Model Power Boats: Steam, Petrol, Electric - By Edward W Hobbs

Originally published by Percival Marshall, probably in 1914, this is ‘A Complete Manual on the Designing, Building and Running of all kinds of Model Self-propelled Boats, Steam, Petrol, and Electric’ - there is also a small amount on clockwork motors.

What attracted us to reprint this book was the sheer spread of its coverage - amongst the 15 chapters are ‘Types of Models’, ‘Theoretical Consideration’, ‘Resistance and Propulsion’, ‘How to Design a Model Boat’, ‘Construction of Hulls’, ‘Steam Machinery explained’ followed by 4 chapters on methods of propulsion, including flash steam, ‘Deck Fittings’ etc., etc., all from a time when you built very largely from scratch.

There really is a huge amount of information in this book’s 338 pages, some of which may well be of use to full-size steam launch builders, especially the sections on creating hull lines and designing propellers. Around 380 illustrations, split between B&W photos and line drawings. Paperback