Unlimited Class Hydroplane Modelling Query

Cobra · December 02, 2010, 01:08:55 AM

Hey Guys, Has Anyone built a Model or Diorama Featuring Unlimtied Class Hydroplanes? I'm Talking Racing Boats,FYI! the Question just Struck me so i thought i'd ask. Some Notable Unlimited Boats are: The Miss Budweiser, Popeye's Fried Chicken,and the Like. Not Sure if there are Any Models,Just thought i'd ask. Thanks for looking.Dan

Hobbes · December 02, 2010, 01:51:48 AM

http://www.google.com/search?num=50&hl=en&safe=off&q=%22Unlimited+Class+Hydroplane%22+resin+scale+model&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=

Maverick · December 02, 2010, 02:06:36 AM

I'm vaguely sure there were some Japanese kits of these vessels and I seem to also remember Revell or Monogram having a similar kit. That being said, I'm also fairly confident that these were very old kits too, perhaps back in the 70s or 80s. Chances of finding kits like this would be slim I'd wager.

Regards,

Mav

Hobbes · December 02, 2010, 02:27:09 AM

This model was in the competition at last year's NL nationals:

Ferrari Arno XI Racer Boat

No idea if it's from a kit, though.

PR19_Kit · December 02, 2010, 02:41:46 AM

That Ferarri boat was featured in Model Boats magazine a year or so ago, and it has a 'sister ship' as well, another Italian built hydroplane, but I can't remember the details.

If it's the one I'm thinking of it is from a kit, but a SERIOUSLY large one, as it was about a metre long and was intended for the R/C modelling crowd, but could be built as a static model too.

Hobbes · December 02, 2010, 03:49:01 AM

Actually the one in the competition was much smaller, about 15-20 cm long.

chrisonord · December 02, 2010, 05:46:14 AM

I built several Hydroplanes when I first got into building model boats, all were R/C racing boats and were powered by air cooled aircraft engines. I put the biggest engines I could without sinking the boat in 2 of them, one of which I put a boxer twin engine in. That was very very fast but was only really safe to use on a flat calm day.I sold all of them to guys in a local club who raced them at a local lake. I also did one smallish electric powered one too, which was surprisingly nimble.
Chris.

jcf · December 02, 2010, 12:12:56 PM

Craftworks in Seattle has/had (Sean can be rather spotty in production terms)1/48th kits of classic piston-engined hydros mastered by Gerry Nilles and Gerry has also been working on 1/25th scale boats.

http://www.craftworks.com/hydros/hydros.htm

I have one of the kits and Terry'braincells37'Moore has built beautiful wood-grained examples from the kits.

Testors did a 1/25th kit of the 1977 Merlin-powered version of the U-1 Miss Budweiser, it shows up at model shows and on ebay.
While it represents a front-engined piston boat, the hull could form the basis for a front-cockpit turbine or piston powered boat.

Models of the current suck-and-blow boats tend to be of the large RC variety.

Google for plans and you'll find a variety of sources and even some free plans.

In closing, the piston boats just sound so much better than the Hoovers.

raafif · December 02, 2010, 03:23:05 PM

What about bigger class racing ?? USS Tucumcari in racing trim ? Soviet passenger hydrofoils like the cosmos type used in Greece etc (with extra engines for higher speeds) ??

Apart from the old Revell kit of the Tucumcari I don't think there are any kits of commercial hydrofoils (maybe an RC one ) ??

PR19_Kit · December 03, 2010, 02:29:49 AM

Quote from: raafif on December 02, 2010, 03:23:05 PM
Apart from the old Revell kit of the Tucumcari I don't think there are any kits of commercial hydrofoils (maybe an RC one ) ??

I thought the Tucumcari kit was by Aurora, I still have one upstairs somewhere I think. Or did Revell re-release it? Darned if I know of another styrene hydrofoil kit, it's certainly a finge interest. There are a few R/C 'foils available, but not scale ones AFAIK.

A 'High Point' or 'Flagstaff' would be impressive, even the Boeing Jetfoil double-decker! I travelled on that one from London to Ostend and back in the early 80s, that was SERIOUSLY impressive at all levels.

philp · December 03, 2010, 05:38:28 AM

http://www.foils.org/models.htm

http://www.hlj.com/product/PITHMG-02

PR19_Kit · December 03, 2010, 09:18:05 AM

Quote from: philp on December 03, 2010, 05:38:28 AM
http://www.foils.org/models.htm

http://www.hlj.com/product/PITHMG-02

Excellent posts Phil.

I'd forgotten the Bras d'Or, that was, and still is, one SERIOUS hydrofoil! And I'd forgotten that the JMSDF had some Boeing 'foils, the one's in the advert are like new superstructors on a Tucumcari hull, or probably a Jetfoil hull actually. And you get TWO models in the box, at E36.90 that's not too bad a buy, but I expect the p&P would be pricey!

philp · December 03, 2010, 10:15:30 AM

Your welcome.

There is also one in the 700 scale Dragon USS Perry (think that is right) but at that scale you can't see too much.

I have been after a Tucumcari for a long time as it is close enough to 72nd scale for my collection. Price is always just too high to fit my budget.

And don't forget Greg's hydrofoil E-Boat he did.

raafif · December 03, 2010, 03:57:07 PM

Rode the cross-channel foil in the early 80's too, despite very rough weather (other trips that day were cancelled), impressive ride over biggish waves.

In 1945 Germany had 6 experimental TS-series hydro-foil E-boats just entering sevice and its first large patrol / transport hydro-foil (the VS-8) ready -- it's assumed that they all fell into Russian hands starting the long line of Soviet designs up to 1990.

Those Japanese boats look very short, would that cause some porpoising in rough weather ?

In the 1800's there was the Clipper tea-races from China to England and the wool-races from Australia to England.
In the early 1900's there was the Blue Riband (London to New York) for the trans-Atlantic passenger ships.
In the 1930's we had the England-Australia air-race & in the late 1940's there was the Bendix Trophy for trans-USA aircraft.
There is currently off-shore power-boat racing, albeit short distance.

There doesn't seem to have been any trans-Mediterranean races (except maybe the ancient Greeks?) -- how about a race for large hydro-foils -- start at Gibraltar turn at Tel Aviv, Haifa or Beirut & finish at Tripoli -- the region of the ancient Phoenician sea-traders.

PR19_Kit · December 03, 2010, 05:00:12 PM

Quote from: raafif on December 03, 2010, 03:57:07 PM
Those Japanese boats look very short, would that cause some porpoising in rough weather ?

You know they wouldn't if you rode the Jetfoil in the 80s......

They had the same control system as the Jetfoil with a radar wave height sensor in the bows which adjusted the angle of the bow foil so that the hull rode at constant wave height, or at whatver lag the Capt'n desired. The aft foils adjusted the roll angle so that the lateral acceleration tended to zero, signalled from an accelerometer, or rather two of them, in the centre of the hull. That's the bit that interested me as it was almost exactly the same sort of system that I worked with on BR's Advanced Passenger Train tilt system.