TheChimpAHOY!

So I decided to build a 1/5 scale rc catamaran sailboat , but I want to know whats "in style" not that I care what people think of my boat, but I plan to make more of them ( depending on how well the first one is. )

I may even build ones to sell on the fourum! But that's for later.

For now, I want ideas, possibly blueprints and sketches!

Thanks everyone!

TheChimpAHOY!

Probably 1 meter

TheChimpAHOY!

Also modeled after a yacht

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

Cats are more challenging to sail than a traditional style sailboat. Sure you know that, but suggest you have place to sail it that allows you to retrieve the boat in the event of a capsizing (which will happen) I like boats that are realistic in appearance, so I tend to look for that in selecting my boats. I have posted a few pictures of a few boats that have captured my attention and are in my collection. Pictures show a Tamiya Yamaha RTW and a Kysoho Seawind. Both models are fashioned after Ocean Racing Yachts - The Yamaha is a 1/20 scale model of the 1994 winner of the Whitbread Round the World Race, now known as the Volvo RTW race. The Kyosho Seawind is styled after the earlier Americas Cup Yachts.

The smaller boats are a Tamiya 40EX and a Kyosho 612 both 24" in length but decent sailors in light conditions. There are a few more but thought I'd try to get an idea of what you like before offering suggestions.

I have other boats that are not as detailed but still great fun to build and sail. Suggest visiting the rcgroups.com forum - go to the sailboat section. You'll find almost every kind of sailboat ever made discussed on that forum. Here's a link to that site. http://www.rcgroups.com/sailboats-59/
Boomer

SailNut

Have a look at the "Racing Sparrow" boats, they're easy to build from the plans in the book. The book is "Build your own rc yacht", by Bryn Hveldt

rgburrill

After building my first sailboat, a Dumas Star, I found I did not like the fact that RC sailboats differed from real sailboats in one very important characteristic - sail control. I designed my own second boat and made it 20% lager in order to accommodate two sail control servos. I also added a small electric motor for when the wind dies so I used a 4 channel radio. The main sail servo was controlled both the main and jib but a second servo gave the jib more control which allowed me to sail much closer to the wind on an upwind leg and also sail wing-on-wing on downwind. Today's radios, of course, would allow the same thing using mixing functions instead of the mechanical system I used. The other nice thing about using independent control of the jib was having a 130% genoa instead of a 90% jib. Setting the main with the RC throttle function (ratcheted) and using the aileron function (spring return to zero) to control the jib allowed sail tuning of steering as in real sailboats. Centered would let the jib out as far as the throttle/main setting would allow; full right would pull the jib all the way in if the throttle was full back which would put some right thrust into the jib; ditto for full left. And if she started to heel over I would let the aileron go and the jib would lose power. For the motor the throttle had to be all the way forward, including trim, to enable the motor. It only had one speed and was pretty slow.

BTW, Dumas makes very good wood sailboat kits unlike the plastic or fiberglass hull almost-read-to-sail boats. But I don't think they have any cats. The good thing about starting with a wood kit is you learn how to build and can design your own after that.

boomer1

My Feedback: (1)

Love to see your work. How about posting a video?

rgburrill

boomer1, I never saw your comment here until now and while this is late perhaps you will see it anyway. It's hard to tell she has two keels but they are both there. I also used panels in the sails adding a little camber. Both the outside and inside have are coated in Minwax Helmsman so no fiberglass was used. She is over 20 years old now. Some day I will get a video.