Robin

Go for a 540 motor with a 7.2v NiMH battery pack. The MFA 540 Standard motor sold by Component Shop is just the ticket; they also sell batteries. **LINK** A 2-blade 30mm dia prop would be OK but you might find that a 3-blade prop of slightly larger diameter but finer pitch suits the model better. Plastic props are fairly cheap so you can experiment with different ones. Either way the prop shaft should be 4mm dia, threaded M4 at both ends and running in either a 6mm or 8mm OD brass tube with bronze or plastic bearings at each end. Use a flexible coupling between the motor and prop shaft rather than the more usual Huco UJ type. The flexible types are much quieter and more efficient. I buy my prop shafts and couplings from Model Boat Bits.
MTroniks speed controllers are popular. I have certain reservations (largely because I used to be in competition with them as a manufacturer!) but they are compact, cheap and cheerful and have the benefit of not coming directly from China. If you damage one then frequently it will be replaced FOC by the manufacturer – you can't ask for more than that. The Viper Marine 15A is the one to go for. The Viper instructions have a photograph of a complete installation (motor, receiver, speed controller and battery). If you want the very best speed controller then buy an ACTion P80 – but I have to admit a distinct bias here!
I have written an article about the electrickery involved in model boats – you can access it from the homepage of this website or just click on this link **LINK**. You should find it useful.

Incidentally Vic Smeed was the doyen of model boat designers – you've made a wise choice of model. Good luck!

Dave M

No prob, Doc! I'll bring it myself at visiting time. One point I must emphasise, however –

Robin – beware of buying a motor unless you know what's going on inside it. For example, you'll find two 540 motors on the CompShop website. One is the standard type which has a relatively high number of thin-wire windings on its armature and turns at moderate speed with a 7.2v battery, The other is a much higher-powered beast and will rev at twice that speed on the same battery. I wouldn't recommend it for a beginner's model. It will also drain the battery a lot faster than the other type (or even blow up your speed controller).

Many of the so-called 540 motors on E-Bay were designed to run cordless power tools with high-ratio gearboxes and are totally unsuitable for model boats unless geared down. They are, however, very attractively priced! My point is simple – why save a couple of quid on an unknown motor when you can avoid all the problems by buying one which is tried, tested and recommended?

Dave M

The forthcoming Model Boats Special due for publication on 24th April features a comprehensive article about Vic Smeed together with a list of all his known model boat plans by Tony Hadley. Tony's article is complemented by Dave Milbourn's build of Vic's Twinkler cabin cruiser design so you can be sure Dave knows what he is talking about above!

Colin

Robin,

It would be interesting to see photographs of Moonwind, either as the build progresses or the finished model.

There is a thread under the 'All things floating' heading specially for Vic Smeed's designs titled – 'Vic Smeed's Model Boat Designs' and the last photographs posted are of Dave Milbourn's Twinkler.

I'm going to ebay now to make my purchases.

Another soul lost to The Dark Side……………………….. "Tried we did, but to fail doomed we were".

Live long and prosper (or was that another daft space thingy?)

DM

She canna take it captain,

To boldly go where Bob hasn't been before,