Floating yacht models not only for children of the sea

Regattas

Models of sailing yachts for the little ones are at least as old as the yachts themselves. However, sometimes, a new look at yes - it would seem? already? A topic that can surprise even a modeling instructor with many years of experience.

Today during the master class I would like to present a method of safe shipbuilding modeling for very beginner modellers and present my proven solutions that are useful when building small floating models without their own thrust.

Imported Ideas

I don't consider myself an Americanophile, but there are a few things that have always intrigued me about Americans. One is the common belief that knowledge? and especially when it comes to the smallest - this should not be learned, but it should be experienced! That is why there are so many experiments in the American curriculum. But technical and practical knowledge is also valued there. American Scouts are not far behind? indeed, as befits their name (scout), they often set new directions and create classes of models or technical sports. Take a look at one of these "models for non-models" classes, created several decades ago in New York, this month I will? encouraged? both students and teachers.

SZ - making a ship - stability test

Reingatter Regatta

Is this a specific group of model boats for baby scouts? and at the same time contains the whole philosophy of technical projects for the smallest. The Boy Scouts of America keep an eye on everything (including the sale of legal kits).

The basic rules are simple:

• each participant receives a set of prefabricated elements for building a sailboat - so simple that he can make it without any additional tools and materials. Well, aside from painting and decorating, other elements and modifications are usually not even allowed.
• after the specified time, the participants report the start of the competition
• Since it is not easy to find a safe, shallow and clean pond in every area, model races are held in parallel on two standard gutters or courses of similar size. At the starting signal, the competitors begin to inflate the sails of their boats in order to reach the end of the ten-foot (3,05 m) flutes as quickly as possible. Sometimes, just in case - to prevent the so-called. hyperventilation and fainting - babies blow through drinking straws.

As in other projects of this type, the model can only be used for one season.

Games of this type, by definition, are intended for local activities (for a given tribe, squad, etc.), but are there any "canonical laws"? about the boats that are worth - also for us - to get acquainted:

Chassis: must be made from the material provided (usually wood) and be between 6 1/2" and 7" in length (i.e. 165-178 mm including rudder) and not wider than 2 and 1/2" (63 mm - does not apply swim/sail). The boat must remain single hull (multihulls are not allowed to compete). The body can be painted and decorated. Mast: Height 6 to 7 inches (162–178 mm) from deck to top. It can not be expanded, but it can be decorated. Sail: Made of the included material (waterproof), can be cut, folded and decorated. The bottom edge of the sail should be min. 12mm above deck. No form of propulsion other than sail(s) may be used. Ster in kg: of the materials included in the kit, they must be well attached (glued) to the bottom of the boat. The rudder may protrude beyond the stern of the hull (rear of the boat) as long as it does not exceed the above dimension.

Jewelry and accessories: decorative elements such as sailors, cannons, helms, etc., can be installed on the model if they are permanently attached to the boat and do not exceed the above dimensions. It is not recommended to use bowsprits (uneven struggle to touch the finish wall). Start numbers are not required.

SZ - mother ship - course behavior test

Gutter regatta

While the original canons of the class are widely known, many modifications to the original rules also exist in the US. The most important thing is not to lose the most important thing: equal opportunities for all participants, fair competition and many prizes and gifts? so that no one feels discouraged by losing!

1. Safe water area: I think getting gutters in 2-3 meter sections should not be a significant problem for those who want to find them and use them in children's competitions. The blinding of their ends is also usually solved systematically, so I will not give examples here. I'll just mention that due to the following model classes coming soon? it may be advantageous to find rectangular trays with dimensions of the order of 120x60 mm.
2. Rules of the competition: it should be developed on the basis of repeatedly tested patterns, the most important of which are already listed here. It is important to standardize sizes and materials. For those who are preparing, perhaps, competitions for children in the RR class, the main question is whether they are able to put together sets for all participants. If it does not have such capabilities, the regulation should contain a well-defined specification of the available elements.
3. Standard Model: Below we present the design of a model that meets the classic requirements of the RR class, which was tested in the MDK Model Workshop Group in Wroclaw. It can be the basis for making individual sailboats by beginner modelers (perhaps with the help of parents), but can also be used as a model for making prefabricated kits for the whole team, class, etc. (excluding typical commercial sales). In any case, it is worth making the first copy from scratch to assess whether it will be relevant for all subsequent models in this category.

Sailboat

Over the past few years, I have tried to follow my designs of comparable models in order to find the most affordable option for our conditions. The result of these considerations is the draft PP-01 presented today? younger relative of the unmanned sailboats Błękitek (RC Przegląd Modelarski 5/2005), MiniKitek (RC PM 10/2007), sailboats DPK (RC PM 2/2007) and Nieumiałek (Young Technician 5/2010). All of them, of course, have several common features, one of the most important of which, however, is, perhaps, the lowest possible price of the necessary materials.

The result of this assumption is the use of foam materials (mainly extruded polystyrene or polystyrene) for enclosures? is an incomparably cheaper option than wood (especially balsa, which has recently been used mainly by American intelligence officers). Any material that is lighter than water (also pine, bark, polyurethane foam, etc.) can be used in custom builds, but when considering the micromanufacturing of kits, thermoplastic foams are probably the most advantageous. The most important is the possibility of cutting with simple polystyrene cutters (described and shown in the film in MT 5/2010). The remaining elements or sets are no longer a problem, so in the following description we will focus on making a single copy.

Chassis easy enough you can do? this also applies to non-modellers - with the help of cardboard templates (drawings for printing on a scale of 1: 1 in the pdf attached to the article) from polystyrene or polystyrene forms 20x60x180mm, bought in large boards in a needlework store. Blocks can be cut with a wallpaper knife or a hacksaw. The tools are so cheap that they can be part of the kits that are sold. The hole for the mast is made with a bamboo skewer. Ballast and steerer grooves with a wallpaper knife or properly prepared (sharpened) sheet metal. Finishing is done with abrasive stones (called "shirades" in model slang) or even just sheets of sandpaper. But be aware that while the model is supposed to be painted, the very common layman's mindset, "How will it be painted?" should be avoided. won't be visible? ? nothing more to worry about!

Keel (ballast plumage) is usually the most difficult element to manufacture or obtain? does it have to be heavy to do its job well? PP-01 design involves the use of a steel sheet 1 mm thick. In the copy of the photographs, however, I used a ready-made plate, which, according to an absurd law, fits with InPost letters (no careful modeller throws such letters? Gifts? Out!).

Ster can be made from soft sheet or plastic (even from a phone card or an expired credit card), but the advantage of the sheet is that it can be bent after pasting if needed.

Mast is it plain bamboo from a skewer stick? penny thing. If we want to comply with the strictest rules? it must be cut to 18 cm.

swim does it have to be waterproof? the easiest way is to cut it out of a thin white PVC film (it sticks perfectly with Super Glue).

Holes the mast can be cut with a regular hole punch or leather knife. Is it possible to glue all the elements with one glue? polymer (for polystyrene cassettes). To get the correct course of the model, simple gluing of the ballast and rudder is important, and even more important is the reliable fastening of the sail to the mast (a spinning sail has repeatedly become the cause of losing races).

A model stand is optional, but can be very useful for assembly, transport, and storage. It can be made from wooden or plastic slats (maybe even counting sticks?)

Malovanie can be made with any waterproof paint and in almost any technique. The use of styrodur instead of polystyrene further enables the use of spray paints. This operation is best performed after the ballast, rudder and target mast are stuck, holding the model by the mast in a hand protected by a disposable glove. Is it possible to paint the mast even with a waterproof marker? They also come in handy for decorating and marking on the sail. Stickers can also be used for the same purpose.

Accessories are allowed even in very strict versions of the regulations. Surely you can use typical modeling accessories? however, do they come at a price? Could you also use elements from the most popular blocks you have? including men. Can you also make small pieces of onboard equipment? such as lifebuoys, buffers, bleached ropes, capstans, handwheels, etc.

Water tests

When building your first or one-off model, do you rarely have the right gutters right away? but they are not immediately needed. For our purposes, a bathtub or mini-pool with a small extension for the smallest is suitable. During the first tests on the water, is it worth checking the correct operation of the ballast - equal draft fore and aft and lifting the model after a forced capsizing when the sail is already in the water? is a highly desirable feature of sail models? (see video from RR-01 tests).

Subsequent tests should confirm that you are on course (if the boat is turning, you can still adjust the rudder). Even though the turning models will also follow the ditch to the finish line? however, they will do so at great cost. However, in the case of a regatta for accuracy, they may already have almost no chance of winning? The third challenge could be how to steer the boat with a drinking straw, especially if the rules of the particular gutter race require it.

Regattas

The basic information needed to prepare the competition regulations is described above. Rules must be declared min. 4 weeks before the competition. It should also contain the rules for static and regatta evaluation of boats and a list of all types of prizes (and there should be as many awards as possible: for the fastest boat, for the best made, for the most interesting name, for the best participant, for the youngest participant, for the most interesting sail decoration, etc. etc.). In the absence of suitable drainage paths, you can arrange a competition in the children's garden pool (also indoors - using two stationery fans or even the so-called farelek). The regatta may then consist of entering the appropriate gate marked in some way on the opposite wall of the pool. Another possibility is a regatta, which consists in sailing a boat along a typical regatta route (the so-called triangle with herring), installed in a micropool with a diameter of 1-1,5 m.

changes

I am not saying that the model described here is the most perfect for chute competition. This was also noticed by American intelligence officers. Many features of the classic RR class model are considered unfavorable for canal racing, so the RR subclass known as the Free Style also has many heavily modified designs. The changes mainly consist of dividing the single hull into several parts (still based on the basic set) to make the catamaran with a sail much farther from the bow, curved on both sides, folded back and glued to the hull.

The downside of these physical optimizations is the transformation of models into forms that sometimes no longer resemble sailboats. However, for young designers and designers, appealing to the appearance of large units seems to be the best option? there are also examples of successful models with the appearance of catamarans, as well as multi-masted sailboats. Perhaps we will return to this topic in future articles in this section?

I hope that this time we will be able to see much more reports and works of readers on our forum. As in the case of the previously described school projects, and this time, with additional points, I would like to especially thank the organizers of the school, team or club who would like to describe this in an official report. Successful models and fun!

Worth seeing

• Examples of running troughs: Sticker templates for classic RR boats – Tuning the classic version into a double hull: and: