Happy Hunter Salvage Tug Boat 1:50 (Robbe)

[Stevolution2024]

Hello all. Newbie here.

I bought this kit off Ebay MANY years ago. It was cheap, and that is because all the larger sheet ABS components have curled or warped.
I have managed to flatten some of them, and others I will cut new ones.

I have to say, the instructions are fairly rubbish considering how expensive the original kit cost. There are German instructions with some black and white images that are very difficult to see.
The English instructions are basically a short-hand version of the German ones with no images. So you end up having to have both sets of instructions open at the same time which is a bit silly.

So, first job... scan the German instruction book into PDF pages. Upload those to a free PDF to JPG conversion website (scanning them as JPG directly didn't work so well).
Then... re-scan the new JPG pages onto a free German to English conversion website.

Hour later... one English instruction book from the German one with images.

I intended to go with Brushless motors, but they are biblically expensive and I am trying to build this on a budget (I am a special effects engineer by trade).
So, managed to find some very nice 775 motors on Ebay that I think will work fine. Much better quality than I was expecting and only £15 for 2.

I have some gearboxes that fit these shafts if I need to reduce the output.

RC system. Because I want a lot of working features, I have designed my own. Just 3d printing the controller now.
This will be my own bespoke RF system with 2x Throttles, a dual joystick, 12x Toggle switches, 4x 3 position switches and 12x rotary servo pots.
MORE than enough for this project and any future ones. I based it on the Robbe Navy Twin Stick F-14 controller.

I actually have a Robbe Navy Twin Stick F-14 controller + aux modules in the workshop, but I have that ear-marked for my RC submarine.

So, currently 3d printing some new motor mounts and a few other bespoke parts.

The main batteries will be 2x Dewalt 18v, 5Ah tool batteries in parallel (because I have loads of them in my workshop). I will 3d print a bespoke battery holder and the 18v will go through my own designed H-Bridge motor controller.

Long road ahead

 

[Stevolution2024]

Yes, I also have to say that the parts on the ABS sheeting were not exactly easy to cut out. Some of the sheets, the outline/scoring went nearly all the way through, but most of the sheets it was literally a guideline that only just kept a knife on track. Took some serious hours to cut all that out and now it looks like I may be binning a significant amount anyway.

 

[Stevolution2024]

Has anyone else built this boat (I'll search in a minute)

Got to say, if I had paid full asking price, I think I would be pretty miffed at the low quality of the parts in some respects. The universal joints (4mm) had no hope of ever going together.
In the end, they just snapped.

So, I'll have to grab some stainless ones.

 

[fourseas]

Looks like a very interesting project with all the essentials for a completed model. I am surprised that you have had problems with that particular universal coupler as I have used the Graupner one many times over the years with no problems. I have however switched to other types due to cost which work just as well. These photos show some alternatives to your broken one. Second from the top is the "Dog Bone" with brass couplers from the motors to the shafts. Third one is a prefab product with a neoprene shaft in between brass connectors. Fourth item in that photo are the two brass tubes which I use for exact alignment while installing the motors and prop shafts.
Jim