space pass all engine and auxiliary exhausts, tank vents, relief valve discharges and even ventilation exhausts. Fiddley: This is generally regarded as the space inside the funnel or ‘casing’ where all the uptakes come together. Whether it derives from the word ‘funnel’ is not known, but it seems to have been in use on steam ships and has been carried forward into diesel ship installations. If you are going up the Fiddley you are going up the inside of the machinery spaces into the funnel and possibly out the top for a check around, Photo 4.

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Gunwale: More normally this is pronounced as ‘gun-nal’, and it is a flat plate sat across the upper edge of the hull in way of the bulwark. Frequently there may be a handrail attached to it, but its main purpose is to provide stiffening to the upper edge of the exposed hull plate. The name derives from sailing ship construction when the wooden capping was designed to rest guns on, to steady them for firing. Photo 5.

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Photo 11: Norman Pins will not prevent ropes from travelling around the tug when the tow is under tension, but they do prevent the ropes moving round to an abreast position while the rope is slack on the gunwale.

7 Photo 7. A joggle plate has a creased edge to enable it to overlap adjacent plates and provide a surface for the rivets to hold together.

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Photo 8: The keelson used to be an internal back plate for the keel in wooden structures as can be seen in this wooden keel cross section.

Hawse Pipe: This is the tube which runs between the ship’s side and the foc’s’le (forecastle) just below the windlass to enable a smooth passage in which the anchor cable runs, whilst maintaining the watertight integrity of the hull. The internal surface of the tube is obviously quite difficult to access, so can easily be forgotten during routine maintenance and lead to internal flooding when it fails, Photo 6. Intercostal: This is a longitudinal girder fitted between the floors and the frames of a ship’s structure, but they are not necessarily continuous through the frame. They may well be found in areas where the hull form is changing too quickly for continuous longitudinals to be used such as at the extreme ends of it. Joggle Plate: This is a hull plate that has a crease formed in it to offset the plate surface by an amount equal to the thickness of the plate, to enable the edge of the plate to overlap an adjacent plate. The crease gives the surface of the plate an offset, or joggle. It is a stronger arrangement than using butt straps, Photo 7.

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Keelson: A keelson was originally a longitudinal beam of wood found in wooden constructed vessels inside the hull reflecting the position of the main keel beam and attached to it to stiffen the keel structure, but has since also been used to refer to internal longitudinal steel beams mounted either side of the centre line in steel hulled ships. However it is an internal structural member and does not penetrate the hull plating, Photo 8. Lignum Vitae: This is one of the very few woods that is actually denser than water,

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another being Ebony. This wood was traditionally used as a stern tube and stern frame bearing material in old water lubricated bearings. This was superseded by the advent of oil filled metal stern tubes with seals, but strangely enough, the circle has now been completed with vessels now using a plastic material and returning to water cooled and lubricated bearings. Photo 9. Monkey Island: This is the area above the bridge where traditionally the vessel could

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Photo 10: The Monkey Island used to have all the same vessel controls mounted on it as you would find in the enclosed bridge. Nowadays you will still find communications and navigational equipment, but it isn’t used as an alternative conning position. Photo 6. Hawse pipes provide a structurally integral path for the anchor to run through. As such they are subjected to exactly the same degree of inspection and testing as any other part of the external hull but frequently get forgotten and regular use of the anchors can lead to premature failure and serious flooding.

Photo 9: Modern watercooled and lubricated stern bearings work in exactly the same way as the original wood Lignum Vitae examples. The gaps between the ‘staves’ allow water to flow around the bearing surface in the lower shell where the loads and temperatures are higher.

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be conned from if visibility was poor, as it was basically another open bridge with all the bridge equipment being repeated here. The name has stuck however, and now refers to any deck area on top of the main enclosed bridge. It is a favourite sunbathing area on cargo ships, Photo 10. Norman Pins: These are rollers that can be erected at a tug’s aft bulwarks to guide the tow hawser over the stern of the vessel and help prevent the tow passing over the vessel’s beam when the rope is slack. This is just another means of trying to avoid the tow rope moving around to the side of the tug, which can lead to ‘girting’, or the tug being pulled over sideways, Photo 11.

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12 Orlop Deck: This was traditionally the lowest deck in a sailing ship and being of such irregular shape was used for the stowage of ropes and rigging materials. It is not known whether the name ‘Orlop’ has any roots in such expressions as ‘overlapping’ of the rope skeins or perhaps whether it derived from the overlapping nature of the deck construction used to fit it around the frames, Photo 12. Panting Beams: Panting is an upwards motion created in the bow area when the bow digs into a wave and an upwards thrust is generated by the sudden increase in buoyancy. The Panting Beams are additional Intercostals added to stiffen up the area and resist the effects of panting. Quarter Deck: Carrying forward from sailing ships, the Quarter Deck is traditionally the part of the upper deck that is aft of the main mast. It seems to have become a little bit more flexible in so far as it became more like the deck that the aft mast is mounted on in steel construction motor vessels. There became a whole class of coastal vessel known as raised quarter deck coasters where the aft deck section was raised up by a deck to keep the sea away from the bridge and accommodation, Photo 13.

Photo 12: The Orlop Deck was of little use except for the storage of munitions, stores and equipment. It also provided an excellent magazine for sailing warships as it was below the waterline and as far away from enemy fire as possible. Photo 15: There was a significant tumblehome on sailing ships to give the required wide lower beam for stability. The expression and the design continued into later ship construction, with tumblehome being a measurement of the distance of the offset from the vertical.

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Quite often the Rubbing Strake will be fitted with hardwood beams that can be replaced as and when required, Photo 14. Stealer Strake: Another interesting strake is the stealer strake, which in this case is a single wide strake of plates that replaces two

narrow strakes as the width of the strakes reduces towards the extremities of the hull. Tumblehome: A lovely old traditional expression, Tumblehome refers to the inward curvature or slope of the shell plating or planking at the top edge of the hull. There

Rubbing Strake: A strake is a longitudinal line of plating with some of them being given particular terms such as the Shear Strake. In this case, the Rubbing Strake is a thicker than normal plate fitted externally to the line of the hull designed to make contact first with any other object such as a harbour wall or any other vessel and therefore allow easy repairs without having to affect the main hull plating. Photo 14: Rubbing strakes take many forms, but on early 19th century coasters they may well be large beams of wood bolted to doubling plates, riveted into the hull surface. Notice also the runners to ensure the lifeboat did not interfere with it as it was lowered.

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16 were very clear benefits of a hull form so designed as regards sailing vessels where boarding was a lot more difficult and stability was enhanced by the wider waterline. The expression seems to have been carried over into steel hull design. Narrow boats notably are still referred to as having Tumblehome, in this case for the purposes of avoiding the rounded walls of tunnels and bridges, Photo 15.

Photo 13: A typical example of a raised quarter deck coaster. Using the space above the engine room did not detract from cargo carrying capabilities, so it was a popular location for accommodation and the bridge.

Photo 16 (Diagram): A normal sounding taken with the sounding device at the bottom of the tank will always contaminate the sounding pipe quickly. An Ullage however only needs to just enter the level of the fluid to enable the air space to be measured.

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Ullage: While not actually a construction term is still very interesting. It refers to the space above a liquid in a tank or compartment, which is useful when trying to find the contents of the tank. When determining tank levels by dipping the tank through the sounding pipe if it is a particularly viscous liquid such as fuel, and you do not want to contaminate the sounding pipe with frequent use during bunkering, then you may measure the ullage, the distance from the level of the liquid to the top of the tank. To determine this you only need to drop the sounding device to the surface of the liquid, thereby minimizing contamination of the pipe and subsequent inaccurate readings. The ‘Ullage’ is then quoted in the sounding tables and allows you to read off the tank contents from the measurement you have taken, Photo 16 (Diagram).

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Vane Pump: Other wise known as a Rotary Vane Pump, this is a type of hydraulic pump commonly used nowadays as a steering gear prime mover. It consists of a stator connected to the ship’s structure and a rotor connected to the rudderstock. Between the two are radial vanes connected alternatively between the two so when hydraulic oil is pumped into the space between them it rotates the rudder. A very powerful and compact steering gear motor and significantly less moving parts than the old hydraulic ram system, Photo 17. Warping End: This is the drum located on the extreme of the mooring winch shaft that is used to heave on the ropes when typing up the vessel. There can be a tendency to be lazy and use the warping end to hold the ship alongside when in port, but most winch manufacturers will state that the winch is not designed for such a continuous loading. The rope should be transferred to a bollard while maintaining tension with a stopper so the load is taken by that fitting and not the Warping End, Photo 18. Yard: A yard or more accurately a yard arm is a mast spar, usually for the purposes of hanging a sail, which sits horizontally across a

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Photo 17: The rotor of a rotary vane steering gear unit. The vanes can be seen protruding from the rotor, which form spaces with the similar vanes attached to the inside of the housing. Hydraulic oil is pumped to one side or the other of the vanes to cause the rotor to turn.

Photo 18: The Warping Ends are attached, usually by keys, to the ends of the main shaft of a winch. Rotating the mooring winch and its ‘Warping End’ can be used to either pay the rope in or out of the main drum or tension or slacken a rope which is wrapped around the warping end. Pictured here are such winches on a cruise liner.

mast. Yards can be raised or lowered, rotated about the mast until it comes up against the shrouds, or even tilted to give the sail hanging from it the best presentation to the available wind. Some yards on larger vessels may even be removable, but this requires a good deal of manpower and may well be more of a naval arrangement, Photo 19.

Photo 19: The Yard Arms of HMS Warrior, from which the sails were hung when this sail (and steam) powered warship was at sea. HMS Warrior was a hybrid, with masts and rigging similar to those of HMS Victory, but with steam propulsion as well. The gathered wind power from the sail is transmitted to the ship through the Yard Arms and then via the masts and into the hull. Sails would normally be furled to a yard when not required.

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Conclusion So here we have a very brief introduction to some old marine terms. There are, not surprisingly, many locations where lists of such terms exist and particularly on the Internet, however basically reading through a dictionary is never very interesting and you can soon get overwhelmed with the sheer quantity of such terms. What I would suggest is to read something that uses such expressions in their original context where the real richness of the language can be seen. To this end I would recommend reading either stories or poetry by such luminaries as R. L. Stephenson or the great poet laureate, John Masefield. Meanwhile let’s hope we manage to keep at least some of these terms alive by keeping them in use through our model making. Richard Simpson - Summer 2016

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GALLERY Ivor Warne

HMCS H MCS Sackville was a Flower Class Corvette built in St. Johns and commissioned on 30th December 1941 into the Canadian Navy. She is currently preserved and moored on the waterfront of Halifax, Nova Scotia. The mooring is not far from the cruise ship terminal and is easily reached on foot, as are the other Waterfront attractions, including the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. She is officially designated as ‘HMCS Sackville National Historic Site of Canada’.

Background The Flower Class corvettes were developed by Smith’s Dock at Southbank on the River Tees in the UK, based

LEFT: The invention of the Hedgehog, or to give it its proper name, Spigot Mortar, made life very unpleasant for U-boats. With the Hedgehog the mortars are fired ahead of the corvette whilst still in Asdic contact, to land in a figure of eight pattern surrounding the U-boat which is much more effective than depth charges alone. The mortar bombs worked differently from a depth charge in that they exploded on contact with the U-boat. Each projectile carried 30 pounds of explosive. The Hedgehog name came from the empty spigots once the mortar rounds have been fired, the 24 spigots sticking up like hedgehog spines.

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Sackville on the whale catcher design of the Southern Pride. The design was deliberately simple so that it could be made in small shipyards not used to filling naval contracts. Canada wanted to contribute to the pending naval war and after discounting the building of destroyers they decided to build corvettes. This was still a step into the unknown, as the Canadian yards had never built anything more than 100 feet long. As with all military equipment, assumptions on their use were made at the outset that were discarded once they got into action. In theory these small simple vessels were to be used for coastal patrols and possibly for the sweeping of contact mines, but with the onset of the U-boat war in the Atlantic, the Canadians (and British) desperately needed deep sea convoy escorts, and so the corvettes were pressed into service for a role they were not intended. The original design for British coastal patrolling in relatively short seas, meant that they were ill-suited to the long swells of the Atlantic, but they were what was available and so their relatively inexperienced crews had to make the best of it. Ivor Warne - Summer 2016

Principal particulars Length Beam Draught Displacement Range Max. speed Crew Cost Engine Boilers Armament

205 feet 33 feet 11 feet 950 tons 4000 miles (200 tons of oil fuel) 16 knots 85 £90000 Single four cylinder triple expansion Two cylindrical Scotch type One four inch One 2pdr Two 20mm Lewis guns, depth charges, anti-sub’ mortarSmaller weapons varied as WW2 progressed, as did crew numbers.

ABOVE: HMCS Sackville as she is today, moored on the waterfront adjacent to the excellent Maritime Museum of the Atlantic in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

LEFT: At the corvette’s stern, the depth charges were just rolled off racks and into the sea. The depth at which the charges went off was set by the crew where they thought the U-boat would be. Depth charges rely on the force of their explosion through the uncompressible medium of water to be transmitted to a U-boat hull and thereby split it open. Note the smoke generators on top of the depth charge racks.

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ABOVE: This picture shows a depth charge on its launcher ready for use. Each depth charge contained 300 pounds of Torpex explosive, which is a much more powerful explosive than TNT. The corvette, using Asdic and Sonar would endeavour to locate the submarine and then bracket it with the depth charges.

GALLERY Ivor Warne

ABOVE: The standard navy signalling lamp which would be used to flash messages using morse code to other ships in the convoy. The great advantage of this method is it keeps the corvette in direct contact with the convoy and can make its wishes known, plus it cannot be intercepted from a distance, like radio communications, and reveal the convoy’s position to the enemy.

ABOVE: The bridge is quite spartan and this picture was taken from the commander’s chair. All the other bridge personnel had to stand and there are voice pipes to the wheelhouse below and the engine room. An open bridge was thought to keep the crew alert and make spotting the enemy clearer, little thought being given to hypothermia for the crew! An entrance to the asdic cabin can be seen on the right of the forward bulkhead.

BELOW: The radar was mounted between the bridge and funnel and with asdic stripped the U-boats of some of their anonymity. Asdic tracked them below the waves and radar could track them above the waves.

ABOVE: The liferafts would be released to float free if the corvette was sunk.

ABOVE: The anchor winch is a standard steam driven item, that was available ‘off the shelf’ and familiar to any experienced mariner of the time, maintaining the ethos of keeping it cheap and simple. RIGHT: This is a picture of the inside of the wheelhouse (not to be confused with the bridge which is one level higher). You can see the ship’s wheel, binnacle, engine room telegraph and compass. At the top of the picture are the voice pipes to the bridge above. No electrics or telephones – just shout!

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ABOVE: When not in use, to protect the Hedgehog from the ravages of the oceans, this hatch cover lowers and the whole mechanism folds away safely beneath it. BELOW: This is an example of the Other Rates crew accommodation and It has a lot in common with Nelson’s Navy of 150 years earlier. The original Flower Class design for coastal patrols was for just a crew of 29 in total. As the crew numbers increased to 85, with no additional accommodation space provided, it all became very cosy, especially if the ship then rescued survivors of sunken merchant vessels. ABOVE: The main armament was a four inch breech loading deck gun in an open turret, which could not have been fun to use in the North Atlantic and would have been used to engage U-boats when surfaced. This would not be a one sided fight on the surface as the Germans gave their U-boats an 88mm deck gun based on their much feared anti-aircraft gun. The frames either side of the gun shield would hold Snowflake rocket flares which were launched to illuminate U-boats at night so they could still be engaged by the gun.

BELOW: This is the clinker built starboard side ship’s boat. In port it was often used as a floating taxi and at sea it could be used as a lifeboat. The boat was open and so survivors had to endure the rigours of exposure in a very unfriendly Atlantic (or other) ocean. It has no power unit, just oars and/or a small sail.

Useful research material Canada’s Flowers, History of the Corvees of Canada by Thomas G Lynch. Published by Nimbus, ISBN No. 0920852157. The Flower Class Corvee Agassiz by John McKay & John Harland. Published by Conway, ISBN No. 0851776140. Warship Perspectives Flower Class Corvees in WW2 by John Lambert. Published by WR Press Inc. Tribute to a Flower HMS Bryony by Ron Horabin. Published by MFP Design and Print (self published?). Corvees of the Royal Canadian Navy 1939 to 1945 by Ken Macpherson & Marc Milner. Published by Vanwell, ISBN No. 0920277837. The Cruel Sea: The unforgeable classic film.. Revell’s injection moulded kit of the Flower Class corvee, now available in a Platinum Edition for £90 to £120 depending on where you see it for sale. HMCS Sackville website: hp://hmcssackville.ca

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HMS Poppy as built.

HMS Poppy K213 Chris Drage’s diorama depicts this WW2 Corvee rescuing the crew from the stricken S.S. Wanstead in April 1943 he Battle of the Atlantic was the longest running battle of WW2, being fought between September 1939 and May 1945 by British, Canadian and United States naval escorts, protecting convoys of merchant ships carrying the essential supplies to (and from) Britain, against the German U-Boat Wolf Packs. In his memoirs, Winston Churchill recalled that, ‘The only thing that ever really frightened me during the war was the U-Boat peril’. This battle reached a peak in early-1943, after which the numbers of Allied ships lost dropped as the number of destroyed and sunk U-Boats rose. This was due to the increased numbers (in particular) of RN escorts available, improved radar and sonar on them and the increased operational range of shore-based patrol aircraft. Escorts were also used more effectively by being placed into Escort Groups and HMS Poppy was in both E.G. 24 (Atlantic) and E.G.S. 3 (Gibraltar). Having distinguished herself with the ill-fated Convoy PQ17, HMS Poppy continued through the remainder of the war providing safe escort to Atlantic, Arctic and Mediterranean convoys as well as being involved in Operations Torch (North Africa), Husky (Sicily) and Neptune (D-Day landings).

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I suspect that the reason she carried so much AA weaponry was due to her Mediterranean excursions – notably for Operations Torch and Husky. The main difficulty with modelling HMS Poppy depends entirely on the date at which she is depicted. The diorama as shown here, features a model of her as in April 1943 when she was escorting Atlantic convoys ONS 3 and SC 3 to, and from, St Johns, Newfoundland as part of Escort Group 24 (including the warships Lotus [SOE], Starwort & Dianella). With no plans or drawings available, I was fortunate to obtain information from her then navigating officer, the late John Beardmore, whose knowledge was indispensable in the absence of any clear photos of her at that time. Sadly, no photos exist of her port side, as it appeared after her refits. The only clues were two photos taken from the crow’s nest looking fore and aft and John Beardmore’s memories. John dated the first forecastle extension as being December 1942 and the second extension being just prior to Operation Overlord in 1944. Apart from the official Admiralty pictures of 1942, photos are not dated accurately, so we don’t really know how far her forecastle was extended after December 1942. Although John records the date of the well-known starboard view of her as ‘Tripoli 1943’, I suspect that this was actually later in 1944 after her second major refit. However, at present there is no way of confirming this. The only clue we have as to whether the long forecastle extension was completed in 1942

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special feature LEFT: Lt. John Beardmore navigating officer of HMS Poppy.

RIGHT: The ill-fated S.S. Wanstead.

is HMS Bryony which had a similar length extension during that year. As far as camouflage is concerned, HMS Poppy’s arctic Admiralty Dark Camouflage (507A, 507C style) was asymmetrical port and starboard. Indeed I think HMS Poppy must have been the most asymmetrical of all the Flower Class corvettes. The two single Oerlikon sponsons on the starboard side were flared slightly on the bow-side of the screen whilst the port side sponson was a simple square box. Similarly, when she was fitted with the sixth Oerlikon, the forward port side gun had no shield or sponson, but again in John’s words, ‘…was abaft the lifeboat beside the funnel, very exposed and with no protection’. In other words, it was a simple deck mounting. Similarly, she had an extra liferaft fitted to the starboard side. All this is due of course to the urgency of wartime and the refits being hurriedly completed, or perhaps even left incomplete. HMS Poppy always went to sea to the tune of ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ playing from the ship’s tannoy, so it was only natural that the cartoon figure would also adorn her 4 inch gun shield. HMS Poppy’s distinguished war record can be followed on the website listed at the end of his article where I have reproduced much

of the information as given to me first hand by John Beardmore. From the few photos I had from John and the Imperial War Museum, coupled with further photos of HM Ships Bryony and Pennywort, and several key books, this all gave me enough clues as to how HMS Poppy may have looked. The diorama depicts HMS Poppy as she is about to rescue survivors from the stricken S.S. Wanstead which was torpedoed when in Convoy ONS 3 by U-413, but she did not sink. Here HMS Poppy is about to try to sink her, and on the bridge, Lt. Commander Neil Boyd (the skipper) is discussing the possibility of sinking the ship using depth charges or gunfire, each of which proved ineffective and S.S. Wanstead was finally dispatched later by torpedoes from the German submarine U-415. Meanwhile, apart from those deploying the scrambling nets, the crew is at action stations during this tense moment and every available member is on watch with binoculars looking for the telltale trail of a torpedo or any sign of a U-Boat in the ship’s vicinity.

ABOVE: HMS Poppy 1943.

The model HMS Poppy was chosen for a number of reasons: To honour those who fought and died in the longest battle in WW2 (The Battle of the Atlantic), but also to honour my father Donald Drage and mother-inlaw Poppy Rolfe, both of whom ‘did their bit’ during that conflict. The poppy flower is the symbol of remembrance and so it seemed appropriate all round. This 1:72 model is based on a Revell HMCS Snowberry plastic kit and the detailing sets offered by David J. Parkin’s Great Little Ships (website address at end). The plastic kit is produced from very old mouldings and it shows. The lack of fine detail is probably just about acceptable for a radio controlled model destined for a pond, but for a historically accurate model, it just won’t do. ABOVE: The foredeck with the overlay clearly visible, but all in a basic grey at the moment.

LEFT: The Revell kit of HMCS Snowberry is the basis of HMS Poppy, David J. Parkins’ after-market etched brass components being widely used to enhance the original plastic kit.

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RIGHT: The bridge uses the after-market etched components extensively.

The etched-brass sets are a challenge to include, but well worth it when you see the results gained. David J. Parkins emphasises using solder for the etched-brass components, but in reality I just did not have the control necessary to use that medium so resorted to two packs of Cyanoacrylate glue, one thick and one medium, plus an accelerant for those moments one needs a quick grip and the first problem to solve was the forecastle extension.

Forecastle

BELOW: The bridge after painting.

With no drawings or plans it was hit and miss using the few visual clues to hand and so it was using styrene (plasticard) that the Revell kit hull was modified, adding the etched-brass overlays until the hull was painted and the decks finished. The hull needed extensive rubbing down to remove most of the grossly over-exaggerated moulded plating. Once that was complete and the hull painted (the port side being from a sketch made for me by John), the scuttles were added. Decals were added which fellow corvette modeller, Bob Pearson in Canada made, printing them on his ALPS micro-dry printer. To complete this part of the project, ‘weathering’ was added, one of the most difficult things to get right. Corvettes typically gained a lot of rust and weathering on their hulls, but would seldom have rust stains above decks as in HM Ships this would be considered disgraceful and there would always be some wayward matelot whose lot it was to clean and paint any rust that might appear, as the boatswain or coxswain would see to that! A ‘rust’ paint mixed lightly with a black was used and to obtain the best effect does require observing as many photos as possible to see where the typical weak points are, such as the anchor chutes, scuttles, drains and plate joints etc. All paints used were either Humbrol or the White Ensign Models colours, the latter are now being available from Sovereign Hobbies. BELOW LEFT: Four inch main gun. BELOW: The single Pom-Pom gun.

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Detail work The general strategy was to complete HMS Poppy starting at her bow and working aft. So the foredeck with its winch, rope reels and various ventilators were all added after the hull and basic deck were completed, for which it was fortunate that the photographer in the crow’s nest also took a picture facing forward. The project continued pretty much following the directions given in the GLS etch kits and painting each part as work progressed using the few available photos and modeller’s ‘informed’ guess work. As to the deck fittings behind the gun platform, but just forward of the wheelhouse, the model is pure conjecture. The GLS bridge kit with its supporting structures proved very challenging. To get an idea of what should fold-up into what, photos of other corvettes were used as well as the plastic parts in the kit. All the bridge components were added except the pipe rails which I judged better to add after the bridge was in-situ on the model. The wheelhouse was added to the deck using the plastic kit parts and with the etched-brass girder supports assembled, it was time to see if it all three items would actually mate successfully. It took a fair bit of tweaking and fudging here and there, but finally the superstructure was fitted in place. The deck hatches were next, using Micro-Clear glazing for the windows in the engine room skylights and for the radar lantern on the bridge. These

hatches were all added to the deck as the project progressed. The funnel uses a wrap-round etched-brass sheet which had to be curved and added to the original plastic kit funnel and annealing the brass with heat proved to be the secret in getting it all to fit correctly. The basic funnel and galley sub-structures are all made entirely from the plastic kit components and were added next. An important point to remember here is to note that the etched-brass bridge structure has a companionway down to the wheelhouse. It was only just in time that I realised that this should also have an access ladder in place, a fact not mentioned in either set of instructions.

ABOVE: Some of the etched-brass fold-up fittings being painted.

ABOVE LEFT: A general view of the partcompleted foredeck and bridge area. ABOVE RIGHT: The amidships area is being assembled.

LEFT: The depth charge racks are a combination of the kit’s plastic parts and the David J. Parkins’ etched-brass components. RIGHT: Depth charge racks installed at rear of the main deck.

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ABOVE: HMS Poppy nearly completed.

For what on the face of it is a simple model, HMS Poppy is surprisingly complex and as with all such models, the best way to build such a model is to prefabricate and paint as many of the sub-structures as possible. In this case that meant that the anchor winch; Oerlikon AA gun; 4 inch gun and its platform; Pom-Pom bandstand; lifeboats; liferafts; depth charge throwers and racks; survivor’s lifeboats and box float were all assembled and painted prior to the main build. By doing this, they could all be dry-fitted before final assembly, in particular to check that they ‘looked right’, or not, as the project progressed. Of particular note was the difficulty with the depth charge racks. It was not clear in the instructions which way the etched-brass folded, resulting in a complete hash of the first attempt. Fortunately, David J. Parkins came to the rescue and sold me another etched-brass sheet. To avoid further disaster, the (poor) kit supplied plastic versions were assembled to get a better idea of how they should

look, but in fact HMS Poppy’s racks were raised to drop the depth charges partly over the stern bulwark and not straight through it as per the kit model. With no picture to confirm the exact configuration, other than a stern shot of HMS Pennywort, it was in the end a ‘fudge’, building the lower part of the racks using the plastic kit parts. Slots were cut in the stern bulwark to accommodate the depth charge ramps which were fashioned out of styrene. Other items which required a lot more scratch building were the asymmetric aft sponsons. Using the only two pictures which show these, a reasonable attempt at reproducing was made them using styrene sheet and rod. The unused bridge girder supports from the plastic kit were also pressed into service, plus a bit of scratch building to create the supports for each sponson. Three further items that had to be scratch built were the single derrick on the stern deckhouse, the mine sweeping guide blocks mounted on the aft bulwark and the scrambling nets. The first two were a legacy from HMS Poppy’s earlier mine sweeping equipment that had obviously not been removed at the previous refit and both showed up beautifully in the photo of HMS Pennywort’s stern. The scrambling nets however proved a bit of a nightmare, with only one picture showing that the ropes created approx. 40cm (16 inch) squares. Nothing obvious would suffice, until gardening mesh came to the rescue. One manufacturer produces metre squares of fine galvanised wire mesh which looked to be of about the right profile. Only a couple of 7cm squares of the stuff were needed, but there you go, that’s model making for you. With a bit of wire bending and cutting, two passable scrambling nets were produced.

Finishing HMS Poppy With everything now in place, the final step was to add railings, canvas dodgers to the bridge and the rigging. David J. Parkins (Great Little Ships) correctly

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acrylic paints and a clear gloss varnish to provide a touch of translucence and water ’sparkle’. Copious amounts of acrylic gel were used to hold the hull in position and to fill the gaps between the hull and the sea scape once it was properly in-situ.

Finishing-off

ABOVE: HMS Poppy inserted into the Diorama seascape, but awaiting the lifeboat and liferaft etc. on the water.

divides the railings into the pipe type of railing around the bridge area, and the braided wire variety everywhere else. It was quickly discovered that life is too short to try to use the fine thread provided for the latter, so I resorted to using 0.5mm (20/1000 inch) brass rod which, when painted not only gives a nice ‘taut’ look, but adds a lot of strength to the white metal stanchion posts. HMS Poppy did not seem to have splinter mats around the bridge at this time, so a material had to be found which would simulate 1:72 scale canvas dodgers and surprisingly, baking foil when primed and painted white, gave the impression of weather-beaten canvas and this was applied using white glue to the bridge railings. For rigging, once again brass 10<15/1000 inch rod painted black for the stays and white for the signal halyards proved ideal. Using brass rod offers a modicum of additional strength to the mast, but more important does not did not sag as does nylon or plastic thread. Another problem which was not foreseen was the fact that the finely cast crosstree at the top of the mast was made of white metal and sure to bend under cord tension, but by using the fine brass rod this ensured that it remained true.

The last thing to add to HMS Poppy was a crew, since a ship without humans looks like the Marie Celeste, particularly on this type of diorama. At this later stage of WW2, and with all the additional armament, corvettes now had a sizeable crew, often notably exceeding the original designed specification. It can be safely assumed that whilst stopped dead in the water to retrieve survivors, the crew would have all been at action stations and therefore providing an excuse to show quite a number of them on deck. Having scoured the modelling press and world wide web for companies selling British WW2 seamen, things were not looking too good. Even Revell were approached to sell me some additional frets of the kit included crew to their model and surprisingly this they graciously did. Also, some of the best RN crew scale castings are also produced by Gunthwaite Miniatures and their level of detail is exceptional. The real problem though was how to provide the survivors, who of course were merchant seaman and Langley Models (primarily a model railway supplier) came to the rescue with their white metal fishermen to OO scale (1:76). Anyway, it was now possible to provide a crew who looked at least as though they were all doing something on board, if only observing the impending rescue operation. On the bridge, Lt. Cdr. Boyd is discussing with his officers how to sink the S.S. Wanstead and the gun crew is preparing the 4 inch gun for the shoot. Other sailors are deploying the scrambling nets and standing by with mugs of cocoa for the survivors. Everyone else, except the lookouts on the bridge and in the crow’s nest, are more or less at action stations. A few ratings and an officer have emerged from the engine room to ‘rubber neck’ the action whilst one of their colleagues is shouting down the hatch to a comrade, ‘Get up on deck, sharpish’!

BELOW: Figures are essential on this sort of model. Please see text for sources of the figures required.

Seascape The next stage was to position and secure the corvette into its diorama base. This had been prepared previously using the bare hull to shape the main cut-out, with a suitable aperture in the sheets of thin polystyrene foam which covered its MDF under-base. A ‘seascape’ had already been carved into this foam and Mod-Roc (a reinforced plaster used for plastering broken bones) applied to present a fairly rough sea, a photo of the crippled S.S. Wanstead showing the typical North Atlantic waves. Artist’s acrylic gel was added to enhance the waves and the sea also was painted with

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ABOVE: The starboard bow of the completed Diorama.

ABOVE: A well populated bridge!

ABOVE: Forward - port side view.

ABOVE: Aft - port side.

Conclusion

BELOW:: HMS Poppy starboard side aft, her crew manning the scrambling nets.

This model was constructed over a number of years, work stopping for other projects, lack of confirmed evidence for particular features sometimes being a contributory factor. There is no point in continuing with a project if you later have to discard some previous constructional or painting work. Now ensconced within a suitable clear acrylic cover and an engraved brass plate describing the scene,

ABOVE: HMS Poppy starboard side - amidships in the midst of the rescue. one can at last say though, ‘It’s finished’. I am sure that John Beardmore would feel proud to see the ship he served on throughout the war and during some of the worst horrors that naval engagements could throw at him and his shipmates, now suitably preserved for others to admire. Christopher Drage - Summer 2016

References HMS Poppy model & background: www.cbrnp.com/RNP/Flower/ARTICLES/Poppy/ Revell: www.revell.com Langley Models: www.langley-models.co.uk Gunthwaite Miniatures: www.gunthwaite.co.uk David J. Parkins: www.djparkins.com Sovereign Hobbies: www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk

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CONQUEST DROVE, FARCET, PETERBOROUGH, PE7 3DH 01733 244166 www.deansmarine.co.uk

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special feature

Evinrude O R Rees Ron builds b a scale working w model m hilst visiting Wessex Marine in Dorset during the Targa Police Launch project (MB September to November 2014), one of their latest imports was an XO craft built by Augustow (Slepsk and Mirage) sitting in their workshop. Taking some photographs was no problem and a considerable amount of research material was also gathered for a possible future model boat project. As the thought process continued, the idea was being developed to build two identical models of their 2015 flagship boat, the new XO 270, one for display in their showroom and a working version for me. This stunning XO 270 was unlike anything I had seen before, but presented some challenges in terms when reproducing it as a working model. When ordering the new full-size boat, the buyer has a choice of power plant amongst several other options. One driveline layout is centred round the Volvo D6 inboard engine with a twin contra-rotating propeller outdrive unit giving 40 knots on the water. Other options include a pair of 250hp+ outboard engines or a single 350hp type, all with a hair-raising performance. After some research I decided to replicate - eventually - an example of each engine layout. Since starting the project in June 2015 an even larger version of the boat has been produced, namely the XO 360 with twin outdrives, which is truly awesome in performance terms. With drawings for the model boats underway, images, catalogues and specifications from various engine manufacturers were obtained, all of which

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BELOW RIGHT: The manufacturer’s dimensional drawing of the E-TEC HO (G2) Evinrude Outboard. BELOW: Ron Rees’ concept drawing for the XO 270 at 1 :12 scale

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in my humble opinion looked pretty much alike. That was, until the latest E-TEC HO (G2) series of outboards from Evinrude popped-up. A radical change in the shape of the engine gave it sleek and beautiful lines that belied its power - truly a real wolf in sheep’s clothing. Film clips on the Evinrude site and a rapid response to my written requests for information sealed the deal and it had to be the latest Evinrude outboard for this project. In this article we are concentrating on building an outboard motor and I am sorry you will have to wait for the XO boat which will be later. Obviously, an outboard motor can be used on any suitable hull, so the purpose here is to show that you do not need to be an engineer to build such a unit.

Scale? This was an easy decision. I wanted a good manageable model boat, not too difficult to lift and put in the water, yet giving the builder scope to fit it with all the appropriate scale fittings, without going blind in the process. Weight and length are important and deciding on scale is much simpler if your real craft can be easily divided into equal smaller sections. Divide the real boat length by 12, and 27 feet becomes 27 inches and so on, so 1:12 it was to be and a rough drawing was prepared and in the captioned picture you can see the prototype outboard unit placed with the drawing for a size check. The full-size Evinrude outboard is nearly 6ft 6ins tall and at 1:12 scale this becomes 6.5ins for a model which, with a modern brushless motor could be made to work I reasoned, with enough power and efficiency to drive the XO boat in a scale-like manner.

Why not just buy an outboard? Model outboard motors are not a new invention. Over the years, numerous model companies have produced working miniatures of the outboards of the day, some of them successful, but a fair few were somewhat lame in performance terms. The history of these power plants is fascinating and

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utboard Motor 1

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2 you will be amazed just how many have come and gone over 60 years or so. A fantastic website to look at is the one by Bob MacDonald of New York, USA. an avid historian of outboards and a dedicated collector: Website: Toyoutboardmotors.com email: [email protected] Today, there are still model outboard set-ups available, including some with quite powerful motors from Germany, the Far East and America. Graupner, Krick, Aeronaut and others offer an assortment of electric outboards with flexi-drives and bevel gears, but the problem was that none of them are the right size for the XO project and none look like the Evinrude E-Tec 250 HO (G2), so there was no option but to try and make one and hence this article.

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The first thing, as always, is to gather photos and dimensions and create a scale drawing of the outboard. Using the Grid Method is as good as any, which involves dividing an original picture into a series of equal sized boxes and blocking out another set of larger (or smaller) boxes on a separate sheet which represents the actual size of the chosen model equivalent, Photo 1. By copying the contents of each box on to the empty grid it is easy to accurately increase or decrease size as needed and this outboard motor drawing is 6.5 inches (166mm) high, one twelfth of real size. By working out where the internal hardware would go (drawn in red) the internal spaces could also be determined. The drawing allows for a 28mm diameter by 20mm long brushless outrunner motor to be fitted inside, Photo 2, and experience told me that a 2830 x 1000kv motor should easily power a 30 inch long model planing hull. There was, and is, no desire to play around with a lot of fiddly shafts, bearings and bevel gears, all of which are difficult to align and relatively expensive to buy, so a toothed belt drive system with no gears and just a 1:1 ratio would keep the propeller speed the same as the motor. The other thing about a belt drive system, is that it doesn’t need grease and it really doesn’t matter either if it gets a bit wet. Motionco are the source of the toothed pulleys and belt, and their contact details are listed at the end. Their website has a handy calculation tool for working out the spacing of the pulleys with a defined belt length. Photo 3 shows a 3mm plywood profile of the outboard being cut to shape on a fine toothed fretsaw and Photo 4 has this profile being checked for its internal spaces with some of the hardware. You need to be sure when commencing this sort of project that the hardware is to hand at the beginning of it all after you have done your drawing.

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Turning a flat 2D profile into a shaped 3D half mould To get the housing apart in order to install the hardware inside it, two patterns are required which are opposite copies of each other. There was also the steering and tilt mechanism to consider which would need further moulds. What materials would be suitable for the actual model outboard casings? Wood: Not man enough for a working outboard, but good for the patterns to make the moulds . Metal: This would be great, but too much work to fabricate, form and complete. Weight might be a problem as well. Vacuum Forming: Sturdy patterns would be needed and the end result could be flimsy mouldings with the problems of fixing the hardware inside. Glass Reinforced Plastic (fibreglass): Patterns would be needed once again and inverse masters of them would also be needed. A good material for the job though, for those who like it. Casting in Polyester Resin: This method is ideal for the average modeller, although the initial moulds can turn out quite expensive in terms of the volume of cold-cure silicone rubber required. Using this

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method, it is practical to make quite fragile wooden masters as they are not under any pressure or strain. Easily worked woods like Balsa, Obechi, Jelutong and Ply can be used. Moulds to do the outside and the inside with all the mounting parts for the hardware can be made at the same time. 3D Printing: This is probably the best and newest method of producing something like this in terms of the cost involved and amount of materials needed, but the biggest drawback is the shape which is very complicated and I am not yet fully conversant with the computer programs to get the whole process complete. One advantage though, is that only one side of the outboard’s casing need be drawn as the other is a matching opposite, so a ‘Flip’ command could be used.

Failure! I tried to do the drawing for 3D Printing, but gave up and settled on the tried and tested method of casting using polyester resin. I would be very interested to hear from modellers who manage to get over the internal and external shaped drawing problems for 3D Printing that I experienced. Anyway, as a result of this, it was back to physically making the Master Patterns, which as it so happened was quite pleasurable.

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Paerns The plywood profile (please see Photo 4 again) was pinned to another piece of plywood and a second was cut out to match. The pin holes were drilled 3mm and one side fitted with a short piece of 3mm rod glued in while the other half was left with the hole. These now locked together to ensure that both halves could come apart at any time, but didn’t go out of alignment. Photo 5 shows the two opposite halves being build up in stages using balsawood pieces and medium superglue was the adhesive of choice. Identical pieces of wood were glued on each half as the shape began to form. Photo 6 shows the two halves snapped together part way through the build-up process and they were always trimmed and sanded as a pair by hand, to keep them equal. Some layered pieces of plywood were cut to shape for some sections, and in Photo 7 you can also see where car body filler was added to get a curved finish on a panel and fill any gaps as necessary. Plywood pieces were added for the finer detailing along with the business end of the propeller drive unit itself. This was made from fine grain Jelutong wood on a lathe by drilling out the inner shape using a flat wood bit and ground down to the internal shape, then carefully sanding the outer shape before being sliced down the middle and stuck on to the pattern. Photo 8 shows the whole pattern unit nearing completion, the parts clipped together and showing the cross section of the casing. In Photo 9 you can clearly see the alignment pins and their corresponding holes. The insides of the two halves show the space for the motor, drive belt and the propeller cowling which still awaits the bearing supports.

Mechanics High speed moving parts need to be fitted with bearings. Sealed high speed ballraces of the type they use in model racing car wheels are good value and only two are needed in the bottom of the unit to support the toothed belt output shaft and propeller as well as to reduce friction. In Photo 10 the bearing support blocks are simulated by turned resin parts

which will need to be split to make the two mating halves. The shaft itself is locked in place by a grub screw in the toothed pulley which allows the whole shaft assembly to be removed. In the same photo, the pivot supports (just above the motor in the picture) for the steering yolk have also been turned from resin and split before attaching to the patter halves. A 4mm stainless steel pin sits in these cut-outs and the transom support and tilt mechanism pivots on this, all very much like full-size.. The exterior finish has been started, involving several coats of 50:50 dope and thinners, fine filling with car body filler and lots of sanding to get a good overall surface finish. Silicone moulds will reproduce everything down to tiny scratches and thumb prints, so much patience is needed when aiming for the final surface finish. An application of Halfords grey primer is helpful to show the defects for further filling and sanding as needed. Photo 11 is a close up of the split main bearing supports made from cast resin rod turned and drilled out on a lathe. These halves are part of the mould but could be added afterwards in a different material if you wish. If separate supports are made they need not be split, but would need a locating pin to stop them rotating in their housings.

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The exterior finish has been started, involving several coats of 50:50 dope and thinners, fine filling with car body filler and lots of sanding to get a good overall surface finish

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Photos 12 and 13 show the pivot block and transom/tilt bracket having its mould made in cold-cure silicone rubber. These parts detailed from photos of the full-size version which is cast in aluminium. On the model version, some reinforcement was considered vital, so aluminium tube was catered for in the moulding and these pieces are placed in the empty mould halves and encapsulated by the resin when it is poured, Photo 14. Steel pivots will run inside these tubes making them very strong indeed.

Moulding the main casings To make a complicated 3D shape or in this case the inside and the outside of an object, each half of the casing needs a split two-part mould of cold-

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cure silicone rubber. The process is easy enough, but can seem confusing to some, so here is a brief explanation. To make a two part mould, one half of the object to be moulded must be buried up to its halfway mark, usually in a medium unaffected by the silicone or something that will not stick to it. The best and cheapest material for this is Plasticine, which can be used over and over again and is easily obtained from art shops in 500 gram blocks for £2 or £3. Petroleum Jelly is also at the heart of most of the release agents used for silicone moulds and resin casting, so is painted on to the silicone (when fully cured) to stop the second half bonding to it. A mould box, at least 10mm bigger all round than the object to be cast should be made, to hold the liquid silicone while it cures. This can be a simple wooden box lined with polythene or one made from styrene or similar, but in this case I used Lego bricks. These can be used for many different shapes and mould volumes and then re-used, Photo 15. In this last picture you can see the case half-pattern being sealed around its edges on to the base of the mould. For your interest, a box of around 1000 Lego bricks can be had on Amazon at the time of writing for around £10. These nearly 7 inch tall two outboard patterns (left and right) need large mould boxes and each one used nearly 1kg of silicone rubber. For this reason, oddly shaped boxes from Lego were made in an effort to reduce the amount of rubber used. Usually the Plasticine forms the whole base and the ‘box’ is only really a casting frame. Cold-cure silicone will find its way into any space left unsealed, so great care needs to be taken when sealing the join line. The mould box was now filled with the silicone rubber and left to dry. A large ‘pour’ like this will need at least 24 hours to cure properly, Photo 16.

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Once set, firm to the touch and not tacky, the mould box should be inverted and the base and any Plasticine carefully removed, Photo 17. Make sure you remove all traces of Plasticine as any remains will create unwanted spaces when the second half is poured, and will ultimately fill with resin which you don’t want. At the same time using a sharp blade remove any dried silicone that has crept into the mould through unseen gaps as these will stop the resin going where you want it. Take your time over this, it is worth the effort. WARNING! Do not be tempted to take the pattern from the silicone mould at this stage, the seal around the edges is critical and must be kept tight. Also before moving on to the next stage, the whole of the mould needs to be treated with release agent. Using a stiff paintbrush do it twice to make sure. If the wood on your master has been properly sealed with Dope, Varnish or Paint, it should release okay without release agent, but the silicone itself MUST always be treated. The walls of the mould box must now be built up higher to allow for the second pour on the other side as can be seen in Photo 18 and this is what is so handy about using Lego bricks. Photo 19 shows the second half of the silicone rubber going in. When cured (24 hours + again), the walls of the box can be dismantled leaving one whole block of silicone rubber consisting of both halves with one side of the outboard motor’s casing within it. Carefully separate the two halves, slicing through any tags or strips that have formed in the process, Photo 20. Because of the size and weight of this mould and the thinness of the silicone rubber, a front and back wood support was made which will help keep it flat and aligned when later pouring the

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polyurethane resin. For those with some resin casting experience and the eagle eyed amongst you, you may have noticed that I have made no effort to put in ‘Runners and Risers’. These are the holes where the resin will flow into the mould and the trapped air will come out. This is my tried and tested method and quite deliberate, I assure you.

Creating Runners and Risers These are the technical terms used to describe the ways into a mould for the resin to flow and fill it (Runners) and the way air, which is pushed ahead of the liquid resin can escape (Risers). As a general rule, runners and risers have to be in a mould and this is true of ALL methods of casting or injection moulding whether for metal, plastic or anything else. That of course is what the sprues are on injection moulded plastic kit parts. Over years of moulding, I have found that air will get trapped at the end of a highly detailed and essential part or the highest point of a moulding. For example, fingertips and noses are a real pain when figure moulding. There is nothing you can do except plan for it and carefully choose where to place the Runners and Risers. Trying to guess where they will be and pre-building runners etc. into a silicone rubber mould before its made is futile in my opinion and very fiddly, so I try to spot the problem areas when the fully cured silicone mould halves are on the bench in front of me. A set of different sized K & S tubes have been sharpened at one end into a circular cutter specifically for this task and they work very well. Try to place these holes where they will do the least

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As a general rule, runners and risers have to be in a mould and this is true of ALL methods of casting or injection moulding whether for metal, plastic or anything else

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damage to the finished casting, for example on the back of a figure where a hole may be later be drilled, or in the case of this outboard moulding where the inside of the unit will be. In this way the finish of the outside will not be damaged by the cut away sprue circles all over it. In Photo 21, cocktail sticks mark where the riser holes have been cut with a small tube. They are mainly centred on the thin parts or the ends of long parts as well as high points in the mould that could trap air. These are all for expelling air so when the mould is full they should fill with liquid resin and indicate that you have filled those areas. A much larger filler (Runner) hole can be seen where the aluminium cutter tube is and it sometimes helps if you have the thickness of silicone spare on the outside to further cut a V-shaped reservoir around it for air bubbles to surface and to make pouring easier. It normally takes at least one pour to ensure that you have covered all the difficult areas, more air holes and even further pouring holes can be made as needed. These moulds are further supported with wood and the air hole positions need to be transferred and drilled though the wood supports as well. Photo 22 shows the Starboard mould after a good wash in warm soapy water to remove any leftover release agent and air drying by the radiator, with its

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wooden supports and rubber bands ready for the first pouring.

Mixing and pouring polyurethane resin Sylmasta, who advertise in this magazine, retail the resins and silicones used in this project. They are of consistently good quality, reasonable value and seem to have a good (once opened) shelf life. The G26 resin tends to go off too quickly, at least for me, so the slightly longer setting time of the G28 type is a better bet for home workshop use. The Sylmasta polyurethane resins are easy to use, as all you have to do is mix equal quantities of Part A and Part B by volume which makes consistent volume mixing easy. The two parts need to be mixed well, but not too vigorously so as to avoid inducing air bubbles into the mixture. It can be quite difficult to gauge the right amount to mix, so invariably one mixes too much unless the volume required is already known. That can be determined by filling each half of the mould with water and measuring the total volume from them both in a calibrated jug. Inevitably though, you will still mix to much resin (just to be on the safe side) and to reduce this possible wastage, make some round rod moulds, the rod perhaps being 20mm

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25 diameter and 100mm long and pour any surplus into them. The resulting polyurethane resin bars are handy for turning one-off parts such as capstan drums. Once the polyurethane resin is mixed, you don’t have much time to get it in the mould so have everything ready beforehand. Put the mould on a bit of tissue to catch any spills and have spare tissue standing by to clean mixing sticks, syringes, pipettes and so on before it sets. Acetone, also from Sylmasta, is a solvent for the resin and should be used for cleaning. The pouring area should be level, so check your bench as the resin can pour out of one end before filling the other. In Photo 23 quite a large amount is being poured from a big plastic cup, a vee-shaped notch in the rim helping keep it in a narrow stream. A continuous stream works the best and a very good method is to pour the resin down a cocktail stick or coffee stirrer positioned directly over the runner hole. While it can be hard on the hand muscles to keep a pour like this going, it will result in a much cleaner pour with no puddles all over the mould and the bench. Keep going till the shiny telltale of the resin can be seen in all the air holes. Being a gravity fed method the side seams of the mould can leak a bit so the rubber bands or a small weight can help, but do not distort or squash the mould out of shape. Photo 24 shows the Starboard casing after the first resin pour has cured and you can clearly see the runner and riser sprues sticking up which will be trimmed away. You may also notice the box shape sticking on the left side of the silicone mould. The L-shaped groove forms a raised frame inside the casing top to accept the aluminium motor mount allowing the motor assembly to be held in place without any screws when both halves are joined together. Photo 25 shows both halves of the outboard in polyurethane resin, as well as the pivot and tilt mould, and a black version of this is already fitted in the left half resin moulding.

Finishing-off A resin moulding of this size will have a tendency to distort slightly in the process as heat is generated when curing and thinner parts may curve slightly. A thorough check of the fit and any misalignment is needed and any faults rectified. In the case of these two large castings, a few minutes on a flat belt sander with 400 grit belt ensured a good fit together

27 for the two halves. Even though the parts fitted well, the only certain way to ensure water ingress into the casing is kept to a minimum is to make and fit a gasket. Tyre inner tube was tried but didn’t stay flat and it was my wife who suggested using Pond Liner, which you can buy in different thicknesses and by the metre from an aquarium shop. Photo 26 shows two gaskets made from 0.75mm Butyrate rubber sheeting, one cut out completely and the other traced around half the casing using a fine 0.5 Uni-Paint silver marker as other mediums didn’t show clearly enough. Holes for the locating pins were cut with a hole punch and in Photo 27, all the parts have been collected together ready for assembly. The moulded halves were drilled through one side only using a 1.5mm drill at most of the bolt points shown on a real outboard plus two more in the lower casing. This drill also marked the other side which was finished off using a 2mm drill. The 1.5mm holes were threaded with a 2mm x 0.5 metric tap. The 2mm holes were counter-bored on the outside to recess the heads of the assembly screws which are Pozidrive 25 x 2mm pan head. The gaskets had smaller hole positions marked through using a needle and white paint, then cut out with the hole punch. In the last picture (please see Photo 27 again) on

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The pouring area should be level, so check your bench as the resin can pour out of one end before filling the other

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Painting and artwork Ian Folkson (address at end) has made the artwork and lettering for the outboard in a joint session in his workshop and these are true replicas ‘grabbed’ from the manufacturer’s artwork on their site, and then printed in different colours. The XO boat will be basically black, silver, chrome and white, so the outboard motor was sprayed Satin Black with the side, top and front panels silver, Certain parts were chrome painted and then the black and white artwork and lettering applied as in Photo 30.

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Supplier Data Motionco: 5 Hanborough Business Park Long Hanborough Oxfordshire OX29 8LH United Kingdom Website: www.motionco.co.uk Tel: +44 (0)1993 882711 Ian Folkson: T/A Ian’s Boats 16 Otley Drive Gants hill Ilford Essex IG2 6SL United Kingdom Website: www.iansboats.co.uk Email: [email protected] Sylmasta: Sylmasta Ltd, Halland House, Dales Yard, Lewes Road, Scaynes Hill, RH17 7PG, United Kingdom Website: www.sylmasta.com Tel: +44 (0)1444 831459

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the right side you can just see the gasket stuck on to one side using Deluxe Materials Super-Phatic glue. The two halves with all the hardware now fitted were bolted together ready for testing and in Photo 28 you can see the outboard mounted on a temporary cradle and display stand during wiring and settingup for its first water test. The outboard was fitted with a 35mm diameter racing prop with a dog-drive fitting on the 4mm output shaft and a stainless steel washer between the resin casing and the metal dog drive collet as a thrust washer. These were found online from China, and very reasonably priced. A 2830 x 1000 KV brushless motor as fitted will drive a 35mm propeller, but is really at the top end of its capabilities and (again) from experience I know that it would be more efficient running a propeller of about 28 to 30mm diameter, but the smaller ones look a bit silly on the bottom of this monster outboard. I also wanted to see what sort of current it would draw when working hard via the belt drive system, but would probably run a smaller propeller once the outboard was installed on a model. Running off an 11.1v x 2500mAH LiPo gives a notional top rotational speed of about 11000rpm, which is quite high for this configuration.

Conclusion It only remains to fit the two steering ball joints over the tilt mechanism on a level with the main pivot and this will be done when this outboard and another identical one are fitted to the new boat, but that’s for the future. I hope that readers get some encouragement from this article to have a go at building what in the end has turned out to be a practical and powerful outboard motor. No special machine tools were required and the toothed pulleys and belts are readily available from Motionco and the cost? Well the motor was in stock and the propeller came from China; the pulleys and belt are relatively inexpensive from Motionco and wood for the patterns was from stock as was the resin for casting. The Silicone rubber for the moulds had to be purchased - cost around £50, but the time spent was of course 100% free and the second and any subsequent units can be cast from the master mould. Happy boating - Ron Rees

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Water test A wooden support was made for the end of the metal test tank (an old plaster’s bath) and one of the moulded supports fitted to it, Photo 29. A 30 Amp Alexander Engel Sub-Commander Brushless ESC was fitted for the test plus one servo (for steering) and an ammeter. The motor was silent and ran smoothly drawing just under 2 Amps at normal running speed. When the throttle was moved forward to high speed, the ammeter showed just over 5 amps as current drawn. Putting a hand into the powerful flow from the outboard’s propeller revealed a huge pressure of water moving past which could only be an indication of its capabilities, as I think it will perform even better when the water is pushed past the drive and not jetting round the test tank in all directions. At the end of the 15 minute test, the top casing where the motor is housed was cool and the bottom end was cold, and no water drained from the outboard when it was taken out of the bath, so the rubber gasket must have worked. I think we could say it was a successful test all round, which was promptly followed by a cup of tea!

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The Builder’s Model Dave Wooley examines this useful resource n the MB 2010 Winter Special Edition there was an article entitled ‘Research and the Ship Model’. Not wishing to repeat that content, this 2016 piece adds to that article with an emphasis towards outstanding and unusual builder’s models from around the world. This should hopefully provide an insight into the skill of model makers, past and present, and at the same time discuss the question as to what is the purpose of such models.

I Photo 1. This model of HMS Oxford, a 54 gun fourth rate ship of the line launched in Bristol, is an example of the style of model referred to as a Navy Board Model and it is in the Glasgow Riverside Museum.

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The builder’s model Although we use the term ‘builder’s model’, such a description can be misleading as large numbers of models were commissioned from companies

Many associate the name Mauretania with the four funnel Blue Ribbon winner of the Cunard Line, but there was a new 35739 ton RMS Mauretania launched from Cammell Laird Shipyard on 28th July 28th 1938. This handsome builder’s model is in the Williamson Art Gallery at Birkenhead.

such as Bassett-Lowke in the early part of the 20th Century and John and Julian Glossop more recently. These models were for industry, the Royal Navy, general purchase and overseas customers. When visiting maritime or naval museums, the ship model still holds pride of place, although perhaps not so evident nowadays as with the rows of cased models of year’s gone by, but without them any attempt to explain or offer information regarding a nation’s maritime past is greatly diminished. There are many maritime museums and institutions throughout the UK which have either on display, or more commonly in storage, ship models perhaps relating to the heritage of the local area, be it naval, commercial or other uses. One of my personal passions is the builder’s model for the one good reason that it is the most tangible link possible with how an original ship appeared, even though that vessel is probably now long gone. To understand the builder’s model, it is useful to understand why such a model was commissioned, and by whom. The origins of the builder’s model go back to ancient history, but it was the Navy Board Model of the 17th & 18th Centuries which placed the ship model on a technical level, as they were often deemed to be equivalent to the full-size vessel. As exact details for the construction of the vessel were incorporated into the model, this is evident in the way the hull below the waterline and the decks were often un-planked, exposing the frames and internal construction, Photo 1. More latterly, the ship model became more than just being a refined working tool, but developed into a piece of commercial marketing. Shipyards and shipping companies saw the marketing potential of a ship model and it is these that can now often be seen on display in maritime museums. One of the world’s most notable examples is the 1:24 scale model of the RMS Titanic at the Merseyside Maritime

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3 Photo 3. Prior to the building of highly detailed full hull builder’s models, the Half-Block Model was a preferred demonstration of the builder’s intentions. The model in the centre of the picture is the Cunard Royal Mail vessel Samaria of 1867. Photo 2. A 20ft display model of the RMS Titanic built for the White Star Line and on permanent display in the Titanic gallery at the Merseyside Maritime Museum in Liverpool, together with other artefacts and memorabilia from that doomed liner.

5 Museum in Liverpool. This huge 20ft model was originally used for display purposes by the White Star Line as the RMS Olympic, post-Titanic loss, but research reveals that this model was originally listed as the RMS Titanic prior to her loss in April 1912. Further X-ray evidence has revealed the model was fitted with a sophisticated lighting system to enhance its appearance when on display, Photo 2.

The commercial aspect? Many builders’ models from the late-Victorian period and into the 1950’s, be they naval or civilian, were built to impress, either the prowess of the shipbuilder or their elegance and commercial potential for the owner. It is here that the level of detail was at its best, yet at the same time the level of authenticity is open to question. The half-block model was also part of all this, but only half the hull, often lacking any real detail, was fixed to a flat vertical surface to show the lines of the vessel. The style and practice of providing a half-block model as part of the construction contract gained prominence in the 19th Century, but they frequently lacked detail and architectural value, often ending up as little more than decoration, Photo 3. At the other end of the spectrum, this magnificent model for Alfred Holt of the Blue Funnel vessel MV Telemacus, Photos 4 and 5, shows the exemplary work of the model maker and is, next to the real

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ship, as close as you can get to seeing the form and function of ship fittings in the late-1940’s. However, these fittings have been nickel plated and so bear little resemblance to how such a fitting would have actually looked on the real ship, so a bit of a paradox for us model making enthusiasts. It is a good example though of how the ship’s owner Alfred Holt, wanted a model not for just authenticity but to project the image of his company. In contrast, the later 1955 Alfred Holt cargo vessel MV Demodocus has similar fittings, but they are presented more authentically, Photo 6. Having said that, both are wonderfully crafted models when, and if, displayed in a board room, each having a visual impact far beyond that of just a simple representation.

Photo 4. A somewhat stylised model of the Alfred Holt vessel M. V. Telemachus seen at the Williamson Art Gallery’s Model Collection in Birkenhead, Merseyside. The ship was built by Caledon Shipbuilding and Engineering Co. Ltd. of Dundee in 1943. She was broken up in Hong Kong in 1968. Photo 5. This M.V. Telemachus model was built in the style that used nickel plated fittings to impress whereas, other models amongst the collection of ships of this Blue Funnel company have a more realistic approach to displaying fittings as the Photo 6. As a contrast in presentation to the M.V. Telemachus model, the Vickers Armstrong built 1955 Alfred Holt M.V. Demodocus is seen here with a less garish approach for its display representation.

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7 Photo 7. A functional stevedore training model demonstrating a method of loading a locomotive into the hold of a ship. Photo 8. Models remain a fundamental tool when evaluating hull design as demonstrated here in the Denny Test Tank at Dumbarton in Scotland.

Functional models The ship model can be seen on an altogether different level to that of an embellished display model. There were, and are, models made specifically for training purposes. For example in the period before containers became the common means of transporting finished goods around the globe, trainee stevedores would have first been introduced to operating the various dock and ship derricks with the aid of a model as in Photo 7. At

naval establishments there were always large scale models for demonstrating ship rigging in the time of sail and later for using winches, capstans and boat drills. Even today, the Royal Navy Britannia Naval College at Dartmouth has a number of models for demonstrating aspects of ship construction and deck work, plus a wet tank with a large scale model of a Type 23 frigate for demonstrating drills when at sea. Various test tanks in the UK and other maritime nations use scale models to test how hull forms perform in especially created water conditions, vital

Unusual builder’s models One of the most remarkable builder’s models ever constructed was that of Viribus Unitis. The original warship formed part of the Tegehoff class of Austro-Hungarian Dreadnought baleships. These were built to counter the Dante Alighieri, the first Italian Dreadnought baleship in what was to become a pre-WW1 Adriatic naval race. Viribus Unitis, like the Dante Alighieri, had a twelve 305mm (12 inch)

main armament in triple barrelled turrets, all on the warship’s centre line to enable the maximum possible broadside, this being an innovative design for that time. Viribus Unitis was laid down at the Stabilimento Tecnico Triestino (Trieste) Shipyard and launched on the 24th June 1911 entering service with the KUK (Kaiserliche und Königliche Kriegsmarine), the Austro-Hungarian Navy, on 6th October 1912.

The model of Viribus Unitis Construction on this 1:25 scale model did not begin until mid-1913, and so it was not therefore directly associated with the construction of the original vessel. What is remarkable about this six metre model is that it was constructed as if sliced down its centre line to reveal not just all the outer detail you would expect to see on such a large scale model, but every part of the interior. This includes the engine and boiler spaces, magazines, heads, officers’ mess, dynamo room and armoured tower etc., and in fact an interior that mirrors the original vessel in minute detail. Its construction took from 1913 to 1917 by eight skilled model makers and engineers. No superlatives can do justice to this amazing ship model. It is as close to a work of art as you could expect in a ship model and a testimony to the model maker’s skill. The model is permanently on display and is the centre piece in the Naval Gallery of the Museum of Military History in Vienna, Austria. (Photos courtesy of Edward Kompast)

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ABOVE: The most remarkable feature regarding this 1:25 scale model of Viribus Unitis is that the entire inner detail of the vessel has been exposed from the Starboard side, i.e. looking to Port, making this one of the world’s greatest model ships. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

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in practically evaluating the optimum hull design for a vessel, be it an aircraft carrier, oil tanker or cross channel ferry, Photo 8. Please note that the operator is wearing a lifejacket, just in case! Other notables are the 20th Century functional models built by Gibbs and Cox Naval Architects of the USA, showing every detail of the construction of a vessel. A good example of this is the LCM 201 built to a scale of 1:8 in Photo 9. Such a model was used by the shipyard in the pre-CAD age as a 3D aid to assist in the positioning of various fittings and structures within the ship.. The materials used in models such as this LCM are predominantly metal and as such are extremely stable when the model is exposed to the atmosphere. Plastics often deteriorate over a period of time if exposed to light and wood can dry out if left in an air-conditioned gallery. Builder’s models for display, built in the 19th and early 20th Centuries, whilst including metal fittings, usually have a hull made from timber and are built in layers in a bread and butter fashion, with glues and paints very different from what we have available nowadays. When conservation is being undertaken of such old models, careful consideration is given to the use of glues and paints that are compatible with those of their original construction.

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Photo 9. The US Naval Architects Gibbs and Cox used highly detailed and true representations of original vessels, such as this LCM 201, as a 3D aid for their construction. (Photo courtesy of Bill Clarke)

ABOVE: The forward gun turret on the 1:25 scale model of the Austro-Hungarian Dreadnought battleship Viribus Unitis. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: The forward gun turret on the 1:25 scale model of the Austro-Hungarian Dreadnought battleship Viribus Unitis. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: It’s worth remembering that in this picture of the port side of Viribus Unitis, that actually only half of the armoured tower, bridge and funnels is externally complete. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

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ABOVE: One of the smaller 30 foot open motor pinnaces. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

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The model of Viribus Unitis Continued

ABOVE: The forward torpedo room of Viribus Unitis at the lowest part of the bow, and even a torpedo tube is sliced in half. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: This photo shows the magazine and storage arrangement for the brass cased cordite charges and the shells for the after main 305mm gun turret. On each side is a hoist for lifting the cordite charge and shells to the turret. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: A photo of between the internal decks of Viribus Unitis. Above is a mess space and below are the heads (toilets). The door handles and pipework are 100% realistic. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: Voice pipes, alarm bells and dials are all part of the interior of the armoured bridge of Viribus Unitis. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: The anchor cable (chain) on the way down to its locker deep within the bows. To the left of the picture is the drive shaft for the capstan. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

ABOVE: Right aft is the Captain’s suite and every detail has been incorporated in its dining area, including an exact miniature of the original painting hung in it. (Photo courtesy of Edward Kompast)

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

special feature

The model of SMS Dresden One of the main maritime Museums in North Germany is the Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (German Ship Museum) in Bremerhaven which houses a number of significant builder’s models, one of which is a magnificent 1:50 scale model of the light cruiser SMS Dresden. The full-size warship survived the destruction of the German East Asiatic Squadron at the Battle of the Falklands on 8th December 1914 and then managed to elude British hunting groups in a search lasting almost three months. Eventually SMS Dresden was tracked down to the island of Más

ABOVE: The fore and aft sections of the decks were linoleum covered. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Evans)

Afuera off the southern tip of Chile and cornered in what is known as Cumberland Bay by the armoured cruiser HMS Kent, light cruiser HMS Glasgow (a Coronel survivor) and the armoured merchant cruiser Orama. As a final act of defiance and to avoid destruction by the British, Captain Lüdecke of SMS Dresden set charges in the magazines to sink his own ship. It’s worth noting that the deck surface shown on the model is linoleum and not exposed steel, which like the colour scheme is one indicator to the time period. (Photos courtesy of Jonathan Evans)

ABOVE RIGHT: SMS Dresden in shown here in the pre-WW1 livery of a white hull with buff upperworks, when part of the German East Asiatic Squadron based at the (then) German port of Tsingtao (Qingdao) in China. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Evans)

ABOVE: Strangely, the walkway seen here running along the edge of the deck housings is covered with linoleum. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Evans)

ABOVE: It’s worth noting that SMS Dresden as a turbine powered warship had four propshafts, whereas SMS Emden with triple expansion engines had just two propshafts. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Evans)

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ABOVE: Housed in the German Ship Museum at Bremerhaven is this 1: 50 builder’s model of the turbine powered light cruiser SMS Dresden, a sister ship to SMS Emden. (Photo courtesy of Jonathan Evans)

special feature

Livadia was designed with a pronounced tumblehome that gave the design its unusual appearance.

ABOVE: It was only with the opening of the Riverside Museum in Glasgow that the underside of the model of Livadia could be properly seen in detail and because of this feature, it was that which condemned the design concept to be a failure.

ABOVE: The magnificent builder’s model of the Imperial Russian Royal Yacht Livadia seen here in the Clyde Room of the old Glasgow Transport Museum. (This museum closed and many of the exhibits were moved to the new Riverside Museum at Pointhouse Quay, a short distance away, in 2011).

The model of the Imperial Royal Yacht Livadia

ABOVE: Livadia, built from 1879 to 1880 replaced a yacht of the same name lost in 1878. It was the Imperial Yacht of the House of Romanov, but was also a test bed for future warship designs.

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Another of the unusual builder’s models is this Russian Royal Yacht built at the behest of Czar Alexander Second by John Elder and Co. Shipbuilders on the Clyde, and commissioned on 30th September 1880. The design featured a flat bottom and pronounced tumblehome with a beam to length ratio that gave the impression of it being more circular in shape than any other vessel of that time. Although suffering from periodic ‘slamming’ when underway, Livadia proved to be reasonably stable and could maintain a speed of around 16 knots. Unfortunately the Czarina (the emperor’s wife) disliked the vessel intensely as it made her feel

queasy, even when stationary in harbour. Although for civilian use, there were many that considered the design to be a prototype warship. This model was built to a scale of 1:48 and is seen here when on display in the Clyde Room of the now closed Transport Museum Glasgow. The model, and for the first time the flat bottom that caused many of the yacht’s problems, can now be seen at the new Riverside Museum in Glasgow. A few year’s ago, accomplished model maker John Hollis built a superb live steam powered version to the same scale, this featured builder’s model proving to be an invaluable resource and inspiration to him when constructing his model.

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

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This highly intricate 1:50 scale model shows in detail the pipe laying technology installed aboard Ceona Amazon. (Photo courtesy of David Collier)

RIGHT: A model of the latest technology in deep water field development. Ceona Amazon is a new addition to the huge collection of ship models at the Hamburg Maritime Museum. (Photo courtesy of David Collier)

Ceona Amazon, 2015 Bringing builder’s models up to date, I thought it would be appropriate to include one of the most versatile and modern pipe laying vessels, known officially as a ‘Versatile Deepwater Field Development Vessel’. This 1:50 scale model displayed at the Hamburg Maritime Museum shows in superb detail its huge Huisman 628 ton top tension VLS (Vertical Lay System) Tower. This 31240 ton vessel was built at the Lloyd Werft Shipyard in Bremerhaven, Germany and was completed in 2014. The ship has dynamic positioning with three Azimuth stern thrusters, three retractable Azimuth bow thrusters and one tunnel thruster. (Photos courtesy of David Collier)

References and acknowledgements Conclusion Although only just scratching the surface of the subject of this article, it’s beneficial to us amateur model makers to know that there is a vast resource of information, often free, that can be easily accessed in the UK and abroad to give us help with understanding aspects of ship design and perhaps some inspiration for our next project. Maritime museums and other national or local institutions have large numbers of ship models, but admittedly in some countries these museums have re-tailored their displays to cater for the casual visitor rather than the dedicated maritime enthusiast. On the plus side, most have good websites listing what they do and how artefacts and models are displayed, so some pre-visit research is perfectly practical via the Internet. Dave Wooley - Summer 2016

Model Boats Winter Special 2016

General ref: Ship Models - Their Purpose and Development from 1650 to the Present by Brian Lavery and Simon Stephens. The Discovery of the Ship Model by Norman Boyd. Warships and Warship Modelling by David Wooley and William Clarke. Viribus Unitis ref: Austro-Hungarian Baleships, Chapter 5 the Tegehoff Class. Warship Volume 2, The Viribus Unitis by Friedrich Prasky, pages 104 to 115. SMS Dresden ref: Warships of World War One by H.M. Le Fleming, page 127. Livadia ref: The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea edited by Peter Kemp, pages 488 & 489. My sincere thanks and appreciation for the assistance of: Edward Kompast, Jonathan Evans, Dave Collier and Bill Clarke.

Museum information Hamburg Maritime Museum. Website: www.imm-hamburg.de Museum of Military History Vienna. Website: www.wien.info Deutsches Schiffahrtsmuseum (German Ship Museum).

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Website: www.dsm.museum The Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead, Wirral. Website: www.williamsonartgallery.org Glasgow Riverside Museum Website portal: www.clydewaterfront.com

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kit review

Footy Bantam Tug

Phil Parker’s model

he moment I clapped eyes on the brightly painted boat moored in the basin behind the London Canal Museum, I knew I wanted to build a model of it, Photo 1. Thanks to the informative signs near the craft it was obvious this was the Bantam tug. A trip to the museum shop furnished me with a simple card kit for a waterline model in lieu of a plan and an r/c model was now a distinct possibility.

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The prototype Bantam tugs were built by E.C. Jones & Son (Brentford) between 1951 and 1969. 91 boats were produced and at peak production in the 1950’s they were launched at the rate of eight a year. Each tug was fitted with a hand-cranked two cylinder Lister diesel engine producing between 21 and 40 horsepower. Despite being called tugs, they were actually designed to push boats as this is nearly twice as efficient as pulling them and to do this they had a large metal fender on the front with wooden posts to protect the steel. A small towing eye was fitted under the rear doors. British Waterways were the largest customer for Bantams with 20 vessels of various designs on their books. They were particularly popular for working with dredgers which can be difficult to manoeuvre when towed. Bantams were the industrial shunter of the canal system with aggregates companies, ports, factories and contractors all buying them. Although nominally the same type of boat, designs varied widely and several tugs survive in preservation.

The hull

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Looking online, the first problem with building a model Bantam is the hull. Above the water everything is pretty simple, but underneath it’s an odd conical shape for manoeuvrability. Even if I could find a plan, scratch building it looked beyond

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

kit review

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my skill level so the project sat in the back of my mind for a couple of years. All this changed when Mastman introduced their Footy Bantam Tug kit, Photo 2. The hull looked right and there was even a simple superstructure, plus for £25 it was a bargain. Back on the bench, a critical appraisal of the parts made me realise that while the hull shape looked good under the water, from above it was either too wide or too short in length. In plan view the featured real tug tapers toward the back which the kit didn’t, but still it was either this or back to scratch building and so I pressed ahead. This is not to say that Mastman has got it wrong, since there are variations on the full-size design and this kit does not claim to be of a particular tug. The supplied hull is vac-formed from ABS and the first job is to trim it back. An Olfa styrene cutter was run around the edge to remove the moulding lip, Photo 3. Next, a couple of strips of 2mm thick plastic sheet were fitted around the top edge as in Photo 4 using a plastic weld liquid glue. The deck was made from 2mm thick styrene sheet, Photo 5. Although a satisfactory vac-formed deck unit is supplied with the kit, it appeared too rounded for my liking, so the challenge of DIY appealed.

shoving dead models toward the bank, but only if it has plenty of grunt, so this version is fitted with an MFA 380 motor driving a 35mm diameter four-bladed brass propeller, Photo 6, via a plastic coupling from SHG Model Supplies. An Mtroniks Viper Marine electronic speed control unit, Planet 2.4GHz receiver and full-size servo complete the hull-mounted running gear, Photo 7. The servo operates the largest brass rudder that can be fitted, although it has been shortened so it doesn’t protrude below the hull’s bottom. Power is from a 6v SLA battery sitting in the middle of the boat on plastic ledges.

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Mechanical bits A pusher tug is useful on the boating pond for

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kit review

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Superstructure Everything apart from the hull has been built from styrene (plastic) sheet, Photo 8, and almost all of the superstructure lifts off the model. On the water it’s held in place with a clip at the front and a large rare earth magnet at the back, gripping a piece of steel fitted under the floor. The front of the cabin slopes backward slightly so the model has an inner box wrapped with 0.5mm styrene (plastic) sheet. Cardboard templates made from old cereal packets are very helpful when

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working out the sizes of each part. The front fender (bumper) shape was traced from the deck top on to a sheet of 2mm plastic and then using a pair of dividers, the inner curved line was marked, Photo 9. The hull isn’t perfectly rounded so this produced a neat result and no-one can tell the curve isn’t technically a precise curve. More 0.5mm styrene (plastic) was wrapped around the front, the holes for ropes being made later in the same way as the portholes. At the rear, Photo 10, door handles and hooks for the bar that secures the doors were made from 1.5mm thick brass wire and there should be a towing eye beneath the doors. On the prototype it’s rarely used, but is clearly visible. Each side of the cabin has a metal strip riveted to it and on the model, the strip is plastic and the rivets made by holding plastic rod near a soldering iron so the material melts and forms a mushroom, Photo 11. These were fitted into holes drilled in the side pieces. Messing around with styrene (plastic) sheet on projects like this is most satisfying as it’s the one material where if you cut too much off, sloshing some solvent (Slater’s Mek Pak in this case) over the problem and pushing a bit more styrene in allows you to add material. Once left to harden, the join can be sanded to be invisible and reworked as though nothing had happened.

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

kit review

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Styrene strip and section is available from most model shops in a variety of shapes and this enabled me to build the portholes without buying the specialist parts. Portholes started as a disk of 0.5mm styrene cut from the sheet with a pair of sharpened dividers to mark the circle and glued to the superstructure. This was then drilled and opened out with a tapered reamer, but a round file would do, to accept a slice of 13mm dia. tube. Once the glued joint had set, the tube was sanded back to leave a lip, Photo 12. If we are honest, the portholes are over-scale but those on the prototype seemed to be too small and as this model was to be representative semi-scale and not true-scale, making it ‘look right’ was the best option. Handrails are of plastic tube, but this time 2.5mm o.d. and are fitted into supports made from more styrene sheet, Photo 13. Again, a trifle over-scale, but they look okay. The vent in the middle of the top is built-up from layers of tube and more styrene

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disks cut out with the sharpened dividers. At the bow there are a pair of substantial wood buffers. These have been cut from balsawood but were not fitted until after painting, Photo 14. To keep the natural look of these wood parts, they were stained grey and then protected it with a few coats of sanding sealer topped-off with some polyurethane matt varnish. Model boats really do need a captain, but as the precise scale was not known, a hunt for a suitable figure was undertaken and a few £’s spent at a car boot sale provided a selection of suitable toys and the one that seemed closest to scale was Captain Scarlet. Reworking his clothes from those designed by Gerry Anderson to a marine style boiler suit was performed with Milliput Filler, Photo 15. His boots were ignored as the floor on this model is higher than the prototype so he had to be cut off at the knees anyway to fit in the cabin - go on, admit it as we have all done it at some time on a new model!

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paint. The lines were fattened-up with more yellow applied with a brush, Photo 17. After he first line is in place, following with the brush is easier than expected. The real tug isn’t particularly well or neatly painted, so a model does not have to have a new car type of finish. Finally, the deck has a non-slip coating applied and the model is big enough that this needs to be visible. Textured paint from a DIY store needed a serious can-shaking but looks right on the model, Photo 18. Here it is the wrong colour of course, but it will take an enamel topcoat colour well enough.

Painting

On the water

One of the attrac attractive features of the prototype is its garish livery. This is lovely to look at, but reproducing it on the model m made one seriously consider some of the duller dulle liveries worn by other Bantams. However, as it’s o only paint I thought, it can always be cleaned off (sand (sanded) and another attempt made. At the front f there are diagonal wasp stripes, something you often see on stripe railway locomotives and some rolling ra sstock. The lines need to be straight, parallel and the same width as p each other, as any mistakes stand e out a mile. o A spray of yellow paint was left to dr dry for a couple of days so it was good an and hard. Then a sheet of masking film was stu stuck over it, with holes to allow for the bumper bra brackets. On the film the stripes had been marked, a job jo much easier to do when flat. With it stuck to the th model, a sharp blade was used to cut along each line and then peel every other stripe away, Pho Photo 16. A spray of black paint and then the remaining masking was stripped off. Some touching up with a small brush and the results aren’t bad although I say it myself. Card templates were used first to provide a demarcation between the red and green paint and then as a guide for a bow pen loaded with yellow

The chubby little hull is very buoyant and with the SLA battery fitted, the model weighs 1.3kg. Real Bantams are ballasted so the deck is just a couple of inches above the water, but for a model, a little more freeboard wouldn’t be a bad idea. It’s also important to weight the stern more then the bow as when in motion the hull tends to dig in at its front end. Notably, real Bantam tugs are ballasted much the same way, presumably to assist when pushing loads. Sailing this tug is great fun, Photo 19. The drive system give more speed than necessary but at least one can get it out of the way of other models on the lake. Steering is incredible with the hull able to turn in it’s own length and the battery provides power for a decent sailing session.

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Conclusion I really enjoyed building this model and at just £25 from Mastman, you can’t go wrong. Plastic (styrene) is cheap, especially if you buy the large sheets sold at model boat shows, so any mistakes can be thrown away rather than bodged as might be the case with wood. This is what some would call ‘A Thursday morning boat’, in that it’s small enough to be easily put in the car for a sailing session. There’s detail, but nothing so fragile one would be nervous about using it, but with lots of ‘play value’ and it’s easy to see on the pond and handy for pushing other stranded models back to the landing stage. Phil Parker - Summer 2016

Useful websites For a more detailed history, visit: www.jim-shead.com/waterways/mwp. php?wpage=Bantam-Tugs.html A set of photos showing Bantam IV: www.flickr.com/photos/45131642@N00/ sets/72157645040396874 Mastman: www.mastman.co.uk

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

propwash

Build a D Class Racing Boat! Website: www.bmprs.co.uk Craig Dickson takes a close look at building one of these petrol engine powered boats

ithin the BMPRS, the D Class has proved increasingly popular over the last couple of years with a good number of our members having a go at racing these substantial monohulled boats powered by s.i. (spark ignition) petrol engines. When you see these in frenetic race action at our events, the attraction becomes immediately apparent as they certainly make their presence known with excitement in abundance and lots of prop’ wash! For this 2016 Special issue, I want to take a closer look at one of these boats, and as he lives locally, my brother Garry Dickson kindly allowed me access to his D Class Saturn, to have a close look at it, both inside and out. Garry has raced this boat regularly in the D Class over the last couple of years and has won plenty of races with it, rarely being outside of the top three places at each event. This particular hull has been designed by John Smith and is also known as the ‘Patriot’.

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How big is it? Photo 1 gives a visual indication of its size and the boat is approximately 150cm (59 inches) long by 38cm wide and 20cm deep, and without fuel on board weighs in at about 14kg. When boats of this size have a mishap and flip over filling with water, they weigh considerably more than this and take some effort when being lifted by the rescue boat crew. Photo 2 shows the boat tilted over on its starboard side, allowing us to see the vee-shaped hull and the two spray rails on the port side of the hull, one of which runs right up to the bow of the boat. Spray rails help give a hull lift, by deflecting the water downwards, making it run less wet and with less drag, and therefore travel faster as a consequence. This hull has plenty of freeboard which helps enable the boat to handle rough water with ease

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propwash

and it also results in a hull that has a huge volume of space inside, giving lots of flexibility in terms of building options.

The exterior in more detail For me the aspect of these boats that make them look so realistic is what I regard as the business end, that is the transom where a multitude of cleverly engineered essential components can be seen. What key components can we see from Photo 3 taken from the rear port side of the boat? At the top of this picture is the rear grab handle bolted through the top deck for the secure and safe lifting and launching of the boat. To the left of this handle can be seen one of the quick release hatch clips, the other being just visible behind the right hand side of the handle. Looking at the vertical transom itself shows the exhaust exit flange (left hand side) and above that, five small holes which help allow hot internal air (from within the hull) to flow out. These holes also double-up as drain holes for when emptying the boat of water, following a mishap perhaps, by holding the boat vertically upright. To the far right of the transom is what appears to be another exhaust exit pipe (blue in colour), but this is in fact a further vent and drain hole disguised to look like part of the exhaust system. Towards the bottom of the transom are two sets of trim tabs, one each side, sitting nearly flush with the hull bottom. I say nearly flush, because they actually sit just above the hull bottom, by a millimetre or two, to minimise drag. These particular trim tabs comprise two essential components, being a CNC L-shaped alloy bracket and a thinner L-shaped stainless steel plate which are bolted to the transom with two stainless steel bolts. The upper CNC alloy plate is fixed and tapped to take two vertical bolts which when screwed down for example, move the stainless steel tab down. Adjusting the trim tab down like this makes the bow of the hull drop down at speed. Such tabs allow for the fine tuning of the way the boat runs on the water. The other two essential components seen here are the rudder assembly and the driveshaft. The rudder blade is a wedge shape in cross-section and approximately 15cm long. It has two silicone tubes connected to it, which supply cooling water to the engine and exhaust system. Two finely machined horizontal holes about two thirds of the way down the rudder pick up the water (from the thrust of the propeller) and take it up to vertical holes within the blade of the rudder itself to the brass nipples and into the silicone tubing. Looking closer now at the rudder assembly, Photo 4 shows how the blade is wedge shaped, meaning that it is pointed at its front leading edge and tapers outwards to a thickness of 6mm at the back edge. This thickness allows for the internal water passages (for the cooling water) and also gives it extra strength. The brass nipples screwed into the upper back part of the blade allow for silicone tubing to be attached. Please note how the blade itself is clamped in a CNC housing by two bolts, the lower one being of a narrower diameter and made of brass instead of the tougher stainless steel. The idea of this is that in the event of the rudder taking a hard knock, the lower bolt should snap allowing

the rudder to flip backwards and upwards. This action saves a lot of potential damage to the rudder assembly components and indeed the transom to which it is bolted. Some members prefer to use a nylon bolt which will snap even more easily than a brass bolt, but this is a matter of personal preference. The CNC alloy clamp itself, has a vertical steel pin going through it held in place with a grub screw. In this last photo, the top of this protruding pin can be seen housed in its bronze bush allowing the rudder

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Data Box of key supplies for this boat Prestwich Model Boats: Website: www.prestwich.ndirect.co.uk Saturn hull Tuned pipe for the engine Manifold/header for the engine Rudder assembly Flexi drive assembly T-Bar propshaft support Millpond Models: Website: www.millpondmodels.co.uk Tuned Zenoah engine Radio box Strut assembly for flexi-drive Turn fin

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Leeds Model Shop: Website: www.modelshopleeds.co.uk Radio control equipment including servos Fuel tank Note: All other miscellaneous hardware parts were also purchased from these suppliers. CFS Fibreglass Supplies: Website: www.cfsnet.co.uk General purpose marine grade polyester resin and catalyst Chopped strand (glass fibre) mat Bondaglass fibreglass paste Flowcoat

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7 to rotate around the vertical axis. On the port side of the clamp (centre left of photo), is a horizontal tab to which the pushrod from the rudder servo is attached using a simple bush. The steel push rod is secured to the bush (which pivots on the tab) by way of a grub screw, the top of which can just be seen in this picture. Photo 5 is a close view of the external drive system and propeller. The alloy strut support comprises of three pieces of CNC alloy plate, two of which are bolted to the transom, with the middle piece (containing the plain bearings to support the flexible drive shaft) clamped between them. This middle piece can be adjusted up and down which dramatically affects how the boat rides. This is the reason for the elongated hole visible in the transom where the brass stuffing tube can be seen coming

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out, the end of which slips inside the strut support. The two bladed propeller seen here at the right of the picture is a balanced and sharpened Beryllium & Copper propeller which is approximately 70mm diameter and 100mm pitch. This propeller has a plain bore and presses up against the stainless steel dog drive with a retaining nut. The dog drive is secured to the propshaft with a grub screw, and has two teeth which fit in to matching slots in the hub of the propeller to prevent it from turning on the shaft. I think it is worth mentioning that the flexible driveshafts are essentially a special type of flexible cable, but only up to about 70mm from the aft drive end. This short remaining section is of solid steel, enabling it to run smoothly within the plain bearings of the alloy strut support. Have you noticed the other little alloy component just to the left of where the propshaft tube exits the transom? This simple device is an auto bailer which enables water to drain from the hull when the boat is moving at speed. If the boat does stop, external water pressure pushes the little yellow plastic ball into the alloy tube sealing it against an internal O-ring, stopping water from getting back in. Incidentally, water cannot enter or exit the hull via the oval hole surrounding the propshaft tube, because inside the boat, this section is fitted with a permanent box type cover to prevent water ingress. Photo 6 shows the transom from starboard side of the boat. Notice the ‘teardrop’ shaped alloy turn fin and its supporting bracket which is bolted to the lower corner of the transom. This small piece of hardware greatly helps the boat’s turning ability, assisting with stability and precision in right hand turns. The fin has an elongated slot in it with a single bolt clamping it to its bracket. This enables the fin to be adjusted up and down or angled up or down as required. Photo 7 shows the port side of the hull amidships with the watercooling exits visible. The three with surrounding red circles are in use, the fourth one to the lower left is sealed inside and not currently needed. To the left of the upper cooling exits, is one of five separate air vents that help keep fresh air flowing into the interior of the hull. This particular vent comprises a simple stainless steel cowl, bolted to the deck with three bolts, and it feeds air directly over the hot exhaust manifold which sits below the deck at about this point. Photo 8 shows the upper deck towards the forward end of the boat. The front handle is visible just in front of another air vent moulded into the

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propwash

10

9 deck, which feeds air directly to the engine. Towards the centre of this picture are two alloy plates bolted to the deck which serve to hold the long hatch in place at its front end. These might look a little crude, but they are strong, simple and do their job. On the hatch itself there is another stainless steel type cowl type air vent feeding more air to around the engine section. These spark ignition engines generate a lot of heat (not unlike a car engine), and getting plenty of air inside the hull helps ensure good and consistent running.

What keeps the boat afloat if it tips over? Boats such as these invariably flip over from time to time in race conditions, sometimes doing spectacular somersaults in the process. Having sufficient internal buoyancy is essential to prevent the boat from sinking. With this particular boat, this is achieved by way of plenty of ‘pool noodles, as in Photo 9. Some people use domestic pipe foam lagging, but pool noodles have the benefit of not being hollow in the middle and so offer relatively more buoyancy.

“

Let’s look at the inside of the boat A great design feature of this boat in practical terms is that it has a very large removable hatch, giving superb easy access to the inside of the hull. This makes things so much easier during both the building of the boat, and subsequent maintenance and replacement of parts. In Photo 10 we can see key aspects of the internal lay out. 1) The engine is approximately amidships with the fuel tank in front of it towards the bow end. 2) The waterproof radio box is situated behind the engine leaving plenty of room for all of the other bits and pieces.

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Boats such as these invariably flip over from time to time in race conditions, sometimes doing spectacular somersaults in the process

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Model Boats Winter Special 2016

The two lengths in the hatch serve separate purposes: 1) If the boat flips over, they usually help self-right the hull. 2) They prevent the hatch from sinking should it become detached from the boat. Common sense perhaps, but quite often boat owners overlook hatch buoyancy.

propwash

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13

14 The 7hp engine This particular engine is a 31cc tuned Zenoah spark ignition motor and it packs a lot of punch, producing around 7hp. Photo 11 shows the motor in-situ with silicone tubing supplying watercooling to the cylinder head, the exhaust port area and the connection from the manifold to the tuned pipe. The darker coloured tubing (lower right of image) is Tygon tubing which, unlike silicone tube, can handle petrol without degrading and yes, this is the supply line from the fuel tank to the carburettor. The pull-start mechanism is bolted onto the bow end of the engine’s crankcase, and the steel push rod in the lower left section of this last picture (please see Photo 11 again), controls the throttle lever of the carburettor. The crankcase of this engine is mounted on a special CNC alloy mount which in turn is fixed to a surrounding plywood cradle using four anti-vibration rubber mounts and Photo 12 shows the plywood section during its assembly stage. The crankshaft has a collet type coupling which is connected to the flexible drive shaft (visible to left of cylinder head in Photo 11). The brass stuffing tube (which houses the flexi-shaft) is supported by a strong alloy T-bar which is bolted to the plywood

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rails, a close up view being shown in Photo 13. This particular T-bar device incorporates some neatly engineered features, including an integral lubrication feed and adjustable arms which can be moved in or out before being locked in place.

Fuel tank The fuel tank in this boat is a plastic vented tank which holds approximately 1.2 litres of fuel, sufficient for only about 20 minutes running time. Photo 14 shows the tank securely strapped in place with two pipes exiting the neck of the tank. The upper pipe is simply a vent pipe to allow air in to replace fuel as it empties. You can see a little valve fitted to the end of this pipe and it is a one-way valve which allows air in, but no fuel or air out, essentially a safety feature to prevent fuel splashing out and on to the hot engine. However this valve has to be removed when filling the tank to allow air out as it fills. The second pipe (heading to lower left in this last photo), connects to a fuel filler valve, and then to a fine fuel filter, before the carburettor fuel inlet nipple. This picture also demonstrates how spare space has been taken up with plenty of pool noodles for buoyancy.

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16

17

Aft section and radio box Photo 15 shows the rear inside section of the boat, including at the stern transom wall with easy access to the protruding bolts holding the external rudder and drive system components. It is also just possible to make out the outlines of the reinforcing alloy plate that is fibreglassed to the transom. The tuned pipe, although securely held in alloy clamp brackets, is able to move a little as these in turn are fixed to the hull with anti-vibration rubber mounts similar to those used for the engine, but smaller in size. The radio box is situated as close as possible to the transom, but not so close as to make access to the bolts though it unnecessarily difficult. The close-up picture of the radio box in Photo 16, at first glance gives the impression of a very complicated set-up, but it is more simple than it may appear. Great care has been taken to ensure that this plastic type box is securely mounted with metal plates being bonded and bolted to the sides of the box and to the hull. The double bead of silicone around the hatch flange helps ensure a fully waterproof seal when the transparent lid is clamped down. In terms of simplicity, this set-up basically comprises only two servos, a receiver, battery pack, switch harness and a battery power LED indicator. One servo operates the throttle of the engine and the other controls the rudder, which are all that is needed. This installation uses a standard Futaba servo for the throttle and a high torque Hitec digital servo for the rudder that can provide 12kg/cm of torque from the 6 volt power pack. This high power rudder servo is needed because there is a propeller in front of the rudder being driven by the powerful 7hp engine. The two control rods for rudder and throttle that pass through the box, make use of flexible

Model Boats Winter Special 2016

18 rubber bellows on both sides of the box wall and are attached by way of an alloy housing specially designed to be waterproof for such applications. Photos 17 and 18 show the rear section of the boat from a different angle and hopefully better demonstrate how the tuned pipe is mounted, enabling some flexibility in terms of movement. The tail-end of this tuned pipe has a piece of silicone tubing wrapped around it where it passes out via the transom. This allows for a degree of movement and helps keep the heat within the exhaust from transmitting to the fibreglass hull’s transom, which would weaken it. The interior of this boat has been given a good thick coat of a fibreglass resin based product called Flowcoat (sometimes also known as Topcoat). This provides a tough and easy to clean hard-wearing surface, and helps prevent greasy contaminants from impregnating the fibreglass hull itself.

Conclusion I hope that this article has given a little insight as to the make-up of a typical BMPRS D Class racing boat. Large boats such as these are just as easy to build as the smaller types, primarily because of the extra internal hull volume available, which gives immense flexibility when installing the various components. This class, I have no doubt, will continue to prove popular in the coming years. Craig Dickson - Summer 2016

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Model Boats December 2016 issue is on sale on the 25th November 2016

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Next month in This issue includes a Complimentary Free Plan for a typical example of one of the under-10 metre fishing boats, designed by James Poinger. We also have Part Three of Dr. Marcus Rooks’ steam turbine powered all metal HMS Dreadnought model project and reports from 2016 Model Boat Convention at Haydock Park and the bi-annual display by the Society of Model Shipwrights in Kent. See more about what’s in Model Boats magazine month-to-month in forthcoming issues and see some of the articles you may have missed from past issues and subscription offers on our website: www.modelboats.co.uk We have a great range of subscription packages that you can choose from, including our new Print + Digital package which give subscribers 13 issues a year with 6 free plans, 13 digital editions to download and keep PLUS access to an Online Archive dating all the way back to January 2007. Don’t forget! The December 2016 issue will be published on

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