48" Aphrodite Rev 1 hull will be finished as a display model
48" Aphrodite Rev 2 hull with cabin installed will be finished as an r/c model
Herb Miller's 48" Aphrodite plywood cabin will be painted to simulate wood grain. Others will cover their cabins with thin adhesive backed mahogany veneer from Home Depot and Menards as recommended by Jim Wangard, editor of Classic Boating.
I have to disagree with the suggestion to use the same motors as the 36" Shelley Foss tug boat. The needs are completely usedifferent. A tug needs lots of thrust at fairly low speed so they run large props with high torque slower reving motors.
The Aphrodite is a high speed commuter boat which tends to need smaller props running at higher speed but not as fast as the race boats. I think a couple of outrunner brushless motors around 28 - 36 diameter low KV ~800-1000 running on 3S LiPo cells turning a prop 40-45mm diameter The 48" Aphrodite will need a top speed of around 70 feet per second to match the full size boat.
If you like MACK products a couple of the water cooled brushless motors he uses for Miss Severn running on 3S LiPo instead of 14V should come close to doing the trick.
Herb Miller plans to install two Graupner 700 brushed motors with one Viper 40 speed control from ViperTec for both motors found on www.harborboats.com's web site with 1.5" three bladed propellers. Contact HarborModels at
sales@harbormodels.com and ask for Dave who spent over 30 minutes with Herb.
Also, find the Graupner 700 BB motors at www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk/index.html as an alternative. Look under "RC Boats" to find it.
Graupner USA may also stock them. See their web site at Graupner USA.
I suggested to Dumas Model Products that they add the Aphrodite to their line up of powerboat models
as a significantly better alternative to their "Dauntless". They could offer the frames and their power units as a package along with hardware et al.
Let me know if you are interested in new boat models not on this list or any of those on Brooklin Boat Yard's classic sailing yachts.
Ask a friend to make a pair of Aphrodites with you for racing!
Click for photos from Classic Boating
May/June 2007 Issue 137 featuring Aphrodite, the ultimate express cruiser design for model boat
building on my latest Aphrodite PhotoShow.
Click for a
Aphrodite model builder explains!The cabin parts are made from white birch for mahogany stain for a bright finish. There are frames for each station as shown in the PhotoShow.
To order any of my frames or models, send an e-mail at mthrasher@verizon.net or call me at 941 966-9172 for details for handling the transaction. I do not have an ordering procedure because of the variety of cases I handle.
Charles Munroe
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