Posted by Sean W. on March 17, 1998 at 18:39:12 in 224.st-louis-02.mo.dial-access.att.net:
I posted a message to rec.model.scale a few weeks back. This is one of the best responses I got back.
It actually sounds like it could wook. LMK what you think of it.....
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1. Displacement. The model won't take much additional weight and still
float at the scale waterline. Be carefull about battery selection,
especially.
2. Fragility. PLastic models are fragile. The more you handle the model,
the more likely you are to break details off. Replace parts with brass or
wood where possible. (But watch the weight!) You may want to omit some of
the finer details. (They aren't visible once the model is a couple of
feet offshore anyways!)
3. Access. You need to plan ahead to allow for access into the model.
This means making part of the superstructure removeable, in most cases.
In smaller models, (Lindberg tugs) I just glue the deck in place with
silicon sealer, so I can remove it later if I need to do major repairs. I
used rechargable batteries for the model, with a small access hatch to give
access to the charging cable and on/off switch. You might want to try
that here. 2 channel radios are so cheap now ($50) that you may just
decide to build the radio into the model, without allowing for a way to
remove it for transplanting to another down the road.
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