MODELLTEICH
Sunseeker Predator 108
The Predator from Revell had been on my mind for a long time, but I had always hoped to build a larger yacht model, and the kit is no longer in production. Inspired by a building blog and because I had just finished a project, I bought a Predator from a dealer who still had one of these noble yachts in stock. The first hurdle was to get the components for the propulsion . This time I didn't want to cannibalize an RTR toy boat, but to use "real" parts. The original has three Arneson surface drives and therefore no rudders. I wanted to keep the middle Arneson as a plastic part for the model, replace the two outer ones with 2mm shafts with matching propellers and steer the model using the independent control of the two motors.
The assembled hull with the planned components for the RC drive
The hull is quick to build as it basically consists of two hull halves reinforced by two frames. I cut out the indicated windows with the Dremel and will later insert darkened window panes from behind. Because I want to illuminate the hull from the inside later, I painted it black on the inside to prevent it from showing through. As the couplings I ordered have not yet arrived, I turned my attention to the superstructure. After much deliberation, I decided to make the entire deck removable to allow easy access to the RC components, of course in the hope that this would not cause any leakage problems. The deck consists of two parts and carries the various elements of the superstructure. Assembling and painting it was fun, only occasionally the parts didn't fit perfectly.
The structure slowly takes shape and the first guests take their place in the lounge
A special feature of the Predator kit is undoubtedly the highly detailed design of the interior. Thanks to the large windows, the saloon and the steering bridge are visible even after assembly. To make the whole thing stand out a little more, I will illuminate the saloon and to add a little color to the Predator's lighting, the three monitors on the bridge are backlit with blue SMDs. As soon as all the components for the two drive trains are in place, I will continue work on the hull.
Left, glowing monitors on the bridge. On the right, a beauty floats through the salon
The components for the drive train have finally arrived. The two motors were replaced with size 280 motors and a controller with integrated mixing function was installed. This allows the Predator to be controlled completely via a single stick on my remote control. The 2 mm shafts were glued in with 2K glue and the ordered 12 mm brass screws were mounted on them. A test in the bathtub resulted in satisfactory handling, even though the Predator will probably never really become a racing boat. With this kit, the hull and superstructure can really be finished as separate components right up to the end, which is why the superstructure was virtually complete at the time of the technical installation. What was still missing was the lighting. In addition to the two position lights and the top light, I wanted to illuminate the saloon, the cockpit and the fuselage from the inside. SMD LEDs were used for this, which were then wired with thin enameled copper wire and led through small holes in the superstructure to the underside of the deck. I glued on a small circuit board with the required series resistors and soldered the two LEDs for the hull lighting upside down to the same circuit board. The circuit board is connected to the receiver with a servo cable, so I can disconnect everything with a plug and separate the deck from the hull. Wiring the lighting was quite a fiddly job but definitely worth the effort: when the lighting is on you get a very harmonious look.
The bright lights on the mast and the warm lighting inside create a realistic effect
The next step was to install a small switch module so that the lighting can be switched by remote control. Now I could get back to the hull. The window openings were glazed from the inside with dark Plexiglas and the railing was painted silver. The Predator was now actually finished and ready to be launched for the first time. The first trip to the pond produced a sobering result: the Predator didn't really make any progress, even though the two 280 engines were running at full throttle, the 12 mm propellers were simply too small to provide enough thrust. So the set-up was optimized and two 19mm propellers were installed, even though they no longer matched the middle Arneson imitation so well. In addition, the two motors still had to be suppressed as there was always radio interference as soon as the lighting was switched on. A little water also kept finding its way through the bathing platform into the interior of the hull. The bathing platform was quickly sealed from the inside with a hot glue gun.
Now everything runs smoothly and the little superyacht makes a really good impression on the water. The maneuverability is excellent thanks to the mixer and the Predator can turn on the spot.
