This is a record of the model boats I have created.
"Dolfyn"
A 1/8th scale model of my 32ft. Westerly Pentland - a bilge keel ketch
Completed April 2004
Early in 2004 as a change from building and flying radio controlled model aircraft I decided to build a radio controlled model yacht.
There was no question as to which to build - it had to be a model of my full size ketch " Dolfyn".
The model was scratch built from plans drawn up to a scale of one and a half inches to the foot (i.e. 1/8th scale), using drawings from the internet and measurements from the full size boat. This gave an overall length (including bowsprit), of 48 inches - (hull only 46 inches,) and beam 14 inches
The hull is glass fibre laid up in a mould which I made. The plug for the mould was carved from white foam, covered in brown paper soaked in PVA, plastered with car body filler and sanded to a very smooth finish.
Deck and superstructure are made from lite-ply.
The twin bilge keels are grp mouldings - filled with chopped up lead and encapsulated in resin, and bolted to the hull using bolts set into the resin in the keels.
With the exception of the mast, which is a grooved section, the propshaft and the prop, the hull, all fittings, sails, etc. were built from scratch using basic materials.
As per the full size, auxiliary power is fitted, but in the form of a 540 electric motor.driving a three blade prop (very useful for those days when the wind drops and the boat is in the middle of the lake !)
The following photos show the finished boat and action shots.
Click on any thumbnail for a larger photo.
Completed Model Motoring Trials
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Sailing
Sailing
1
2
3
Up the Creek
Distance sailing
*See www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk - (photo of the month-March 2006)
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The next project was a model of the Pwllheli Lifeboat. An RNLI "Mersey" class boat - it was built to a scale of 1/12th full size.
Completed September 2004.
Based on a GRP hull from a commercial supplier ( Metcalf Mouldings)
a lite-ply deck, grp and plasticard superstructure,
it is powered by two 540 motors with individual controllers and run off two 6 volt
batteries.
Not quite completed - a few details such as anchors, stem fittings to be added.
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Sailing off the lifeboat slip at Pwllheli.
Dedication plaque added. Revolving radar motor added.
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Next was a model of a Mallard duck !
Completed November 2004
I decided that a model duck might be an
amusing project and searched for a "decoy duck" on the internet.
To my surprise exactly what I wanted was for sale on eBay. the vendor having purchased it
with what I had in mind
but had not gone ahead with the project.
I bought it.
The following pictures show the completed model
Powered by a "400" size electric motor running on six
volts, only minimum revs are needed to achieve
a realistic speed. Initial trials indicated a problem with radio reception due to
the restricted
aerial length within the body of the duck. When more than 6/7 yards away the signal would
momentarily be lost, the BEC circuit would cut the motor and retrieval measures
(i.e. a push from other boats) would be needed.
The problem is being worked upon.
The reaction of "real" ducks and swans was interesting.
The ducks rapidly swam away from it but the swans stood their ground (water?)
and obviously puzzled, hissed menacingly.
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HMS Portland
The current project (Dec 2004) is a 1/96th scale Type 23 frigate. I am building it as HMS Portland as my grandson is a member of the crew of that ship
Commenced December 2004.
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First
Sail
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The Airboat
The next project ( 11/12th February 2005) was a very quick knocking together of an "airboat". Roughly based on the ones used in the Everglades it was made for virtually nothing using items off my shelves mainly salvaged from old crashed aircraft ( i.e. electric motor, prop, controller, servo, connectors and receiver). The hull is simply foam cut to shape with a hot wire and partially clad with 1/16th balsa, plus the flat underside with styrene sheet (all of which were left over from other projects).
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Pegasus
I do not usually build from kits, but at Easter
2005 I got the opportunity to acquire a partially started Robbe Pegasus kit.
Being a kit it was a quick and interesting build and was soon on the water.
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Marbleheads
Whilst building the Pegasus a friend of mine was
given the moulds for a Marblehead. This is an internationally sailed and raced
development class sailing yacht and though we do not intend to race, three of us who sail
at Llanberis decided that we would like to
build one.
I moulded three GRP hulls for us and all three have been completed and sailed
This one is mine.
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Griffon Hovercraft
In October 2005, looking about for another
project I thought a hovercraft might be interesting. I searched the internet and found
the superb web site www.model-hovercraft.com.
This site had downloadable plans for a scale Griffon hovercraft so I built one
It performed excellently at its first outing on 20th November 2005
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RNLI Hovercraft - 005 The " Hurley Spirit"
Early in 2006 as a follow on to the successful Griffon Hovercraft I started a model of the RNLI Hovercraft. I was unable to obtain plans for this, so designed it with dimensions obtained from lots of photos from the internet. It is therefore not exactly to scale but is very close. All the RNLI hovercraft seem to vary in lots of detail so I have based mine on No. 5 the "Hurley Spirit"
Lift power is from a 600 electric motor and the two drive motors are brushless outrunners. All motors have their own dedicated 2000mah li-po batteries at 11.1 volts.
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Northsider Tug
In May 2006 my wife bought me a semi -kit for the Northsider tug from Tyne Models as a birthday present. This was finished in time to launch it on my birthday in July. Powered by a large windscreen wiper motor running on 18 volts it has lots of power and has often towed broken down models for quite long distances at our lake.
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Motor Schooner
For my next model I fancied building a Schooner. I found some plans on the internet which included the frames as well as the layout so I scaled the plans at one and a half inches to the foot and built it. The hull is a fibreglass moulding with a liteply deck. As a "motor schooner" it had to have an electric motor fitted which is useful on calm days. Completed in October 2006 it has performed very well.
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Trimaran - Snapdragon
Built from a Traplet plan, the Snapdragon is a sailing Trimaran, 47 inches long and 44.5 inches wide ! Completed January 2007.
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Fireblade
Built from a plan lent to me by a friend this is a hard chine one metre yacht made in wood. Whilst the hull qualifies for the International one metre class I have used carbon fibre tube for the mast and boom so it cannot be used for racing. August 2007
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Loyal Mediator
Built from a kit by "The Model Slipway" also one metre long. 2007
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Moonbeam
A kit by Metcalfe Mouldings, this is an updated version of a "pond yacht" designed and built in the early 1900's
My model was completed in February 2008.
Last update 04-03-2008
Don Brown
Gwynedd
North Wales
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