New looks for Queen Victoria and Ecstasy!

Since their respective constructions, I have had nagging complaints about the appearances of both the Queen Victoria and the Ecstasy. Particularly, the funnels of both seemed to be too large, especially in the case of the Ecstasy.

Therefore, I recently undertook to rebuild portions of both ships. The Queen Victoria was first. Her funnel was reduced about 50 percent from the original size seen on her Maiden Voyage. It made an immediate difference and made her look much more scale and accurate!

The Ecstasy's funnel was ridiculously huge since she was built in 2005. Her new funnel is probably 30-40% the size of her original funnel, and the difference is again enormous!

Now the Ecstasy and Queen Victoria are REALLY ready to have their pictures taken!

Barrett Hochhaus
diamondback78@hotmail.com

QUEEN VICTORIA SAILS!

Today marked the end of the most dramatic conversion job I have done to any of my R/C models yet. The new R.C.S. QUEEN VICTORIA sailed on her Maiden Voyage at Mercado Lake in Scottsdale, Arizona.

As anticipated, she is a dramatic improvement over her former Zuiderdam self. With that new Cunard funnel, she looked very colorful and dynamic out on the water. It was a spectacular sight! Performance-wise, very little has changed since she was the Zuiderdam. She still has the ability to pick her bow out of the water at maximum speed! I got some wonderful videos, one of which is heading to YOUTUBE later today.

It was a busy day around the lake and many many people (perhaps my biggest crowd yet) enjoyed seeing her make her way to the McDowell Dam and back.

Now active, the Queen Victoria makes a very attractive alternative to the big and bulky passenger ships of the fleet, which of course, was the original maxum for building the ZUIDERDAM back in 2005.

Here she comes!

After 4 evenings of conversion work, the new (sort of) R.C.S. QUEEN VICTORIA is now complete and ready for the Maiden Voyage!

Built as the ZUIDERDAM, the Queen Victoria will make her Maiden Voyage 9 WHOLE MONTHS before the REAL Queen Victoria sails! That's the first time I have ever had that distinction. It also means that the R.C.S. Crown Vic will always be older than the real thing (especially when you consider that the hull was built in 2005)!

The conversion work saw the replacement of the ship's funnel, the superstructure around the funnel, the swimming pool retractable roof, the mast, the repainting of the hull, as well as the partitions between the balcony staterooms.

I also added the net over the basketball court which adds a real depth to the level of detail!

Currently the Crown Vic is scheduled to make her Maiden Voyage on the morning of Saturday, March 10, 2007. Please look forward to it!

Barrett Hochhaus
diamondback78@hotmail.com