SLEC/Vintage Model Boats Thames Police Launch

[john beynon 1Participant @johnbeynon1]

Has anyone built one of this kits? I'm finding lots of pictures of models being built and exterior photos but none of the final layouts chosen for the electronics and I'd love to see what people opted to do.

[john beynon 1Participant @johnbeynon1]

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

John

The model is very similar in size and layout to my little Huntress, which features in the latest issue of Model Boats (or so I'm told…). Layouts in this type of model don't vary that much, so have a good look at how I did it and it will give you a few ideas. The motor is mounted at the front with ESC as close as you can get, to minimise the length of the main power leads. The receiver and, in this case, the Lipomonitor, are fixed to the bulkhead with Velcro. The LiPo battery sits underneath the cockpit floor in a plywood tray, and the rudder servo is mounted right at the back.

Dave M

[john beynon 1Participant @johnbeynon1]

Hi Dave,

A great suggestion – which I'm doing already in fact. I'm going with a similar setup to yours. The only difference is the police launch is based on a box construction. The plans leave the layout inside to the builder, all you build is the box and the hull around it with formers – so you have to come up with your own solution to covering the motor and the electronics/batteries etc in the box so I was curious to see how other people have approached it,

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi John

The main feature of these fullsize launches is the rear half of the cockpit is open with only a box in the middle for the engine, there is an excellent model in the National Maritime Museum collection and 4 good photos of the original Police launches for reference, the originals were round bilge hulls cold moulded in Teddington. There is a rear deck and locker and the way the kit is built round a box, some potential for ballast under the side decks ?

Regards Ray

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi John

This is a photo of the NMM model from the website

Regards Ray

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi Dave – interesting that you have used one of those couplings with the rubber centre section in your Huntress.

I was considering using one in my Swordsman build as looks a nice neat solution but read somewhere (Colin I think) that the rubber was quite stiff and I was concerned that it might put stress on the motor and prop shaft if not aligned accurately.

My intention is to align as accurately as possible but to use double Huco couplings to minimize any stresses. I do like the rubber ones though.

Chris

[Ian GardnerParticipant @iangardner62867]

I would only ever use a rubber coupling like these in a faster boat now as they are quieter. I read somewhere that the Huco type couplings are only designed for revs up to about 10,000. They are certainly much noisier and therefore, presumably, less efficient.

I think it would be worth taking a lot of trouble to get a good alignment and double couplings take up a lot of space.

Ian

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

Chris

I now use the SHG small flexible couplings, and the rubber is quite a lot more than the diameter of the Model Boat Bits one in the picture! The metal parts are hardened steel, too, but they were designed for powerful I/C racing motors of up to about 5cc (or 350W). If you use a rigid aligner when you fit the motor and shaft then there should be negligible misalignment. The price is eye-watering at nearly fifteen quid a shove plus £3.50 P&P but they are super-smooth. I read somewhere that those Huco double couplings are only rated for a very low speed (something like 5000RPM I think). Overkill? Maybe, but when I've spent a long time and more than a few quid building a model I don't want the coupling to fly apart and reduce the boat to a soggy pulp on the floor of the lake. Brushless motors take no prisoners.

Dave M

Edited By Dave Milbourn on 24/10/2017 17:17:13

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

The couplings I've ordered are the better quality Raboesch nylon ones but even so I think the rubber type are the better option.

Dave, I haven't skimped so far on getting the bits and pieces together so I'm not going to start now! Even bought another Tx, Hitec of course.

Chris

[Author]

Posts