Here is my scratch built model of the Polar 8, proposed name "CCGS John Diefenbaker", a prototype icbreaker developed by the canadian coast guard in the 80's. It is 66" long, has a 6" draft, and displaces 90lbs or so in salt water. The Scale is 1:100

I have most of the model near completeion so far, so these pictures are of the build and will eventually catch up to my current state of build.
i have seen the caliber of some of the scratch builds on this and am blown away by your guy's detail. i dont think i can match that, but am sure that no one else has a model of this ship, let alone a working R/C one!
enjoy and feel free to comment /criticize..

Neat- can't wait to see more!
What are your plans for sealing the wood grain on the superstructure?

Superstructure coming together. looking for smoke generator to install in stack compartment

try here http://www.marksmodelbits.com/ they use atomized water to produce "smoke" so won't dirty the model and won't be an amp hog like the oil smoke units

G-O: 1st, welcome to the forums.

What a neat project you have. Looks awesome. It is going to be a brute with those three gearbox systems and massive propellers.

For a smoke system, have a look at Harbor Models, USA:

http://www.harbormodels.com/site08/m...ges/smoker.htm

Hi All,
Thanks for the links on the smoke generators, i'll check them out. I had one i wanted to order, but i was apparently discontinued. I sealed the wood grain on the SS with generous amounts of an exterior wood filler compound. can be sanded, painted and is safe to use in wet environments (ie outside...) i either picked it up at Canadian Tire, or the home depot, can't remember at this point because that was in '07.
thanks for the comments, keep em coming

Here are some more pictures of the ship as it went through some construction and a sea trial in an ice covered harbour. its breaking through 1/4" ice with only two working engines and was even able to do it on one engine. didnt have a speed controller for the third at the time. the hull form worked great. i had to add a lot of ballast to get it down to its load line. you can see the two lawn mower batteries in it for power. they help with the ballasting. will keep posting pics as i get the time. Currently i am working on functioning cranes on the aft deck, one on either side. but have to catch up with all the construction photo's first.

Holy smokes! Now that is incredible. A real, working ice breaker ship that is r/c! Too cool!!

BTW, I once was in "Soo Saint Marie", in 1974. Driving across Canada I passed through. The month was mid May and Lake Ontario was frozen still for three days of driving around it.

There's no end to the creativity on this forum.

A big, heavy, icebreaker model that breaks ice. Now, that's something different. An impressive, well-engineered project.

Ed

Great work,
If we got more ice around here I would build one too..

Yeah, haha, thats a big lake, and it hold the cold in it for a long time! good a spot as any for a model icebreaker. this spring i am going to try to break up some of the ponds as they thaw out. lets see how many shaft couplings i eat!

Cool build, G-O, when where the water shots taken? I would have to think the water would be a little harder then that this time of year up there. I am from the other side of the river, living near Detroit now.

thanks for all the compliments,
These were taken two years ago in Sydney Nova Scotia while i was in college. I havent been able to go icebreaking with all three engines working yet, (pictures are of only two working engines) so looking forward to breaking ice this spring with it in the soo.

That explains it. I thought I spotted one of the NewFoundland truck ferries in the background, and couldn't figure out what it was doing in the great lakes at the Sault.

check out silenthunters PHM build thread he is using coupling with an elastomeric star coupler that takes some of the shock off the shafts if you hit something (as you are bound to do).
Here is the link to the individual post:
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...&postcount=111
Foo

Thanks Fooman,
I have seen these before in Bobcats, never seen them in this small a size! they would deden the blow for sure, but right now the couplings i have act as weak points as well. the spider couplings would be a little too robust i think. i have popped these u-joints apart before, and so far they go back together with little hassle, as long as the yoke doesnt go missing from the U-joint.
here's a couple of bow shots and a good shot of the whole ship shortly before it was ready for paint.