Got my first tug last night and can anyone tell me if the Aquacraft Atlantic Harbor Tug is scaled after a actual full size tug. If it is...do you know a source of pics? It needs a face lift.

Thanks

Try this..

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=444813

Thanks toesup...I have searched and read up on all the threads here and at the other website to include that thread, but can't find answers to some of my questions to include this one.

The Atlantic is more a 'freelance' type tug.. although i suspect the roots are in either a European type tug.. possiby of the '..garth' type British tugs..

Try http://www.lekko.org/International.html for European (SMIT) type..

and

http://www.tugphotos.co.uk/ for some Brit tugs

Don't think I've EVER seen a stem quite like that on any real tug... more like a dhow..

Originally Posted by toesup

The Atlantic is more a 'freelance' type tug.. although i suspect the roots are in either a European type tug.. possiby of the '..garth' type British tugs..

I'd say calling the Atlantic tug "freelance" is being kind---.

The designer applied details in differing scales all over, and a lot of the proportions are way off for a work vessel.

It'll take a lot of creative elbow grease to make that boat look right---.

Originally Posted by der kapitan

I'd say calling the Atlantic tug "freelance" is being kind---.

The designer applied details in differing scales all over, and a lot of the proportions are way off for a work vessel.

It'll take a lot of creative elbow grease to make that boat look right---.

That's what I thought...I couldn't find anything even close to those lines. I'm thinking about cutting the superstucture down to one level with a wheel house on top and sanding down/off all those fine details and starting over. They built it out of glass so it is possible. But...the hull shape looks funky too. I may just have to do like others here and strip it down, repaint it, and live with it the way it is.

I think it is in the huge thread on the Atlantic. But Cap'n Horrible Harry discovered that it is indeed a Russian tug and he had a photo to prove it.

Originally Posted by Kmot

I think it is in the huge thread on the Atlantic. But Cap'n Horrible Harry discovered that it is indeed a Russian tug and he had a photo to prove it.

Can't find anything on it...maybe the Cap'n will chime in on this? I would love to see that pic!

Got her wired up temporarily to test in the tub last night. Looks like I have full forward and reverse with the Hitec Laser 4 and Hitec EZX-R ESC setup. I'm not sure if the shaft is perfectly straight as I do have a slight wobble on the prop and some vibration at the other end as well. Is that normal? She didn’t weep a drop. I also need more rudder and will mess with the transmitter volume controls first. I dropped in a 7amp 6 volt lead gel cell and will need to move some of the glued down (why did they do that?) ballast aft. I want a main power on/off switch to the battery that I can operate without having to open and close any hatches etc. I always had a slider switch for the receiver/servos with a small push/pull rod going through the fuselage on the planes I built. Any ideas on what I can do here without a big ole switch above deck? I also have a Ram bilge pump to mount aft as well.

I think this little tug will be fine for what I need it for….play, rescue and fish bait hauler. Pics will come as I start the over haul.

"Weevils...the breakfast of iron men sailing wooden ships!"

Good to hear that the EZX-R is happy on 6v... hopefully it doesn't quit when the battery gets down to like 5.5v- it's spec'd for 7.2 - 8.4 v in, which suggests it has an internal voltage regulator to make 5.0 v... might be touchy at the lower voltages.

You can control power two ways. The switch on the EZX-R is a little thing on the logic side, but will cause eveything to shut down- nice. But it's built into the ESC, not on a pigtail, so it can be hard to access. I like ESC's which have such a switch, and which put them on pigtails- allows for remote mounting.

The other way is to switch the battery lead, the "mains". If you do this, remember that the switch must carry full motor current- don't put some wimpy 1A switch on this circuit! I don't like doing this except on small models with very low motor current.

Whichever switch, it's always fun to find a way to hide it on deck- under some easily removeable fitting for example.

pm

Yip...I'm curious about the low voltage on the ESC too! Maybe I will find time to run a torture test on it this weekend.

Robert

maybe the Cap'n will chime in on this?

He usually surfaces every three or four months.

Hoghappy,
About hiding the switch, why not the same way as on the planes? Use a 'rod' that looks like an antenna. Or a 'rocker-switch' and a hole over each end, push on, push off. An imagination is a terrible thing!
- 'Doc

IIRC, Harry told me he found out it was a Russian built tug type that was used by the Chinese naval forces or merchant marine. That would explain why a Chinese company (Aquacraft/Hobbico) made a tug that looked like a tug they were used to seeing in their own waters. Yet it was Russian built.

Thanks Kmot...I searched the ruskies sites, now I'll try the Chinese.