Vac-U-Boat Combat Vac-U-Fletcher User manual

Combat Vac-U-Fletcher™
1:144 Semi-Scale Model RC Warship Combat Fletcher-Class Destroyer Hull Kit
Manufactured by Vac-U-Boat 1259 Humphries Rd. Conyers, GA 30012 [e-mail]
Based upon one of the most successful weapons
systems deployed in World War II.
While no RC Warship Combat kit is “easy to build or cheap”, this “Beginner-
Class” kit will get you started in this fascinating hobby and not only give you an
understanding of construction, control and weapon systems, but will make an
effective addition to any fleet in battling against your buddies!
This Combat Vac-U-Fletcher Hull Kit Features: Tough high-impact
polystyrene hull with polyurethane-bonded sub-deck and carbon-fiber-reinforced
hull-ribs & sub-deck cross-members. The sub-deck hatch openings and the hull’s
pre-formed penetrable area panels can be removed with a hobby knife or box
cutter. Clear hatch lids & hatch tape waterproof the hull. The deck supports
realistic details and can house a forward-firing 50-round cannon or mounted as a
stern gun (not included). The rudder kit includes a 1.8 square-inch rudder cast on a
brass shaft with a self-aligning rudder bracket, rudder arm, pushrod, and e-z
connector with stainless screw for the servo. A mini servo is included for the
rudders. Servo models will vary according to availability. The twin drive kit
includes two “365” motors direct-driving counter-rotating precision stainless steel
shafts supported by Oilite® bushings in brass stern tubes with brass couplings,
injection-molded copper colored polyethylene props, 6-32 threaded drive dogs, and
prop nuts.
This Fletcher-Class Destroyer is a 1.0 unit ship under the rules of the
International Radio Controlled Warship Combat Club. It can be equipped with a
“1/2 bilge pump” and a 25 rounds in its cannon, or a 50 rounds and no bilge pump.
© 2018 Philip Pace dba Vac-U-Boat™

Now for the Warnings!
Read all of the instructions! Review and understand each step, and the one after, as you build
your boat. Don’t rush. Good work takes time.
This is not a toy! I know. It LOOKS like a toy, but it isn’t. Toys are generally safe for small
children. This boat is not safe for small children. Assembling it requires the use of sharp tools
that can cut skin, strong adhesives than can bond flesh and injure eyes, spray paints that can be
flammable and toxic, as well as batteries that can short causing severe burns or fires. Read all
of the instructions and warnings on all of the tools and chemicals you plan to use. Use
protective eyewear when recommended. USE SAFETY GLASSES! If you think you don’t
have the skills, or are uncomfortable with tools and chemicals, or just changed your
mind, then pack up this kit and return it immediately for a full refund including
economical standard return shipping. If you need some help, find a local boat club to
join, check with the hobby shop where you purchased your radio gear, or contact local
RC Warship Combat clubs and organizations for assistance. Keep your work area away
from children. Even if you have no children, when not working on the kit, keep all sharp
objects and all chemicals locked away in a safe area. You never know who will come to visit
and how well they will supervise the young ones with them.
This is STILL not a toy! Once you complete the boat and are running it in a lake, know that
the boat can injure life, limb, and property. Never touch the propeller, spinning or not, while
there is a battery inside or connected to the boat. Even if it is turned OFF, assume it can glitch
and run on its own. Never run the boat if swimmers are in the water. Don’t chase wildlife. Be
careful with rechargeable batteries. They have the ability to dump large amounts of current in a
very brief period of time if shorted, causing burns or fires. Never store the boat with the battery
inside it, connected or not. Keep your batteries in a safe place, out of the reach of children.
You are responsible for the safe use of this product. You are responsible for choosing wisely,
those who you entrust the use of the boat and radio, even for a few minutes at a lake.
Never swim after a disabled model boat!
All of these warnings are just for the Hull Kit! Add the RC Warship Combat parts and
this model is ABSOLUTELY DANGEROUS. Use safety clips in the cannon when not
battling to prevent accidental firing of a bb. Know that Lithium batteries are dangerous
if mishandled, damaged or if charged improperly. CO2 powered firing systems contain
pressurized gas that can project parts at a high rate of speed during assembly or repair.
Everyone wears SAFETY GOGGLES when in combat, or testing on the work bench.
WARNING
CHOKING HAZARD - Small parts. Not for children under 3 years.
WARNING - To avoid danger of suffocation, keep plastic bags away from babies and children. Do not use in
cribs, beds, carriages or play pens.
WARNING: Brass parts in this kit contain lead, a chemical known to the State of California to cause cancer
and birth defects and other reproductive harm.
WARNING: THIS IS NOT A TOY! Once completed, this model should only to be used with the Safety
Rules and guidelines of the International Radio Controlled Warship Combat Club
http://ircwcc.com/main/home/rules/

KIT CONTENTS
Hull & Sub-Deck
joined with openings
reinforced with carbon
fiber rod. Top view
and bottom view.
Pre-Trimmed Deck
2nd Deck & Deck
Components
Boat Stand and
Internal Electronics
Tray.
Internal Armor, Hatch
Covers & Balsa Skin
Cutting Template.
Hull Hardware Kit
with stainless steel deck screws,
plastic & brass 5” gun barrels, prop
alignment templates, torpedo
launcher base, rudder, self-aligning
mount, rudder arm, stainless set
screws, stainless pushrod, ez-
connector, mini servo, sanding block,
sandpaper, hook & loop tape and 72
yards of hatch tape.
Twin Drive Package
with stern tubes, precision
stainless shafts, couplings, drive
dogs, prop nuts, props, synthetic
grease, motors, motor/servo
mount, couplings & prop
alignment template.

Styrene can be cut by scoring and breaking, or with scissors. The first score should be very light while
concentrating on accuracy. The second and third score is made with more pressure and will follow the first.
INSTRUCTIONS
We are ready to get started building this Combat Fletcher hull kit. Follow the photos and captions to assemble
your boat. Read through the instructions before building. Assemble the necessary tools and adhesives on a
clean workbench or table. Keep paper towels handy to catch spills. Don’t forget the safety glasses!
To build this kit you will need: A variable-speed drill. A hobby knife or box cutter, sharp scissors, medium CA
glue or Gorilla brand super glue, Devcon 2-Ton Epoxy or hobby epoxy with a 30 minute or greater cure-time.
5 minute, 7 minute, or 15 minute epoxy is not waterproof and has too short of a working time to fold in filler
and use with this model. Baby powder (100% Talc), micro-spheres or your preference as filler for epoxy. Drill
bits 3/32”, 1/8”, 5/32”and 3/16”. A #2 Phillips screwdriver and a roll of painter’s masking tape. A step-drill bit
is handy for making large holes safely. Following smaller drills with larger ones will work. A Dremel Rotary
hobby grinder will be helpful to cut flats on the shaft ends.
Read ahead for each step. With hobby knives or box cutters, always cut in a direction away from nearby body
parts. Practice harder installations, motor/drives for example, without glue first to be comfortable with what
steps are needed to ensure a good fit.
When drilling styrene, drill at the slowest setting. The material is soft so little pressure is needed to drill into
it. All surfaces that will be glued with epoxy or CA-super glue need to be sanded/scuffed with 100 grit sandpa-
per to help the surfaces have a strong bond.
Bending at the score will break the plastic along the scored line. You can cut with scissors if you prefer. Either
way, any rough edges can be smoothed out with the included 100 grit sand paper or sanding block.
The stand fits the hull as shown. The right end of the stand lines up with the rear of the bilge keels on either
side of the hull. Outline the bottom of the sub-deck openings with a pencil. Use slight outward pressure on the
pencil so it will follow the outline of the recess. The mark helps you see where to score the opening. 4

5
Use a 3/16” drill to round the corners by drilling next to the marked line at each corner. Do this for all 4 openings.
Score along an opening, lightly the first time and with a little more pressure the 2nd or 3rd time. If you knife
falls through the slit, tilt it sideways to pull it free. Press on one end flexing the plastic until it separates.
Continue to work the plastic with your finger until it breaks free. If it resists, then score the opening one more
time with the knife and try again.
Save the scraps. Repeat for the other three deck openings. The side openings have three sides that are easy to
mark. The bottom is located by using the side of a pencil to mark the change in the hull curve.
Make the bottom mark about 1/16” ABOVE the pencil line. Drill the four corners of each opening with a 3/16
inch drill. Score the four sides of an opening. It is thicker at the bottom line. Additional scores there.

6
Tape the deck to the sub-deck/hull assembly. Set upright. Make a light line above each side cross-member
mark. At the center of the stern (back end) make a dot 1/2 inch from the edge of the deck.
At the bow (front end) make a dot centered one-inch from the tip of the deck. On the sides, mark the dot 3/8 inch
from the outer edge. Drill 3/32 holes through the deck & sub-deck at each dot. (Six holes.)**
Push the side panel inward causing it to separate at the bottom and remove it. Repeat 13 more times. Mark the
upper side of the hull at the center of the front two sub-deck cross-members to help locate the deck screw holes.
Set the deck on the sub-deck. Turn it upside-down. Look to see that it fits into the deck overhang evenly.
**You can omit screws at the rear-most crossmemeber without affecting the appearance of the kit.
Remove the deck. Drill through the center of the deck holes with a larger 5/32-inch drill.

7
Spread epoxy on the rudder mount. Press into the hull. It should look like this. Less epoxy is OK.
Set the hull aside for the epoxy to cure. Lay out the deck and deck accessories as shown.
Insert the #6 x 3/8 inch Phillips pan head screws. Keep them straight as they thread into the sub-deck until just
snug. Don’t over tighten. Next time, start them by hand and tighten with screwdriver. Use a 3/16 inch drill to drill
into the center of the rudder inset at the stern of the hull. Wallow out the hole a little so the rudder base will fit.
Remove the deck. Test fit the rudder mount. It should drop in and sit flush. If it binds, enlarge the hole a little
with the 3/16 inch drill. Sand the underside and stem of the aluminum mount and the inside of the recess.
Fold in the same volume of filler until smooth. Rub a little into the sanded area of the rudder recess.
Inside the hull, sand the top of the rudder mount recess. Test fit the rudder mount again. Mix epoxy together.

8
Careful not to tear the upper deck at corners. The rough edges can be trimmed with a hobby knife or scissors.
Use sandpaper to smooth the edges. Use the sanding block to sand the underside so the curved overhang of the
upper deck is even when viewed from the side.
The upper deck sits on top of the deck. It has a raised outline. Mark the bottom of the outline with a pencil and
use your knife to lightly score the outline. Repeat scoring until the edges will break away.
Center the upper deck on the deck. The front-to-rear reference point is this side roof over a doorway. Left-to-
right in the photo, center the upper deck to that opening. (arrow) You will use this again on page 22.
Identify the deck accessories. These are torpedo launchers. The one with the round dome on top goes behind
the one without a dome. They are located on either side of the rear Stack.

9
The stacks are formed in halves. They glue together and sit on the angled bases on the 2nd deck. The rear-
most stack has a wing that mounts searchlights.
The bridge assembly starts with the bridge, formed upside-down where the pilot house crew can walk outside.
The pilot house roof supports the mast and gun director. The pilot house is also formed upside-down.
These parts stack together on top of the upper deck. This small bump is the gun director that sits on top of the
pilot house roof. There are more tiny details that aren’t included in this kit. Add more bits after you are done.
5-Inch guns and their bases go together with the 2-piece barrels to make five guns for the deck.

10
Early Fletchers had an AA gun nount with a rangefinder mount next to it. Later versions had just the gun mount.
The circle forms the floor of the early AA gun mount. The rectangles are bases for mounting the torpedo
launchers. The slot in the 5-Inch guns is off-center with the barrel mounted centered on the right of the slot.
Before separating the 5-inch gun tops, choose the angle of your gun barrels. Put a dot on each cannon where you
plan to drill. Hold the drill at the same angle for each cannon. Slowly drill a 1/8-inch hole in each cannon.
Gradually trim the plastic closer to the sides of a cannon. For your final cuts, lay the top blade of the scissors
flat against the side you are trimming. Don’t forget the 45 degree corner cuts on the front.
These half-round items are anti-aircraft gun placements near the Bow.