Help with RNLI Severn Class Lifeboat - missing part?

[Dave-1224672]

I'm stumped - is there a part missing from the kit?

On the front keel there are holes on both sides for bow thrusters, the instructions indicate Part 8 will fit over both holes.

Part 8 is a small angled tube containing a single propeller, there's no way it reaches over both holes in the hull. It seems to me that there should be two of them (a port and starboard thruster).

I'd be very grateful if anyone could confirm if a part is missing or, if not, how I'm mis-reading the instructions?

Many thanks!

[Kenneth ONeill]

I had no issues with mine. Is your part 8 maybe short moulded? The prop should be half-way down the duct from both sides.

[Dave-362494]

I had the same problem when I built one of these in 2007. The bow thruster comes as one piece - a tube with a propeller in the middle. It didn't fit correctly unless the hull sides were squeezed in. I didn't want the hull to be out of true so I filled the gap each side with plastic card and filler:

As Kenneth says, if your part is not as mine was then it could be short-shot.

Dave

[Neil-357030]

There is a part missing - but its not the bow thruster. Thats just a poor fit between the hulls and needs shimming out with plastic sheet. If memory serves using 0.5mm does the job

The missing piece is part number 30 - first called for when assembling the aft deck - then called again when assembling the fore deck. But when you come to the fore deck stage you spend ages searching the sprues trying to find a second part 30 before realizing it doesn't exist.

There is, however, a second part 138, one of the handrail sections

As an aside to Airfix - this, sadly, was the worst kit I've ever built. The lack of physical location on most of the cabin structure made the build a mojo sapper.

[Martin Butler1707819995]

With regards to the absent part 30, My suggestion is that you not fix the rear deck one in place as it is only visible when looking directly at the stern, it is hidden by the two side cabins when viewed from an angle, and use the part for the front deck location, which is more visible from many angles. Failing that, if anyone is in possession of and proficient with a small lathe, such as that made by Unimat, it may be possible to turn a small piece of round sprue of approximate size using the existing part 30 as a pattern.