Hull lines for Lumba Lumba [Archive]

Prins Willem

Jun 19, 2009, 11:43 AM

I was contacted by a modeler who wants to build a Lumba Lumba. We have the plans in our club archives and I was going to send out a set of copies to him. I was looking over the plans and the frames are not laid out on them. There are oblique drawings of the framed up hull. Questions: Has anybody ever seen or done a frame drawing for the Lumba Lumba? Has anybody ever seen a table of offsets for the actual LL? The keel can be divined from the arrangement plan side view.

Before anybody jumps me about copyright infringement this model hasn't been produced in more than a decade and Estes/Cox shows no interest in reviving Sterling (which they bought and killed). We also only provide plans at cost so there isn't any profit motive at work here. We're not stealing food out of any children's mouths so I can sleep good in regard to copying plans of defunct models.

Jerome Morris

Jun 19, 2009, 01:16 PM

How about just developing a new set of lines with the available information you have.
It can be done with enough patience.

Prins Willem

Jun 19, 2009, 05:37 PM

Jerome, I am hoping to get access to a model from one ofour club members so I can use a profile gauge to lift the lines. I guess if I knew how to loft the lines from the oblique angle drawing then I could do as you suggest. Mechanical drafting class was 35 years ago and they didn't teach us how to do that. I'm not prepared to develop a whole new skill set in order to help out a fellow modeler on the other side of the country. My hope was somebody had already done it and would be willing to share.

MKC Syd

Jun 19, 2009, 05:55 PM

I can not help on the plans, but I have several nos kits of the hardware for it if anyone needs some., Thanks, Syd

Prins Willem

Jun 21, 2009, 07:59 PM

Talked it over with the guys at a club event today. Nobody knows where the Lumba Lumba I wanted to lift the lines from is now.

Plan B: Has anyone tried or does anybody know of a outfit that might be able to enter the oblique drawing into a CAD program and extrapolate the frames from it? Short of tracking down the original construction drawings for the full sized vessel this seems to be the only viable option.

norgale

Jun 21, 2009, 08:48 PM

Prins I don't think the frames are printed out on the plans. This is a Sterling kit and all the kits I've seen have the frames already cut out so no patterns needed. Don't know if that's the case with the LL or not. Pete

craig_c

Jun 21, 2009, 10:57 PM

Lumba Lumba plans do NOT have the frames on them.

Aerominded

Jun 21, 2009, 11:28 PM

Tracings weren't made? that's a shame... :( There is a really nice LL that runs on Spreckels lake every now and then and man, is it nice on the water... Nice running boats the LL-

Steve Ebel

Jun 21, 2009, 11:53 PM

MKC Syd

What does the Lumba Lumba hdwe kit consist of? And how much do you sell it for? Is it original Sterling hdwe?

Steve

Jerome Morris

Jun 24, 2009, 09:26 AM

So to develope a "good" set of plans, Get a couple of photos of the under body of the boat, get a cut out of the keel profile, a cut out of the deck perimiter, and a close midship section profile. Put those al together and you would have a very useable plan for LL.

amdaylight

Jun 24, 2009, 01:20 PM

All right I'll bite, what is a Lumba Lumba?

Andre :confused:
puzzled in Portland Oregon

boater_dave

Jun 24, 2009, 02:15 PM

The Lumba Lumba was an oil rig service boat.
The only picture I have of one in our club had been digitally turned into a sepia style photo. I tried to turn it back, so be kind if it does not look too good.

Dave

amdaylight

Jun 24, 2009, 02:22 PM

Thanks for the photo, I have seen that boat on the forums before but never knew its name. It is a nice looking boat, I like the rounded style of design.

Andre :D
un-puzzled in Portland Oregon

norgale

Jun 24, 2009, 02:29 PM

Search Lumba Lumba here and see quite a bit about the model and there were a few stories on the boat from a guy who rode the LL to and from school everyday when his family was overseas. Pete

Jerome Morris

Jun 24, 2009, 02:37 PM

Pete, Looks like the LL is in tropical waters with a nice brown slick of sweet Kuwati crude off her port side....How appropriate.

norgale

Jun 24, 2009, 02:44 PM

Does look that way Jerome. She was a oil search boat wasn't she? Pete

Prins Willem

Jun 24, 2009, 05:44 PM

The LL was a passenger/crew boat owned by CalTex and operated in the SW Pacific. Sterling offered it as a kit. I built one 30 years ago and mine is long gone. Mine was a quasi Lumba Lumba. It didn't use the CalTex stack emblem and instead of the rafts I had a lifeboat under davits.

I received a request from a guy in Texas who wants to build one. He noticed in a posting our club had the prints and he contacted me. I don't know what his skill level is so do I have copies make and send them knowing he might not be able to use them? On the flip side how far do I go to help him out?

The most practical solution is to have the oblique drawings scanned into a computer and then rotated to generate a table of offsets. Less practical is sitting at the drafting board for hours hand plotting each frame member. I wouldn't do that much scut work for a project of my own.

The pictures show what info is available on the framing print. Great for assembly, not so good for laying out and cutting scratch parts. The other print give drawings of the detail parts and a side and top view.

Aerominded

Jun 24, 2009, 06:18 PM

Hummm, no side view and top view like most Sterling models? form those pics, you have two stations that could be matched up to those drawings... between the top and side views, you could come up with the rest based on deck, chine and rabbit lines- :)

Prins Willem

Jun 24, 2009, 06:30 PM

Yes, the other plan has full side and top views. But you would still have to plot out each frame and trace to the wood to cut. That is a long and tedious process. The LL hull is all curves. There isn't a straight line on it. Even the one I built had a twisted keel. :D

Prins Willem

Jun 24, 2009, 08:31 PM

I just got PM'ed by the guy who wants the plans. He is going to take a whack at it as is. He has promised a build log as part of the deal so look for it in the near future.

Aerominded

Jun 24, 2009, 09:10 PM

Cool!!! should be good! :D

green-boat

Jun 24, 2009, 10:22 PM

Is there any mention of the colors it should be painted on that plan. I go my Lumba Lumba used and it is painted all silver. One of these days it will end up in drydock and I want to change the color to what it should be.

Steve Ebel

Jun 24, 2009, 10:59 PM

Guys,

In March of 2006 there were still drawings available of the full size Lumba Lumba from the company which designed it originally. I purchased 3 plan sheets from them. The Lines Plan is the one which will give you the bulkhead shapes. It is:
Dwg 1609-C1-1 Lines Plan $45.00

The plans are provided based on a number of conditions, one of which is that only one model per Lines Plan will be constructed. You must sign and return a copy of this agreement to them before they will ship your order.

Contact:
Sparkman & Stephens, Inc.
Naval Architects - Marine Engineers
529 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10017

Tel. 212-661-1240
Email: design@sparkmanstephens.com
www.sparkmanstephens.com

Prins Willem

Jun 24, 2009, 11:32 PM

green-boat
Quote from plans:
"Color Scheme: Color scheme is clearly shown on full color photo on wrap. Entire model (with exception of deck) down to water line is painted white. Bottom of hull to water line is painted dark red. Decks are dull medium green, as are winch and square hatch on front deck, cradles, and square hatch in superstructure deck. Smoke stack and adjoining vents are black. All other details such as rails, guard rails, hatches, mast, radar, are white. Fittings are painted silver. Glass part of lights are white except right(starboard) running light is painted green, left (port) running light painted red. Rope around life preservers painted tan, ladder is white. Dip decals in warm water and slide off into position shown on drawings and photo. Large Caltex Lumba-Lumba decal is applied to center of transom top of letters being 7/8 below rail. Apply coat of clear varnish over decals."

Steve,
I was wondering if one was to promise to religiously purchase gas at Chevron would they give you a copy of the plans? Beats S&H Green Stamps or collecting glassware.

jeepers1940

Jun 24, 2009, 11:39 PM

Good information, Steve. Thanks.
Does anyone know when the real Lumba Lumba was built and how long she was in service? The model has been around a good many years now. In its favor, it has a roomy hull that is a handy size overall. In 1971, the kit cost $ 24.95; the fitting set was another $ 5.95.
Prins Willem's nice looking model seems to be a good representation of what the Sterling model should look like when completed. Green-boat, I believe you might want to stock up on white paint. :)

green-boat

Jun 24, 2009, 11:40 PM

Thanks for that. :D :D

Jerome Morris

Jun 25, 2009, 09:18 AM

The guy thats taken this on to draw up the lines should be able to use the three skin patterns to develop the lines. Those three patterns are the golden ticket you might say.

Prins Willem

Jun 25, 2009, 10:59 AM

The skin pattern won't give you the shape of the tumble home which is considerable and inconsistent on this hull. Sight down the oblique and you will see what I mean. Be allot easier if she was slab sided.

Steve Ebel

Jun 25, 2009, 11:24 AM

The hull lines I mentioned which are available in drawings from the Lumba Lumba manufacturer, Sparkman and Stephens, are not skin lines. They are the lines from which you can draw out the shape of the frames from stem to stern. This is exactly what you need to build this hull.

P_J_Glor

Jun 25, 2009, 01:03 PM

Someone on this forum used to actually ride on the Lumba Lumba when it was in service. You may find the thread with his input if you do a search here.

Pete G.

Prins Willem

Jun 25, 2009, 07:13 PM

Pete G. I remember that post. A very interesting story and cool to hear from somebody with a connection to the boat. It was LexS and the post is #35

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=745991&page=3&highlight=Lumba+Lumba