THOR - FLAT BUILD / CORELOCK

[Carl Van Houten]

• These two pictures show a frame that does not yet have all the parts in it but it will give a little insight to the build method I have been working with. I call this model the THOR because of the incredible strength to weight ratio. This is actually revision # 3 and I am on version #4 now. The revision #4 kit builds both the FE and NITRO model.
• The kit has a 1/16 thick plywood core plate that runs front to rear and side to side through out the model. This gives the model it's incredible lateral strength and also provides a platform to set all the frames during the build. A gunnel rail is laminated both on the top and bottom side of the core that provides additional perimeter strength that will come in handy when impacted. The airfoil for this boat is thinner than most and building it any other way and still retain the strength needed would be virtually impossible to do. The top-deck frame builds fast and once sealed and decked,it becomes very ridged.. Once the top is complete, you flip it and build the sponsons the same way. The tunnel floor A.O.A.is preset into the sponson formers. They tab into place and build up quickly with a interlocking plywood hard chine former.
• You really can't see in these two pictures but all the spanner ribs are laminated and 1/4 " thick x 10 ply. That is why you only see four in the boat. I will post pictures of how this is done later. The build is a little out of the box but offers a carbon-like structure when complete. The core allowed me to reduce parts in some areas and add strength to other places that typically are weak in wood tunnel boat designs I have made in the past. I have a laser cut Mod VP pod designed for the boat but haven't built it yet. I have just started back to work on models and should have the THOR kit ready by mid December. As always, some splinter builders will love it and some will hate it. I will post more about this model later as things progress. I am finishing up some Lynx orders now but if you are interested in this model, send your address and phone number to: [email protected] . Other sizes of this model will not require as much design time to produce so I will offer larger classes of this model soon.
• -Carl

.

 

[RonShaw]

Yay!!! It's here.... Congrats Carl.

 

[Butch Londrigan]

Vary nice looking hull. Lets see more!

 

[Slideblues]

Very cool !

Thanks for the update and pics,

Gene

 

[RodneyPierce]

Looks good Carl!!

 

[David Moyle]

Nice work Carl!

 

[Kris Flynn]

looks the goods!

 

[Andy Greene]

What kind of price range will they be, and how much more is the pad for the ModVp version ?

 

[moparbarn]

same as drew, how much & when? put me on the list, i love to build. i'll call you this week, carl.

 

[Carl Van Houten]

The laser guys will have to send me their final burn price before I can determine that. Version #4 has more burn time due to the added FE parts and that will drive the price up some but I want to keep the price comparable to other modern laser cut kits that are comparable in size. I hope to encourage people that have never built a kit boat to try it. There is a lot of personal satisfaction in winning a race with something you built yourself.

As for the Mod-VP Pod, It will be a separate item and I haven't built it yet so some tweaking could be in store for that item.. I have thought about molding the pod as it would be fairly simple to layup but the whole idea behind this wood kit project is to bring some new building concepts to wood kits and to free me up from as much glass work as possible.

-Carl

 

[RodneyPierce]

So sounds like kit #4 will be a kit that a person could make either an FE version or a Nitro version from eh? Sort of a "2 n 1" deal?

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Yes, you can build a Nitro or FE version from the kit. The parts are laser engraved showing the difference and it is easy to pull out the unwanted parts and build the version you want. I could have carried two kits but I decided to combine them to keep things simple. That way if I have one kit left on the shelf, you are good to go.

-Carl

 

[bzubee]

So Carl are you bringing the proto type up for th erecords trials

 

[anthony_marquart]

The laser cutting puts many things in reach that we're just too difficult a few years back. Fast design review and testing.

 

[Carl Van Houten]

Hello Zuber,

I am not sure. I would like to. Maybe I can pull it off. I actually have a lot more in the works than just this model so things are a bit crazy around here right now. There are some guys that are running my larger Nitro and FE models that are coming up there to take a shot at some records so I will most likely be there to help them with what ever I can. I am also planning to make the KP trials this year.

Tell the boys up there I said hello.

-Carl

So Carl are you bringing the proto type up for th erecords trials

 

[bzubee]

Will do Carl

 

[Carl Van Houten]

A few years ago I built a boat I called the Splitzer that was built using what I called the flat build method. There were only two of these built. David Hall built one and ran it a few times. This boat was a bit small for the 3.5cc class and we mostly were just using them for record trial boats. When I started my Thor laser-cut project, I wasn't aware of any other models that were built using the flat build method. In fact, there is another boat that was designed using this method. David Moyle has designed and laser-cut a Switzer Craft using this same method of build. David does very nice work. I talk to him occasionally and even though he has not asked me to, I wanted to point out the fact that my model may not the first to be built this way. The attached picture is David's Switzer model. Funny that the two models had such similar names. My Splitzer model was a single engine design.

I have a picture somewhere with a couple of Switzers tied to Carl Kiekhaefer's dock at his Florida home. Carl Kiekhaefer was the king of outboards back in those days.

Thanks,

-Carl

 

[Carl Van Houten]

I looked through my project pictures and found a few pictures of my old straight line Splitzer. It was a wee bit over powered but it was fun to run. I think David Hall ran his custom made 12 geared outboard on his.

-Carl

 

[Kris Flynn]

that things looks awsome Carl!

 

[moparbarn]

carl, i grew up in miami watching switzer craft "flying wings" being raced. i worked for dave craig at skyway marine when he drove a 16' wooden one for carl. #711 "miss skyway", then the 18' fiberglass versions came along, too much hull for the power of the day. they never had the speed that the wood ones did. 2 "stackers" (155 hp inline 6's , quickie lowers) on one of them was a beautiful sound at full song, about 4" off the water - they really could literally fly! no wonder, 310 hp on a 16' light race boat h34r: . no 2 wooden ones were identical, as they drew them out on the shop floor on plywood. no plans, just make them as needed, with changes as necessary. david's kit is the 18' version.