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Steve Beasley
the "masked modeller...." |
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Robbe Florida 26
speedboat. Is a semi scale model based upon a 26 foot speedboat, seen regularly around our coasts. Being a scale /yacht modeller with a 13 yr old son (Tom) my other boats just didn't "cut it" as far as he is concerned, just not fast enough, so this is really his boat, though I do frequently use it, on a Sunday afternoon ! Florida is an ideal introduction for a novice to model boating to build. Most parts are preformed in moulded "plura" (Robbe's own type of abs), she comes complete with prop/shaft/motor/coupling and fittings. All this for under a £100, is excellent value ! ( shop around and you will get her for around £80) there's a good shop near Oxford :) - (Howes? - Mayhem) Instructions are easy to follow, with no hidden surprises at all, I built her in less than week of evening spare time. No painting is required as the hull has a lovely smooth finish, cream in colour, very prototypical. I just added the decals and a 1/10th scale figure of Dana Scully from the X-files (the truth is out there!). Actually I found her in the local Toys R US store. Robbe recommend NOT to use epoxy resin, as the heat produced as the chemicals react can distort the hull/plastic/plura! Instead use Stabilit Express, expensive I know but a big tube of the stuff will last around 2 scale boats! It's a polyester resin, that you add to a powder mix, easy to use. As is usual with the "Continental "manufacturers, the box art slightly differs from the actual production model, but is still very nice. On the water, she sails a dream, very fast, banks into turns with great style and a super rooster tail exits her rear end, Florida is a 2 channel model, running on a 7.2 v NiCad "buggy" pack or 8.4 for a real rush, she runs for around 20 minutes, and is a real treat to sail/drive 'cos she's so different from the slow scale stuff I usually sail. The motor can get a tad warm, I really need to fit a water cooling system, she's been thrashing about for over 6 months now, and is the driest boat I have - on the inside anyway! ;-)
Overall as an
introduction to model boating I can recommend it, easy to build, fun to
sail, and reliable too. |
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