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Boats
Dock Talk
Question
Simple! Ballast is what you need to put in the model to make it weigh the right weight.
Easy to calculate if you know what the real boat weighs (assuming the hull is correct in form). Take the real boat total weight, and divide three times
by the scale factor (or divide by the scale factor cubed).
Got a 1:8 scale motor boat that weighs 2000 lbs in real life?
2000 /8/8/8 = 2000 / 8^3 = 3.9 lbs.
Weigh your model, and figger out how much more lead to add.
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How about the volume of your monster springer, calculated to the waterline.
Then the weight of that volume of water...
On merchant vessels like freighters, fishing boats, and passenger ships you need to use the deadweight tonnage or displacement tonnage. DO NOT
USE THE GROSS OR NET REGISTERED TONS (often expressed as measurement tons or cubic meters) - these are a measure of cargo volume,
not weight. A gallon of water contains 128 fluid ounces (volume ounces) and weighs 133.4 avoirdupois (weight) ounces (8.34 x 16 ounces).
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Quote:
to be honest, when you are about to ballast a model for the first time, simply put radio gear in, batteries into required position and add weight until the
model sits level in the water and on its waterline
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Quote:
It's a good question though. Many models, especially smaller ones and quicker ones, build close to their finished weight... converted plastic kits
especially. Before you go too far in, you want to know what the weight budget is, can make the difference in what kind of motor and batteies you
select.
My notes above are fine if you have data on the original and the model is geometrically correct.
For a Springer, easy enough to estimate the volume of water displaced.
For plastic kits, the very first thing I do is mark the bare hull's waterline, float it, and pour in weight until it sits right. Then I weigh the rest of the plastic,
and hopefully there's something left over for rc gear. On Lindberg's Robt. E. Lee, there isn't!
PM
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If you don't then simplest is using the 'block coefficient'. this will gve you an approximate figure.
Do all measurements in centimeters (cm)
Length of the construction waterline (Lcwl)
Maximal breadth at cwl (Bcwl)
total draught (D)
Corrective number (CN) approx 0.65 for fat boats (barges, square riggers), 0.35 for fine boats. This is only and estimation. If you ahve a long sleek
deep hull (e.g. J class) you cannot use this method.
Lcwl x Bcwl x D x CN = displacement volume in liters.
I liter of water weighs 1 kg.
Once you have displacement, subtract the total weight of model (hull, superstucture, rigging, batteries, motors, RC gear, etc).
The remaining figure is the amount of ballast you will need.
If you need a more accurate method you can calculate displacemtn from the frame plan. But it is too much like hard work for me.
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