Building Tips – Build Your Hull Peter’s Model Aircraft Way

If you have not read the Model Boats magazine article about Peter’s building of the “Dampschiff” steam-powered launch, which is on this site, you will not have seen his way of building a hull, as follows.

         Unlike most boat model makers I prefer to use a similar method used by model air plane builders to create half frame sections glued to a center frame (including keel). The keel / frame section is preferably cut from one piece of wood but sometimes made from two glued with an angled joint. This centre keel frame is lightly nailed to a perfectly flat plywood base covered with waxed paper to eliminate accidental gluing to same. A 1/8” square gunwale stringer is glued to the top of each frame ensuring perfect 90 degree frame fit to keel frame. To enable easier bending these strips can be split and glued in two pieces. Thick CA glue is used with a quick accelerant followed by expoxy finishing resin on each joint and left to dry overnight.

          Once this first half is complete, it is flipped over and 3 exact sized frame supports are fixed to the building board to support it and enable the same process for the other half of the hull. A full frame transom is fitted and squared off.

          This method has proven to totally eliminate any possibility of hull warping during further construction. Un-needed deck area frame material can be later removed when openings are required.

          The hull is placed upside down utilizing two of the same supports as needed to firmly support the hull for the planking process. No center support is needed due to the high strength of the framed hull. The center rib is clamped to each support to hold firmly. The building jig / platform structure is screwed on with metal angle brackets so it can be re-used for other such projects

          This technique has been successful for me in 20 large scale RC controlled model boats ranging from 12” to 96” overall length over 25 years.