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[Xtian29]

Hello

Humm you are fully right Sherlock Circlip Holmes and there is this official picture with JKF and the PT109  crew ...  So now I have to search for the HMAS Ipswich CO business card to send him a mail  



Then I have to burn this base ball cap   (I still have 2 other Aussie's caps with the Success and the Warramunga   )

A+ Xtian

[Peter Fitness]

Then I have to burn this base ball cap   (I still have 2 other Aussie's caps with the Success and the Warramunga   )

Keep them, Xtian, if they are Aussie they will be worth their weight in gold 

Peter.

[Peter Fitness]

I've been wrestling with the mysteries of electrical wiring for the ACTion P94 but, with the help of Dave Milbourn's wiring diagram, I finally managed to install everything. Wonder of wonders, everything works   and, best of all, it works as Dave intended   The P94 is an amazing piece of electronic wizardry and, coupled with the bow thruster, should make the boat very manoeuvrable. The props I obtained from George Sitek, the motors are from John Darke, here in Australia, and the couplings are home made affairs, using short lengths of an old speedo cable. The prop tubes and rudders are also home made.

All the working bits are now installed, so it will be on to the rest of the build, including fitting the deck, and then making the superstructure. We are going away for 5 weeks from Monday 24th August, with our caravan, so I will do as much as I can in the days before that time.

Some photos of the electronics below.

Peter.

[Martin (Admin)]

I like the double rudder set-up, very efficient!   

[DickyD]

Looking good Peter, nice to see you bought Daves goodies for it. I have the P94 and am dying to try it out. It works out of the water anyway.

[Peter Fitness]

Mine works well out of the water too, Richard, so I can assume it will work just as well in the water.

Martin, I used a similar twin rudder set up in my Grand Banks cruiser, and it is very efficient. It also has twin motors, but they are running off one ESC, so no independent motor control, but the 2 rudders make it extremely manoeuvrable, and its turning circle is very tight.

Peter.

[ZIPPY]

Hi Peter,really do like the Armidale so far.Its a shame Austal dont provide you with anything i have the same problem with my customs vessel but it does make the project more difficult but at the same time i think you do learn a lot more about the boat when you have to examine endless photos.But i think it looks fantastic.

[Voyager]

Good idea with the double rudder, that'll never fail!

Keep the pictures coming, it's gonna look the business when it's all done 

[Peter Fitness]

You've got a good point there Zippy, looking at endless pictures really does give you an appreciation of the boat you're trying to model. It's not too bad with the shape of the hull, as the drawings give a pretty good idea of that shape, but the test will come with the detail, and correct placement of all the individual items. Hopefully, that's where all the photos will come in handy.

Wayne, the rudder set up is quite simple, positive, and very reliable. I file a small flat on the rudder posts for the tiller arm set screw which, when tightened, won't move.

More photos will be forthcoming as the build progresses.

Peter.

[Peter Fitness]

I haven't spent much time on the Armidale class lately, having been away, and I'm about to go to Sydney for over 3 weeks, so that will be another hiatus.

I've managed to fit the deck and make the air intake boxes, all of which is made from styrene sheet. This may upset the purists, but I find styrene easier to work with, especially when making some fittings, as it glues quickly, and has a smooth finish which takes paint well. It also represents steel or aluminium sheet with less preparatory work than wood. I have been careful to rub the styrene down to remove the shine before cutting, giving paint a key. I am going to make the superstructure from the same material.

The hatch visible on the aft deck is not prototypical, but has been added to give access to the rudder linkages, hopefully it will not be too noticeable when all the deck fittings are on, and the model is painted.

There has been recent discussion on scratch building versus kits, and while I definitely prefer scratch, it certainly is much slower, as all fittings have to be fabricated, rather than simply picking them out of a box. However, I'm in no rush, and I enjoy the challenge of building within the limits of my ability.

Peter.

[derekwarner]

In OZ we had some good television coverage over the weekend in local news with the first of the class HMAS Armidale patrol vessel being again dispatched to intercept illegal 'boat people' attempting to enter Australian waters & land in the north west of OZ

The vessel is a brilliant design, larger & a far superior sea boat than her predecessors     .......Derek

[Peter Fitness]

After more than 3 weeks in Sydney doing the grandparent thing, taking the boys to school, cricket, football, swimming etc, then picking them up again, we are glad to be home for a rest. Our son was in New York for 2 weeks on business, so we volunteered to help our daughter-in-law while he was away.

Since returning home, I have managed to spend some time on the patrol boat, hours in fact, but there's not a lot to show for it. I've been making the bulwark supports, there are more than 50 of them, and it is slow work, but the end result looks OK - I think - but I'm only half way there.

My time in the shed is about to suffer severe restrictions, as our family are coming home for Christmas, so I will be otherwise occupied - so my wife tells me  I'll make the most of the next 2 weeks 

Peter.

[tassie48]

Peter hows the Armidale boat coming on I had a Fremantle class model in 1/24 and had the stabilizers working in opposite to the rudders really helped with turning her in to the corners when coming about never had the heart to tell the guys how com she handled so well wednesday is hobby night my turn to host the guys over at my place give them some good ideas for model building regards tassie48.

[Peter Fitness]

Hi Tassie, the Armidale's coming along - slowly. I'm in the process of making some deck fittings, which seem to take a lot of time without having much to show at the end.

I have a Model Slipway "Sentinel" customs cutter with working stabilisers which also work opposite to the rudders, and it handles beautifully. (Photo below)

As a warship modeller you may be able to help me regarding the correct hull colour for the Armidale. I did get some info some time ago, but my filing system has let me down, and I can't remember what it was. Going by the photos I have, the colour seems to have a tinge of green in it, do you know what it is? Any help much appreciated.

Peter.

[hmsantrim]

hi all the R.A.N. today uses N42 storm grey and N63 pewter for the decks

Australian Standard AS1700 42 Strom Grey.

Australian Standard AS1700 N63 Pewter.

Frank

[Peter Fitness]

Thanks for that Frank 

Peter.

[Ticonderoga]

Peter, the "boat" is looking good. Would you happen to know where one could get hold of some drawings for the Attack Class Boats?

For interest's sake, HMAS Bombard 99, was the original "star" of the the very first patrol boat series featuring "HMAS Ambush"

[Peter Fitness]

Hi Ticonderoga, you could try the Naval Historical Society here http://www.navyhistory.org.au/shopping/ship-plans/ They show HMAS Attack in their list of available plans.

Peter.

[Ticonderoga]

Peter,

Thanks for the heads up!. My first scratch build project is now decided! I am about to start a semi kit Ticonderoga build, this will take me some time I guess, but on completion, Bombard will be the next ship off the slip...

Thanks again.

[Peter Fitness]

A few more photos of the small amount of obvious progress I've made. As I mentioned before, a lot of time can be spent on some items without too much to show for it. I've made up the anchor, its windlass and associated pulleys etc., and fitted the stern boarding platform, steps (gangway??) and handrails. I've also started to make the 2 RIBs. I will then have to decide the best way of making the RIB davits, each of which is a small model in its own right as, indeed, are the RIBs themselves.

I know that there are some talented builders out there to whom this sort of stuff is almost second nature but, for me, it's a (very) steep learning curve. However, I'm finding the challenge to be very enjoyable, and will leave the results to be judged by others, but I'm happy - so far.

Peter.

[Martin13]

A few more photos of the small amount of obvious progress I've made.

I know that there are some talented builders out there to whom this sort of stuff is almost second nature but, for me, it's a (very) steep learning curve. However, I'm finding the challenge to be very enjoyable, and will leave the results to be judged by others, but I'm happy - so far.

Peter.

Great Job Pete.
I know all about obvious progress on BB - heaps of work and little to show for it - at least on the forum.

Hey, as long as you enjoy it and happy with your work, that's all that matters.
Stuffing up has become second nature for me. I did a beauty a couple of weeks ago on BB and had to ring Bluebird for advice - I'm still trying to fix it

Armidale is coming along great and you will be proud showing her off at your local club - Keep up the good work..

Your fellow Aussie

Mdu

[tassie48]

Hi Peter I noticed that the coamings on the deck are small for the superstructer to fit on experience has taught me that the deck coamings on my models are 30 to 50 mm high my whaler has small coamings and catchs some waves and water actiion,shes due for a refit this winter and larger coamings to be fitted.
We sail on the Derwent River and the wave action is across the deck at times same when we were on the Gold Coast I make all my ships with high coamings now due to the weather I like to sail in. Your ship is looking good heading up your way soon for Gold Coast hoilday try to slip a model into the car for a sail with you haha tassie48.

[riggers24]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_NehO12_A0&feature=related sorry there isn't any sound but a few shots of the real thing and a one with sound http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btJE_m7amT4&feature=related

[Peter Fitness]

Martin, thanks for the kind words. I am enjoying the build, and the challenge, I'm doing it to the best of my ability, and am pleased with what I've done so far.

Tassie, I understand what you're saying about the coamings, but all my models have coamings of a similar height, and I've never had a problem with water ingress, regardless of weather conditions. I always make the superstructure a fairly firm fit over the coaming so there is a negligible chance of water getting in. Apart from that, we sail on fairly sheltered water, which helps.

Riggers, thanks for the links, there are some good action shots there.

Peter.

[tassie48]

Peter no worries mate just hate to see your model getting wet ,we have some big white caps and rollers down here and I have been caught out a couple of times copped one broadside to the whaler had the whole foredeck under water and the stern 1/4 out of the water got her home comeabout and surfed in lost the harpooner on the fore deck found him and stuck him back on deck.
Had the USS BOGUE CVE9 escort carrier 1/48 scale ducked and dived on the Gold Coast when a huge Rivera went past and 5 foot wake caught the poor carrier single screw coming about one wave rolled the full length of the flight deck about 4 inches of ocean across the deck glad to report all aircraft and 40 ood crew all accounded for would have loved to video the four tidal waves hitting her so dead scared that water will get in some were I used a balloon to encase the reciever tassie48.