Blog

HMCS Sackville - WWII

I haven't made a lot of progress in the past year but the funnel is ready for painting and I'm pleased with how the 4-inch gun has turned out. Sea trials did not go well last summer. I had no success with the boiler - the burner still gave me trouble. I tried different sized jets but it still took over 30 minutes to get up steam and by then the fuel tank was empty. I'll build a larger tank before next summer.

6 years ago by gordc

Response

Re: Oceanic

Talking of repurposing, wasn't one of the early Townsend Thoresen Dover/Calais ferries a converted RN . I seem to remember pictures of my parent's car being craned on board, must have been early 50's. As has been said in several,posts, restoration and conversion are better than the cutter's torch. Nerys

4 years ago by Nerys

Forum

Work with Balsa wood

It helps. Balsa grain expands quite a lot when wet. Here is a picture of your C01 sub-deck being bent to initial shape. I have held the part of the balsa sheet which was outside of the bend under a hot tap for 10 seconds or so to soak that side, then propped it up as shown. Expanding one side of a piece of balsa makes it bend towards the other side.... If held in that position, once dry it stays in a nice even bend. Note that you do not aim to get the bend fitting exactly - there will be some requirement to hold it in position with clamps/rubber bands/pins while gluing. If you use pins, you will get lots of holes in the balsa. These just vanish if you put a drop of water on them and swell the grain around the hole... like magic! You can also remove small dents this way. Works best on soft, open grain balsa - less well on dense hard wood.

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Forum

46'' RAF Crash Tender

I am reminded of the 1/72nd Revell Flower class model. That had a steel plate deck, with non-slip walkways and some small planked areas at the bow and amidships. But the model has the deck completely covered in moulded-in raised planking lines, and if you want a more accurate model you have to sand or scape these away... My own EeZeBilt PT Boat had a stained and drawn planked deck, because I thought that looked pretty. But in reality the originals had plywood sheet decks which were painted. I think a few of the ELCO 80ft prototypes may have had planks - but they were all initially delivered painted grey, so you would never have seen them. They just look better with wood planking, don't they...? "....I have been told that when the boat was commissioned into service all the superstructure was painted white ~ I see the majority of other models grey with white roof......." I think that all service craft have a delivery specification paint job, which would act as an 'undercoat' and then they have other paint jobs specified for different theatres, and maybe even different tasks. These paint jobs may change rapidly - particularly where camouflage or FoF recognition is involved. So if you want to be accurate, you need to look up a date and a location and find the official specification for that craft at that time. Luckily, I think that that Crash Tender had a short career on the South Coast, and probably only ever sported one official pattern.

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Response

guardrails

Hi Norm, I believe they (splinter padding) were grey, but I have also seen tan on other ships. Mostly WW2 though, like the Flower class s. Maybe tan in peacetime grey at war!? Cheers, Doug 😎

5 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Smoke generator

The first time I ever made a smoke generator was in the 1960s at school - for flow visualisation in a wind tunnel I was building. There there was no shortage of power, so i used a 1/4" glass tube wrapped with asbestos and nichrome heating wire, and boiled paraffin in it - no wick. Loads of lovely white smoke once it was forced through a cooling fan - but it was oily and smelly, and not ideal for lab work.... Later when I built a Revell Bluebell , I made a shallow perspex dish with the glass-fibre wick, and used the smoke fluid from a disco smoke-maker. That's essentially a glycol/water mix - much less smelly. Unless they add perfume.... I suspect that paraffin would be less smelly outdoors, though fire and an oily residue would be hazards. You should be able to get a bottle of glycol smoke/fog fluid for less than a fiver....

5 years ago by DodgyGeezer

Forum

Ship rudders

Hi Toby. Further your PM, thought I would try to demonstrate the PVA hyperdermic method as it has been about 5 years since I used it on the Flower Class . Unfortunately I only had a 18g needle to hand so "overdelivery" was a problem together with the ambient temp today that is pushing 32 degrees outside! I remembered by doing this exercise that when putting some pressure (very little) on the plunger that the PVA tends to want to drip, so the main thing is to support the needle at a constant height above the work (I used my other hand) and to move on quite rapidly as the pressure inside the syringe keeps reloading the tip of the needle. Lift the needle vertically as you move along, this keeps the rivet round. As always "practice makes perfect" so don't commit to the model without being happy with the result being achieved. Good luck!

5 years ago by Joburg-sailor

Directory

(Naval Ship) HMS Launceston Castle

Successor to Flower Class s. This Castle Class built from scratch. As my first scratch built boat I decided to build with "surf board" keel that carries all the ballast. Model handles perfectly with no "Nodding" and rolling like a toy in rough water. Keel acts as display stand when ashore. Took 2 years to build. Pic's taken at various stages of construction on and off the water. (ESC: Mtronics Viper Marine 15) (5/10)

6 years ago by Joburg-sailor

Forum

Help required on Boat i.d.

Can anyone assist, been to the model boat show at Blackpool today, bought a hull and plan for what I thought could be an interesting build, only problem is when I googled the boat.....no feedback, the hull/plan and some superstructure is of a : M.P.C. 85 freelance general purpose built by Vosper, if any help I can post a photo of the hull and superstructure. many thanks, Peter🤔

6 years ago by Rookysailor

Forum

Help required on Boat i.d.

Hi John, already did that on all the Vosper, Vosper Thornycroft, BAE Systems Surface Ships etc etc sites. Nix! I suspect it may have been a design offered for an Request To Tender but not accepted and never built. Nevertheless, have a go and see if you find something I overlooked👍 MPC 85 means; Multi Purpose 85m. Cheers, Doug 😎 PS also worked on the VT Mk10 Frigates also shown in your link, the Niteroi Class for Brazil. Niteroi is the name of the town on the other side of the bay from Rio. At the other end of the bridge connecting the two towns is the Brazilian Navy submarine base where I also worked on some Tupi class submarines, German Type 209s. Good times 😉 PPS I'm still suspicious of that curious stern! Never seen anything like that afloat!!

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Help required on Boat i.d.

Hi Peter, I worked on some Vosper Thornycroft (later BAE Marine Systems) projects in the 90's; Nakhoda Ragam-class s for Brunei (eventually bought by indonesia after a dispute between VT and Brunei), Qahir class and Khareef class for Oman. Please post the hull and super photos, plus the drawing ID box on the plan, and I might be able to identify your hull! MPC stands for Multi Purpose . Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

HMS Campbeltown 1941, 1/96 scale

As you wish Steve! If you want the exercise ..., I s'pose it's not as boring as jogging😁😁 What do I think about Semtex? ... BOOOM 😁😲 Seriously, (as if I could be 😁😁) - don't see any use for Semtex green on Campbeltown either. That's why I said I'd probably chuck it in with my USN MTB green to pad it out bit for my PTB. Several ships used it as part of the Western Approaches Pattern, like the Flower class depicted on the box, but Campbeltown apparently not. Mix a little in with the Deck Grey perhaps? BTW, All this chat about Campbeltown inspired me to look for and buy a disc of the 1952 Trevor Howard, Richard Attenborough film 'The Gift Horse' based on the Buchanan / Campbeltown / Operation Chariot story. Disc arrived yesterday, just watched it (usual human waste on the haunted fish-tank🤔). Stirring stuff chaps! lots of visible detail of the Town Class destroyers, at least of HMS Leamington! G'night all, cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Flower Class

Ooops! Summat went wrong again! 😲

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Flower Class

I think I'm in the wrong film 😲🤔

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

Bulwark Stays

Hi Mike, fellow Leo! Mine is 6 days later 17.08. I've also been in Oran, Algeria, several times, talking to the navy and the naval shipyard in Mers El Kebir just round the headland from Oran. Yep, that's right, where the RN reluctantly shot up the French fleet in WW2. Result of the discussions; 3 Patrol Boats built in Mers El Kebir, 2 Frigates built in Germany, 1 Training ship and 3 s built in China. The italians nicked my design for the COMMS system for the LPD which was built in italy (incentive - Govt. funding!), otherwise I'd have had that as well. 😡 You can't win 'em all 😉 I got my revenge just before I retired when I won the contracts for 7 ships for the Qatar Navy, built in italy by the same Genoa yard as the Algerian LPD. 😁 Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Guestbook

Guestbook Post

Hi All. Many may already recognise the 'nutter from Munich' 😁 but I just wanted to say- I first stumbled across this site and enrolled here in 2014 but was still in harness and trundling around the world working with various navies and shipyards on all sorts of naval ships from small Fast Patrol Boats through subs, s and Frigates up to LPDs, Heli and Escort Carriers. So I didn't have much time for model building (sounds better than 'Modelling' somehow 😁😲) or contributions to the site, but I did try to keep up to date with advances, as I always did in my profession - Naval COMMS systems - and dipped in and out of this site without getting involved. Since I retired last year I have become an active member and have also dipped into, and registered with some, other Model Boat forums in various countries. But in all of them I have never found such an international, friendly and knowledgable bunch as on this site. Or such a well organised site where it is 'relatively' easy to find the info you need, or to just ask and get informed answers pronto. Sure there is room for improvement in some areas but "Tempus fugit" and things move on - so is it also on this site. I understand that a facelift and changes are afoot😉 whatever the outcome I'm sure you won't find a better web site for informed (bin there done that!) info on model boat / ship building as well as research on the original vessels this side of the asteroid belt! Welcome aboard and Happy Building and Sailing, All the best, cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

1/48 Flower Class

Preparing to build a 1/48 scale WW2 Flower Class , just recieved the hull from Fleetscale excellent quality also purchased from them was the prop shaft, prop, and stuffing box and rudder. The materials and craftsmanship on these are priceless. The motor is a MFA/ combo drills 12v D.C. pt No. 457-RE800 and I plan on using a Viper marine 40 amp Mtroniks speed control perhaps a little overkill.

6 years ago by Mikep

Response

SA Valour Class Frigate

Wish I had caught up with you earlier Doug as your input re the MEKO 200 SAN would have been of great help. Fortunately (also late in the build) I found a long lost 2nd cousin (twice removed!) who served onboard the Spioenkop on her delivery voyage in 2005 and got some good stuff from him. Also found a clip on Facebook that provided detail that I had missed. Watch the interest of the bridge officers as they notice the drone filming them! https://www.facebook.com/andre.oosthuizen.9615/videos/vb.100001251523644/1649460131772355/?type=2&video_source=user_video_tab Currently the hangar door and chopper movement is not connected to anything...just demonstrated by putting then in contact with a battery individually. I have a spare channel on the stick and also the on/off switch used for model aircraft engine/power cut that I use on my model for the smoke generator. The sequence I would like to achieve is 1. Activate (power on) door opens. 2. Door reaches stop ...microswitch/ (stays fully open) 3. Chopper movement switch on 4. Chopper clears hangar and reaches stop on helipad. 5. if pos, close sequence in reverse of above. Reilly4 I can let you have a short video but I need some help as to how I place a video on the website. Some more pics taken during the build process attached just FYI.

6 years ago by Joburg-sailor

Forum

46Firefloat Mk2 paint

Hi Astromorg, Hmm! Your assessment throws up some interesting questions! 1 if the 'teardrop' is a DF antenna what frequency band was it intended to detect? it's way too small to contain the multiple antenna elements necessary to detect, and determine the angle of incidence, of any frequency in common use at that time. I've also never seen a microwave waveguide that shape. if DF I would expect a rotating loop antenna in that era. 2 it's my conviction that the tear drop on the Vickers Wellington is a streamlined VHF antenna. Or just possibly a radar detector much later in the 'grand ruckus'. 3 Why would a Fireboat need a DF set anyway? 4 Some photos clearly show a forward facing lens (white disc) in the teardrop. 5 Such boats when tied up to a mooring buoy instead of the dock would require a 360° visible light. Hence mast-top is the favourite mounting place. 6 Visible angle is primarily a question of the lamp and lens construction and not necessarily the mounting position. 7 A stern light providing the 'fill in all round' is a contradiction of the purpose of running lights which are so constructed and mounted as to help the observer to determine which way the vessel is moving. Forward and aft lights visible 180°? red and green 90°. Which combination you can see helps indicate which way the vessel is moving; towards or away from you. Conversely the single anchor light should be visible from any angle. it can be yellow to distinguish it from a running light. Current regulations also recommend the use of deck lights while at anchor. 8 I agree re position halfway up the mast for the forward running light, BUT, as the masts on these vessels were often folded down the permanently fixed forward running light on the cabin roof would make sense. But then, that's only my opinion! And what do I know?😲 I only worked in communication engineering for 45 years, the last 32 of 'em in integrated Naval Communication Systems, on all types of vessels from Fast Patrol Boats through FACs, OPVs, s, frigates, conventional subs and up to Escort Aircraft Carrier. Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights

Strange that you should mention the Movie/book 'The Cruel Sea', have just bought the DVD from Ebay, looking forward to watching it once again. I have an old Revell kit, and last month bought the NEW kit from Revell which has most of the lighting in kit form, plus revolving radar, but very annoyed 😆to find out that there is no p/e parts or wooden decking as in the platinum edition, but it only cost me £100 + vat trade deal, sssh🤐 Cheers Peter😊

6 years ago by Rookysailor

Forum

LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights

Know what you mean Peter, I think, when I get round to her, I'll do mine as 'HMS Compass Rose'. The 'fictitious' ship in Nicholas Monserrat's book 'The Cruel Sea'. Which is based on his experiences on a Flower Class in the Battle of the Atlantic. Well worth a read👍 Difficult to put down 😲 Try Googling and/or Wikiing Flower Class and you should get oodles of links to photos of the originals and suppliers of kits n bits. What you could do of course is to Go The Whole Hog and buy the newer Revell Premium version of the kit. That has wooden decks and a host of detailed upgrade parts. Plus LED lights etc 😊 List price here €199. https://www.revell.de/en/products/revell-technik/flower-class--technik.html Whatever you do, enjoy it😊 Cos otherwise there ain't no point is there!? All the best, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights

Hi Doug, with reference to your wooden decks for the 1/72 flower class , where did you get them from? I'm having trouble getting any browser info🤔 many thanks, Peter😋

6 years ago by Rookysailor

Forum

LED Tug Mast Navigation Lights

Hi Pete, That was just a selection of my larger 350 scale kits! Forgot HMS Prince of Wales battleship😉 I also have a vast collection of everything from 720 to 72, including the Revell Flower Class . I started an XL spread sheet to keep track of them with scale and size data, number of shafts, and where practical and already measured max load capacity! Re: wood decks; I have them on my Graf Spee and HMS Belfast both 1:128, and have bought them for Hood, Bismarck and the . In my experience the self adhesive starts to pull up at the edges, always in the most awkward place to get to to fix😡 I learned to use a gel type gluper sue for first time fitting and thin runny stuff for repairs so it creeps under the edge a bit. Yes please, the info on the decks would be useful especially Titanic. i have a premium version with lots of etch parts but no wood I think. Why do we do it? Cos we're nuts! Prerequisite for scale modelling 😁 Happy modelling, Cheers, Doug 😎 PS my favourite carrier photo attached; Capn of the Nimitz wanted to go water skiing 😁😁

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Media

1/72 Flower Class

Revell 1/72 power 6 volt motor hitech speed control Whooper sound 3000mah nimh battery.

6 years ago by Mikep

Response

Rebuild Flower Class

Looks like a real bargain. Great when you have a model to sail and also display on your window sill. I built an italeri PT 109 six years ago and this is the same. Its very rewarding when you motorise a plastic kit as when at the lakeside people come up and say did you really build that. Plastic magic never fails. Boaty😎

6 years ago by boaty

Media

Norfolk Wherry

Some pictures of my Dad's Norfolk Wherry seen here at Eton Park, Norwich. it will be featured in September 2018 "Model Boats" magazine along with his mates Wherry. It is about 4ft long note my 3ft 72nd scale looks small next to it.

6 years ago by CB90

Response

Rebuild Flower Class

Hi CB, I still have an original unbuilt kit. Plus some after sale photo etch. thanks for the inspiration. look forward to your progress reports and sea trial vid? Cheers, Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Blog

Rebuild Flower Class

Brought this completed 72nd scale Revell kit (normally around £125-150 new) second-hand in a local shop for £30 as per photos, no transmitter. changed 400 motor for a geared 540. changed ESC as control was poor acted like an on off switch. foamed bow area and added some plastic supports to the hull as shown, modify battery box.

6 years ago by CB90

Response

Chris Craft

WOW, any pics of her in the water?

6 years ago by Dibdawg

Media

Flower Class

A short selection of the flower class s of the Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team. All made from the same 1/48 hull mould, they are not exact replicas - more designed to look 'good' on the water. Finely detailed models do not tend to remain finely detailed for long with the abuse the Team puts them through! I am going through the photo collection and having a good sort out and reorganisation (thanks to my old laptop crashing) amd will post more as I can.

6 years ago by PMBDTCentral

Media

MTBs and 'Flowers'

Just ran across this (compared with most others from the era) incredibly sharp photo, (right click the photo then left click 'Show photo' and then'+' and you'll see what I mean by sharp!!😉) apparently (allegedly?) a 'Vosper 70ft Motor Torpedo Boat V-252 at Greenock in January 1942. in the background is the Flower class HMCS Trillium(K172)' (Which makes me wonder if OUR Trillium served on her!?) + 2 others! Research continues, I have an interest in both types 😉 Cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

Yes that would be a problem. if you use an outside gas source to get to steaming pressure your gas tank may be able to keep your pressure for a sail. A larger jet will use more gas so I guess it will be a suck it and see. Please keep us posted on your efforts and good luck.

6 years ago by Dave M

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

Hi Dave, I like your idea of bringing heated feed water in a thermos flask. As for using a flat burner, there are cross tubes in the flue so it wouldn't fit. When Spring comes I'll experiment with different size jets to get the optimum heat out of the burner.

6 years ago by gordc

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

I should have read your earlier posts. The boiler is 10" long and I suspect the one heating burner at one end is not providing enough heat for the whole length. Most boilers are 5" max in length using that type of burner. You may need a couple of flat ceramic burners in the tube to heat the whole length but I am not sure if this is feasible. How did the original designer heat this boiler?

6 years ago by Dave M

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

Hi Are you still having problems generating enough steam. Looking at the set up the boiler and engine look well matched. What size and type of burner are you using? I use a flat ceramic burner on a similar sized boiler and it's up to pressure in about 4 mins. I take a thermos water flask to the lake with warm water and fill the boiler just before I steam up. I use a separate gas canister to do initial heat up then switch to the on board supply. This helps stop the can freezing when going at full bore in the initial stages. Subsequent gas supply is much lower and does not produce much cooling of the gas canister. Looking forward to seeing your model under steam.

6 years ago by Dave M

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

Hi gord(on?), so far so good👍 For heaven sakes DON'T GIVE UP! 😲 If all else fails - use bloody great nails!! 😉 In this case perhaps a half decent brushed motor, the 'Flowers' weren't greyhounds anyway 😁 More power to your boiler, Cheers Doug 😎

6 years ago by RNinMunich

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

Hi Taffy, thanks for the support. if I can't sort the boiler out this summer, I'll admit defeat and finish the ship as a static model. Here's hoping.

6 years ago by gordc

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

Great project thanks for sharing! Wish you much success with it!

6 years ago by figtree7nts

Response

HMCS Sackville - WWII

looks fantastic, how long to finish and fully running on water? regards Taffy👍👍

6 years ago by taffy

Response

Chriscraft

What a stunning model. I really feel motivated to add lighting to mine now. Envious for sure

7 years ago by Brightwork

Response

Chris Craft

I am sorry I missed this comment. The photos here do enlarge to a good size. I can email you the pics if you like.

7 years ago by Brightwork

Response

Chris Craft

Hi there Do you have copies of the pictures, as I would like to include some of the features in a model that I am in the process of planning. A much modified Sea Queen (3/4 size) effectively a Sea Commander but with changes. Particularly like the Cockpit controls. Regards Andy

7 years ago by AndyG009

Media

Chris Craft

4 feet long Chris Craft model also by Sterling models from the 50's

7 years ago by Brightwork

Media

Chris Craft

I saw this boat online a few years back and have coveted it ever since. it was built by an incredible man who I believed passed away and left this. The boat is "Balboa" Panama. Hopefully someone will know more about her. I would sell my entire collection for her. "note the mans hand compared to the engine"

7 years ago by Brightwork

Response

Chriscraft

Very nice work.... this a shot of mine

7 years ago by Brightwork

Forum

Naval History - PQ17

Sorry couldn't resist this - dry British humour at it's best😉 Extract from the history of PQ17, disastrous arctic convoy to Russia- 'The convoy was now entering the zone of the Barents Sea where enemy surface attack was most likely to happen. Lt. Beckley (P614), the senior Officer of one of the two British Submarines taking passage in the middle of the convoy, flashed to Senior Officer Escorts, "In the event of attack by enemy forces propose to remain on the surface." Commander Jack Broome in the destroyer H.M.S. Keppel (ever the humorist) promptly flashed back, "So do I!" ' A classic! Found while researching Flower Class s - HMS Poppy.😉 Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Naval History - PQ17

Hi John, I meant the the photos that Dave M posted of his Revell , HMS Bluebell! Thought 35Megs was for aircraft only!? I nearly got lynched here in Munich for once using my 35Meg Sanwa for my destroyer. Sticklers for the rules and regs here 🤔 The COMMS buoy is still on the ideas list, plenty else to finish off before frills that! Yesterday spent the whole day cleaning up and lubricating my lathe cos it hadn't been used for 10 years or more, and of course now I need it 🤔 Want to make some alignment tools for new motors and prop shafts! Cheers Doug 😎

7 years ago by RNinMunich

Forum

Naval History - PQ17

Hi Doug, I am building A an turning into K213 HMS Poppy. I agree that was a bit of dry British Humour. Regards, Taffy.

7 years ago by taffy

Directory

(Naval Ship) HMS Bluebell

The original Matchbox model of the Flower Class . Fully detailed and crewed. (Motor: 550) (ESC: Hitek) (9/10)

7 years ago by Dave M

Response

Jet Sprint Boat

Hi Wayne Can't have that lol Fitted engine and currently wiring up all the controls Has taken a bit longer than I thought because of my other projects like finishing Sovereign of the Seas and preparing RC Beaver for flight oh and trying to get a bit of oil painting finished off Who says retirement is boring lol I just keep running out of time not enough hours in the day We have a national model boat show on over labour weekend in October so I hope to have the jet finished by then but have to do some R and M on the and Amara tug steam engines before then as well Have posted latest pictures Cheers

7 years ago by Rod