Armidale Class Patrol Boat

[David Young 3Participant @davidyoung3]

There’s you saying that you’re not a pro,with a job like that Peter,you could have fooled me.

 

Beautifully crisp clean lines,a wonderful job so far.

 

David.

 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Peter  How do the Armidales compare to the old Fremantles . The information I have says   they are home ported at Dampier?  Look forward to  more of your photos , really interesting  project. Thanks for posting

dave Wooley  

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Thank you for the kind remarks Bob and David Y.

 

Dave W, the Fremantles were a smaller boat at 42 metres compared to the Armidales at 56.8 metres. The Armidales had a longer range of 3000nm compared to 2360, but the Freos were faster at 30 kts compared to 25kts.

 

According to the Navy web site, 4 boats are based at Cairns, and the remainder at Darwin with 2 of the Darwin boats on detachment to Dampier.

 

Peter. 

 

 http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Cairns#Cairns_based_Armidale_Class_Patrol_Boats_.28ACPB.29

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Some more progress has been made, with more detail added including the circular antenna and its mast, 2 of the radomes are on and some of the hand railings have been fitted. I’m waiting for some brass rod to arrive from the USA before I can complete the railings. The 2 RIBs and their davits are next on the list. I’ve also fitted the 2 big whip style aerials on the forward superstructure.

 

Peter.

 

[David MeierParticipant @davidmeier28154]

It is looking great Peter. I cant wait to see a photo of it on the water at full speed. What are you powering it with? Have you gone brushless?

 

David.

[nevinsParticipant @nevins]

This model is exactly the type of ship style I am in love with.  Could you point me in the direction of a set of plans for this and if they are 1/72 thats even better.

[HvyCGN-9Participant @hvycgn-9]

A 1/72 scale Armidale is only 70cm long very small and can only really be run in very calm water. They R beaut little models I have a couple of pic’s of USS Long Beach and a 1/72 Armidale alongside.

 

Cheers Bruce

Edited By HvyCGN-9 on 11/07/2010 09:26:18

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

David, I have fitted two 545 type brushed motors, controlled by an ACTion P94 ESC/ mixer, which is an amazing piece of electronic wizardry by Dave Milbourn.

 

Nevins, Alan Pew in Australia does a 1/72 hull complete with drawings, as well as photos on a CD. He can be contacted at [email protected]

 

Alan did say that he thought 1/72 was a bit too small for this type of boat, and felt that 1/50 scale would be better.

 

Peter. 

[nevinsParticipant @nevins]

Thanks for the information guys, If 1/72 is small then it will have to be 1/50. I like my large scale models and this would be a right pearl to my collection.

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

The Armidale class has a relatively shallow draught, and in 1/72 there is not a lot of hull below the water line. 1/50 scale gives a greater mass, making it more stable.

 

Peter. 

[nevinsParticipant @nevins]

Thats interesting to know, thanks for sharing that .

 

Gareth 

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

The windows are now glazed and more aerials added to the bridge roof. I’ve also attached the name boards and crests. The name boards are BECC lettering on a New Guinea rosewood board, and the crests were downloaded from the RAN web site, then printed on to water slide decal paper on my printer.

 

Work on the 2 RIBs is in progress, and other small details will be added soon.

 

Peter 

 

 

[David MeierParticipant @davidmeier28154]

It is looking fantastic Peter. You must be very pleased with the way it has come out.

Don’t forget to post a photo of it scything through a moderate swell when you have finished it.

Waiting with bated breath.

 

David.

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Thanks, David. Yes, I am pleased as it’s been my most ambitious project yet. It certainly looks like an Armidale, so that’s a big plus 

 

The RIBs and davits are proving to be a challenge, but I’m getting there…slowly.

 

Peter. 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Peter  Well it looks like an Armidale so it must be an Armidale. Seriously your doing a cracking good job  and some of the shots I’ve seen of the real boat at full bore make it all the more impressive . 

Dave Wooley  

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Thanks, Dave, I appreciate your very kind comments.

 

Thursday night’s episode of “Sea Patrol” had some footage of one of the class in quite rough seas off the north Queensland coast, which was extremely impressive. The boat handled the conditions superbly. I hope mine does too 

 

Peter 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Posted by Peter Fitness on 24/07/2010 00:02:30:

Thanks, Dave, I appreciate your very kind comments.

 

Thursday night’s episode of “Sea Patrol” had some footage of one of the class in quite rough seas off the north Queensland coast, which was extremely impressive. The boat handled the conditions superbly. I hope mine does too 

 

Peter 

Hi Peter I am sure it will

Dave Wooley

 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Peter they really do fly

Dave Wooley

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

I’ve managed to build reasonable (I think) representations of the RIB davits, and am working on the RIBs themselves. Once these are finished, the end is nigh (as they say), with just a few details, such as navigation lights and life rings to be added.

 

Unfortunately, the last episode in the current series of “Sea Patrol” went to air here in Australia last night, but it will return in 2011, according to producers, Hal and Di McElroy.

 

Peter. 

 

 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Peter nice job on  the davits. What material are you using   to make the RIB?

Dave Wooley

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Hi Dave,

I used Evergreen styrene tube, bent using boiling water, for the hull sides, and styrene sheet for the rest, except for the tapered ends, which are from pine dowel turned down on my lathe. 

 

Peter.

 

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hi Peter  I   very much like the results on  the RIBs  and the methods used  to build them . Good lateral thinking

Dave Wooley

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Thanks, Dave. As I said earlier, the davits are representations only, as are the RIBs, and not exact scale replicas. I am not building the boat with a view to entering it in scale competitions, so I am attempting to capture the character of the vessel, with as much detail as practical, given my aging eyes and hands 

 

She has had her first flotation test, in the bath, and she sat beautifully on the waterline with two 6v 4.2 Ah SLA batteries on board. I will give her a test run later this week, and her club debut will be next Sunday.

 

Peter. 

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello there, Peter

 

I like your model very much, very neat and tidy…….congrats

 

I also like the full size picture, flying through the waves………That`s  how I imagined my Slo Mo to behave!……..Sadly, it didn`t!

 

Bob

[Peter FitnessParticipant @peterfitness34857]

Hello Bob,

 

Thank you for your comments.

 

The photo of HMAS Larrakia is certainly spectacular. Apparently the Armidales are very seaworthy boats, well able to handle rough conditions. I will let you know how mine goes, although I doubt that I will be able to reproduce that kind of a shot in model form 

 

Peter. 

 

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