Billings starter kit

[Ian CairnsParticipant @iancairns79193]

I’ve built a couple of r/c planes It’s the building I like – my son does the flying!. I’d like to try a boat kit and I’ve looked at a couple of model slipway kits which look like they give a nice finished product that will handle well. It’s just that they’re all plastic and I ‘ve always built in wood.

 I’ve looked at some Billings kits like the Boulogne Etaples Stern Trawler Pt 534 which looks OK.

 So some questions… Are these reasonable first-time kits or am I kidding myself here? Are the instructions OK? Do they build a reasonably good-performing boat? Are there other kits/makes worth considering?

Many thanks

*sorry about cross post – I posted in beginners but got no replies 

[Adrian JonesParticipant @adrianjones26420]

Billing Boats rate this as a model for the ‘Advanced Beginner’, so probably not the best choice for a first model. Billings do market a number of kits designed for the beginner, see their website, http://www.bilingboats.com. As for other boat kits suitable for beginners, try the HFM range of model kits, marketed by Jotika, http://www.jotika-ltd.com . For a very active model boat forum, try visiting http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk .

[Alastair CampbellParticipant @alastaircampbell80785]

Billings Boats kits contain good parts and mainly excellent fittings.  However, their plans and instructions are abysmal.  I’m just finishing off their "Will Everard" which is coming together well with the help of information and photos from the internet, but I’ll not be buying any more kits from Billings !!

[Ian CairnsParticipant @iancairns79193]

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