R/C Scott B. Tomlinson &
R/C Great Laker
Launched on August 11, 2000 the M/V Scott B.
Tomlinson is a representative of the typical design style of the
more recently built vessels on the Great Lakes. In scale she is
1,004x105x56, a typical size for thousand footer currently sailing
the lakes. Her exact sister, the M/V Great Laker, launched in June
of 2001, follows the same pattern. Both models took about a year
to be constructed.
They are
propelled by a pair of electric motors that can be purchased at
any Radio Shack store. Each engine is completely independent of
the other. In other words one can be placed in ahead and the other
astern at various speeds, a great help in tight maneuvering. This
is accomplished by giving each motor her own Electronic
Speed Control. The models are also equipped with bow
thrusters. The bow thrusters are
made by Graupner and can be purchased at www.hobby-lobby.com.
The thruster, like the main engines, is given throttle control via
an Electronic Speed Control. Power is provided by two 7.2-volt
rechargeable battery packs. These can be found at most any
hobby store or radio shack. The operator controls the model via an
Ace Nautical Commander Radio. This
radio is made for boat models like these that have twin propellers
as well as a thruster. It can also be bought online.
The Hull’s
interior framework is balsa on both vessels. The actual hull
itself on the Tomlinson is made of birch plywood, the Great
Laker’s hull is a thick balsa. A type of glue known as
“seal-all” was used on both ships hulls. It can be found at
most hardware stores. It is very water proof and thus a good match
for a R/C boat.
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Click on image to
enlarge
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Video of the Great
Laker (4.3 meg) |
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Another video of
the Great Laker doing 360's with bow thruster running
(3.3 volts)
and one engine ahead, one astern
(3.7 meg) |
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Ariel view of the
Scott B. Tomlinson |
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Sister ship Great
Laker |
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Radio Shack
Engines |
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Speed Controls |
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Brass rudders and
3 bladed propellers on the Scott B. Tomlinson |
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Brass rudders and
4 bladed propellers on the Great Laker
Props from C&T
Hobbies
Rudders from hobby-lobby.com |
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Rudder posts and
linkage |
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7 channel Nautical Commander
Radio.
Click here for details on this radio |
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Graupner bow
thruster mounted in the Tomlinson.
The bow thruster is powered by 2 AA batteries (3 volts). The
7.2 volt engine battery was too much power and it ran to fast.
The thruster is controlled by a speed controlled and the
amount of thrust can be adjusted.
Click
here for details on the bow thruster |
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Bow thruster
opening on port side |
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Bow thruster
during tub trials |
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Thruster in action |
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Another view |
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Sir
Isaac Brock |
 The
S/S Sir Isaac Brock is built to represent a 1950s style
self-unloading laker. Her scale size is 649x65x35. Her angle
iron boom is mounted forward, behind the bow cabins. The
A-frame for her boom is typical of a laker of that era. Her
bow cabins look like those aboard the M/V Calumet (Ex- Myron
C. Taylor), but with a more modernized appearance. The stack
and aft cabins are very typical of a 1950s vintage vessel, as
they look much like the ones found aboard an AAA class ship
such as the S/S Reserve. Her most unique feature is the style
of her hull shape at the stern. It is very much a
“Cruiser” stern, somewhat like one found on S/S Lee A.
Tregurtha.
The Brock is
propelled through the water by an electric motor that can be
found at your local Radio Shack. Throttle is controlled via an
electronic speed controller giving her operator the choice of
how much power to apply in both ahead and astern. Four
AA batteries supply power aboard the model. The operator
via a two channel Futaba Attack-SR
radio controls the boat’s throttle and rudder.
The Brock’s
internal framework is made of balsa wood and the hull itself
is basswood. For hull glue “seal-all” was used, it is a
highly water proof glue that can be bought at most hardware
stores. |
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More pictures
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Builder Scott Tomlinson delivering the Great Laker. |
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Tomlinson and Great Laker
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Visit Scott's Inland Seas Transportation Corporation home page |
