Model Boats
Overview
Learn about the design, construction, operation, and basic physics of model boats. It combines hands-on model building with an understanding of how boats move and perform on water. This honor develops engineering, craftsmanship, problem-solving, and mechanical skills while introducing Pathfinders to the basic principles of buoyancy, balance, propulsion, and hydrodynamics through the fun and practical activity of building and operating model boats.
Requirements
1. Do two of the following:
- a. Purchase and build one kit for a sailboat 10 to 15 inches (25.4 to 38.1 cm) long and about four to five inches wide and operate boat on the water for at least two minutes.
- b. Build a model boat with an electric motor from your own plans or from a kit, size 10 to 18 inches, (25.4 to 45.7 cm) and operate the boat for three to five minutes.
- c. Build a model boat 18 to 30 inches (45.7 to 76.2 cm) long from your own plans or from a kit. Install a small bore internal combustion engine .029 or .049 and operate for at least two successful runs of three to five minutes each. Record in writing the operating characteristics of the model and state what you did to improve its performance.
2. Identify and define these words:
- a. Displacement
- b. Center of gravity
- c. Propeller pitch
- d. Thrust and lift
- e. Mono hull
- f. Hydro
- g. Bow
- h. Keel
- i. Transom
- j. Cavitation
- k. Heeling
- l. Planing
- m. Drag
Answer key & resources
Master awards
This honor counts toward:
Investiture Achievement
This honor is required, suggested or listed as an option in:
Adapted from AY Honors/Model Boats on the Pathfinder Wiki, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. See the original page's history for its authors.
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