My New 1950s Wooden Broads Cruiser

[floydraser]

Oh yes it is!

It is an Aerokits Sea Queen, 46.5 inches x 14.5 inches. 

"The 46″ Sea Queen  was introduced by Aerokits in the early 1950s.  Based on a Norfolk Broads cruiser it was designed by the late Leslie J Rowell owner of Aerokits which later became Lesro Models." So there.

Aerokits were at 79a Suffield Road, Gorleston-on-Sea, which is a group of sheds behind a row of terraced houses. (Aerokits was a group of sheds, not Gorleston MM)

Not only that, I bought it from an auction in Snettisham. An online live auction but the poor picture made it look about 18 inches long. Hammer price £10! It was covered in muck and came with 2 boxes of bits with plans, mouse chewed instructions and bird poo. I reckon it's been a shed for years. It'll now be used to educate some of my Grandchildren using old and new technology: there is no power unit installed so there is a blank canvas - i.c? electric? hybrid? hydrogen? A test bed for any of them. Some Grandchildren are 15 miles away, the others 70 miles away but by the magic of Whatsapp/Youtube they can all be involved. We did a similar thing with an old motor mower and still have all their limbs!

I don't intend updating this thread on a regular basis; I thought it may lighten things up a bit in the present climate. 

[CambridgeCabby]

Would love to see updates as they happen 

[Bikertov]

Wonderful !

Reminds me of the model boats and stuff I used to make with my dad.

[grendel]

i looked at it, said thats a sea queen, then scrolled down, and sure enough..

[grendel]

I have this smaller 33" version, of a similar kit, it's a sea something by aerokits I believe, this is in my to do pile.

[grendel]

i think mine may be the sea commander

[BroadAmbition]

Nice one Floydraser - I look forward to the updates, what's the odds that you get it finished before our esteemed Grendel gets at least one of the 'B.A' models finished?

The 'Race' is on

Griff

[ZimbiIV]

The kit is still available and can be made radio controlled.

paul

[Maxwellian]

Why is the gaffer tape in the to do pile Peter?

[grendel]

its there ready to gag vociferous forum owners on behalf of the moderators 

[floydraser]

13 hours ago, BroadAmbition said:

Nice one Floydraser - I look forward to the updates, what's the odds that you get it finished before our esteemed Grendel gets at least one of the 'B.A' models finished?

The 'Race' is on

Griff

Now steady on there Griff, that'll be like comparing Grendel's RR Silver Cloud to My Skoda Estelle! 

[floydraser]

1 hour ago, grendel said:

its there ready to gag vociferous forum owners on behalf of the moderators 

Yes, we get that. We can see a body next to the tape, is that your last victim?

[grendel]

1 hour ago, floydraser said:

Yes, we get that. We can see a body next to the tape, is that your last victim?

I can assure you thats just a mannequin 

[floydraser]

Ok, as sort of requested, I find it easier to communicate this way sometimes. Feel free to correct me if my assesment of old radio control is bit a bit adrift.

There won't be much happening until the Grandchildren have been introduced to it and decided what, if anything, they want to contribute. Apart from steering and crashing the thing that is.

 

[grendel]

ok, well the two screws on the motor are the replaceable brushes, that little bit with the bumps the bar on the rudder sits on that for free running (non radio controlled) so you can set it to circle slowly

 I think the 1960's was the eraof no proportional radio control, so you had to turn left after turning right. around that time there was something called the galloping ghost radio control.

of course nowadays you can buy a decent radio control set for under £30, you would also need a speed controller, which would give you your forward and reverse. you could even fit lithium batteries and a brushless motor (make sure the speed controller matches your motor). you can get away with 2 channel, steering and throttle

[floydraser]

Back in the old days I used to race 1/8th scale stock cars and have a couple of (non marine) Irvine 21 engines and a Futaba two channel transmitter and receiver. I also have a 1/10th scale ic car with a .15 pull start (non marine again though) which also has two channel radio gear. Both radios are 27MHz though. I'll probably look at some modern 2.4 GHz kit for safety.

I still have to research that motor a bit more but I'm leaving the power up to the kids. A couple of them are at an age where it could help them with their science subjects. 

[Karizma]

This is what a modern Futaba 2.4g Tx looks like now a days 

[floydraser]

22 hours ago, Karizma said:

This is what a modern Futaba 2.4g Tx looks like now a days 

Nah, you want one of these:

It's cheap, warm, no building, no rebuilding  no joining a club, no mowing the field and you can let the kids pla.

Spitfire here but I could have an ME109 and two player so Griff and Polly could finally have a show down! 

[JanetAnne]

On 29/09/2021 at 12:58, floydraser said:

 

 

On 29/09/2021 at 17:51, grendel said:

 

And here's the full size versions

[floydraser]

Staterooms? I like the sound of those. When did we stop using that term?

[TheQ]

Probably in the seventies, when everything started moving down market to the lowest common denominator. You're not allow to "better yourself" anymore, the lowest dumbest advert / Programme is where "it's at" now..