Skippers' projects

Radio Control Boat Modeler, Dec 2001

A CROW'S NEST VIEW OF WHAT OUR READERS ARE DOING

Striking Cat

Jerry Wilson of Ypsilanti, MI, sent this photo of his F-41 Stryker catamaran. Jerry powers his cat with a Zenoah G-23 Pro-Race engine turning a Prather 275 prop. It's equipped with Octura drive hardware and controlled with a Futaba Magnum Sport radio. The completion of Jerry's Stryker was truly a team effort: S.S. Interprizes aided in the setup, the paint job was courtesy of Chad Ricks, and the graphics were by Sign-O-Rama. According to Jerry, his boat can top speeds of more than 50mph and "handles like it's on rails."

Hydro Happy

According to Bernie Stadien of High Point, NE, nothing on the water gets as much attention as a hydro. Well, Jerry's Enforcer certainly got our attention. It's powered by a Warehouse Hobbies Pro modified motor and equipped with Warehouse Hobbies fittings and graphics.

Maiden Voyage

Dave Garwood of Scotia, NY, sent this photo of his Soling One Meter sailboat that he built from a Victor Model Products kit. Constructed mostly of molded plastic and plywood, the Soling One Meter is guided by a 2-channel radio that controls the rudder and sails. Dave's Soling is 39.3 inches long, 64.5 inches high, has a beam of 9.25 inches and a sail area of 600 square inches. Dave is a member of the Capital Area Model Boat Club in Schenectady, NY, and the Soling is his first RC sailboat.

Bay State Beauty

This Aeromarine Laminate Signature 57 hull belongs to Mark Longmuir of Methuen, MA. Powered by a Zenoah G-23 marine engine, Mark's mono is also equipped with a Marine Specialties clutch, a third-channel kill switch, a pulse waterpump cooling system and an intermediate driveline brace. A stainless-steel Prather prop and a Marine Specialties dual-rudder assembly complete Mark's racer. Clocked with a global positioning system, this boat routinely runs at a speedy 31 mph.

Feverish Fisherman

This Dumas Donzi Z-65 is a joint venture by Robert Schmidt of Liverpool, NY, and Jerry Koondel of Marlboro, NJ. "Sea Fever" runs on two 12V, direct-drive, water-cooled AstroFlight Super Ferrite 25 motors with a Futaba FP-MC4-P20 speed control and a 12V battery. Two Robbe 25 mini-gear motors operate the radar units. Robert and Jerry modified the original full tuna-- tower superstructure to the enclosed-bridge style using photos of several full-size Z-65 Donzis. They also scratch-built the two cabin doors from mahogany and individually planked the floor with strips of mahogany. "Sea Fever" is finished with white and blue semi-gloss spray paint.

SEND IN YOUR PHOTOS!

We'd like to encourage reader participation in Radio Control Boat Modeler; after all, it's your magazine! In Skippers' Projects," we feature photos of your best nautical creations. Both color prints and color slides are acceptable, but please do not send laser prints. If we publish your photo, you're eligible for a $500 grand prize. We'll choose a winning photo from among all those published in 2001, and we'll announce the winner early in 2002. To increase your chances of winning, take water shots without any distracting clutter in the foreground; get the whole model in the frame: and shoot the picture from a low angle Don't photograph the boat on a cluttered workbench in your workshop! Tell us in detail what you did to your model and what special features, if any, you included. Send your entry to: Skippers' Projects, Radio Control Boat Modeler, 100 East Ridge, Ridgefield, CT 06877 4606 USA.