Scan2CAD aids in building a model of the African Queen

Engineer Steve Roberts
Engineer Steve Roberts is using Scan2CAD raster to vector conversion software to help build a model of the steam boat African Queen from the movie of the same name. Steve has also used Scan2CAD on cranes for the Airbus 350 engine test bed.

Ham radio enthusiast Steve Roberts started work in 1946 as an apprentice in Manchester, England before emigrating to Canada. He is now a retired professional engineer and heavy crane specialist, living in Mississauga, Ontario. He is currently recovering from heart surgery.

"I tried full retirement seriously twice" says Steve. "Each time it did not work for me as I never learned to say "No" or leave the phone off the hook! My old customers kept giving me wake up calls offering buckets of money to design them yet another overhead crane.

"My mind still thinks I am thirty something but the body is way past its prime in the middle seventies. I caught myself climbing the 80 feet ham radio tower the other day. Half way up I said to myself this is stupid in minus twenty degrees. I came back down and hired a younger version of me! I have recently slowed down. I now have time to devote to projects that interest me.

"All my life I have tinkered and made things, real things, either for immediate use in my machine shop as a hobby or for other people as a favour. My interests outside of the heavy crane business are wood working, metal working and ham radio (VE3LEH). Time has never permitted me the luxury of building a model, although I have always wanted to. That has changed now following heart surgery from which I made an astounding recovery.

"So, there I was, finally with time on my hands and a desire to do something rewarding.

"For many years I have thought highly of the movie The African Queen (1951. D: John Huston. Katherine Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart). I have built full size hydroplane hulls but never a model hull. All my life I have machined many materials but I have never made a working model, live steam engine. So that is why I am intrigued and challenged to build the African Queen replica with the live steam engine and, of course, radio control."

The first problem that Steve had is that there is no readily available kit or plan on which to model the African Queen. The boat used in the movie was originally built in England and worked the African rivers for some years before being acquired by the movie company. It is now hanging up in a display area of the Holiday Inn in Key Largo, Florida. It was Steve's intention to go to Key Largo to measure it up and photograph it but this visit to Florida had to be postponed.

The African Queen's original engine was a one lung steam engine. Steve has decided to give his model an engine with two lungs and has chosen the Stuart Turner twin cylinder steam engine kit. All items have to be machined and assembled, an activity he describes as "a pleasure".


Drawing of the River Queen.

Templates of the River Queen's hull.
Drawing of the River Queen and templates for the African Queen's hull, created with the help of Scan2CAD.

The hull, however, was a very different matter as it had to be made from scratch. Fortunately, about 10 years ago, Steve was given a copy of a very old drawing relating to a vessel called the River Queen, a boat with a very similar appearance to the African Queen. Steve's plan was to draw up the River Queen in AutoCAD and make the necessary small alterations to the five bulkheads and transom to arrive at the African Queen's hull profile. This is where Scan2CAD came in handy.

"While reading through Model Engineers Workshop magazine my eye caught an advert for Scan2CAD. I made contact with Softcover and much to my surprise I was offered a download for a trial period. The program proved to be very interesting. Not being totally conversant with it things did not turn out immediately as I wanted. I had some bumps and bruises with it but the Scan2CAD people turned out to be fantastic. Nothing was too much trouble to get me up and flying.

"Bearing in mind the time difference between Canada and England I would pose a problem in my afternoon and transmit it via email. While I slept they worked on my problem (not their problem, my problem!). The following morning they would have an answer telling me what I did wrong and what I should do to correct it. Thus I was able to scan in the bulkhead drawings from my somewhat dirty old print, clean it up, convert it into DXF and export it to AutoCAD.

"Once in AutoCAD I was able to alter the drawing to meet my requirements. This all took place within the Scan2CAD trial period. I was so impressed I purchased a license for my crane business. In fact, I have used Scan2CAD on two cranes for the Airbus 350 engine test bed. Very impressive program, very impressive people."

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