FREE 20 PAGE PREVIEW - September issue of Model Boats

EDITORIAL

Editor: LindseyAmrani

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Illustrator: GrahameChambers

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10 Compass360 Aroundupofthelatest hobby/industrynews

12 The2023Fast ElectricNational Championships IanWilliamsreportsback

16 Speedline Modelsrelaunched OriginalfounderAdrian Goslingchatstousabout whyhe’shelpingpushthe boatoutonthisexciting newventure

18 The African Queen,Part1 RichardSimpsonbegins atwo-partbuildreviewof BillingBoats’1:12scalekit

24 Flotsam&Jetsam: Anyoneremember Adamcraft?

JohnParkerreflectsonthelegacy ofHarveyAdams’short-livedbut pioneeringpost-warventure

30 The ChristiaanBrunings

JohnMilesonshareshisobservations onbuildingandinstallingasteamplant intothisDeansMarinekit

38 FREELakeSkimmer PULL-OUTPLAN

Readytotripthelightfantastic?Then simplyfollowClarkSalisbury’slead…

48 Savemoneywitha subscription

Checkoutthelatestprintanddigital dealsandgetmonthlyissuesofyour favouritemagazineforless

50 PS Bilsdale,Part2

ColinBishopconcludeshisguideto constructingadelightful1:48scale periodpaddlesteamer

56 ICPowerboatingbasic build,Part1

DerekOwenexplainshowtocraftavery simpleracinghydroplaneoutriggerstyleboattogetyoustarted

60 BoilerRoom

RichardSimpsonaddressesthewhys andwhereforesofchangingthesafety valueinasteamplant

64 MemoryLane: Connected!

DaveWigginsjoinsupthedotsinthe historyofelectricalconnectorsfor radio-controluse

66 YourLetters

Viewsaired,infoshared,appeals launchedandsuccessfulclubevents celebrated

70 NextMonth…

Justthreeofthereasonswhyyouwon’t wanttomisstheOctoberissue

Justwheredidoursunshinego?

TheentiremonthofJuneandeven earlyJulyintheUKwasglorious. Sincethen,however,whilesouthern Europeandmanyotherpartsofthe worldhavebeenbattlingtheeffectsof extremeheat,theweathersystemhere seemstohaveadoptedaCaroleKing (ItmightaswellrainunderSeptember) attitude.Despitethat,however,it’s beengreattoseeallthephotossentin fromsuccessfulclub/societyeventsand opendays,andIhopeyou’vestillbeen managingtoenjoysome‘summer’sailing sessionsinbetweendownpours.

Fornow,though,Isuggestyouput thekettleon,makeyourselfahotdrink, maybecrackopenthe‘good’biscuits, andsettledowninacomfychair (obviously,modifythoseinstructionsto read“gotothefridgeandgrabyourself acoldone,beforefindingashadyspot” ifit’ssimplyswelteringwhereyouare), asthepagesaheadincludeplentyof inspirationalideas(thatis,ofcourse,if you’renotalreadytoobusybuildingan Ark!)forthosedayswhenyourworkshop servesnotjustasacreativespacebut asamuchappreciatedrefugefromthe elements.

Onthesubjectofgettingstuckinto projects,duringmylatestexchangeof emailswithregularreaderDaveWatson, hehappenedtomentionthat,although theadsinMBaremosthelpful,he’sstill findingitincreasinglydifficulttosource certainparts(mostrecently,navlights) duetothefactthatsomanysmall businessesseemtobeshuttingupshop. Consideringhowfrustratingthismustbe, especiallyifmid-build,itwouldtherefore bereallyhelpfultohearfromanyofyou whocanpersonallyrecommendsources fortrickiertofindcomponents,spares andmaterials,orindeedofferanyclever alternativesolutionstotheunobtainable/ unaffordable.Thesecouldthenberun intheYourLetterssectionofthemag alongsidealltheotherusefulmodelling andgeneralhobby-relatedtipsand trickssubmitted.That’sanudge,bythe way!It’sworthrememberingthatnot everyonehastheluxuryofaccesstoa friendly,localmodelboatclubwhere there’sacollectivepoolofknowledge andknow-how–sopleasekeepsharing thelearns.

Meanwhile,it’stimeformetowrapup andallowyoutoenjoyyourread,sountil wemeetagainintheOctoberissue,may thewindbackatyourback–andtherain notconstantlyhammeringdownonyou!

Enjoyyourread!

Lindsey

Compass360

OUTANDABOUT

DeansMarineOpenDays

From10amto4pmonSeptember8,9and 10,DeansMarinewillbehostinganother ofitspopularannualfundraisingeventsat itsshowroominFarcetFen,Peterborough (programyourSatnavtoPE73DH). Admissionwillbefreeofchargebut,asall proceedswillbegoinglocalcharitiesandthe staffwillbegivinguptheirownfreetimeto hostthethree-dayaffair,allcontributionsto thedonationboxatthevenue’sentrywillbe gratefullyaccepted.

Visitorswillbetreatedtoafirst‘upclose andpersonal’lookatmodelsbuiltfromthe latestkitsinDeansMarine’srangeand,in manycases,beabletowatch‘onthewater’ demonstrationsoftheirperformance.Visitors willbeabletoviewbothstaticdisplaysand ‘onthewater’demonstrationsofmodels builtfromthelatestkitsintheDeansMarine range.Visitorswillalsobewelcometosail

theirownmodelships/boatsonthetest pond.Theeventpromisestobeaverysocial occasion,withvarioustradeandmodelboat clubstands(allundercoverinmarquees)to browseandnatterstobehadwithfellow enthusiastsoverrefreshmentsattheon-site thecafé.

Althoughthedailyactivitieswillfinishup ataround4pm,thereisabarbequeplanned fortheSaturdayevening–pleasenote that,forcateringpurposes,pre-booking yourmealwillbeessential.Likewise,due tospacebeinglimited,reservationsmust alsobemadefortheon-sitecampingand caravanningpitchesavailabletothoseofyou wantingtomakeaweekendit(prioritybeing giventhosemanningtradeandclubstandsat theevent).

ForfurtherinfocallDeansMarineon 01733244166.

SeptemberSteam OpenDay

Modelsbeingdisplay/demonstratedatpreviousDeans MarineOpenDays.Latestadditionstotherangewillbe revealedattheSeptemberevent.

TheKnightcoteModelBoatCluband theLeamington&WarwickModel RailwaySocietywillbeteamingup toco-hostasteam-themedopenday onSunday,September17between thehoursof10amto4pm.

TheMidlandsModelEngineeringExhbition

Datesfor2023Midlands

ModelEngineering Exhibitionatthe

WarwickshireEventCentre havenowbeenconfirmed byMeridienneExhibitions, withthisyear’sfour-day extravaganzascheduledfor Thursday,October12to Sunday,October15.

Aswellastakinginall thegreatworkondisplay, visitorswillalsobeableto attendlecturespresented byModelBoats’sistertitles

ModelEngineer and Model

Engineers’Workshop,and therewillalsobedaily livedemonstrationsof3D printingby MEW EditorNeil Wyatt.Plus,ofcourse,there willbenumeroustrade,club andsocietystallstobrowse.

Tickets(pricedat£12.50 foradults,£11.50forSenior Citizensand£5forchildren agedbetween5-14)canbe bookedinadvanceat www. midlandsmodelengineering. co.uk orpurchasedonthe dayofyourvisitfromthe ticketoffice.

Aswellasbeingabletowatch steamboatssailedandlivesteam locosrunonanoutdoortrack,the localRNLIwillbeinattendanceand therewillbearaffle,aprizefor‘Best BoatontheWater’andrefreshments servedintheclubhouse.Plus,there willbefreeparkingandtoiletson site.

Allwillbemadewelcome, includingclubsandgroups, althoughpleasenotethatanyone takingalongasteamboatto sailmustbeinpossessionofa currentlyvalidtestcertificate Forfurtherdetails,email chrismoiruk@btinternet.com or visittheclub’swebsiteat www. kmbcmodelboatclub.com.

IMPROVEYOURSKILLS

Warmest congratulations!

Hatoff(orperhapsitldb moreappropriateto on’)tothewinners o June2023issueBillin BoatsCalypsoBeani HatPrizeDraw:

RogerMorgan of Newport,Wales

MartinOliver of Chatham,Kent

SteveEllis, Radcliffe-on-Trent, Nottingham

Airbrushtrainingcourses

TheAirbrushCompanyisnow offeringaseriesofhands-on,skill developingcoursesatitsWestSussex (Lancing)locatedHQ.Catering foreveryonefromthecomplete beginnertothosesimplywanting

touptheirgamebothtechnically andcreatively,eachcourseis tailoredtotheexperiencelevelofits participants.Underthesupervision ofexperttutors,studentsareable totryoutvariousairbrushesand learnhowtomasterahugerange oftechniques.Asanaddedbonus, aspecialstudentdiscountwillbe appliedtoallairbrushequipmentand paintspurchasedoncompletionof thecourse.

Toexplorethecoursesonoffer andcheckoutdatesandprices,visit https://Airbrushes.com

BUYTHEBOOK

JapaneseCombinedFleet1941–42

TheIJNatitszenith,PearlHarbortoMidway

ScheduledforreleasethisSeptemberand launchingOspreyPublications’newFleet series,thisbook(ISBN9781472856432) providesaconciseandcomprehensive accountoftheImperial JapaneseNavy’sstriking forceattheheightofits power.Withinitspages, navalhistorianandauthor MarkStilledrawsonhis decadesofIJNresearch toexplainwhatmade theCombinedFleetthe fightingforcethatitwas. Packedwithoriginal artwork,explanatory3D diagramsandmaps,the titleexaminesthefleet’s doctrine,innovative

tacticsandpowerfulwarships.Italso detailsthequalitiesandimportanceofIJN leadership,logistics,navalinfrastructure, andJapan’sshipbuildingcapability,and givesanaccountandanalysisoftheIJN’s combatperformanceduring thesecrucialmonths–notjust inthefamouscarrierbattles, butalsoexploringlesserknownelementssuchasIJN amphibiousforcesandlandbasedaviation.

ThetitlewillcarryanRRPof £15.99inpaperbackor£12.79in e-Bookformat,buta10%saving canbemadebypre-ordering nowfromthepublisher’swebsite at https://osprey-publishing. com

RNLIraffleresult

Amongstthemanyprizesup forgrabsintheraffleheld byKirkleesModelBoatClub atitsJuly9OpenDaywasa

12-monthsubscriptiontoModel Boats,which,wearenowdelightedto announce,waswonbyMrG.Wright ofSt.Helens,Merseyside.Raffleticket salescontributedtoatotalof£263.50 raisedforthelocalbranchoftheRNLI ontheday,sobravotoallinvolved.

Compass360

Ifyouhaveanewsstoryforthesepages,pleasecontactthe Editor,LindseyAmrani,viae-mailateditor@modelboats.co.uk

TTHE2023FAST ELECTRICNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

IanWilliams reportsback…

OvertheweekendofJuly8-9,this year’sNationalswere,onceagain, heldatBridlingtonand,asisalso customary,theMPBAFastElectricsection’s AGMtookplaceontheeveningofFriday, July7.Althoughtheracingisheldoverthe SaturdayandSunday,thelakeisopenonthe Fridayforpractice,bookinginandgetting batteriesweighed,etc,somostpeopledo arriveintimefortheeveningAGM.

Now,Idon’talwaysreportontheAGMbut inthiscasetherewereoneortwoparticularly noteworthyissuesontheagenda.The firstwasthedeclineinattendanceatthe Nationalsoverthelastfewyears;abitofa worryingtrend–although,asonemember pointedout,clubmembershipnumbers dotendtobecyclical.Thereisnodoubt, however,especiallyintheSouthWest,that thelossofsuitablewaterformodelboaters, andparticularlytoICenthusiasts,isstarting toimpacttheabilitytoswellourranks. Withincreasedawarenessofjusthowfast electricboatsarebecoming,manycouncils arenowbowingto‘concernedcitizens’and

beginningtobanallR/Cboatsfromtheir waters.Therewerealsoseveralproposals byNAVIGA(theworldorganisationfor modelshipbuilding/sport)thatneed decidingupon,inparticularwhetherlimiters shouldbemademandatoryforthemini classes.Personally,Iampleasedtoreport thatwe’vedecidedtokeepbatteryrules astheycurrentlystandfornow(formore information,visit http://www.mpba-fes.org. uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/MPBAFES-Handbook-2023.pdf).

Withbusinessallconcluded,adutysheet wasthenpassedaround,eachofussigning upforaspecificrole/responsibility(e.g., starter/timer,racecontroller,buoyjudge,etc) sothatcollectivelywecouldensureevery aspectoftheweekendaheadwouldrunas smoothlyaspossible.

Racingagainstthewind

Numberswere,onceagain,abitdown thisyear,soracingwasn’tthefrenetic affairithassometimesbeeninthepast. Severalyearsagoitwasnotatallunusual

tohavearound100entriesand,onceyou reachedthatnumberofcontestants,time naturallybecameverytightwhiletryingto accommodatealltheheatsrequiredovertwo daysofracing.Sincethebeginningofthis newdecade,despitestillattractingmultiple entriesineachclass,thereducednumberof participantsoverallhasseenthingsbecome muchmorerelaxed.

Thisyearitwasgreattoseenotonlysome newfacesbutalsotogetreacquaintedwith anumberofreturningmemberswho’dfor variousreasonshadbeenabsenteesfor severalyears.Forinstance,PaulWilson andhisson,Ashleywereback,andthey’d broughtalongsomeexcitingnewboatsI hadn’tseenbefore.

Above: LeeHeath’s Mono2passing underthetiming wires.

Right: Chris Pheasey’sHulk doingwellinthe rough.

Thenewshelterwiththeextrastepunderconstruction

LukeBurtonandhiscollectionoftrophies.

RACINGRESULTS

Hydro1

1st:LukeBurton

2nd:MartinMarriott

3rd:PeterBarrow

Hydro2

1st:LukeBurton

2nd:PaulHeaton

3rd:GeorgeMcDonald

MiniHydro

1st:RobPhysick

2nd:DavidHarvey

3rd:MartinMarriott

MiniMono

1st:LukeBurton

2nd:AshleyWilson

3rd:ChrisPheasey

Mono1

1stPaulHeaton

2nd:LukeBurton

3rd:PeterBarrow

Mono2

1st:ChrisPhease

2nd:PaulHeaton

3rd:GeorgeMcDonald

Despiteaforecastthatwarnedwe’d seedownpoursofbiblicalproportions,the weather,forthemostpart,stayeddry,ifabit cool.Forthisweweregrateful,aswewere, thisyear,withoutourprizeddriversstand. Beingafewyearsoldandbuiltofwood, thisstructurehadstartedtobecomealittle unsafeinplaces,leavingnochoicebutto ripitdown.Initsplace,therecurrentlysitsa modifiedcontainerwhich,intime,anewand farmorerobustdrivers’standwillbebuilton topof.

Wewere,however,challengedbybrisk windsfortheentireweekend.This,asyou canimagine,causedafewproblems,with boatsbouncingaroundquitealotonthe choppywater,andsomeactuallysank.The bottomofthelakeissoftandboatswhich submergeunderpoweroften‘stickinthe mud’.Mostusuallyre-surfaceafterashort while,butsomedon’t.However,allboats thatstayedunderwererecoveredbyour resident‘BoatFinderGeneral’,Andrew Fuller.

Ithinkthethreeclassesmostaffected bythewinditself,asopposedtotherough water,weretheMiniMonosandMiniHydros andtheCats,althoughfordifferentreasons.

TheMiniclassesaresosmallandlightthat, aswellasbouncingaroundlikecorks,they wereoftenblownoffcourse,makingthem very‘lively’todrive.TheMiniHydros,funnily enough,didn’tseemquiteassusceptibleto thewind,probablybecausetheyaresolow profile.Thebiggerandfasterclasseswere sometimesjumpingrightoutofthewater atspeed,makinglife‘interesting’fortheir drivers.Perhapssurprisingly,theHydrosin generalseemedtofarebetterinthechoppy conditionsthantheMonos–especiallythe fastMono2s,someofwhichweredefinitelya bitofaproblemtodrive.

Ihavetosaythatalthoughtheracinggot prettycloseattimes,itwasmostlypretty civil,withnoneofthecarnagesomehad fearedmightresultfromtheprevailing conditions.

Oneboatthatdidn’tseematallbothered byhowblusteryitgotwasLukeBurton’sEtti ArcasHydro1.Thisboatwasfastandvery stableintheroughwater,appearingalmost asifrunningonrails.Notsurprisingly,itwon theH1classeasily.

Infact,Lukehadaverygoodweekend,not onlywinningtheHydro1buttheHydroO2 andMiniMonoracesaswell,beforefinishing offbytakingsecondplaceinMono1.Quitea nicehauloftrophies!

1st,2ndand3rdplacewinnersinall categoriesarerecordedintheResultbox above,butIwouldjustliketosayabig‘well done’toallparticipants.Likewise,amassive thankyoutoalloftheBridlingtonclub memberswhoworkedsohardworkover theweekendtoensureagoodtimewashad byall–notforgetting,ofcourse,theladies inthekitchen,whokeptussowellfedand watered. ●

Right: Acloser lookatPauland Ashley’sboats.

FatherandsonteamPaulandAshleyWilson.

Oops,lookslikethiscouldbeheadedforthebottom!

Aphotographictestamenttojusthowroughthewaterwasattimes.

“Wewerechallengedbybriskwinds fortheentireweekend”

Compass360

SPEEDLINE RELAUNCHED

OriginalfounderoftheSpeedlineModelsbrand, AdrianGosling,chatstoourEd, LindseyAmrani, aboutwhy,with MDTonyBlakewell nowatthehelm, he’shelpingpushtheboatoutonanexcitingnewventure

Q. Longtermreaderswillnodoubtalready befamiliarwithSpeedlineModels,butfor readersbotholdandnew,canyoutellusa littlebitaboutthebrand,itshistoryandthe reasonsfortherecentre-launch?

A. IestablishedSpeedbirdModelsover20 yearsagonow,andfairlyquicklybuiltupa greatreputationforproducingsomereally worldclassmodelkits,notleastwhenit cametotherangeofRNLIlifeboatsonoffer. I‘retired’in2019topursuemyinterestin

Cyclekartingandin2021soldthebusiness ontoTonyBlakewell.TonyandIwere alreadyoldfriends.He’dbeenmakingallthe fibreglassmouldingsfornearly15yearsand workedoutofaunitnexttomineinHinckley, Leicestershire.Allwasgoingwell,until,on October9lastyear,wehadafire.

Tonylosteverything:moulds,patterns, machinery,thelot.Mostofmystuffwas justsmokedamagedbut,believeme,that canwriteoffsomuch.Asiftoaddinsultto injury,followingthefireweweren’tallowed

onthepremisesforsafetyreasons–but nobodytoldthechancersthat.Theystole everythingthatwasmetalandnotscrewed down,includingallthepowerandhand toolsthathadtakenmeover20years tocollect.Inaddition,theystolemytwo CycleKarts,oneofwhichhadtwiceraced atBrooklands.

Wantingtosalvagesomethingfromthe ashes,TonydecidedtostartSpeedlineup againandIpromisedtohelpasmuchas possible.

Anewandimproved1:12scale Shannonclasslifeboatwillbe thefirstkitintroducedbythe newlyrelaunchedSpeedline

Modelsbrand.

OriginalfounderofSpeedlineModels,AdrianGosling,and currentMD,TonyBlakewell(left).

“Ipromisewewillmakethebestrangeofmodel RNLIlifeboatkitsintheworld!”

Q. BravofortakingaPhoenix-likestance! What’stheplan,then,goingforward?

A. Well,wenowhaveanicenewunitonan industrialestateinHinckleyandarebusy bringingSpeedlinebacktolife.Tonyisthe boss,buthasmehelpingoutasmuchas possible.AsIwillnolongerbebuildingcars, itmakessensestooccupymytimewitha projectIcanreallygetstuckintoandenjoy, andwhoknows,Imayevenendupmakea fewbob!

We’llbemakingasmuchaspossibleinhouse,usingalaser-engraver/cutterand state-ofthe-artSLA3Dprinterstoreplacethe resincastings.Eachmodelweproducewillbe atruereplicaoftherealthing,astheplanisto offereverythingthat’srequiredtoincorporate allofthesubtlelittledifferenceseach individualboatfeatures.Customerscansimply explainthespecandwewillthenincludethe necessarycomponentsinhis/herkit.

Ipromisewewillmakethebestrangeof modelRNLIlifeboatkitsintheworld!

Someyearsago,Ivisitedacompanythat couldscanapersonwithamazingaccuracy andthenproduceahighlydetailed3Dprint ofthescan,inanyscale.Ithassinceoccurred tomethatwecouldusethisservicetofurther complementourkits,i.e.,wecouldinvitethe buyerover,dresshim/herinRNLIclothing,get themscannedandthenproduceafigureof him/herinresin.Thisprocesscreatesafigure whichistotallyrecognisable,notjustfacially butintermsofanindividual’sstanceand shape.Wearestillresearchingthisidea,since, ideally,wewouldliketoinstallthetypeof scannerrequiredonourpremisesandbuildup anappropriatewardrobeofclothingtoo.

Inthemeantime,wearegettingsetto scanactualRNLIcrewmemberscarryingout variousactivitiesonboardtheirlifeboats, whichwewillthenproducefiguresfromon SLAprinters.Superrealisticfiguresatlast!

Q. Whichkitswillyoubeputtinginto productionfirst,andwhenthesewillbe availabletoorder?

A. We’llbestartingwiththeShannon in1:12scalebecausethere’sasignificant demandforthiskitandwecangetitback intoproductionfairlyeasily.Someparts, however,havebeenreworkedtoenhabce theoverallquality.Forexample,the engineremovalhatch–previouslymade frometchedstainlesssteel–isnowsimply mouldedintotheroof;thismakesfora tidierjob,looksneater,andhasreducedthe cost.We’vereplacedtheoldjetdrives,too. Thenew3D-printedonesI’vedesignedare extremelyrealisticlookingandamazingly efficient,preventinganyairfrombeing suckedinthroughtheshaftbearingsand keepingwaterout.Theredesignedstator isnowbuiltitintothecompressorhousing,

FollowingonfromtheShannonand Trentclasslifeboatkitsscheduled forreleasethiscomingautumn, futureplansincludeTamarand Severnclasskits.Wecan’tgiveyou anETAfortheseasyet,buthere’s sneakpeekatworkinprogresson whatpromisestobeamagnificent Severn.

“Forthefirsttime,Speedlinewillalsobeofferingjustthefibreglassmouldings (hulls,decksandwheelhouses)... iswillgivemodellerstheoptionofeither scratchbuildingtherestofthemodelorsimplybuyingthebitsandpieces requiredfromSpeedlineastheygoalong,therebyspreadingthecost”

makeassemblybotheasyandaccurate,and I’vebeefedupthereversingbucketarms andimprovedthemethodofturningthe steeringnozzle.

There’sanewstatorandbearing arrangementwithinthecompressorhousing andintakecasingwhichimprovesthepower outputandeliminateswaterleaks.Weare 3DprintingthejetdrivesusingcarbonreenforcePLAsotheyaremuchstrongertoo.

We’rehopingtohavethesereadyas individualunitsbyAugust/September. Plusthere’sanewstatorandbearing arrangementwithinthecompressor housing,betteringpower,andthematerial isnowstronger,thereforemoreresistantto ‘accidents’.We’rehopingtohavethisready forreleasebyAugust/Septemberofthisyear.

We’realsocurrentlyworkingonanewand significantlymoredetailedversionofour

1:12scaleTrentclasskit,whichwillnotonly resultinadimensionallyaccuratemodelbut willbeautifullycapturethe‘lookandfeel’of therealthing.Allgoingtoplan,weshould bereadytostartfulfillingordersforthisby September/Octobertime.

Weintendtofollowthesetwokitsupwith 1:12scaleSevernandTamarclasslifeboatsand 1:16scaleSevernandShannonkits,althoughI can’tgiveyouanETAforthesejustyet.

Last,butnotleast,Imustmakementionof thefactthat,forthefirsttime,Speedlinewill alsobeofferingjustthefibreglassmouldings (hulls,decksandwheelhouses)asthey becomeavailable. Thiswillgivemodellersthe optionofeitherscratchbuildingtherestofthe modelorsimplybuyingthebitsandpieces requiredfromSpeedlineastheygoalong, therebyspreadingthecostoveraperiodthat suitstheirpockets.

BillingBoats’ AfricanQueen

oPart ne

Oneofthethingsweactivelypursue andpromoteistryingtoattractmore newcomers,particularlyyoungsters, intothehobby.Toencouragethis,I’magreat advocateofrecommendingakit,bothasa startingpointandasameansoflearningnew skills,whichcaneventuallybecarriedforward intomoredemandingprojects.Thebeautyof kitsisthat,astheycomewithallthedesign inplace,youcansimplyconcentrateonthe build,safeintheknowledgethat,provided youfollowalltheinstructions,thereisevery chanceofagoodoutcome.So,whenBilling Boatsaskedifsomeonewouldliketobuild andreviewitskitforthe AfricanQueen (see Photo1),itseemedlikeanidealopportunity toputmypreachingintopractice.

AtthesametimeasIagreedtobuildthe AfricanQueen theeditoralsoaskedifIwould liketoevaluatesomenewHumbrolproducts. Consequently,allpaints,varnishes,pigments andwashesusedinthebuildofmy African Queen werefromthecurrentHumbrolrange.

Astrongboxtoprotectthekitwithaveryusefulgoodqualityphotoofthecompletemodelonthetop.

RichardSimpson embarksonatwo-partbuildreviewofthis

1:12scalekit,aimedatthe‘AdvancedBeginner’...

Whatthecompletemodellookslike.Agreat projecttouseasateachingtoolforayoungster andamodelwithbagsofcharacterwhen finished.Detailingopportunitiesarelimitless.

Openingthebox

Onreceivingmyreviewsample,andafterthe substantialpackagingwasremoved,Igotmy firstviewofwhatIwaslettingmyselfinfor. Theboxtopdepictedalargephotograph oftheprototypebuild,beautifullyput togetherandlookingverysmartindeed(see Photo2). Openingtheboxrevealedasetof instructions,includingapartslist,afull-sized drawing,woodstrip,enginecomponents attachedtopolystyrenesprues,variousbrass fittingsandfixtures,asheetofcopperplate, avac-formedhull,severallaser-cutwooden fretsandbrasstubeandrod(see Photo3)

Whenpresentedwithabagofbrassbits andpiecesandbundlesofvaryingstock material,Ifinditinvaluabletoseparate allthepartsandplacethemonapieceof paper.Theycanthenallbemeasuredup, identifiedandtheirrespectivepartnumbers recordedonthatpaper;youcanalsoscribble downanynotesyoumightfinduseful(see Photo4).Beingafictitiousvessel,research includedfindinganddownloadingstills fromthemovieandstudyingthem.What immediatelybecameapparentwasthatthere wereafewsmallvariationsbetweenthe

modelandthemovieversion,soIhadsome decisionstomake.ShouldIfollowthekit’s instructionstotheletter,orshouldIaimto faithfullyreplicatetheboatassheappeared inthemovie?Ioptedtogoforabitofboth. Forauthenticity’ssake,Idecidedtopaint theenginegreenandthehull’slowerpart red.However,whilethevesselinthemovie isabsolutelyfilthy,fromoneendtothe other,Ididn’twantthistobeaweathering demonstration.Idecided,therefore,tofollow thekitmanufacturer’sguidance,reassuring myselfthatIcanalways–and,indeed, probablywill–givethismodelthefull weatheringtreatmentatalaterdate.Ichose toincludetheflagandawningthatcome withthekit,despitenotspottingtheseinany ofthemoviestillsI’dviewed.Togetabetter feelfortheproject,Ialsoboughtacopyof themovieandwatchedit.Matineeover,and witheverythinglaidoutandtools,glues, etc, readilytohand,itwastimetomakeastart (see Photo5).

Abriefwordonglue

Oneofthebiggestchallengeswhen workingwithvac-formedplasticisfinding therightglue.Inmostcasestheplasticisof apolystyrenetype,sothebestproductfor thejobisagluethatwilldissolvethesurface oftheplastic,therebyfacilitatingthebond process.Thisisfineforadheringplasticto plastic,butnotquitesostraightforwardfor plastictowoodjoints.Myfirst‘go-to’glue foranytrickyjointisusuallyatwo-partepoxy suchasAraldite,andIusedthistostartwith, untilIdiscoveredtomyhorrorthattheglue simplypeeledofftheplastichullonceithad cured.So,afteraskingaround,Iwentfora tubeofStabilitExpress.Thisisaverygood, albeitextremelyexpensive,two-partglue, whichcreatesanincrediblystrongbondand sticksmostthings.Atestrunonascrapof thehull’splasticlookedpromising.However, Iquicklyrealisedthatwhenitcametogluing thedeckon,itwasgoingtotakealotlonger togetthegluearoundthetopofthehull

Everythingyouneedexceptforthemotor,couplingandelectronics.Takecarenottowastematerialsastherefrequently wasn’talotofspare.

Basictoolsandgluestostartwith.TheAralditewas replacedwithStabilitExpressbutmostoftheotheritems wereasused.AllpaintswerefromtheHumbrolUKrange.

Ifyouhaveroom,layingallthepartsoutandlabelling themsavesahugeamountoftimegoingbackwardsand forwardsthroughtheinstructions.

“Oneofthebiggestchallengeswhenworkingwithvac-formedplasticis findingtherightglue”

Theforwardbulkheaddeterminesthepositionoftheframes onthedecksupportssoitneedstogoinfirst.Laminating thetwopartsissimplyawhiteglueandpegsjob.

Carefulpositioningiscritical.IusedblobsofBluTacto getthepositionperfectthenappliedagenerousfilletof glue.Thepre-cutbeamensurestransversealignment.

OnceIwashappywiththepositionofeverythingthebits andpiecescouldallbegluedinpermanently.Positioning ofthemotorandshaftingiscrucialasthepropeller clearanceisverylimited.

andthebulwarkstaysthanthefiveminutes IhadbeforetheStablitExpresswould starthardening.Icametotheconclusion, therefore,thatpolystyrenecementwasgoing tobemybestbet–althoughthiscouldn’t beathinvariety.Ifthecementisthin,as withLiquidPolyorevenRevelContactaina bottle,itsoaksintothewoodandevaporates beforeithasthechancetodissolvethe surfaceoftheplastic,soyouendupwitha veryweakbond.Theonlygluethatwillwork istheoldfashionedthickpolystyrenecement thatyougetinatube.Evenso,youmustbe carefulnottousetoomuchglueasthereis alwaysthedangerofthisdissolvingitsway rightthroughaverythinplastichull.Forall wood-to-woodjointsIusedsimplePVAwhite glue,whereasallbrasscomponentswere gluedwitheithercyanoacrylateortwo-part epoxy.

Lowerhullinternals

Idecidedthatthebestapproachwiththehull internalswastomakethebelowdeckframe andthetwoassembliesofupperframes anddecksupportasseparateassemblieson thebench.Thismadekeepingeverything squaremucheasierwhiletheglueset.These partswerethenfittedintotheplastichullas assembliesandgluedwithStabilitExpress. Theforwardmainbulkheadwasgluedin firstafterlaminatingitwiththebelowdeck bulkhead(see Photo6).Aseverythingelse islocatedfromit,thepositioningiscritical. Italsodeterminesthepositioningofthe framesonthelongitudinalstrake,sohasto besecuredintheboatbeforethesideframe assembliescanbemade(see Photo7.)Being acombinationofwoodenstripandlasercut plydidn’tpresentanyproblems.AsIhad testedacoupleofjointswithoutsandingoff

thedarkburntbrownlaser-cutedgesofthe plyandfoundthatitgluedsecurely,Ididn’t bothersandingtheedgesoff,asthereis alwaysadangerofmakingthejointsloppy bydoingthis.Thebelowdeckframingwent inneatlyandasubstantialfilletofStabilit Expresswasaddedtotheedgesofthe bulkheads.Thiswascloselyfollowedbythe frameassemblies.

Duringthisprocess,themotor,shafting andrudderassemblywasalsolookedat forthebestapproach.Usingtheprovided motorbase,shaftandsterntubeshouldfit inaccordingtotheplan;youstill,however, wanttotryandachieveperfectalignment (see Photo8).Oneaspectthatdidrequire somecarefulconsiderationwastherudder tube.Thisshouldbeattachedtothetransom butthatputsitatananglewiththekeelline, andthereforetherudderbushinsertedinto thekeelextensionisalsoatanangletothe rudderstock.Iwasn’tconvincedthatthekeel extensionwasstrongenoughanyway,being aplypart,soImademyownfromascrapof pine.Thiswasthendrilledataslightangleto taketherudderstockbush.Withtherudder tubeandpropellershaftalltemporarilyfitted, itdidbecomeapparentthattherewasvery littleclearancearoundthepropeller(see Photo9).Everythingwasheldinplacewith tapetoensureaperfectfitbeforefinally beinggluedinsecurely.Becauseofthetube arrangement,therudderneedstobefitted afterthestockisinsertedinthetube,which isalittletricky,asgluingitstraighttothe brassshaftwouldn’tachieveasecureenough bond.Havingpre-drilledtheshaft(see Photo 10), myrudderwasdrilledandpinnedonce fitted.

Notgettingthemastsupportsquarewouldseethemastatananglesothebasewasgluedandheldsquare.Thiswas

Iwasverycarefulwiththecuttingofthe hullasIwantedtoensuremysterntubeand keelextensionpenetrationswereasneatand

furtherstrengthenedbyawoodenblockgluedbelowthebase.

TogetthebatteryfittedwhereIwanteditaframerequired cuttingso,toreplacethestrength,sideswereaddedtothe batterybox.

Simplygluingtheruddertothestockwasnevergoingto bestrongenoughsoIpre-drilledthestockreadytotake pinswhenitcametimetofittherudder.

Ireplacedthekeelextensionwithapieceofpinestripfor strengthanddrilledfortherudderstockatthecorrectangle. Youcanseehowlittleclearancethereisforthepropeller.