Build 3 - from a plan

Hi All,

Following my second ever build blog with an airboat created without any plans (and to varying degrees of success!), I'm starting work on build 3 based on a 'proper' plan from an earlier version of the magazine.

I think the goals for me in this build are:

• Build from a structured plan - i.e. no free-styling - trying to stick to the plan wherever feasible
• Stretch my skills - new materials and skills to be learned
• Make the quality of the end product "better" than my earlier attempt

Thanks!

Hi Simon,

What are you going to build ??

Regards Ray

Hi Ray,

Thanks for the message - I'm building from your plan 'The Osprey', which for me is definitely a stretch of my abilities, but I think that was the point in picking this one - hopefully I can do your plan some justice!

I'll post some early snaps soon.

Cheers!

Simon

I started the first steps initially a couple of months back and got totally sidetracked with life so just picking this up again now.

Some early pictures of tracing out the keel and bulkheads - not sure how other people do it, but I found using tracing paper quite fiddly (getting the outline then glueing the tracing paper to the wood and then cutting).

Subsequently I've started using carbon paper on the wood directly which seems to work quite well - any other ways to do that?

one of the larger bulkheads:

Most of the bulkheads outline cut ... although not yet very precise, my cutting has improved to some degree since the last build - I'm still working on it and realising that any slightly shoddy cut usually bites me later.

The next step was to chop up some MDF skirting bits I had lying around to use as the supports at the base then glue them on. I taped and clamped them on before they dried.

And once all of them had been glue into the MDF bases, standing them up in line.

Hi Simon,

OMG I'm in trouble now it's a good idea to cut or drill plenty of holes through the bulkheads for your wiring for the servo at the stern and the power leads, and when it's fixed to the building board don't be phased by adding to the bulkheads to get the ply skins to sit nicely !! I also fit stern tube and rudder doublers to the keel early, I'm sure you have seen the build thread on here for her.

Regards Ray

Thanks Ray - any build shortcoming will be purely be my fault I'm looking at this project as a way of trying to stretch my skills quite a bit - if it's not perfect, the way I look at it is that I will have learnt a lot along the way to carry into the next one. Any suggestions appreciated. I think I have put in the doublers now but not yet the tube - will have to do that quite soon though.

At the moment just getting to grips with working with balsa wood which is a new one for me - much easier to cut than plywood!