Hi y’all. I like to keep my bench busy, and I’m pretty well done with the Mini Jupiter, so I felt like doing one more somewhat simple boat before I start on a “winter project”. I have a couple of kits that I have bought or traded for that fit the bill, but I kept coming back to a fairly rare kit by Wedico-the Christina. The Christina is a..well let’s be frank, she’s ugly..at least to me. Her lines are all wrong, she’s powered by a stock 280 type motor, has a 2mm unthreaded shaft with a push on or glue on prop. I think the reason she’s rare is that the kit wasn’t a big seller. Now, the hull has decent lines, and the bottom of the hull looks a lot like the contours of the Robbe Paula III I built, and the deck fits pretty good already, before trimming. Thats most of what I’m going to use from the box. The manual states for more performance the builder can use a 540 class motor and a suitable shaft and tube. Well..I got those. The rudder is too small, the hardware is..meh, so there’s that. Anyway, a few week ago I was looking at the hull, and thought that this might make a good pilot/RAF rescue/USCG/whatever boat...so that’s what I’ve been doing the past 2 days. At first I was building up the cabin and superstructure to look somewhat like a USCG utility boat, but then I moved the bridge forward, and she looks like a rescue boat, maybe a caricature of an older RAF rescue boat or police boat, so that’s where the bridge is now. I had to make filler pieces to allow the bridge to set on the upper deck properly because of the angle I had originally built in, but it works. It’s built of 3/32 and 1/16 sheet balsa. I think I made the windows too big, and I have to figure out some sort of control panel, but I’m on my way. We’ll see where she goes..

Hi y’all. Got a bit more done with my Christina conversion. I decided on a brushless motor, and almost went with one of my faves, a 36mm outrunner that’s rated at 1700 kv. That’s the same motor in my Acapulco, and the same type, but different manufacturer, in my PT15. I had an older Supertigre “.10” outrunner rated at about 29 amp, 320 watts and 2-3 lipo, she’ll turn at 1250kv. It’s a nicely built motor, and if I don’t like how the boat runs on 2 cells, I can install a 3 cell pack without scaring myself, bystanders or assorted ducks half to death🤣
I went with a 4 mm shaft and tube, and a Romarin/Krick rudder that’s packaged by Caldercraft. Once all that was sorted out, and the mount and braces installed, I added the coaming to the deck and Stabilit’ed it to the hull. Oh, just before that I added a ply battery/electrics floor, using some large aileron stock to support it in the vee of the hull, and also gave it more gluing area.
Once I sort out the rudder servo mounting, I’ll start sanding, detailing and painting the cabin and wheelhouse.
Cash

Hi y’all. I’ve decided that this is going to be a civilian launch commandeered by the RAF and used as a rescue launch until the actual boats arrive. Hence, I’m painting her up with a black hull, red waterline, gray deck and white superstructure. Might have towing gear installed if she needs to tow a small seaplane back to port.
I’ve got the hull and superstructure primered, gave her the first few coats of paint today. Hopefully I’ll have most of the paint done by this weekend.
Cash

Hi everybody. Well, she has paint, the waterline is pinstriped, the windows were painted with Tamiya smoke transparent and installed. Now I need to figure out how to outfit her aboveboard and install the radio. Then...I have to make up a story on the why and how this boat came about...🤔😁
Cash

Hmm...somehow someone came across a captured flak gun...and railing parts..hmm..

Quick update. The Flak 38 is built and painted, and I started making railings today. I need to come up with or make a couple of life rafts, don’t know about lighting yet. Need to add doors, portholes, hatches and whatnot too. Won’t be too long till the maiden I suspect. When she’s done, I’ll post a little story about her “history”.😁

Did the forward railings yesterday, built them up from stanchions and brass wire. I built the first, made the second a mirror image, then installed and painted them. I’m stall right now as I need more Tamiya AS26 gray paint. She still needs portholes, hatches and doors, possibly a couple of life rafts, maybe a mast. This was to be a simple boat, but she’s taking on a life of her own..
Cash

Hi all...before I go on, let me say thanks for all the comments, I appreciate it. I will still add some cleats and possibly lights, and am still working out a short mast in my mind. Also, to answer Pete’s question, since I used premade stanchions I ca’d the railing assembly’s together. It’s easier for me to get a clean look that way vs sweat soldering the assembly’stogether.
I have a few pics, not a lot of details though. I got the Flak mounted, I found some servos that are known as “geekservos”. These are designed to be used with LEGO Technic sets, and can be swung to 270 degrees of travel using Arduino and other programming languages, however, with my FrSky Taranis running OpenTX best I can get is about 190. I’ll take it.
I also built life rafts using craft store wooden rings, dowel and plastic sheet. They look okay, right now I have them painted OD green but that might change. Added cabin door, deck vents and a hatch forward too.
Cash

Another hatch installed, and the liferafts are secured. She’s starting to look the part.
Needs a few more details and lights, and I’m wondering..mast or no mast? I’m still on the fence.
Cash

So, I decided to do a quick set of lights and a mast. Now, bear in mind, there’s a backstory to this boat, which I’ll “publish” at the end of this build blog. Basically, there’s a small forward RAF base early in the war that needs a rescue boat, but there’s not enough to go around, so they had to make do. Hence, the simple superstructure and captured gun. Anyway, the forward nave lights are simply mounted next to the main cabin, eliminating the need for boards, and the mast is also simple, but does the job of carrying the white nav light and can be rigged for flagging. The mast is not glued in place, it’s needs a sanding and recoat and the light needs to be wired in, then I’ll glue her in place. I have a couple of other little details then I need to wire everything, install rudder servo, esc and receiver.
Cash