For as long as I can remember, the Torpedo Boat has been an interesting subject for me. Particularly the World War 2 types. Way back in 1991, I had modelled the Brave Borderer which was based on a Vosper boat.
Due to all the hype, thanks to its one time skipper John F. Kennedy, the PT 109 (Patrol Torpedo Boat) is probably the single most famous boat of its type.
Here is my completely scratchbuilt PT 109. Scoured the net but found no workable plans to download. Gathered a whole bunch of photographs and got down to work.
She is built to a rough scale of 1:50 and measures approximately 19.5 inches. The original Elco was a 80 footer. Hull is made from balsa sheet and planking. Superstructure is made out of Sunboard foam sheets.
Each and every component of the boat is scratchbuilt (other than the electricals, the decals, the props and the stuffing tubes).
Particularly proud of the .50 cal twins, the Oerlikon Cannon, the Balsa Lifeboat and the Turret Railings. These four were tough calls!
Two brushed motors rated at 25,000 rpm, Single Brushed ESC rated at 30 amps, Turnigy 2 cell 2200mah battery (kindly modified from a damaged 3s by a fellow forum member), Hextronix 9 gram servo, Will be using a Futaba 2 Channel Tx/Rx.
Some detailing work still remains and should be completing them shortly. Water trials within this week. I have placed the battery astern to see if I can recreate the 'bow up' attitude of the PT Boat, at high speeds.
Not too happy with the final paint finish as the gloss mars the authenticity. I would have preferred a matte finish.
If anyone is interested, I can post a detailed build log of the boat. Let me know.
:hatsoff: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:
:goodjob:
In-fact "Great Job" Marvelous :thumbsup:
PS : I can see the revived LIPO being put to good use there.
Indeed , second to only Roopesh's build
Thanks Gentlemen.
Lt. Col. Sundaramvelar thanks a ton for repairing / modifying that and the other LiPo's.
Wing Cmdr. Augustine, let's not get into comparisons as that is a relative issue. IMHO, Roopesh is in a different league altogether when it comes to scratchbuilding. It would be unfair to compare him with ANYONE. He is a genius.
absolutely, i think he is the best
Wow, she's really beautiful VC sir! Particularly the first pic. Looks majestic! {:)}
Thanks Swapnil. Still working on it. Hull strakes and Life belts still to be added..............
VC Sir..PT Bots..one of the ever fascianting subject to any modeler..a million thanks for sharing this marvellouse piece of engineering..its awesome..and i can imagine the strain, and hard work you put in this model..please share us a detailed build log, so we will get some good inspiration..yes..VC Sir..amazing work..please post a good video..its exciting.. {:)} :hatsoff:
:goodjob:
Very beautiful build VC {:)} all the best for the test run :thumbsup:
No! I won't share the build log with you because then you will build something awesome and mind blowing which will make my model look like a piece of junk in comparison! :giggle:
Just joking Roopesh :bow: . Just give me some time to resize the pictures and I will surely post it all.
Thanks Roopesh and Sunlike Star!
Wowser !!
Danke!
hi VC
very nice build there mate. :)
at least it looks like your's is getting a water trial................. mine is still 'high and dry' at the moment :):):) still to have the weathering finished and warmer weather to try it out.
I have sold all my rc gear now [except the boat and radio] as I can no longer aford the hobby. but I may still build the odd boat for the g/kids..... see if the interest is there first....... the yellow one my g/son has is still sat on the shelf..........
happy sailing, I will drop by from time to time to see what everyone is up to :)
regards
don
uk
Don my friend,
Affordability, yes that can prove to be a stumbling block for all of us. Why do you think I choose to scratch build instead? Also living in the UK is a double edged sword. Whilst you do get a lot of stuff out there, it may prove to be rather expensive. I've sent you a PM, please respond.
I am saddened by what you have mentioned here.
Thanks a lot for your encouragement.
Regards,
VC
Can someone please think out of the box and tell me how to make the life belts? Roopesh are you there?
I was thinking of aluminium washers 'fattened' with M Seal. Anybody else has a better idea? Prop saver rubber bands are too big for the scale. :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:
How about this: Cut a cylindrical wire/ cable (of required diameter) in lengths equaling the required perimeter of life-belts. Then join the two ends using using 5-min epoxy.
To get a good cylindrical shape, wind it around a cylindrical object and then join the ends with epoxy. Also try smearing a layer of epoxy on the cable surface for shape retention.
Thanks Swapnil. Will try it out and revert. :thumbsup:
Good after noon VC Sir, it is easy to make life belts..i have usually two options..take some high guage soldering led, and round it over a cylinder up to our size..join tips with industrial cyano..can paint it later..
another easiest option up to 1:55 scales is, can buy the washers for N C V s, ( Needle Control Valves), used in high pressure L P G stoves. can purchase in many diameters from 6mm to 18 mm..is cheaper..20 Rs for a packet..the main valve washers also do the best..
for bigger crafts we can use the "O" rings for bobbin winders of a sewing machine..
can use bobbin "O"rings for 1: 35 th scaled crafts..
VC Sir..waiting to see her as finished..awesome..inspiring.. {:)} :thumbsup:
Swapnil / Roopesh, thanks a ton! It worked. Now waiting for the paint to dry out. :salute:
Electrical wiring sleeving (with the copper wire removed) joined together with Industrial CA.
Ah, just like I'd imagined while replying, wire insulation wound around a pen! :)
cool life rings..VC Sir..
Thanks Roopesh. I had used the flux solder wire technique for the turret railings but it proved to be too soft. I had to rip it all apart and redo it during stronger wire.
cool..nice railings..
The 20 mm Oerlikon Cannon............ It was very difficult collecting all the required components while maintaining the scale.
Cool!! Bow down!! the Turret and the Anti Aircraft gun are so , so gud!!
Ujjwaana - Thanks!
For as long as I can remember my Parents have been extremely supportive of my hobbies. Here's Mom helping to seal the cracks on the hull with M-Seal.
I love this snap! :)
Here's how I made the air vents (I think they used to be called Goose Neck Vents). Gel pen refills and Adhesive tube caps.
The Life Boat. Originally constructed out of balsa, this miniature was made out of cardboad and M-Seal. The oars were a :banghead: experience. Especially when your finger tips are caked with hardened CA! :giggle:
VC Sir..waiting for a cool video..its goosefleshing to see her in nose up attitude in streaming water..ohh.. (:|~ :hatsoff:
Not yet Roopesh. Finishing touches are still being added as I write this.
Found a way to improve the shape of the life belts.
1. After the ends of the wire sleeving have been joined, let them set for a while.
2. Roll them around a pen barrel to achieve the initial shape. They will be hard and won't
take up a perfect shape. Tha's ok for now.
3. Remove them from the pen and place them on a plate.
4. Now use a hair dryer to heat them and they should soften up a bit.
5. Now slide them back around the pen barrel and shove them into ice cold water.
6. Remove them from the barrel - BINGO! Perfect circles! ;D
thanks for the cool idea..once.. :thumbsup:
VC sir,its a beautiful and magnificent built. Absolutely amazing.
Thanks Doctor for the appreciation. Have completed her a short while ago. Will load latest pics soon.
Cheers!
How the heck did I miss this build? This is why I was a bit puzzled when I spoke to you on phone cause I had never seen this thread before.
Wow, what a build, moreover I'm just amazed by the level of detailing in it. Simply superb!!
Thanks Rohit! I too was a little surprised when you didn't say much about it. Yes, I have laboured long over her - almost finished now. Hope she maidens well.............
Finished the build. Some touch ups remain that will be taken care of after the maiden this weekend.
Life belts, Hull Strakes and dummy Navigation / Bow lights added. Stern / Transom detailed using solder wire.
Finally complete. Whew!
Awww! She looks gorgeous! {:)}
Thanks Swapnil! Yes it had become an obsession towards the end. Regular late nights - working upto 3 am almost every day. To think that I had built the hull skeleton almost a year ago and had junked it in a pile. I feel good that she has reached this shape today. Wish me luck for the maiden.
Just one question for all out there. If I don't add an external whip antenna (that will spoil the scale aesthetics), what kind of a range can I expect if the Rx antenna lies coiled on the deck? I plan to use a Futaba 27mHz system.
Thanks.
I had once (during testing) left the antenna wire coiled on my hovercraft and did not have any glitches for 100 ft.
100 feet is good enough for a maiden. Will keep you posted.
Thanks and Regards.
VC Sir..she looks awesome and nostalgic..like a real one..and waiting to see her in water.. :thumbsup: :hatsoff:
Thanks Roopesh, learning from you. :salute:
Wow, simply superb VC bhaiya!!
Thanks Rohit, if she proves to be a good sailor, I will bring her down with me. You can test her out then.
I suggest a little modification to Swapnil's idea. From d pics it seems VC is using single or tripple strand copper wire. Instead of drawing out the wire completely, draw out about 5mm and poke it into the other end, this will make the join stronger and the copper wire inside will keep d rounded shape intact.
As for the boat, VC is exceptional in scratch building as usual!
Keep up the good work. VC, u r inspiring me to finish building my boats!!! ?????
Me inspiring you??? Good joke Sir! Since I've learnt so much from you (still learning). I know your level of scratch building. It is a pity that you don't post any pictures here, had you done it, the levels of boat building / scratch building would have gone into hyper space. Modesty has a level - you exceed it many times over.
Sir, I tried doing exactly that (raw out about 5mm and poke it into the other end) in fact two of the belts that I plan to attach on the cabin cruiser Naughty Cal, are made that way. The ones attached to PT 109, were joined using Industrial CA and fixed immediately to the superstructure so that they don't lose shape.
Thanks Sir!
Oh! Really Awesome VC Sir. Really missed before and now realized it was a big mistake :banghead:.
It is not a penny less than an Sculpture. Perfectly Detailed. I wish I could do a fraction of what you have done in this. Sir you are an Artist. Really great Boat, Full of life.
Please post the maiden video sir! That looks like having an attitude of a Queen even out of Water. So, what she would do in Water. She is a killing beauty.
All the very best Sir.
Cheers.
You've made this build worthwhile. I am grateful to you. Hope she can live up to your expectations in water.
She will sir, Sure. I can bet.
I wish I could touch her. Again Sir! I really appreciate your Passion for such crafts...
Thanks.
Cheers.
:bow: Stop wasting your time on this thread and get on to finishing that beautiful B 25 Mitchell. My boat may be nice but yours will be a LEGEND, anywhere on this forum. So, concentrate.
God bless.
You wasted on My B25 Mitchell and I am wasting on yours. :giggle:
Just a bad joke, eh? Alright sir! Will do what you want. But you can't stop me from having a look of your boat everyday though.
Sorry if I sounded rude, however, WW 2 birds are very close to my heart and NOTHING can beat them. All the best for the B 25. Have posted a link on your build thread, hope you find it interesting.
Thanks again, it sure feels nice to be appreciated. :salute:
No sir It wasn't rude at all. But sorry If I sounded the same. And about the link, I have posted in that thread.
Tested her in water. Two improvements to be incorporated. Some ballast required on the starboard side, slight list noticeable. Waterline has to be extended up by about 8 mm. Initial test run was satisfactory. I have to now get the motor shaft and prop shaft perfectly aligned and then epoxy the motor rack to the hull.
Must find a way of extending the antenna without spoiling the scale appearance. Any suggestions? What is the finest wire that I can use?
One major lesson that I've learnt from building these boats is that all ship modellers need to have access to some kind of a testing tank in their premises. This will allow us to trim the builds for better performance. It is a frustrating experience to find listing or incorrect draught on a model after travelling a considerable distance to a pool or a pond. The testing tank can be as simple as a pit dug in the ground covered with tarpaulin or plastic sheeting or else a tin tank that can hold 6 inches of water and sufficiently large for the boat to be contained in it.
Exactly! I tested my hovercraft in a (5ft. x 3ft. x 9in.) desert-cooler tank!
Add four stars on my Desktop... >:D
Sumeet, that is one of the greatest compliments that I have ever received. God bless you.
Sumeet that desktop does look cool; 5-star! I'm getting one too! :)
VC sir :hatsoff:
Cut it out Guys! For a boat that has not yet been maidened, you guys are paying her too much of 'bhau'! Hope she does not meet the same fate as the original, sliced in half by the Japanese Destroyer Amagiri on the 2nd. of August 1943. :giggle:
Nothing but everything out of somebody's Hardwork and time, deserves our "Bhau!". Hardwork and Time worth a lot sir.
And Don't worry sir, As I said, she will sail like a queen.
Thanks.
after seeing the final product, i could say second to none, now i recall having seen it, in some pile, in ur house , along with some guns
You've touched my heart Gusty...........Thanks.
You are welcome !!!
VC Sir..its nice..waiting for the cool video.. :hatsoff:
In a while.................some fine tuning still being carried out. I am not such an expert as you are :salute:. Give me a few more days to maiden her.
Good morning VC Sir...no busy..but still because of the inspiration after seeing her in water..just like the real machine..take your time to finish her..so happy.. :hatsoff:
stunning !! {:)} {:)}
Have you finished and maiden her VC sir?
Heights of great achievement.
Reply no.30 - perfection comes from there.
That is one of the nicest, heart touching things that anyone has EVER said. God bless you Dharmik.
:salute:
After months of waiting, maidened her yesterday with disastrous results at an uncharted pond. She proved to be a beautiful ripper on the first two runs. Bow rising menacingly from the water at half throttle. At three fourth throttle she was almost trying to get airborne. I became overconfident and took her to the extreme end of the pond and turned her around for a high speed approach and pass. Midway down, she ran afoul of some underwater weeds and remained stuck despite all efforts to free her. One of the local urchins jumped in and forcibly ripped her out. One prop destroyed. Then as he swam with her, he dropped her nose first into the water and she sank with a fully charged LiPo. She bobbed back to the surface however, and I was able to disconnect the battery. Some of the extra detailing has been destroyed. It's back to the build again.
As far as performance is concerned, I couldn't have built a better Torpedo Boat. Pity that even though I had a camera at hand, I wasn't able to capture the action.
Lesson learnt: Don't ever sail a boat in a water that is unknown and make sure you have a rescue system ready before you sail.
First proper run of the PT 109. Lower your speaker volume at 53 seconds - the speed picks up and so does the music! ;D
Lucky to have found this particular soundtrack dedicated to the PT 109! :hatsoff:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTO7AG59mxQ&feature=youtu.be
First of all sir, superb soundtrack... very fun to listen oldie goldie Jimmy Dean's work... Already downloading Youtube track..
The craft is also stable and the abrupt turning is eye-catching... Could you explain how you achieved so sharp turns....?
:salute: :salute:
Thanks Adi, I could attempt to give you a technical/lengthy explanation, but I would rather be honest - NO IDEA! ;D
Jokes apart, I guess the hull shape and the twin motors/props/rudders did the trick along with the correct CG and balance. I deliberately made the craft sit low in the water to achieve the correct profile, however, water seepage through the rudder tubes proved to be a problem. Ripped the whole thing apart and remodelled it.
The boat looks really stable and quick. The turns are amazing. I really agree to Adi..that there must be any principle to achieve this which we don't know to be exact. Anyways VC sir...Its great for me to come back on the forum starting from your thread. You are an artist....and...I like to read and see your work. There are some people on our forum who really make RCI a wonderful place to read and learn anything from water to air. And you are one of them....
Thanks.
Cheers.
:salute:
Perhaps there is IS a secret behind her manoeuvrability. My Mother spent hours working on the hull - sanding, patching, M Sealing, sanding. She knew what this boat meant to me. She was my biggest supporter/fan. She left me forever, without any warning, suddenly on 24/11.
Perhaps, she is guiding the PT 109 through its fast turns and manoeuvres. I am just the the TX operator. I won't/can't claim any credit for the stability or performance of this boat.
I'm sorry but I didn't intend to share my grief in public here. However, here it is. I miss her so very much, and I can't get over this now, and probably, never will.
I guess it is OK to share this with the members on this forum. She knew what www.rcindia.org meant to me as I would update her with all relevant details posted on the forum every evening and she would absorb all of it. In fact, she shot my first Hovercraft video, running after it on its maiden run with the digi cam. Sweetheart Ma.
Band of Brothers.................I would request you NOT to comment on her demise with condolence messages or R.I.P. messages. Just let it be. Let her rest.
Comments on the boat and her performance are welcome. Let's leave it at that.
The boat is beautiful; an endeavour of love that shows. Something lives on, and always will
Beautifully done, flawlessly detailed. An excellent piece of craftsmanship! :hatsoff:
Thank you my friend, do I have your permission to post pictures of your beauty bi plane (Pitts Special) or do you want to unveil her yourself?
Lots to learn from you VC Bhaiya. Impeccable!!
Chota Bhai, I am going to start working on my Schnellboot all over again. I need to get back to my normal life asap. Wish me luck.
Looking forward to it. Best of Luck!
Thanks Chotu. It is the detailing and the scale accuracy which is of paramount importance to me. I don't want to build a high speed craft with inaccurate scales and ratio/measurements in 4 days. I would rather attempt to maintain scale accuracy (afap) and will take my time over this.
high speed stuff there VC, beauty
Danke and welcome back Gusty! You were missed.................
VC sir, Now this is COOOL! :thumbsup:
VC sir, I tried building this boat in my dreams, i couldnt.....I can only assemble n programme helis..
But building a boat from scratch is something exceptional which u did..Hats off.
Doctor, thank you for the kind words :bow:. Scratch building is often portrayed in an exalted manner by some modellers. It is not all that difficult as one can be a little lenient as far as design and dimensions are concerned. We don't have to stick to the "exactness" of a plan. However, scratch building a model to scale and keeping it as close to the prescribed dimensions of the real thing is a different ball game. If one attempts to add to it realistic scale detailing and markings then he is asking for sleepless nights, especially while residing in a non metropolitan city/town in India. :banghead: I spent a week fruitlessly searching for someone to paint the '109' to scale on the gun turrets and then decided to have stickers cut out - and they are NOT to scale.
This baby was a real experience after the hovercraft builds. Whew!
you always inspire me VC sir !!!!
infact you are the inspiration behind my first project on which i am working on.... :bow: :hatsoff: :salute:
Just went through this post again. Amazing!
As Severus Snape said to Lord Voldemort, "My Lord, you have performed extraordinary magic" ;D
"There was a lot more to magic, as Harry quickly found out, than waving your wand and saying a few funny words."
:bow:
:rofl: :iagree:
Great detail very well done {:)}
Only 1 thing I could pick on and that is the angle the shafts they are to step, the lower the angle the better the performance
one rule I follow when building smaller subsurface drive boats is get the prop as close to the hull as I can and have the prop about 10mm from the rudder
Other than that a great model
Thanks Stuart!
Will keep this 10mm thumb rule in mind for current/future builds.
I have posted some yachts for you to look at built by some members of the model boat club I am in
Thanks a lot, however, you will notice that I haven't commented on the yachts. Reason being, graceful as they are, building yachts / sail boats doesn't appeal to me. I am more the Torpedo Boat, Frigate, Cabin Cruiser types.
Nonetheless, thanks again.
I understand that I'm the same I find yachts a bit boring just posted as they are very beautifully built boats
I love warships, cargo, high speed boats and hovercraft
I have 2 yachts which I take 1 to the pond once in a while and yet to finish the other probably never will been on the shelf for 15 years lol
we have a member that builds awesome warships and subs he is away at the moment so when he gets back from holidays I will get some pics he is another brilliant builder
his warships are fighting capability with shooting gas filled torpedoes exploding depth chargers and missiles that shoot about 50ft into the air
we also have some huge warships that are 6 meters long I will find the photos and post them for you
i missed this thread for so long, i had the chance to actually see this PT109 and i just went thru the entire thread now. awesome build Sir, it has paid off. :hatsoff: u need glass a case to keep it in. :)
Thanks Pravesh - good suggestion, will do it soon.
There was so much interest still in this thread. It had reposed in the dusty archives, but when brought out again, was a hub of discussion