When in Australia I was taken by the history of HMVS Cerberus, whose hull is now a breakwater in Port Philip Bay. After a lot of research on the internet I decided to build a model of it. it is not totally accurate as I could find no definitive plans. Therefore most measurements were made from photographs and guesstimates of scale from sailors in pics. it is radio control but not, as yet, tried out; still one or two items to be completed: eg mast & anchors. Update all but finished anchors and various
bits and pieces of deck fittings to be placed. New phot shows where we are. The partial print showing below is a painting of HMS Caroline in dry dock. Spent fives years in the RNR here in Belfast on board her.
Hi I live in the Melbourne area and have sailed in Port Philip many times, have seen the hull of HMVS Cerberus, it really is a sorry sight. Your model is fantastic, I thank you for giving me some idea of how she looked in her Hayday. 😊
Wahine was a car passenger ferry of the Union Steamship Co. of New Zealand, and completed by Fairfields in 1966. She was lost in a major storm in the Cook Strait in 1968 with the death of 53 people. The model is substantially scratch-built with some fittings purchased. it is driven by two Graupner Speed 500 motors powered from two 6.6V 3200mAh LiFe batteries. it is fitted with twin stern and a single bow rudders, and bow and stern thrusters as on the original. The smoke effect is provided by a Steam Master Unit.
I decided to build from scratch HMS Blake, I used the Jecobin Plan for HMS Tiger 1/96 scale. This was the first ship I served on in the Royal Navy 1976 to 1979. The hull is supplied by Scalewarships.com, the fittings, Scalewarships.com, John Haynes Fittings and SIMAR; the running gear from GT Sitek.
The build is nearing completion and now requires the guardrails and the decks fixing in place.
HI Martin. I would love to see that as I'm finishing a 1/72 scale one. I brought a 70% built Hms Marlborough but converting to an RN one,thinking either Kent,Lancaster or Somerset. I've had to do a couple of mods like changing the Vickers to a kryton version etc. it was mostly tugs n trawlers when I joined but there's more grey funnel stuff now and a few subs as well including my Trafalgar class so it's worth coming down.
Regards,Glenn.
This is a 30-inch static model of the trawler that had suffered damage and had most of the deck fittings missing when I got a hold of it.
It was 'de-constructed' by Victor Marcham of the Mablethorpe Model RC Boat Group. Being a static model, it had to be bored through to fit a propshaft, a motor and rudder, and had new decking, mast and working LED lights.
It has yet to be weighted so pond trials can begin.
Thanks Peter ! I think it makes a build far more interesting when you know that it is a replica of an actual vessel and to know her history. Enjoy her.
You are right - it does make it more interesting... despite there being precious few pictures of her around! I'm as pleased as punch with the way she looks now.
An ebay buy now fully restored custom made and commercial fittings. Power unit Electric manufactyrer and voltage unknown it will soon be time to test it on the water
Mate , lovely to hear , I felt a bit poorly somewhat going at you as over the top, which was unwarranted. I ran my vessel the last two weekends with my mates at the Lake Illawarra channel ( see google maps?) South of Wollongong New South Wales Australia. Well we are just a bunch of old boaties , sick of clubs and fights and restrictions/ rules/ flat earthers. We have a lot of public look at us and the Council Ranger and staff lookeee see at times , but AS we are in zone of the Lake Channel HiGH/ LOW tidal mark any authorities do not want to know us. Here in OZ you can still boat as we have a lack of ponds in the land (not like your WW2 type ponds built in villages for water for vehicle fire tenders from FIRE and bombing raids). We have extensions on household insurance in OZ to cover liability and we tell any noisy race/race boat types to ".... off". We sail 1 meters etc thames barge, steam and electric and i/c and all big stuff we ALL run together on the water on the "pond", old sets 27 40 and 2.4 gig. And I spelt Peter Dimberline incorrectly with a T , so he will find out and knuckle me!! I do clean the engine bay with motor car degreaser spray and the decks cabin etc with household Kitchen cleaner and paper wipes. Such is good old Dulux house paint over the years. Fold down f'wrd mast , crane sits in a brass tube at the port engine bay ,rear mast sits on a peg at stern, rear stbd hatch opens, ALL to avoid knocks breakages of bits and over the years I have actually cast alloy bits in plaster-moulds and screwed down with brass. Just a standard red plastic graupner 40 mm prop (4mm thread?) this motor is a SC china copy ? of a OS40 I think , I just run her at the first plane to look nice, no rev head stuff as not necessary, wide turns, but goes so well in 2 inch to 4 inch chop no pounding/ bone shaking during winter runs as it HAS to perform SCALE on the pond rather than toy boat behaviour such as dig in and flick turns and she is heavy to handle waves! Just standard home made fuel 4 to 1 and my mates talked me out of Castor, so now I use synthetic lube . We share all things. Too much talkie . All the best and just fly out to join us good weather too .
R6M yacht the hull was built from plan by a friend he is building a new R6M Called Romanza I was lucky enough to get this from him it will be getting a coat of paint after I have finish the undercoat and making sure the fin box is completely sealed the new masts & fittings on order from
PJ Wiles hopefully it will be ready for the spring
Started Sir William Hoy in 2013 and is 45 inches in length and I am still working on the fittings and finishing. The original coal fired tug was built 1929 in the N.E. of England.
Both model tugs have twin motors geared down 6 to 1 and have differential steering.
Both these models are scratch built Durban tugs in 1:48 scale.
Built J.R. More between 2011 and 2012 and is 41 inches in length. The original oil fired tug was built 1961 on the Clyde and was one of the last steam tugs to be built on the Clyde. This tug still exists at the Durban Museum and is undergoing restoration.
Started Sir William Hoy in 2013 and is 45 inches in length and I am still working on the fittings and finishing. The original coal fired tug was built 1929 in the N.E. of England.
Both model tugs have twin motors geared down 6 to 1 and have differential steering.
Completed (nearly, still a few more crates needed) in July after a 2 year build on a Kingston Moldings hull. Not a scrap of plywood has been used, all made from Oak, Mahogany, Beech and brass. All fittings scratch built, boiler from Maccsteam in Macclesfield, engine TVR 1 A BB from Macclesfield model engineering supplies. Runs on 60/40 butane propane mix. Radio 3 channels used on Futaba 6EX 2.4 ghz set, 1 fo1 for fwd/reverse, I for steering.
hI dave yes she is a daring class, at the moment she is on the back burner as Iv started to build an american mine sweeper and nearly finished my hms bulldog I will post some pics sortly
Fighting Cock was one of the fleet of North West Tugs (Liverpool Screw Towing and Lighterage Company) steam tugs, built by Cammell Laird in 1953. The model is built on a Kingston Mouldings Sun tug hull, the superstructure is scratchbuilt from styrene, with many fittings from Mobile Marine Models. The motor was 'rescued' from a mainframe computer data drive, and is direct drive to the propeller. Power is from 12V gell cell batteries with a speed control by EA Electronics. Both hull and motor were given to my father many many years ago, and the model was completed approx 7 years ago.
