RCForever

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I'm building a Dumas USS Crockett Asheville class gunboat. I would like to share information on this model and get information from other builders and owners.

There is an excellent website - Model Marina, where this kit is reviewed and many pictures and tips can be found.

There is a lot of detail on this model and the results can be very nice.

I've just completed glassing the hull and I'm building the superstructure.

jadeski

Can you post a few pictures?

DER387

I built one several years ago, BK sends

DER387

better pics,has working lights, forty MM trains and fires (bulb in barrel and sound chip) so does the 3'50 cal. on the bow and it fires rockets off the stern,(see photo aft next to the foty mm the launchers are raised. BK sends

RCForever

My Feedback: (8)

Here is a picture of my boat. It's all come out straight and true so far. Wet sanding the hull and deck are taking quite a bit of time but coming along. I've also been working on the deck hardware pieces with a Dremel tool to remove flash and mold lines.

I started this kit two and a half years ago and had to put it aside until recently. I'm really enjoying taking my time on it. The pictures I have seen of well built Crocketts are very nice.

jadeski

Here are a couple of pictures of mine, with lots of work to go,

RCForever

My Feedback: (8)

Nice work Jadeski! What motors and speed controls are you planning to use? I haven't decided yet. AquaCraft has a brushless motor for their Deep V that goes with their ESC that has two battery outputs in the wiring harness. I like the AstroFlight marine motors but they are pricey.

I'm using the Dumas running gear and props.

jadeski

Thanks,

I am using Pittman 12V motors which replaced my original 18V Pittman Motors, direct drive (no gearing) and for speed controllers I am using MCD Ultra Minicon (20amps,20volts) one for each motor, but they seem pretty noisy (motor wine).

I have also changed the couplings from a single to a double to compensate for missalignment.

For props I used RABOESCH 2" RH#171-09 and LH#171-10

Here is a picture

RCForever

My Feedback: (8)

I'm thinking of using a highly thinned mixture of epoxy laminating resin, isopropyl alcohol, and microballoons to seal the superstructure and other pieces such as the forward gun, breakwater, etc.

Getting the hull finished to my satisfaction is taking a good amount of effort. I'm applying my last coat of resin (the third) using a slurry of the above described mixture. This is fairly easy to sand. I'm also building a Dumas Dauntless which will require glassing and sanding. I may go with only fiberglass hulls in the future!

jadeski

I used three coats of West System epoxy on the hull and only paint primer and bondo on the super structure and turret,

here are a couple of photos of the turret and hull

rktman56

Hello to you all. Thanks for the comment on my website. I welcome you all to take a look at it. It will help you with your USS Crockett.

http://www.rktman.com/rlh/crockett/index.html

Although I built mine back in 1999, over the years I have gotten so many questions... Dumas has even sent people to my website to help them out. The problem has been that back some 8 1/2 years ago I did not document my build as good as I should have. SO... Looks like in Sept 07 I will be doing another Dumas USS Crockett build. Using the long list of questions I have from fellow modelers, I will do another area on my site showing this build. The planking will be more detailed, plus adding all those fine details! The Crockett is a fun kit to build and great fun on the water.

Don't give up on your build, your hard work will pay off when you see your ship on the water at your local lake

RCForever

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Rktman!

Your site has really helped me. I'm an experienced builder but having photos and notes clarifying the kit instructions is great. The great pictures from several builders also helps me keep going on a long project to know what the end result can be.

I've been wondering about what size motors to use. The real PG-88 was a fast boat with its jet turbine and twin diesels. Also the full size boat had problems being top heavy and was restricted in the areas it could operate. I guess keeping as much as possible low in the hull will be the best I can do.

rktman56

jadeski, do you have anymore pictures? How is your build going? I started mine too, I also started on the new web area. You guys can take a look at what I have done so far:

http://www.rktman.com/rlh/crockett2/index.html

Just keep in mind that I have not opened the site yet and a few of the links may not work... but it will show you that I will have allot more information to help you all out.

jadeski

rktman56,

It has been slow going but I did make some progress, I am using a lot of styrene for the detailing, I am trying to use styrene for the mast, but I am not sure if it will work real well when finished but it is definitely lighter. I made one of the smaller funnels and then cast two so that they would be identical. I have also tried to use the 3/32" styrene coated wire for the life raft rails. The 5" gun barrel and pieces were made from aluminum and plastic. The mist duct was drawn on autocad and printed then cut out and glued, instead of sanding the block of wood.

Microglass has a perfect match for the "Boston Waler", step 88 so instead of the three pcs of 1/4" balsa and a lot of shaping I bought one.

jadeski

Here are two of the whaler,

It sure saved a lot of time,

jadeski

I need to correct my previous post, I am using 3/64" plastic coated wire not 3/32"

rktman56

Your model looks very good. I like the idea of useing the Microglass "Boston Waler", saves alot of time for very little money. Where was the source of the resin fittings that you are using? What are you going to use for the chocks and bitts? I am thinking of doing the same as you did with my small funnels. Build one right, then cast what you'll need, hallow them out and you've got two the same! Are you going to install lights? You also installed 12v Pittman motors... I have the Hobbico TORQMASTER MINI (12 volt) for my project. It's about 1.5 lbs. lighter than the 6 volt battery I used in my first Crockett, and it has 4.5Ah. What battery did you pick? I also have a Power Distribution Panel from harbor Models, I didn't like the price but it really helps on the wiring. Oh yes, you talked about motor wine. Have you installed caps yet? I have two Electronize Speed Controls to go into my Crockett. They are very good, great! But they are very noisy. I have only used them with MFA 500 geared motors (with caps) and they were very loud. I using Dumas brand 12volt (Pittman) motors and I thinking the ESCs will be just as loud. Any ideas? []

jadeski

rktman56

The doors I made from styrene sheet,(drawn on AutoCAD then cut out and glued together) the louvers and escape hatch came from Harbor models they are the 1/32" Quartermaster fittings. I figured I would make the bitts since the Dumas ones are not very "round" I did purchase the chocks from HR but they look a little big, (I attached a photo), so I might make those like you did.

I do intend to install lights and hopefully get the radar working much the same way you described on your first Crocket.

The battery is still up in the air, I had first installed 19.6 volt pittmans and ran them at 18V (three 6volt 4.6AMP-HR Power Sonic batteries) but have changed those for 12V pittmans and I still need to figure out the battery configuration. At 18 Volts the boat really went nice and sat at the waterline, but the motor wine was really bad and the motors got really hot. I tested the 12 Volt motor setup and it ran pretty quite, I still need to install the caps, I am getting some mechanical noise from the original DUMAS struts there seems to be some play between the shaft and the dumas bushings. I have some work to do with the setup still

I really do not know why one motor would "wine" more then another one, except that in my case the 19.6V pittman "wined" alot more than the 12V pittman.

I did purchase a JCC sound card (M105) and amplifier from Harbor Models with the Naval gun fire and it sounds pretty good.

rktman56

Yes, going down in voltage can play into it a bit. But then if you are adding sounds, then you will not hear the wine any way. Just a heads up, I had a few guys who served on the Crockett listen the the engine sounds on the Harbor Models website. They both said that the MTB sounds like the Crocket on diesel engines. To me the MTB and the Turbo-Cat Diesel sound the same, but I like the Turbo-Cat Diesel because it has start up. I need to get with Dave and see it they are the same sounds... or am I getting old?!? I agree with you on the .50 cal sounds. On my first model I made the chocks, and later I was not happy with them. What were the part numbers for the HR chocks? (1/32 scale?) I will have lights on this one I'm building. One thing I will change is the "towing" lights. On my first one I made it so all of the lights on the mast worked, I'm changing this. I know as for the mast I will have the aircraft warning lights and the yardarm blinkers working. I'm thing not the others on the mast... toooooo mmmuuuccchh wwwooorrrkkkk and unrealistic when they are all on. Where did you get the sailor at ease? Oh did you set the rudder locations using the Dumas instructions? [:'(]

rktman56

Well, I did a few things today. Looked at the battery, power-distribution panel motors and speed control locations. Things will change a bit based on the "mounted" locations of the motors. I will not mount the motors until I make the new "A" struts and get them and the stern tubes mounted. But I know now that all the stuff will fit inside the hull. (I have the rudder locations set and rudder block installed, I did NOT use the Dumas locations. The rudders are set to the outside of the shaft center-lines as on the real ships. I will post the mesurnemts I used later on my website.)



This layout close to the one I used on the first Crockett I built. I also did a test fit of the deck and super structure. The parts in my kit were badly die-cut. After cutting out the parts and cleaning them up, I test fit the parts together. One the first Crockett I built I got comments from several guys who had trouble fitting the super structure in the deck opening. Seems that when they went to build the super structure, the deck opening was too small. Things fit fine so far on this build. They should fit even better when I glue them in their final place.




Here is an example of the poor quality of the die-cut parts. I call this "die-crushed" [:@]

jadeski

The sailor was a German 1/35 scale Tamiya figure, I do not remember from where. I do have two of the Tamiya PBR kits for accessories and figures (like your first build).

The chocks are 1/32" scale, I am pretty sure they are the HR #S32-12 6" Chock.

I installed the rudders as described in the original Dumas plans in line with the props/shafts.

You work fast, I have been working on this for a couple of years,

rktman56

My first Crocket took me 2.5 years to build. I've got only 2 and half days of work into this one. [X(] (I'm retired Air Force ) The kit is not what I seem to spend the most time on, it's the website. Got a few weeks worth of work into the new part of the site and I'm even editing the pages for the first Crockett build. This weekend I plan to fiberglass the hull and set the locations for the stern tubes. I'm thinking of going with 1.5" four bladed props. Thats .5" smaller than the 3 bladed ones that came with the kit. They will look more scale and the motors will turn them easier. I ordered some oilite bearings to make the "A" struts with last week. So I hope they come in on Friday...

Nice touch with the sailor. I thought that was the HR chocks... Like to see more pics when you get them ready.

jadeski

I came across these on the internet and they show a lot of detail that I had not seen before,

Thought they would be of interest,

Ron S

My Feedback: (2)

Jadeski,
Did you ever finish your model? This is another boat I'd like to build in the future... Perhaps not this kit, but of this boat class.
Too many model boats and airplanes to build, and not enough time! [8D]

rhutting

Anyone still posting and/or currently building this model?

I'm new to the hobby but very familiar with the gunboats. I'm building my ship as the Asheville (PG-84).
I served on her for 22 months and did two tours in Viet Nam.

I started my build several years back, but have just recently begun working on her again. I've completed the hull, superstructure and a majority of the larger components. The all of the completed parts are in primer and the shafts have been installed. I've visited rktman56's site and got alot of information on the build, particularly the "super detailing".

I'm very comfortable with completing the detail work, but have never built an R/C boat! I'm lost when it comes to the running gear. I did race R/C cars and have quite a bit of very good radio gear. Can I use more than just the radio?

As I can, I'll get some pictures posted.