Vliestroom and her sister ships MV Nieuwe Diep and Schuitengat were built by Damen Shipyards of Holland in 1987

VLIESTROOM

Kit Review by Terry Small

Published in Model Boats, Nov. 2000

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Vliestroom and her sister ships MV Nieuwe Diep and Schuitengat were built by Damen Shipyards of Holland in 1987-90 for the Dutch Ministry of Transport and Waterways. This unusual and distinctive model is based on Vliestroom, operating out of Hellevoetsluis near Rotterdam.

Kit Contents: The kit contains the usual very high quality glassfibre hull and fittings that we have come to expect from this manufacturer, with full running gear including brass propellers and steerable nozzles. White styrene deck and superstructure have been pre-cut using CNC equipment to ensure accurate fit of the parts; the very detailed wheelhouse interior includes etched brass instrumentation. Also included are a small HIAB crane and resin-cast dinghy, set of three buoys, etched brass handrail stanchions and other parts, many top quality stanchions and other parts, top quality white metal fittings, all decals, wire, rod, tube, chain, fender, and two figures etc. to build the model. The plans are full size and the instruction booklet contains more step-by-step assembly drawings to help make the model kit an enjoyable project to build. Model Specifications: twin screw, scale 1:40, length 960 mm, beam 220 mm, displacement approx. 10 kilos, minimum 2-channel RC required.

Preparing to start: Like with all my models I find it is important to have a firm base on which to construct the model. This will avoid any tendency to build a twist into the hull. I use a profile gauge on the hull to obtain the correct shape for the stand end pieces, but this time all the hard work had been done for me as good old Model Slipway have included in their instruction book the stand profile and suggested material to be used including all dimensions. I shall state now all dimensions are 100% correct. They have also come up with a perfect idea for lining the top edges of the stand thus protecting the model and giving it an anti-slip surface to hold the model firmly in the stand. How? By using computer mouse mats - these being made from rubber with the thin plastic or cloth face removed then cut to size and glued on using contact adhesive (UHU, Bostik).

Hull: First job here is to remove any mould lines or traces of any imperfections that have been left during the moulding process, applying P38 filler and rubbing down if required to correct, however very little was required. It was then rubbed down all over with fine wet and dry paper (360 Grit) to remove the gloss finish on the gel coat and any release agent in order to provide a good key for the paint finish.

Running Gear: This job has to be done with some precision. Fig.1 shows the positions of the holes that need to be drilled to accept both shafts and steerable nozzles; the dimensions given are on a plan view basis and should not be measured down the hull. To assist in doing this a centre line or datum line needs to be pencilled in on the hull from bow to stern. Once holes have been drilled and filed to shape I decided to glue together the two halves of each nozzle with two-part Epoxy Resin. The rudder part of each nozzle is then glued in place much the same way, making sure they are exactly at 90 degrees to the nozzle's front face and vertically in line with the post uprights. Now it was time to dry assemble the running gear, the crux of achieving a perfect fit is in setting the nozzle tubes exactly upright in the hull. Here the genius at Model Slipway has come up with the use of a jig made from softwood, which is drilled vertically and fitted with two 6mm dia. plastic solid rods which are supplied in the kit for other parts. I decided to use wood dowel instead. The hull was then weighted down on a flat surface with the dowels from the jig protruding into the hull, then the two short lengths of 8mm dia. tube were slid over the dowels and into the holes and epoxied in place, making sure that no glue gets on to the wood dowels. Once all set the jig was removed. This joint was then reinforced inside with P38 car body filler.

Next I decided to fit a piece of 6.5mm ply in the bottom of the hull to mount the batteries, motors and radio gear. The ply was cut to roughly the same internal shape than epoxied to the bottom of the hull. The two 6 volt Igarashi motors/couplings used were also supplied by Model slipway. these were mounted and aligned on a simple motor mount system, made from triangular blocks of wood and screw-in hooks with elastic bands holding the motors in position. As described in the instructions, this type of mount allows for easy and quick removal of the motors in the event of any problems.

The real vessel is fitted with a bow thruster, the plan shows a dummy bow thruster in the form of a length of plastic tube. I decided to purchase a commercial unit made by Graupner, Part No. 1785 - this was as near to the plan size diameter as I could find. Now like with all working functions some form of access will be required and as the superstructure is normally the best place it will will not be much help when getting to the bow thruster, so on closer examination of the very detailed plan I noticed that the section of the bow decking where the crane sits would be painted a darker colour than the rest, would give keyway hole access - better than nothing - and if the motor was mounted parallel with the hull keel, the screws holding the motor in place are accessible using a long screwdriver from the main superstructure access hole. Fitting the bow thruster tube was not too much of a problem. The outside of the hull was marked out both sides where the tube will be, then a 5mm hole each side was drilled on the centre marking of which will be eventually a larger hole for the tube to pass through. The reason for this is to make sure the tube will be in the same place both sides by passing through the small hole a 5mm dowel or rod, and then measuring at certain points the distance of rod to the bow curve! I hope that makes sense! Anyway, once happy the hole was opened up to the correct diameter by using a tapered reamer and round file. It's worth noting that because the hull curves round at the bow the hole is actually oval. It was then glued into place and a good smearing of P38 put all around the outside of the tube to inside of hull joint.

The next job was to line the inside of the bulwarks with six pieces of 0.5mm plastic pieces glued in place with contact adhesive (Evostick or similar). This makes for a good finished surface to glue all the bulwark uprights in place.

Next task is to file out all the freeing ports. The dimensions were taken from the full size plan, then drilled and filed to shape. The decks are supported all round by two strips of 6mm x 3mm plastic strip forming one thicker piece of strip glued to the bulwark linings. Saw cuts were put in to help bending the curves at the stern end. Note that the strips should be 1mm below the bottom edges of the freeing ports to allow for the thickness of the deck plastic. Once in place I always put an extra fillet of P38 all around the under side edge of the deck supports to make for a stronger joint. The decking also sits on a number of deck support beams. The lateral beams are supported each end by strips of plastic, the front beam is fitted flush with the top of the deck support strips whilst the others are fitted 1mm below them. Longitudinal beams require trimming to fit well. At this point the deck beams seem flimsy but once the decks are glued in place, then the whole structure becomes much more rigid. Note, do make sure that the main deck rear most deck plate is offset to the port side when gluing on to the deck supports.

Before gluing on the foredeck (bow end) the anchor outlets have to be filed out, so to help with the location, on both sides of the hull there are recesses which have to be drilled out and filed to a rectangular shape. Then two triangular shaped anchor boxes are made up from the printed styrene sheet and epoxied to the inside. Again P38 was added to reinforce the joint between box and inside of hull.

The next most fiddly job was all the bulwark supports (31 pairs). These need to be cut out from the printed sheet filed or sanded to shape, then glued in to position as per the plan. By using the same styrene material lining to stick them to does make life so much easier. Here I used Plastic Weld and to make sure they are all upright I always use square metal blocks or the handle/stock of a engineer's square.

At the stern there is an access hatch which covers the rudders or steering gear. This is just a flat piece of styrene cut to shape which fits snugly in the aperture and is supported underneath by strips 73 and is held down by slipping its rear edges under the bollard boxes made up and fitted earlier. The gunwales are made from lengths of tubing which have 1.5mm diameter wire inserted up the middle before bending. This aids in the bending process and once bent retains the shape. When gluing a flat has to be filed or sanded on one continuous edge, this being the bottom, then thick Superglue is used to stick this on to the top edge of the hull, which was done at 125mm intervals, making sure that the joint ends up at the centre of the transom.

Superstructure / Wheelhouse: This is a very simple structure. Once again all parts are pre-CNC-cut styrene, so just require a sharp knife run around the cut edge to remove the part from the sheet, and any raised burr removed by dragging a blade along the edge, or the use of sanding block will work just as well. One word of caution, the parts are so accurately CNC cut that too much rubbing or scraping is not advised. I removed all the parts but at the same time marking on each in pencil the part number which can be cross referenced to the diagram and parts list if unsure. The whole structure was glued with Plastruct plastic weld and any gaps in the joint lines filled using Humbrol model filler.

The window openings require a little more precision fettling as well as the inner frames 110-114, which are 1mm smaller all round than the actual outer window aperture size. They are glued on the inside after fitting out the interior lower panelling, ensuring the holes in the frames line up with those on the outer wheelhouse panels centrally with an even 1mm gap all the way round. This gives the impression of a stepped frame and it works very well indeed.

All wheelhouse interior furniture is made up from printed styrene sheets, and once again it was nice to find that if everything is cut to the marks it all fits exactly together as per plan, and what is more reassuring is that if you have say four sides of a box on the printed sheet, if you measure them they should be and are exactly the same size, a very good indication of a top quality kit. Attention to detail seems to be their motto. There were a number of small lockers etc. to make up and I could not fault any of the printed parts.

Next is the boat skids - four angled side pieces coming down from the superstructure sides. On the real vessel these serve as guide rails, such that when the dinghy is raised or lowered by the small crane, they prevent any snagging on the superstructure. These are all set at a 63 degree angle; the use of a template from scrap card or styrene was used.

White Metal Fittings: These come in re-sealable plastic bags and must be for my money the very highest standard white metal fittings around today. They just require the minimum of cleaning up with a fine suede type wire brush to remove any flash or mould lines. Sometimes the use of a fine file or scalpel helps. This also prepares them ready for a coat of white primer before applying the final colour finish, which I try to add before final placement on the model. To fix I use Superglue or two-part epoxy. Some fittings are also pinned down for added strength, especially the small crane, anchor winch and crane fittings.

Mast: This should be made to function as per the real vessel which can be lowered rearwards at 90 degrees and slots into a saddle for passage under the low Dutch waterway bridges, (which also explains why the radar scanners are on pantograph mounts). This is made up from wood dowel and styrene parts which all went together very well. The top aerial array were all made up from 1.5mm diameter wire soldered in place. This was a careful process so as not to melt the styrene. The use of alligator clips as a heat shield helps.

Crane: This must be the most dominant feature of this kit. The crane is a model in its own right, which almost seems to be The Model Slipway trademark. This is all made bar the tube from printed styrene, and once cut out, goes together very well, following the plan and small diagrams which show all necessary details. The most fiddly part was all the additional pipe work needed, made and bent to shape using 0.8mm diameter wire and etched brass brackets. Now if you wish to make it lift and rotate the manufacturer has given a diagram to help utilize radio control. The hole positioning on the main deck part 29 has been left deliberately under-sized to allow you to adjust its position front or back until the crane sits nicely upright, and its jib nose fits into the cradle on the front of the wheelhouse, so it is most important to check that this fits before you begin to paint the model. A couple of degrees difference between the model and the plan could result in needing to adjust the length of the jib, not an easy job once built.

The other tricky part is to fit the control cabin glazing which was done after all the crane was painted. Once again each window is cut to shape and glued in one piece at a time using Weldbond glue, starting with the largest piece first. As you get to the last piece, which I found was the roof piece, with the use of tweezers and some tape it can be manoeuvered into the cabin and pulled up from the outside with the use of the tape acting as a handle - the tape being stuck to the outside exposed part of the glazing pulling it into final position. Be careful not to get any glue on the rest of the windows inside. Hold there for a while then leave for 12 hours and remove tape. I also added a wiper blade to the front screen as after fitting the ones supplied for the main superstructure windows, there were two or three spare. All the hydraulic pipes are represented by fine PVC tube and just need to be cut to size and glued to the various pipe work - a very nice detail finish.

Handrails and Walkways: These are all based around etched brass stanchions and brackets, linked with 0.8mm wire. These can be made up in two ways: in situ on the model, or holes drilled in a piece of ply to act as a jig before transferring the finished items to the model after painting. I always make up the railings in situ, ensuring that all the upright stanchions remain at right angles or are all at the same required angle as per the plan. There is nothing worse than to see a good model spoilt by stanchions and railings all at different angles to each other. The wire passes nicely through each stanchion hole but if it's a bit tight then it can be opened up with an 0.8mm drill and can be Superglued or soft soldered into place, but be careful with the latter as plastic melts very easily. All mine have been Superglued and work just as well. The lifebelt holders were bent from wire supplied and soldered using alligator clips as heat shields.

Transfers: These are standard waterslide transfers for the water marks, bow thruster, and name plates, which just require cutting out and placing in tepid water for about 30 seconds. This gives enough time to confirm its exact position on the model. it also pays to wet the area of its location first with a tiny brush, then when ready gently take out the required transfer from the water with tweezers and offer it into place, then slide the transfer from the backing paper and use the brush to move it into final position, and with a soft tissue dab it down flat. When thoroughly dry, paint over with satin varnish. A little tip here is to have a gloss or satin surface to begin with. This helps to hide the clear backing film on the transfer. If you have a matt surface to begin with then the backing will always show no matter what you uses as a final varnish.

Hull Dutch Ensign: This can be either hand painted or sprayed on each side of the hull. I decided to do it my way by using PVC tape of the same colours. I contacted BECC Model Accessories who produce sticky-back PVC in the correct shades. It was just a job of cutting them to shape and sticking them on - problem solve!. On the main superstructure of the real vessel below the front centre window there is the royal Dutch Royal Crest, which I have reproduced from pictures. This does not come with the kit for obvious reasons.

Dutch Flag: This was supplied by Hand Made Flags in Kent who produce a very large range of various size model flags. They all come with a set of instructions on how to mount and form the flag as if it was blowing in the wind, and the quality is first class.

Dinghy: This is a resin casting and very nice too. A metal outboard and tiny prop casting are assembled and glued to the transom. Two seats are fitted, made from plastic off cuts.

Painting: As with all my models I use Halfords Acrylic sprays which are expensive to buy but the finish is well worth it. The colours I used are White Primer, Ford Sahara Beige, Diamond White, Satin Black, and Red Oxide primer. For the small parts I use the now well thinned out Humbrol range of tinlet paints which Model Slipway have listed. For masking I always try to use unused clean paper and Tamiya masking tape. The only areas on this model where tape is of no use was the side diagonal rubbing stakes, so I have used Humbrol Maskol which is a paint-on rubber type substance masking film. This worked very well. Once sprayed it just peels off. The main deck working area has an anti-slip finish to it for obvious reasons, and Model Slipway have written step by step instructions on how to achieve this and it worked very well indeed.

Glazing: Here is supplied a blank sheet of clear plastic for cutting out the various panels required to glaze the widows. This can be cut in exactly the same way as styrene, and to avoid scratching it should be cut on a PVC cutting mat or vinyl floor tile. It pays to leave the protective film on one side until fitted. To obtain the correct size panels I made up card templates for each panel then used a glue called Weldbond which is like a thick PVA glue. It sets quickly and clear and it actually etches its way into a painted surface and is therefore ideal for glazing and some fittings.

Marker Buoys: These are another centre piece of the model and come as a separate fittings kit of three different buoys on printed styrene sheet, assembly drawings and colour photo. It was a simple job of just cutting out the parts and making them up as per the plan, a modeller's delight. They were sprayed with Halfords sprays, Ford Modena Green, Zanzibar Red, and Yellow.

Radio and Ballasting: I have used a 40Mhz Futaba 5 channel transmitter and receiver with one 3003 standard servo for the steering and three home-made electronic speed controls, two for left and right motors, and the other for the bow thruster. As I like to recharge my models without taking off the superstructure top I have added an on/off switch and charging socket fitted to the main deck, concealed by covering with a wooden goods grate. The main drive and receiver power comes from one Yuasa 6 volt 10 Ahr Dryfit battery.

Sailing Trials: When off the pond it is always advisable to take a few tools, oil, little extra lead; even though everything looks good in the bath it can be slightly different on the working pond so to speak. First a radio signal distance check was carried out of the water with no problems. Now came the launch - it looked fantastic on the water, very convincing, dead on the waterline, so gently the power was increased on both motors and away it went with very little motor noise. Turning was very responsive, even using power on one motor. I was very impressed. It turns in its own length, steers perfectly backwards, and all this without the use of the bow thruster which confirms the manufacturer's findings. Who needs a working bow thruster? All in all an excellent scale steering boat and very stable on the water. I manoeuvered it everywhere, having a wonderful time. Then all hell broke out as my wife said "Do you know that I have been asleep and you have been playing for two and half hours." I replied, "Well, what an addictive model this is - and there is still plenty of life in the battery!"

Conclusion: This, like all the other Model Slipway kits, is of excellent quality. The packaging, presentation, plans and exploded drawings, handbook, box photo, and the fittings are top class. I honestly could not find any major problems. They certainly have once again put a lot of thought and effort into it and came up with a super scale subject that has given me almost 300 hours of building enjoyment and relaxation. I would most certainly recommend it to any modeller with some experience of kit building - it's not for the beginner. The price is very reasonable and when it comes to on the water use it's a very good steering and competition model. It's very stable and with the combination of their Igarashi 6 volt low drain drive motors and a 10 Ahr battery it could run for three plus hours. From box to water took exactly 296 hours. I feel it's an all round super subject but that seems to be the same of all the kits that Model Slipway produce, and they are a British manufacturer as well. What could a modeller wish for today. I also note on the box lid they are celebrating ten years of producing high quality model boat kits and may they continue to please us for the next ten. Well done.

VLIESTROOM Photo Gallery