Aircraft carrier deck big enough to land on

[Choppa Nutta]

I want one or to make one, fun scale would be fine just to look the part really, perhaps something world war 2 for a park flyer corsair or something.

Any suggestions on where to look for suitable reference or which one you would like to see me have a go at ?

[Terry Lyttle]

Must have been 30+ years ago that they built a "carrier" in Seattle, and flew models off the deck; I think it had to do with a converted runabout, not sure.

Should be fun running a carrier AND a model at the same time. From what I remember of the UK it should be fun finding a lake big enough for that exercise! The concept is fascinating, though...

[Tony Oliver]

I can remember an article in Model Airplane News magazine in the early 1960s when a small motor boat was converted to a flat-top and used for taking off and landing on.There was a number of photos to back up the article, so if you can find it, it may save you some time in not having to reinvent the same wheel.
This was at a time when elevator and aileron control (other than the 'galloping ghost' type) was just becoming more than a novelty. .(now there's a blast from the past)

Tony

[Choppa Nutta]

My thoughts are for something like the lite stick park fly sort of power, for short landings and take offs, mine will take off in about 4-5' runway, less if there is a head wind. So a runway length of about 8-10' would be plenty I reckon and maybe 3' wide or so. Materials I would like to use are polystyrene for the bottom for the floating bit and correx for the side and top to land on, to be constructed in easily dismantlable sections for easy storage, and for use indoor with out the poly bottom on and use an RC car under the front to move it about which would be fine inside the badminton hall we use, smooth floor, also a good oppurtunity to practice with out getting wet :p

What kind of power unit would I need to push this around in the water at 4 knots or so ?
wouldnt want much more or it would be faster than the plane :D

Also, I have been routing around for a decent pic of a heli carrier, cant find any as yet, apart from photos of the heli on the pad, not the whole thing which is what I would like to see, any links anyone ?

Anyhow heres a fun scale Oil Rig I made for my hornet and similar, great fun and a good laugh at our indoor flying meet -

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27338

ANyhow, cheers for now :)

[Duke58]

Choppa , I hadda idea likea yoursa lasta summer.
I was going to use ridgid 1/2" and 1" insullation to make a carrier looka like on some saw horses for to land speed 400 size epp carrier planes. With your smaller scale I suppose you could build a floating carrier out of the same stuff , you can't beat it for cheep and it is tough enough to last through a few kamakazi attacks.

[Choppa Nutta]

I divnae understad laddy, rigid insulation ? saw horses ? any chance of an illustration please ?

My reasons for correx is that are a lot of sale signs just lying round the street :) but a light weight bed for the correx to sit on with maybe stablalizing weights. I wonder what scale the GWS Zero is ? about 1/12 I guess? If I was to build carrier deck to that scale it would need to be about 150' long or more!!!! fun scale it is then :p
20" span models would look nice and the compromise would'nt be as bad, anyhow,,

[Duke58]

Ridgid Insulation is foam that is sandwiched between aluminuim foil , it comes in various thickness and usually 4ft x 8ft sheets. Four of those would get you a deck of 8ft x 16ft setting on some cheep carpenters saw horses ( I don't know what else to call them , just a four legged 2x4 stand). Throw a plastic tarp over the approach end and make up some arresting gear with string and bead bags and try to hit it with a model plane.

Ofcoarse if you have a lot of correx just lying around :D

[Choppa Nutta]

there is :D and free is cheapest :p

[Twmaster]

There was a scale model of the HMS Illustrious that was 31 ffot long. I saw it on www.warshipmodelsunderway.com I think. It is somewhere in the UK too. IIRC it was driven by a 15 or 20 HP outboard and could either be piloted or RC.

Cheers,

[leccyflyer]

Not quite as big as that one but our local boat club gave a show at my son's school fete on Saturday and the centrepiece was an awesome 1/96th scale model of the mini-carrier HMS Invincible complete with Sea Harriers and Sea King helicopters. She must have been 9-10 feet long and you could have operated a couple of Piccolos or Hornets from the deck. I guess that if you were able to land a Lite Stik on a picnic table you could have landed one on this beauty.

She had working deck lifts, internal and external lighting and a "hovering" Sea King over the stern and was entirely scratch built- the little 'uns couldn't believe it.


Brian

[Twmaster]

Pictures man! Pictures!

Something like that is truely the pinnacle of the art of model ship building and I bow to their prowess for I am not yet worthy. I have a love for scale models both ships and aircraft. (think Beau')

:)

[Tony Oliver]

Coincidence! The model of HMS Illustrious has just appeared on a satellite program I recorded on Monday (Model Monday, a series about giant scale models of all types)
The model is stored at the Glasgow Museum of Flight at East Fortune Airfield (east of Edinburgh, Scotland) when not in use. Perhaps you could trace the details through the museum/owner at

http://www.nms.ac.uk/flight/collection/the%20collection/main.htm

The model is 31ft long and was originally a waterline model used for recruitment purposes. It was stored for many years and was to be scrapped when it was rescued by the present owner. He put in a keel, ribs, and filled in with foam. The whole thing was then glassed externally and refinished with much detail added, including the rotating radar, 4 Sea Harriers, Sea King helicopters etc.. A nice touch on the flightdeckis a model of the model on its trailer !

Tony

[Twmaster]

That is the same as I was speaking of. Very cool model!

[tundrajim]

Wow ! Large scale model carriers! I have somehow completely independently had a very real dream & vision formulate in my mind over the last few months as I retired. I have been fascinated by large scale R/C models of planes, including carrier jets.

As I dreamed of building, learning to fly, and performing w/ large scale planes, I one day went one step further and said to myself "How about building a 1/3 scale fully functional aircraft carrier modeled after a major US Navy ship? And then how about advertizing for any retired large draft ship captains, crew, pilots, modelers, etc. to come aboard and travel from port city to port city putting on full scale air shows w/ large scale craft launched directly from the scale carrier, including mock dog fights, competitions, airial precision flying, etc.?"

Then I thought of virtual reality systems fully wired to all kinds of sensors aboard each plane that would capture actual aerodynamic motions and forces of the planes moving thru the air & performing flying manuvers. Think what that could be like for a paraplegic, quadraplegic, otherwise disabled child -- to feel and sense as much as possible the next best thing to actually flying?

I become so excited just thinking of something like this! Take aboard families and "Make a Wish Foundation" kids from all over the world to let them experience life aboard a carrier scaled down to their size & flying an R/C model with incredibly realistic true to life reactions, etc.

In my dream there are 1/3 scale ships of the type and class that would accompany a carrier and be part of the carrier support & defense group (destroyers, subs, tenders, crusiers, etc.). There would be retired captains & crews enjoying themselves on those as well.

Just picture what could be done with a scaled carrier ship 300 plus feet long by utilizing spaces that would not be needed for actual carrier requirements (large fuel tanks, machinery spaces, etc.) and be able to use those areas for living, classrooms, movie theaters, mock ups of flight control centers, virtual reality labs, museams, hanger deck for modelers, etc.

I scare myself sometimes with my dreams. But Jules Verne & so many others believed strongly in their dreams & I believe if we can visulalize things then they can possibly become reality somehow.

If I had enough courage I would apprach Bill Gates of Microsoft to see if he might like to start up a non-profit corporation to make such dreams become reality somehow for children and retired people like me all over the world... Jim Crane :):)

[rwood]

Wow! There's creative thinking in action! My dreams are a bit less far-reaching. I'm actively involved in 1/144 R/C Warship Combat, and I've been watching the developments in the Microflight world, and there is now a 1/72 R/C Corsair being flown. That's a wingspan about as big as your hand. There is, in addition to 1/144 scale R/C Warship Combat, 1/72 R/C Warship Combat. In theory, the 1/72 Corair could take off and land from a 1/72 carrier.

That dream is within immediate grasp.

Rob

[Umi_Ryuzuki]

Wow, where did you see the Corsair?
Was it a custom, or a commercial kit?

We are already landing 1/72nd tanks in our game.
http://www.microrccenter.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=14063

Personally, I am waiting for a helicopter.:cool:

[rwood]

It's not a kit. It was scratch built by Joe Malinchak, out of balsa and foam. It uses 3 channels, a Nick Leichty receiver, and a geared pager motor for power. It's featured in John Worth's column, "Cloud 9," in the January, 2004 issue of Microflight magazine.

Here's the photo: http://www.robwood.net/cloud9_8.jpg

Here's a link to the article online, but you need to be a subscriber to read it: http://www.rcmicroflight.com/jan04/cloud9_3.asp

[arrow5]

Just catching up with this thread and can up-date some of the info . I own the 1/24th scale HMS Invincible mentioned. It was only stored at East Fortune "Museum of Flight" near Edinburgh for one winter. I normally store it in a sheep shed near my home in Aviemore.It tours the UK during summer months to air shows, regattas etc both full-size and model. Flying on and off the deck is its sole purpose,I`m an aeromodeller not a boat modeller. Modern lightweight radio gear permits small helicopters and aircraft to operate with reasonable success. More details are on the WMU site mentioned previously. I`d be happy to hear of other very large (manned/crewed) model ships of any kind. Attached a couple I do know. The KGV battleship carries two people. the sub doesnt submerge (well so far!)

[arrow5]

Well on this occassion one man and his dog. Bit stuffy as all subs are.

[arrow5]

Oops, I forgot the thread was carriers, this pic is posted elsewhere in the Forums but I`ll repeat again for this thread. www.warshipmodelsunderway.com see page 6 in the Gallery