Whilst I've got plenty on with my Fairey builds and the unstarted outboard and water-jet projects I can't help but think about future builds. Another Fairey isn't in the thinking but there is a connection as the Christina 23 started off using the Huntress hulls supplied by Fairey before they starting building the 25 using hulls from another supplier - same basic design though. I like the 23 but thought I'd build the 25 as I've got three Huntresses and the stretched Huntsman 28 and it sits nicely between.

The build attracts as it is not complicated and I can modify the drawings I did for the Huntress. As part of my research I bought a book for more information.

Chris

Couldn't do much else in this heat so I've made a start on the drawings. I've used Charles Lawrence's (Fairey archivist and author) drawing as the basis and drawn up the side view. I've got my drawings for the Huntress 23 and Huntsman 28 which are of the same family so I will refer to those to draw the plan and then the frames etc.

Chris

I've managed to spend some time here and there on the drawings. Drawn up the plan and working on the side view to position the frames, position and work out the length of the prop shaft and rudder and work out the keel. Will now be able to start drawing up the frames. I've decided on a motor being an Overlander 3536/06 1300kV.

Chris

Not much progress on the drawings lately as been away for a week and only have time to do a few hours now and then. Working on the frames and I've had to move the motor further forward, similar to my other builds, as it was sitting over a frame and there wasn't enough width without taking too much out of the frame. I wanted to have a fixed superstructure with a removeable roof but with a short cabin roof and the screen sitting on it this is going to be tricky and only provide limited access. A completely removeable superstructure is complicated by the handrail sitting on uprights towards the rear of the cockpit so I'm thinking along the lines of a partially removeable one encompassing the main cabin and inner coamings. I'll finish the frames for the hull shape though first and then return to the superstructure!

Plan B!!! After progressing the frames and deck plan for a lift-off superstructure design I decided that that approach wasn't going to work well from a build, accuracy and fiddlyness point of view and so have decided to revert back to my original thoughts for a largely fixed superstructure with the cabin roof and screen being removeable. Once installed and working there shouldn't be a great need to access the motor and coupling unless something goes wrong unlike with access being required regularly for removal and refitting the battery and so removing the screen when required won't be much of an issue.

So I've redesigned the frames and deck plan which the model will be built off. Just requires the doublers and the chine formers to be drawn up and it will be ready for when I start building again. It's been too hot to paint and build my current models so doing the drawings has allowed me to at least do something related to the hobby for a future build.

Something I've found interesting with this build is that the keel is inclined. With all my others the keel is level (working from existing drawings and the original Fairey drawings) which includes the Fairey Huntress on which the Christina hull is based. I did have thoughts on making it level but decided in the end to leave it as is, so it will be interesting to see how it sits on the water, maybe it will sit more bow up than as drawn?