RAF Launch accessories

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Good point Ashley – I may give that a go first…

Update on the model :

'Clearviews' – starboard is rather cloudy (cyano got inside I suspect). Port looks like it has shipped a bit of water (2-pack in this one !). I may have to pop them off and do a bit of cleaning up. See what you think when I've done the photos.

Radar reflector mounted on the main mast – so, rigged for 'Range Safety' duties at present (not bad for a first attempt but, may be a little over-scale). I'm probably being fussy here as the whole boat is an 'own-design' and really what I would call "fun scale".

Further options to add : Splinter Mats and Search Light. Have a RC glider's wings to recover over the next few days so, photos end of week I should think…

Dave

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Latest progress : New Clearviews and Radar Reflector

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Rear Gunner trying out the revised Turret

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Splinter Mats and a Search Light should complete the launch before 'sea trials' in the Spring (or, sooner if the weather gets kinder !)

This is my first boat and something of an own-design.

Please feel free to comment…/suggest improvements etc.

Regards,

Dave

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Splinter mats (6) and a searchlight now under construction. Will post some more images when complete and fitted to the wheelhouse.

Any ideas for a RAF ensign to fly from the main mast ? I'd prefer cloth to paper….I think I've got an old light blue shirt somewhere which just leaves a scale Union Flag and a Roundel to complete.

Dave

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Or you could just buy one…

**LINK**

Colin

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Very difficult to make flags this small from material, and likely not worth the effort. They will not `flap` due to the small size in any case, and bleed-through is a nightmare . Paper is effective, cut so the flag appears to be drooping a touch and curled a bit.

However it is difficult not to agree with Colin….

Ashley

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Hmm, yes – might try a paper one first. If that doesn't work Colin's solution wins !

Dave

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Splinter mats and searchlight now made and mounted. (I can only award myself 7 out of 10 for these but they may improve with better painting).

My wife has kindly offered to print an RAF ensign for me so, more photos to follow when this is run up the mast !

Dave

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Hi All – a quick question on buoyancy:

Is it worth fitting internal buoyancy in some form to my RAF launch – Length 16", beam 6.5" (Balsa /Liteply construction) ?

As you can imagine, space inside the hull is tight – but there is the odd void here and there. The deck to superstructure has a 10mm high 'wall' and is a tight fit to help keep any water out. The area at the base of the gun turret is also a snug fit.

So I guess I'm looking at a full hull inversion situation at worst ?? If I do need to fit something what should it be – expanded polystyrene foam /blue foam or something else carved to fit into small spaces…

There is a sort of double-hull 'up front' between the bow sheeting and the step sheeting.

Dave

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Dave. Odds on it will float,or at least, not completely sink. Sufficient for a rescue.

Wedging some foam in areas not full of “stuff” might help to delay sinking. If it turns upside down you will be ok as long as the hull does not let the air escape and the water in (the floating bit).

Filling all areas NOT full of “stuff” runs the risk of trapping moisture and leading to long term issues.

Seriously, I would not worry about it….

Ashley

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Dave,

Go slowly to see how it performs, if one of my boats sank I'd be pleased to see the back of it 😀😀

Good luck & don't forget your Speedo's

Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I would recommend that you fit a mechanical fixing between the cabin and the hull and not depend on just a tight fit. You would be surprised how easy it is for the top to come off when the model is flung about in rough conditions or if it hits something. I have seen this happen on a number of occasions, usually resulting in a sinking.

A good option is to drill a hole through the lower side of the cabin and through the hull coaming behind and then just make up a metal pin which can be easily inserted and removed but which will lock the cabin to the hull. One each side is enough.

Colin

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Thanks all,

I have the cabin secured to the hull via a bent wire hook over a cross-beam inside the cabin sides. There are then two elastic bands going from the hook to two further hooks mounted on the hull sides. Looked at from the bows, this forms an inverted 'V' shape and is quite secure and takes just a few seconds to fit.

The (rotating) gun turret base could leak in an 'upside down' – I think I'll just seal this off with Vaseline for now and give it a go. Just need some good weather for initial trials !

Dave

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

That all sounds good.

Colin

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Just about to run the RAF ensign up the main mast. This is the last planned accessory for now until proper water trials begin.

Will also water test the cabin glazing for leaks in case of an 'upside down' first time out.

Photos to follow. If the water trials are OK, will next motorise the gun turret for rotation. This will need some Arduino input to generate random numbers for motor on /delay etc. (Have to get my head around programming in 'C' to do this !).

Dave

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Ready for sea trials : I think the ensign is a little small and the splinter mats need a bit more work…?

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

How about putting that flag at the stern and having something larger on the mast?

I think that the splinter mats are an item that needs “artistic licence” to look right, and that ends up being a personal taste thing.

Personally I would paint them a bit “brighter” than they are. NOT because they are the wrong colour, but just to add a bit of colour to an otherwise grey/grey top. By brighter I just mean perhaps a more brown, or green/khaki hue? And perhaps soften the edges to get them slightly less square.

As I said, just a personal taste thing.

Ashley

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Hi Ashley

Yes, the flag is actually 20mm long even though we specified 30mm in the printer settings – it must have been having an off-day ! I agree, it would look better on the stern jack staff with a bigger one on the main mast – either 30mm or 40mm, I'll try both.

Splinter mats – they did have roughed up edges although this doesn't seem to show up in the photos. I'll try your colour suggestions though as they do seem a bit 'drab'. I think in real life they were fabric (canvas ?) covered. So, I'll try and get a fold or two into them.

Just need some good weather now to give it a run !

Dave

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Dave. Colours on models need to be adjusted sometimes to achieve the right result.

Case in point was painting the deck of my 48 inch Titanic. I ended up with Humbrol pale stone colour (from memory) as this was the consensus of opinion on ‘t net, but smaller models or larger models might need a different colour. Imagine a 1/600 model with a very pale deck, it would look almost white.

I once read an article on painting models by a chap in an old boat mag, he had made a Dreadnought, or something similar, and painted it correctly….all dark grey. The result was that a lot of the detail disappeared as it blended in, and the boat looked very dull, and this was on a big 6 foot model.

Flags, go for it. Biggish “battle” ensign on the main mast to add a bit of pazazz to the deck and a splash of colour.

Ashley.

[redpmgParticipant @redpmg]

Bear in mind colours on a model need to be lighter than on the real thing.

Its to do with distance and scale effect.

When you look at mountains in the distance they turn pale blue……………No matter what their real colour. is

When you see a model at 1/72nd scale at 1ft its like looking at the real thing at 72 ft

Same with a 1/35 scale at 1ft its like the real thing at 35 ft

So a 1/35 scale model at 10ft is like the real thing at  350ft

and so on ……………

Colours fade over distance – as most professional artists know.

Edited By redpmg on 13/03/2020 08:21:19

[Dave Cooper 6Participant @davecooper6]

Hmmm, interesting. My boat is approx. 1/48 scale (although I would only call it 'fun scale' !).

As an amateur artist, I do understand about "recession" and often use it in my paintings /model railway dioramas etc.

Am now wondering if my hull is too black /red ? I think the acid test will be what does it look like on the water….

Hopefully, we'll know the answer to that soon.

Dave

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I think the main colours..hull, top, antifoul..can be as they are, it is the accessories including deck that might need adjusting. On yours, the adjustments I would carry out really concern maximising interest.

On the boat stand you still have to have a shiny black hull for instance.

I wouldn’t worry too much. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and it is your boat.

Ashley

[redpmgParticipant @redpmg]

Hi Dave – was not a comment on your boat – my avatar is painted +- real colour – but I would never change it . As Ashley says its your boat – arose more from Ashley's comment re the accessories .

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Dave,

We are all waiting for some decent weather to get back on the water 😀

Have you decided on your next boat build? Sometimes it's easier with a published plan there are many in the SARIK range.

Regards Ray

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