The Goff plans are not good (my 18 month old son draws better), the Wiswesser plans are probably "adequate". I found some other plans: Baupläne, Short Kits, Baugruppen und Zubehör für Flugzeugmodellbau, Schiffsmodellbau, Kartonmodelle Lützow
Today we start the build, most parts are on hand for the basic construction. The smell of burning fiberglass shall commence in Atlanta today!
Work done on the deck, used the wooden deck as a template for the fiberglass. Started with 3/16th sub deck. Wood and rough cut fiberglass Marking up the bow, the squares are where the magnets will go. Once installed, they will be cut to size. Bow was a little tricky as we want it to slide into the hull and not need a fastener to attach. Drilled holes at each corner to help in cutting. Sub deck ready to be installed.
Dusty day, wore eye/ear/breathing protection for cutting the fiberglass. I wear long sleeves, Heiko is a brute! Marking the top deck Look at the spread in the hull, will takes lots of something to pull the sides in.
Houston, we have a problem! Hull is hogged in the middle, luckily we know how to deal with this issue Top deck stuff, it is actually two layers of fiberglass deck so that a tounge and groove can be made. First is to cut the sides. Bottom deck is cut wider to make the groove Deck in place
Bottom part of the 2-ply doesn't need to be solid, so it is cut to save some weight. First is to drill the corners, then finish with a dremel tool. All the decks on top of the sub deck Three piece deck Another shot showing the deck piece that will hold the triple stern
Used tape to pull the hull together. Sides were tacked with superglue, then the hull was turned upside down and I used epoxy and fiberglass cloth to join the sub deck to the hull. After the deck is cured, will need to cut out the bottom to fix the hogging issue. Will probably cut more out than what is marked.
wow. LOU!! amazing progress! did you sleep the last two days? wish i wouldn't live 1.5h away from you to build for a few hours in the evening... good news: remote control and strike models order is on the way...should be in the next couple days..
Lou, can't you just fill in the bottom of the hull with epoxy and let it level itself out? It would add some ballast also.
Good on the orders. I got the gaps filled, once that sets up I will flip the hull and cut out the bottom. We don't have much time and John is already asking about his new gun mount
Hull has been cut, white piece from the hull and next to it the red replacement piece. Epoxied and reinforced with fiberglass matt. Once this dries, then sanding and creating the water channeling.
You certainly work fast Lou. You have the drive and vision to work it all out in a short amount of time. Looking good Lou.
Thanks John, I need to get it to a point that I can give it back to Heiko to get it up and running. Good news is he has/ordered all the parts, so we just need to spend the next 4 weeks getting it ready for the Brewhaha.
Now it is time to do water-channeling. So lay out channel with 1/4 inch square dowels from Home Depot. Use a piece of wood as a spacer to keep it equal, seal with superglue. The batteries will be built into the channel to help keep the weight low in the hull. Cut a bulkhead out of 1/32 inch fiberglass board, filled the front with the putty. Started on the right side water channel with left over putty. Next, going to have to place the gearboxes so that the shafts are as level as possible and do not interfere with the guns or rudder servo.
Arrgghh... interface had me typing a comment on the pic and not the thread. So: If you cut the slots in the gearboxes open all the way to the top, it makes getting the motors in/out much much easier.
Thanks Tug, will see if Heiko wants to do that. Now it is time to set the shafts, so they are laid out and toed in Used the epoxy putty to close the over-sized holes, this will get sanded and reinforced with epoxy with fiberglass matt.
The outside of the hull and the ugliness for now Instead of shaping the gearbox and then installing, I prefer to install "as-is" and then sand to shape. First was closing up the oversized holes.
Built the battery holders, using the fiberglass board so that no metal touches the posts. Still need to create a "pocket" around the battery, just need to get wax paper so that it does not stick to the battery. Finally, the insides were sanded smooth, epoxy and fiberglass mat is reinforcing the inside hull. Once this cures, I will work on the outside shafts.
