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NO LONGER AVAILABLE Billing Calypso (Costeau Research Ship) For Sale


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No Longer Available

For sale is this Billing Calypso ship kit, complete and unstarted. Offering it here on MSW for a mere 

or, if you would rather, you can buy it from Ages of Sail for 😕 (just kidding, I know you don't want to do that). :cheers: And I seriously doubt the new re released kits have all these beautiful brass parts.

 

I hate to part with this kit, but I know it's something I just won't get around to building anytime in the foreseeable future. 

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Edited by CDW
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1 hour ago, mtdoramike said:

What a real beauty, were you going to build her radio controlled?

 

 

mike

I never intended to build it R/C, although that's probably the most popular option with a model of this size and hull type. It certainly has all the space one would ever need to equip the boat with R/C gear.

Many years ago, in the '70's, I built a Dumas Hydroplane kit that came out real nice. I had intended from the beginning to R/C that model, and equipped it with one of the K&B inboard glow engines it was designed for. By chance, I learned about a nearby pond where R/C boaters raced on the weekends. While I was there, a helicopter flew in and landed. Aboard the helicopter was Bernie Little, the owner of the Miss Budweiser unlimited hydroplane (the 1:1 version, not a model). He just stopped by to watch the R/C boat races. 🙂 Bernie Little was our area Budweiser distributor/owner and a very wealthy guy.

At that race, I was rather disappointed to learn how frequently our R/C boats would flip over during the course of a race. A john-boat was an absolute requirement to retrieve the boats before they sank. Instead of racing my boat (which wasn't completely finished installing the R/C gear), I decided I would sell it because it was going to be too much hassle and I wasn't prepared for that. I realize of course, an R/C/ boat like the Calypso would have just a very small chance of capsizing. 

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I have not built one of these for R/C, but I have seen them built R/C, they use servos to work the rigging and booms to catch the wind like the real ship does and yes, it takes some playing with it to get the hang of it just like sailing does. They also have motor and prop in case of no wind, you get into trouble or you just want to pudder around. These Sterling kits can be scarce as hens teeth to find. 

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3 hours ago, CDW said:

I never intended to build it R/C, although that's probably the most popular option with a model of this size and hull type. It certainly has all the space one would ever need to equip the boat with R/C gear.

Many years ago, in the '70's, I built a Dumas Hydroplane kit that came out real nice. I had intended from the beginning to R/C that model, and equipped it with one of the K&B inboard glow engines it was designed for. By chance, I learned about a nearby pond where R/C boaters raced on the weekends. While I was there, a helicopter flew in and landed. Aboard the helicopter was Bernie Little, the owner of the Miss Budweiser unlimited hydroplane (the 1:1 version, not a model). He just stopped by to watch the R/C boat races. 🙂 Bernie Little was our area Budweiser distributor/owner and a very wealthy guy.

At that race, I was rather disappointed to learn how frequently our R/C boats would flip over during the course of a race. A john-boat was an absolute requirement to retrieve the boats before they sank. Instead of racing my boat (which wasn't completely finished installing the R/C gear), I decided I would sell it because it was going to be too much hassle and I wasn't prepared for that. I realize of course, an R/C/ boat like the Calypso would have just a very small chance of capsizing. 

The only thing that would worry me about the Calypso would be mechanical failure. When I would run any R/C boat in any pond that there were no boat traffic, I would bring an inflatable float with me just in case I had to go out and retrieve the boat. I have only had to use it once, due to fishing line getting tangled up in the props. I don't remember if Billings gives the option of R/C on the plans like some other manufactures, but if you have built and R/c boat before, it's pretty straight forward. I have seen the Calypso built R/C and man is it a majestic beauty on the water and a real head turner as well.

 

mike 

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