RC Cruise Ship / Ferry Viking Grace (toy)

thingiverse

Project: Convert a Small RC-Boy Boat into a Cruise Ferry. My Son's Love for the Route Near Our Summer House Inspired This Project. I had to transform this little boat into a cruise ferry in just 4-5 days, which meant I was still drawing details while printing large hull parts. The model is based on the MS Viking Grace, a massive LNG-powered cruise ferry that can carry both passengers and vehicles. Measuring 218 meters long and 32 meters wide, it's an impressive vessel that can accommodate 2,800 passengers and over 1,200 kilometers of ro-ro-lane. Its route between Sweden and Finland passes through the semi-autonomous Åland Islands, which are not part of the EU VAT area. This unique circumstance allows cruise ferries to sell tax-free goods as long as they dock in an Åland port. Both Sweden and Finland have small populations, but due to the tax-free business and low ticket prices, these ferry routes have become incredibly popular, making it possible to use large ships like the MS Viking Grace. I designed this model using a side-view in Fusion 360 and primarily used sculpting mode for the hull. The superstructure was added using traditional methods. To achieve a more realistic appearance, I widened the beam and enlarged the submerged part of the hull, increasing the displacement to approximately 1.2 kilograms. This stabilizes the boat and prevents it from rolling in waves but requires adding significant ballast. Dimensions: Length - 60cm, Width (at waterline) - 12cm, Weight - around 1.2kg (filament weight is only 200-300 grams). This build isn't complicated, thanks to my tight schedule, which didn't allow for intricate details. I've tried to save all the SLT's in their intended orientation (except the plugs, which can be turned in the slicer). To minimize leakage, I designed the rudder assembly so that the rudder shaft exits above the waterline. Printing settings: Layer height for hull - 0.25mm or finer if you have more time. I used PLA for everything and coated it with primer and two layers of hobby spray paint. Key features: - Propeller shaft hole: 5mm - Motor size: 20mm with flat sides (simple cheap DC-motor) - Rudder shaft: 3mm (I used carbon fiber rod) This is a DIY project, not meant to be a follow-along build. I don't recommend using the equipment I used because it doesn't have reverse gear, which is necessary for this model to be fun to drive. I'll replace the RC-equipment with something better suited for this purpose. The superstructure parts can be printed using filament-swap to reduce painting requirements: - Black: 0 - 7mm - White: 7 - 10mm - Black: 10 - 16mm - White: 16 - If you use PrusaSlicer or another slicer that allows direct filament changes, simply enter the changes at 7mm, 10mm, and 16mm.