Hello Shipmates! I am veturing into the field of R/C boats for the first time. I have some experience with R/C tanks (German Tiger 1). I have built countless static models over the years, but when I bought my tank, it was the first R/C model I have ever owned and now I want to branch out into ships.

A few years ago, I was given the Lindbergh 1/125 Blue Devil as a birthday gift. It sat under my bed ever since. I believe that now is the time to get cracking on it. It will be a father/daughter bonding activity which will be either a lot of fun or a PITA. So I'll be around here a bit gleaning info from all of you. My goal is to one day build a Smit Rotterdam Tug, but I must cut my teeth with a few less demanding models first.

I will be doing a full R/C conversion complete with lights, and maybe even rotating gun turrets if I can figure out how to do it. I think that I'll be scratch building all below deck components, not using the kit supplied stuff. Hull stiffeners and a deck support/fastening lip will be first to be built. I'm thinking a twin motor/ dual ESC configuration will be installed as well, so I can go forward on one engine and reverse the other for tight maneuvers.

I love to tinker with gadgets and machinery, so I'm quite looking forward to this build.Any advice on building this model, would be well received.

The Blue Devil is notoriously overweight when finished, be careful with your construction methods, and keep everything light.

[8D]

I have to agree with Umi i bought one and converted it into r/c. I took it to the local pond i got about 3 feet out and it sunk would of went out to get it but it was in the middle of winter and the water was way to cold. Learn from your mistakes. If you have a pool or bath tub use it. That way you where its to heavy at and where you need to take weight off at.

Ya know, I dont really like the look of the Blue Devil much anyway... Do you suppose I would do okay with a Model Slipway Wyeforce or Aziz?
The prices are a little steep, but I have read many good things about these models, and quality don't come cheap. I REALLY like the Envoy Tugs too. The Yorkshireman is beautiful, but maybe a bit much to start with. Oh man, decisions, decisions...

You CAN float the BD successfully... almost 400 of us Lindy-nuts are at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lindyfletcher/ . Join and look through the Photos section, then ask q's.

It will be tippy... but if you drive it at scale speeds it's fine... drive it like a speedboat, it'll tip. Want a sppedboat? Buy a speedboat.

Cheers,
Pat M

The new Italeri PT boat in 1/35th scale would be a great choice. It is an extremely nice and detailed kit. It is currently selling locally for about $112. Check it out at:

http://www.perthmilitarymodelling.co...eri/it5602.htm

I use mine all the time. A bit tippy as it has a little too much top weight. I run mine at night too. Sink it? Never!
http://i172.photobucket.com/albums/w...S/IMG_5456.jpg

I built mine with dual motors and a single rudder. Was not tippy, but had very little freeboard aft. Soon retired it to the shelf as not well suited for open ponds and lakes.

I ran mine tonight with the LED's on. It's a nice boat. Put your radio in it and use the thing. I'll weigh mine if you like and show you where I laid the lead to steady it. I really like it.

I wanted to flog this dead horse thread and right some wrongs.

I've seen evidence of some "tippyness" in regard to the Blue Devil, mostly on Youtube, but firsthand experience not so much. I witnessed an acquaintance operate one, he had one built stock, no apparent lightening of the parts nor a lighter rebuilt superstructure and it sailed well with waves breaking over the bow and was operated 'recklessly' in moderate chop (3-4" swells).

From what I understand, the BD performs to scale. The real Fletcher class destroyers were somewhat top heavy and were known to heel over in turns and even capsize in typhoons.
Slow down in those turns, operate it in a scale fashion (even though the real destroyer was capable of 36 knots) and you should be all right.

Thank you for your attention.

On your comment about capsizing in typhoons, that was due to Admiral Halsey ordering the fleet to reverse course back into a typhoon AFTER THE FUEL TANKS WERE PUMPED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Fletcher class destroyers maintained stability by filling tanks with seawater as they burned off fuel. The tanks were then pumped out to make room before refueling from tankers. When Halsey ordered a course reversal, the destroyer USS Spence (DD512) was prepping for topping off its tanks and was lost due to not being able to reballast with seawater in time to prevent hitting the storm in a topheavy state.
With all of that said, AS DESIGNED, the Fletcher class were actually very stable. As WWII wore on, they did gain a considerable amount of added topside weight due to additional radar antennas and, to a greater extent, more 20 and 40mm antiaircraft guns. This did make the class roll more in high speed turns and rough seas but not to the point of being dangerous as was implied considering no other Fletch class destroyers were lost due to rough seas alone. Of the class, one was lost due to the typhoon, one was run aground and subsequently destroyed by Japanese shore batteries, one was lost due to mine damage and subsequently beached, one was sunk in the Solomons and two more were sunk at Leyte Gulf in surface actions, two were lost to bombing, one scuttled after serious damage in another surface action while a second was scuttled after a kamikaze strike. Of the rest of the class, 10 were sunk by Kamikaze planes while six more were damaged to the point of being beyond repair and one other repaired but it failed it's post repair sea trials. All told, there were 175 Fletchers built and 19 lost both during and after the war. After WWII, a few were damaged beyond repair due to collisions with other vessels. As a general note, I served with the airwing on the USS Kitty Hawk (CV63) for two deployments and have gone on a couple of pleasure cruises since and every time the vessel has turned, they have heeled over toward the outside of the turn in anything other than a slow turn so this is not something specific to the Fletcher class

Before I even finished reading your first sentence, I knew you were talking about the Spence. The point I guess I was making is that unladen, with no ballast other than the machinery and boilers, the Fletcher is somewhat unstable but no more than any other warship. Furthermore, most if not all warships (or anything with a displacement hull) heel over in the opposite direction of a turn.

Here's some thoughts from another forum: "As for heeling in turns, yes the real ones did it too. If the model acts like the real one even in the less than desireable traits that makes it more fun to operate as you need to do all the same things that the real crew had to do!" Boater_Dave

"The real FLETCHERS where known as surface submarines, we would even rock tied up to the pier in Pearl Harbor, lots of fun during high speed turns. Rode three of them, decks always awash." tincanrider

Here's what I'm talking about with a more modern destroyer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzveUz-WRGQ

Regardless, people give the B Devil a bad rap when it actually performs like the real thing.

Looks to me like the CO of the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Gonzalez was showing off

Who cares it looked pretty cool and does make a good point in reference to this threads discussion.

Jim

Never said it didn't illustrate the point. Just saying the CO was showing off on how well his ship handled when there really wasn't a need to do so.

And he was showing off. Wonder how much fuel he "wasted" performing that stunt?

So, did I or anyone else convince the OP that the Blue Devil can be made very seaworthy, can handle some chop and nasty conditions and come through unscathed?
Pat says it will tip but will it tip over if handled recklessly? I think not.

here is the one I put together for my 4 year old son.

Polarisdave,

Well, that's a great effort you put in there and it appears to have enough gizmos to keep a little boy happy. I like the lighted stacks and I think the high intensity LEDs in the searchlights looks very authentic. Looks just like the light from a carbon arc searchlight.

Does your son operate it any? I'm not saying he's too young for it at all, but it would teach good hand/eye coordination even at 4 years of age.

What motors did you use?