Fairey Huntress 23 Long Cabin Version

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Yes, that looks exactly right and they are not all the same cross section either. Much easier in full size than when modelling!

Dave was an awful loss. I am still in contact with his Wife Liz who has moved out of Nottingham and is buying a house in Hartlepool near her Daughter. She is doing OK.

Colin

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

Posted by Colin Bishop on 06/01/2022 19:18:25:

Yes, that looks exactly right and they are not all the same cross section either. Much easier in full size than when modelling!

Dave was an awful loss. I am still in contact with his Wife Liz who has moved out of Nottingham and is buying a house in Hartlepool near her Daughter. She is doing OK.

Colin

thats good to hear that she is getting through it all as well as she can.

miss the old bugger immensely.

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

i just hope that 2022 treats us all with a bit more compassion and kindness. all the very best to you all, and lets all make it to 2023 and beyond…………………..i'm getting fed up of crying for lost friends.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Pleased to hear that Liz is coping well. I didn't know Dave personally, only through my interest in his Fairey boats, but he was extremely helpful and I enjoyed our little online chats and his banter with other members. I think he was a terrible loss to the model boating fraternity and whenever I think of Fairey boats I cannot help but think about him.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Absolutely Derek. I'm reminded of him every day by one of his Huntress prototypes.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 07/01/2022 13:47:50

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

I like the photo, Chris – I think I shall have to do a copy of it.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi Derek

Here are the two prototypes side by side. The one on the right was Dave's favourite. I'm guessing that Liz and the family kept it and his Swordsman and Huntsman 31 models in memory of him.

Chris

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Couldn't think of a better memorial for him.

Derek.

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

We're up and running (or maybe just steadily walking).

I collected a 1:8 Huntress kit from SLEC this afternoon. A quick look through it and I am extremely pleased with it. SLEC's kits get better all the time and this one is no exception, also I think that they are the best set of instructions I have ever had with one of their kits. I shall have a closer look at it tomorrow and get started with a fairly gentle build programme – looking forward to it.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

That's great news Derek and sooner than expected!

Looking forward to seeing how it comes together. What's in the box for the strakes?

Chris

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Couldn't resist the temptation, Chris.

The strakes (or spray rails as they are called in the instructions) are 3.2 x 3.2mm bass strip and a quick look through the instructions say that they should be fitted and then rounded off. I think that I may try your ideas to get something better looking and more scale-like.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Ok, I've got the Huntsman 31 and Swordsman to the point I wanted i.e. prop shafts fitted so that I can leave them for the time being and get back to the Huntress.

First thing, as with my other builds after a long layoff was to remember where I'd got to! This is where taking photos is so useful along with this blog and it reminded me which battery I was going to use and what the battery box was for that I kept moving around my work area!

First thing was to bolt everything together again. A quick look in a cupboard found two lengths of snake with couplings attached for the steering which explained why I'd got such big holes through the transom. I'd bought two types of snake; one with a thin SS cable inner and the other with a much thicker nylon inner. I chose the latter because I could screw the couplings that I wanted to use into the ends so I could dismantle easily when required. I chose the couplings over simpler clevis types because they are substantial, easy to dismantle (as this was going to be required many times in this build) and black to match the stern-drive!

Once the stern-drive was bolted in place and the battery positioned I could take stock. As you can see it's pretty tight in there which is one reason I went for snakes as I didn't want anything moving so close to the battery box and motor etc. Also it will be quite a long run from the servo in the cabin and thought snakes would be better. So the build can now continue with deciding exactly where the servo will go and making a mounting box.

Chris

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Pleased to see that you have got started again on the Huntress, Chris. Mine is coming along okay but there are one or two things about the kit and the build that I disagree with (with all due apologies to the late great Dave Milbourn) The hull skin is lightply and I would have much preferred thin birch ply as I used on my original plan built version. Another point I disagree with is using the ply with the grain running vertically for the skins as I have found that the joint between sections is noticeable to the touch and may become even more so when GRP skinned and painted. Again harking back to my original build I used single pieces of the birch ply with the grain running fore and aft and even though Dave commented on me doing it that way I never had any problem and everything faired in well. A few photos of progress so far –

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Derek,

That's a nice job your making I can't disagree with you comments about the liteply, Dave was also famous for his aeroplane designs I expect he had a stash of liteply and commercially the cost of birch ply is very high these days.

Hi Chris,

Have you tried using the 5C Lipo in your picture ? they are only good for very low discharge rate, I know because I didn't realise you would need a 30C Lipo if you want any performance, please tell me to bugger off if you knoe this already

Good to see the aeromodelling technology being used, about about time you built a Fairy Swordfish ??

Tim R & I currently building retro aeroplanes sticks and tissue

Regards Ray

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Sorry but my brain is suffering from a bad case of 'age fog'. I DID use liteply on my original build but fitted it as I have mentioned above. Having now reread the original posting, I did have a few problems but they were not insurmountable.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Oops, we've overlapped posts!

Anyway, good to see you making progress Derek. I'm not a fan of liteply either and won't use the stuff. Don't see the point of it in model boat building. At the joint it might be better to vee it out a bit and use some P38? Once clothed and resinned it should be Ok.

Ray, that's another cock up you've noticed, I'm losing the plot! I bought the battery sometime ago specifically for this boat and must have been so focussed on getting a 3S that would fit I missed the output! Flippin', floppin' heck!

What can that battery be used for then? More expense due to energy prices!

Trying to remember if I tried it in DM's Huntress which is another reason I wanted a 3S. Whether I did or not I'll give it a go/another go!

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 04/02/2022 17:22:26

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Derek,

I built the 1/16 SLEC Huntsman and Swordsman review models for the magazine. I too had initial doubts about liteply having not used it before. However I came to appreciate that it was very suitable for these small models combined with the accuracy with which the various parts fitted together.

I can't say I had any real problems with joints between sections. In the very few instances tht there were minor cracks or gaps I used a very soft lightweight filler as recommended by Dave which sanded down at roughly the same rate as the adjoining liteply.

At a bigger scale I would be inclined to prefer birch ply though due to its much higher inherent strength and the much greater weight of the boat.

However, as they say, there is more that one way to skin a cat (or in this instance a poor Fairey.)

Colin

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

I knew you were going to rally to the merits of liteply Colin!

In a kit it's probably Ok as the parts are laser cut etc. but even in my Faun build, at 17", when I start it, it's going to be birch ply and mahogany etc.

Chris

Edited By Chris Fellows on 04/02/2022 17:28:45

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Chris,

It's horses for courses. I quite agree with you, the liteply was ok for these small kits where the frame literally clicks together. If I were scratchbuilding I would definitely opt for birch ply as I am with all three of my current projects – two liners and a paddler.

I do think the 0.5mm birch ply is a wonderful material in ts own right and perfect for facings and fine detail.

I'm also sold on Superphatic glue as it really does seem to stick porous to non porous surfaces such as ply to plastic.

Colin

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Phew, it's Ray that's losing the plot!!

That 5C is the charging rate, it has a 35C discharge rate as per my other batteries.

Chris

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

You put me onto Superphatic Colin which was a great tip. I still use the usual stuff though sometimes and suffer the runny nose!

Chris

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Chris,

Yes I lost the plot a long time ago !! and this is not the first time I've made this incorrect observation, the Lipos I use just have the discharge number on them say C30 – C35, but looking more closely at yours they are different I use these for flying mainly & in my MTB Regards Ray

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

To be fair Ray it is very difficult to see from the photo what the discharge rate is. I had to look at the battery itself and the box before I realised it was Ok.

They are making a big thing out of the fast charge capabilities and that leaps out at you on the casing but I use my smart charger on auto on low amps anyway.

Chris

[Derek BradleyParticipant @derekbradley32270]

Searching my brain and the internet for resins and GRP cloth, etc., I came across the following which may be useful to some of our model boat builders –

https://www.rcworld.co.uk/cgi-bin/sh000067.pl?WD=poly%2Dc&PN=Poly%2DC%2D500ml%2DPolyC500%2Ehtml#SID=139

This site, among other things, does a water based resin called Poly-C which may be an alternative to Eze-Kote. Has anyone used it/any comments?

https://www.bucks-composites.com/ This site is a great source for resins, GRP mat, etc., etc. In the past I have used their resin and mat with good results. They also recommend using a small paint roller to apply resin, again, I have used it and it was much better than brushing – no danger of lifting or damaging the mat.

Hope that this is of some help.

Derek.

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Not used it Derek but I read elsewhere Poly-C is the same as Eze-Kote.

Well this took longer than it should! I've made a couple of more complicated servo mounts before but this one was fighting me all the way.

Cut the parts out of ply and beech and glued together with bnthe servo as a spacer. Then realised I couldn't get the servo out due to the wires! So removed one of the beech bearers before the glue had dried and added some more pieces so it could be screwed in place. Even though I pre-drilled the holes one of the pieces came off the side as I was screwing into it so replaced with bigger pieces pre-drilled and screwed this time. The box was a little out of square and when adjusting it the bearer at the other end came loose! Having one of Neil's recent experiences!

Anyway, glued the sides in place in the boat and the bearer again and left overnight and this morning fitted the servo. All good and secure.

I need a bigger and stronger double servo horn so have ordered a couple of different alloy ones. All good fun.

Chris

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