Gulfstreamer Luxury Yacht Model

This radio-controlled model of a custom luxury motor yacht was built by Dwight Brooks in 1991. The boat model was built from the plans for the original yacht and hundreds of photographs of the interiors. There is a very high level of detail, including 215 operating light fixtures. Construction took over 3000 hours over three years. Gulfstreamer is built using plank-on-frame construction with birch plywood keel and bulkheads and balsa planking. The hull is covered inside and out with fiberglass cloth set in resin. The aft section is molded foam covered with fiberglass in resin. Decks are 1/8 inch teak on 1/8 inch aircraft plywood. Painted surfaces are finished with Dietzler Acrylic, teak and mahogany surfaces are finished with varnish. Power is provided by two aircraft flap actuator motors modified for water cooling directly driving 4-inch propellors. There are four bilge pumps. Large automotive batteries (12v and 6v) provide 18v power for the motors through a Futaba speed control. Separate batteries provide power for lighting, audio, and radio controls. The radio system is Futaba. Featured in the February/March 1992 issue of “Scale Ship Modeler.”