American Enterprise Retrofit

[Doby]

With My 1/8th Llumar currently awating parts, I decided to begin my retrofit of something I picked up at a swap shop for about 50 bucks.

I put in new motors/ speed control, new shafts, new rudders and odds and ends.

Here are some shots.

[Doby]

And a few more;

[SJFE]

Dude that thing is kewl . What Swap Shop sports items like that? Got a link?

[Doby]

It was at our local clubs swap shop. It was built by a retired gentleman who's health is failing and his wife was clearing out some of his things. Our club held a silent auction for it.

I put my bid in on it and who would have thunk I'd be heading home with it.

The ironic thing is that I have a unfinished kit in the basement of the same boat that I have yet to get around to building. So when I got this one, I gave the kit to our club as a freebie to give away at our next event.

[SJFE]

That was a solid move donating the kit man. At some point I want to pick up a scale craft. I want something I can take out on the worst windy choppy day & let it get pounded on. Some type of coast guard cutter or surf rescue boat. Self bailing possibly, bilge system & a recovery system of some type. If I sink it I'll be happy

[Doby]

I have a Midwest Kit of a 47 ft Motor Lifeboat, its about 30 inches long, self righting just like the real one. I have had this out in 4 foot swells and it has been rolled twice and always comes back for more. Its powered by twin 550's and does about 10 MPH on flat water. But the real fun is when it surfs down the big waves.

Check out Midwests web page. Also , Proboat is offering a ARF version that Midwest used to offer. Seems they bought some of Midwests designs. (the PT109 and the LifeBoat)

[SJFE]

Dude thats perfect but the 400 bucks puts it way out of reach for me now. IMO thats a little spendy for what their offering.

[Rex R]

ya know...if you're looking a boat to just bash about with, and don't mind building it from scratch...you could build one of these http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=522762

[SJFE]

Thats a neet little package Rex. Reminds me of the vacutug with the pusher setup.

[Rex R]

as I understand it, the tug was developed as a 'cheap, club' tug. the limitations are 'only' if you want to play tug soccer in the stock class(which basically covers the hull and hwd, the superstructure can be almost anything...and frequently is ). I've seen pics of them pushing a '200 lb barge', not bad for a 27t 05 motor.

[Flying Scotsman]

Doby, a great boat. I am presently building a Graupner Wiesel MTB.
What really impresses me though is the workshop...very nice layout.

Douggie

[Doby]

Thanks, ,,,you are building a Wiesel, I have one as well !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was the first boat my father and I built when I was about 15. I have had it almost 30 years now!

It still runs well and has been through numerous modifications over the years as it has been damaged from moving several times.

With triple 550's, it is very fast for a diplacement hull.

[Flying Scotsman]

As Walt Disney said Doby, it's a small world. This Weisel will have remote controlled turning guns and radar. Scale boats can also be fun!!!

Douggie

[Doby]

Its one long ,skinny boat isn't it!!!

[Flying Scotsman]

Its one long ,skinny boat isn't it!!!

Indeed it is Doby, but the weight it carries for ballast is interesting. 3 Motors, 2 12v stick batteries in a hull 1070mm L X 175mm W plus all the other bits for RC control and it may require further weight to be scale at the water line

[Doby]

Using a 6V, 7Ahr battery, it sits perfectly on the waterline, it just needs a bit of trim weight as long and skinny hulls can be a bit of a pain to balence.

Under full speed turns. it leans into the corners and creates one heck of a wake !

[Flying Scotsman]

The motors now specified are 500E's rated at 12v. Not 550(600) series. therefore a 6v system would decrease the power. Thanks for all the help and I trust you brush off the cobwebs on yours and get her wet.
Douggie

[Doby]

I'm sure they might have updated the specs when they re-released it a few years ago. Originally it had Graupner "Jumbo" 6 V motors but over the years they wore out, now I have some no-name 6 volt motors, I don't even know how many winds they have. I am able to run all three off of one "Blast" speed control with no problems. The thing is crazy fast (for a scale displacement boat).If it was a planing hull, it would probably be in the 15 MPH range.

She last got "wet" last year at one of our scale clubs meetings. I try to get her wet at least twice a year.
I'll snap some pics this weekend and post them.

[Diegoboy]

Doby.
She's a nice one!
Here's a small video of my Dumas AE piloce boat. I just got done with the police lights, I still have 1 bow light, 2 stern lights, 3 interior lights, 2 mast lights, 8 deck lights, and the red/green nav lights to install.
The spot light is operated remotely by a channel.

-----------------> Video <-----------------

[Doby]

Those are some cooooooooooooooool lights. Its like a lightning storm!

[dirtysouth31]

i need some of those police lights on the front of my rigger..ill be the fast boat police

[properchopper]

I have a Midwest Kit of a 47 ft Motor Lifeboat, its about 30 inches long, self righting just like the real one. I have had this out in 4 foot swells and it has been rolled twice and always comes back for more. Its powered by twin 550's and does about 10 MPH on flat water. But the real fun is when it surfs down the big waves.

Check out Midwests web page. Also , Proboat is offering a ARF version that Midwest used to offer. Seems they bought some of Midwests designs. (the PT109 and the LifeBoat)

This is the early Midwest version. Repowered with twin Titan 550's. Ran it in windy/choppy water & it looks so real. Now has autobailer, btw.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmsbDH2ybX4