Ian_Grant

Respectfully disagree, considering your outstanding Mahmudiye and Venetian galley builds.......

Good to see you back, Bob. Yes, NiMH cells in theory are 1.2V so your 6-packs should give you 7.2V. However, they do charge up to a slightly higher voltage. When taken off the charger they're usually around 1.4V, or 8.4V for your six-packs, as you observed. Does it matter? It doesn't matter for the batteries; this is normal behaviour. They should drop slightly after a few hours off the charger. What about your ESC and motors? It probably doesn't matter (I think you have brushed motors?) although they will burn a little more power since more current flows with the higher voltage. I think you got your stuff from "Big Bob"? - if so he will have chosen compatible components, knowing the characteristics of NiMH. In use the pack voltage should drop to 7.2V fairly quickly. Looking forward to the maiden video from the pond! She's a beauty. Regards, Ian

Gee, I was looking forward to the masting and rigging on this magnificent model.......

Another masterpiece in progress!

She was a lovely ship as were all the steel windjammers. I was working on a Heller plastic "Preussen" 5-master until I interrupted it to try my first RC build in 40 years but I hope to finish "Preussen" this winter. Then I want to make an RC square rigger. Reading about Neville Wade's many sailing models (including one based on Herzogin Cecilie) makes me want to build a 4-master. However, I was thinking of ordering Underhill's drawings of L'Avenir instead since she was a slightly smaller ship and so would be slightly larger scale. Looking forward to seeing your HC restored to her full glory!

Yes, I saw that in Chapters. Incredible painting job on a small bust of Napoleon even including his five o'clock shadow. Model painting has come a long way since I made plastic airplanes as a kid; as far as I can see the typical model now has about 15 spray coats of paint for various purposes.

Missed this build originally but now I'm on it. Wonderful!

You're planning full sails? Wow!

Really looking forward to this!

Thanks Marc; looking back I see it is the Monarche whose wale is underwater amidships, not the DR.

I'm late to this party but wanted to add my congratulations on the very nice final model! She looks great in her display case! I admire your determination to overcome this old model's issues and look forward to your next build. Ian

You'll have to try harder - I had mine for 34 years before starting her. 😊 It's a common story among Heller Victory builders. Good luck with the kit, and are you aware: - of all the kit shortcomings? - of the best book to guide you through the rigging? - that brass etch parts are now available to enhance the build? If not, all this and more can be found in Heller Victory build logs, here. Looking forward to your build log! Ian

I can never in my ignorance pick out in the photos what you are discussing in text, nonetheless I am enthralled by the complexity of this build. Would love to see it first hand in water. Congratulations and keep up the amazing work!

A good while since I posted. We were away a couple of weeks hiking in various canyon national parks at the corner where Utah/Nevada/Arizona all meet. Great trip which we hugely enjoyed given terrain which was like nothing we'd ever seen. Here are a couple of shots taken at Bryce Canyon. There are various trails which go down and wander among the hoodoos, each of which ends with a climb back up to the rim! One day there was snow, 0 deg C, so the family opted out but I had a great hike; muddy at first but tee-shirt warm at the bottom. And here is a fun photo taken at the trading post near Bryce Canyon. We will hang it next to a similar western-themed sepia shot taken when the kids were four and eight. Now back to the ship. I finally painted the bottom and the main wales black, actually "Dark Secret" from Home Depot which I would liken to Humbrol "Tank Grey". It was a relief to finally see the seams between the various small pieces of plywood skin disappear. The oars and mechanisms have been removed to allow mods. I want to make the lower oar blades the same increased size as those of the upper oars; shorten the upper oars by 1/2 inch; elongate the mounting holes of the upper oar beams to allow adjustment relative to the lower oars. I had a brief panic about NiMH batteries. Way back at the start of this project, I looked around and saw NiMH 5-cell "packs" at 6V and thought, ok, we're good to go with 6V analog servos. But recently I read that a 5-cell NiMH pack charges to something over 7V but soon drops to 6V when loaded. Consulting with the Hitec technical support line yielded the info that it's OK; the analog servos will be fine. Now I've been looking for a suitable battery pack and charger. I put my ammeter at the battery when rowing in water and was surprised to see it only draws about 3/4A whereas I'd been expecting maybe 2 or 3 amps. I have my eye on a pack and charger but haven't ordered yet. I also have the bigger resin-printed ballistas from my brother. He is now tasked with printing the rudders for this thing in transparent resin, which I really need quite soon in order to progress further.

Wow, those planks are going to look awesome when sanded...........👍

Good on them for promoting recycling. Our local dump does not allow you to pick up anything someone else left, for some reason.

"Pretty good"? At this scale, it's incredible! Or any scale really.

Nice work! Always happy to see an RC build!

Marc, in your #103 DR's wale is under water; in this stern view it's well above. Colour me confused.......🤔

Interesting that the Dauphin Royal has her main wale completely underwater amidships. Final nail in the coffin of Heller's way-too-low etched waterline on SR.

Oh Eric, I have no idea what is accurate. Best see what Marc thinks. 🙂

Wow Eric, you are really going to the wall on this model! I'm taking notes for when (if?) I get around to mine.

Ship looking great, Malcolm! Are you sure about the length of the jackstaff - it look a bit long? Maybe mine was broken short and I didn't realize...... Yes the Hackney book was written especially for the Airfix kit. I predict once you finish your Heller, you'll want to make a different ship, though. 😉 ps I replied to your email when I returned from vacation.

Looking great, Bill. Wood hull? No Problemo for Bill97! 👍🤙

Printed parts look great! Welcome to the "3D Club". 😉