Tempted by a big Fairey

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I see that there is a part built 1/8th scale Precedent Fairey 31 kit for sale on the web in Norway. It must be pretty old and it looks shabby in the advert photos. The hull is built and is covered in what looks like lots of filler. Price £100

Any comments on quality of the old Precedent Fairey kit? One photo shows the rest of the box content including what looks like mahogany sheet. This one was certainly intended for IC power so I suppose needs a big brushless thingy and a dose of Lipo to make it move. Not really my thing but I have wondered about the kit kit quality……is it smarter to go for a new SLEC kit?

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Precedent Fairey 31 1/8th scale

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

George. How much is the SLEC kit? ..oops just looked it up….189…

you really don’t know what you are buying with old part finished kits….should a well built kit have lots of filler ??

might be lucky, or not, for the price

Ashley

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi George,

I wouldn't bother with somebody else's work, and £100 is rather steep, I had one of the original Modav 1/8th scale kits 45 years ago they are bloomin big ! , The SLEC kits now are in a different league these days

Regards Ray

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

I go along with Ashley and Ray. Put your money into a new build rather than a 'doer upper'. Finishing other people's part built models can be very frustrating. Often with kits a lot of the bits or the instructions are missing and if it is old then the materials may have warped or distorted.

Treat yourself!

Colin

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi George

I wondered about the filler as well. Some around the bow would be acceptable if balsa blocks had been used (though not part of the Precedent build instructions) and so would be wary of it being used elsewhere unless it's for filling grain.

I found mine too big, particularly moving around the house, up and down stairs etc. and sold it to a fellow club member who already has one. They look good on the water (and smaller!) and it goes very well now having been fitted with a brushless motor.

Chris

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

I must say that these big cabin cruisers are very voluminous, compared to the same length warship for instance.

My 48 inch Fantome doesn’t get much use and takes up a lot of space. I should see how much they go for!

Ashley

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Many thanks to all for the inputs. I have spent some time this morning 'zooming in' on the advert photos. Does not look particularily enticing…. and the wood MUST be old seeing that it's a Precedent kit.

The SLEC CNC cut kits are probably super in comparison but…just remembered one of the new admiralty regulations…. "no built-up hulls allowed in the kitchen". Hmmm…have to start building up som brownie points before Christmas…..how do you switch on a vacuum cleaner?

George

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

George

There's always the SLEC 1/16 scale Huntsman 31…Huntsman 31 1/16 scale

Kit details

Dave M

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Hi Dave,

yes I did look at the SLEC "Fairey's" couple of days ago. 1/16 scale is a little small for my environment in Norway. There are no dedicated 'boating ponds' available -as there are natural lakes everywhere! These lakes have usually waves to the equivalent scale of a force 6 -except when they're frozen! Models need to be around the 1 metre size -and have a bit of displacement so they don't bob about like a champagne cork.

I do however acknowledge that boats around 120cm are not so easy to lug around. Particularily if there's also a 160cm mast -or two- on deck! I owned a 46" Sea Queen with a 22cc Ohlson petrol engine -donkey's years ago. But then I was young and keen AND living in the UK.

It may well be that 1-metre yachts with a lot of weight well below the waterline are best suited to my environment.

George

[Chris FellowsParticipant @chrisfellows72943]

Hi George

Precedent also did a 1:11 scale at 34" version which would be ideal, in both timber and GRP hulls, which come up from time to time.

Or do as I'm doing, scratch build one at 1:12, 31". There are plans available though I drew my own to suit my method of building.

Chris

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I would avoid any and all kits which were produced after the Precedent brand was taken over by Anglian Models. They were terrible. In particular the ply parts were die-crunched from worn-out tooling and consequently nothing fitted – gaps of 6mm were not uncommon. If that example you've seen was smothered in filler then I'm not surprised. Naturally your sailing waters would be a bit too much for a 24" model so I would suggest you either buy a new 1/8 scale SLEC kit or wait until a better example comes onto the market. Frankly I wouldn't pay £100 for an old and shabby model unless it had at least £100-worth of useable radio/running gear in it which I could use elsewhere.

Dave M

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

When I first saw the title of this thread I thought DM was selling another model.

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Posted by Chris Fellows on 13/11/2020 10:47:55:

Hi George

Precedent also did a 1:11 scale at 34" version which would be ideal, in both timber and GRP hulls, which come up from time to time.

Or do as I'm doing, scratch build one at 1:12, 31". There are plans available though I drew my own to suit my method of building.

Chris

Hi Chris,

Another scratch build will result in an eviction order from the Admiralty……and I don't think I would even want to live with myself in a 'scratch-building' flat. Too much mess! Ready-made fibreglass hull sounds OK though I could accept the rest of the building process. Still got a Colin Archer (plastic) hull in the cellar store to focus on though.

George

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Posted by Dave Milbourn on 13/11/2020 12:09:30:

I would avoid any and all kits which were produced after the Precedent brand was taken over by Anglian Models. They were terrible. In particular the ply parts were die-crunched from worn-out tooling and consequently nothing fitted – gaps of 6mm were not uncommon. If that example you've seen was smothered in filler then I'm not surprised. Naturally your sailing waters would be a bit too much for a 24" model so I would suggest you either buy a new 1/8 scale SLEC kit or wait until a better example comes onto the market. Frankly I wouldn't pay £100 for an old and shabby model unless it had at least £100-worth of useable radio/running gear in it which I could use elsewhere.

Dave M

Thanks Dave, I promise that I won't even look at the shabby Fairey again. I mean who needs a shabby Fairey? Or even a shabby fairy!

 

George

Edited By gecon on 14/11/2020 07:26:57

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

I think we may be approaching the limits of innuendo here, chaps.

DM

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hi Dave

There are still miles of innuendo left on this subject :

For example if you live next to water we have Faireys at the bottom of the garden.

Paul

[geconParticipant @gecon]

I thought "soapbox" was "for general chat about anything". Anyway, I hope I did not offend anyone. I've read worse (better) on this forum and it wasn't even on "soapbox".

To avoid any further problems with the written word, I have decided to stay with my 'brand', FairWAYS Marine.

FairWAYS built the original Fishers and they also produced the "Trawler 38". Built about a dozen of them I think. The Trawler 38 looked a bit like a Fisher but, with a sharper bow, square stern, very short mast and a small block of flats where the wheelhouse should be. Mine will be about 100cm X 30cm x 35cm.

No problems with trying to make it plane either. With a brushed 600 and 7.2v it probably won't even move.

Stepping down from my soapbox and wishing all a pleasant, fairLy innuendo-free, Sunday,

George

[Dave MilbournParticipant @davemilbourn48782]

George

You certainly didn't offend either Doc Thomason or myself – any excuse for some throwaway persiflage and we're in there!

Dave M

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

Hello George

The throwing of persiflage has been going on for years.

The Right Honourable Mr Milbourn and I have a long (very long) relationship regarding Fairies that is loosely based upon what we call the 'angle of dangle' ie the angle at which the propshaft is fitted.

I take every opportunity to have a dig at Daves staunch support of the design and the heading of Tempted by a Big Fairey was too good to miss.

Paul

[geconParticipant @gecon]

Easy to understand his enthusiasm! The Swordsman and Huntsman hulls perform fantastically so no need to hold back on the superlatives there. I bought a used Swordsman 33" (?) with a 3.5cc diesel in Hong Kong (donkey's years ago!) and that was great fun. Very reponsive -especially with 'non-propo' OS reed R/C.

I was going to start talking about my old Sea Queen err, female head of UK , but decided not to go down that road again.

I'm on the lookout for something not too labour-intensive eg. the afore mentioned FairWAYS MarineTrawler 38.

George

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