Hello all from 'way downunder',

Now that we have done a Fairmile B in resin I am now looking for opinions as to what I should do next in 1/144th scale.

Which of the following types would be of interest do you think?

Vosper MTB, the early war version, those built during 1940-42, like the forthcoming Italeri kit OR
The US 80’ Elco PT Boat.

Any there any other types that appeal, such as –

The RN 72’ HDML.
Fairmile A
Fairmile C
WW1 ML
US Sub Chaser and an
RAN 80' HDML
Fairmile D (MGB/MTB/Rescue versions).
British Power Boat MGBs/MTBs with 63' MGB, MA/SB & Rescue boats later.
The quite elegant SGB
US PC.
Fairmile D MTB with MGB & Rescue versions later.
WW1 US Sub Chaser.
WW1 CMB's, both 40' & 55'.
Vosper 73' type I MTB.

All models are waterline, mounted on a small seascape and crewed with figures.

I'm also 'tinkering' with --
An LCSM Landing craft Gunboat & 'Chindwin' Flotilla Gunboat, both saw service in Burma 1945.
HMA Ships Alatna, Kuru, Vigilant & Paluma, all RAN patrol boats.
PBR, PCF, ASPB and ATF Monitor from the Vietnam war.
The US SOC-R, a modern fast Riverine craft.

These are all card models initially and are all 1/144th scale, but being card models it's an easy exercise to upscale to 1/72nd and 1/35th scales.

Cheers,
Roger.
Bendigo, Australia.

Being a ship modeler who favors larger scales, I would also nominate destroyer and ocean escorts for 1:144.



--Karl

Nice idea Karl, but my 'thing' is Allied Light Coastal Forces, mainly 1914-1945 but I'm straying into modern craft a tad.

You know there is a Fletcher class in 1/144th scale and I reckon if we wait long enough or better still pester some of the manufacturers we might see an early war RN destroyer, or frigate or something similar.

I have a Fletcher and when it's displayed at a model show alongside a Vosper MTB or one of the 70' MGB's people will be amazed at just how small these 'little ships' were. Even an 80' Elco PT Boat looks tiny next to a 300+ foot Fletcher.

The option you have of course, if you want a destroyer/frigate/corvette in 1/144th is to check out the many and varied and excellent I might add card kits available. I have quite a number but plan to do them in 1/350 perhaps, although I wouldn't mind having a crack at HMS Campbeltown (as she was at St Nazaire) in 1/144th, already have the appropriate card kit, JSC Models.

Roger in Oz.

1/144 she is the queen for the destroyers, miners, frigates and corvetes allows us to play with the submarines in this scale!!
I want a DKM Destroyer Z-29 in 1-144 !!!!

Regards!!!

Hi Roger!

Thanks for the card model tip--I recently came across an idea for a diorama involving the 1:72 Revell U-Boat and a Loch class frigate, but info on British escorts is amazingly thin.

1:144 is a fun scale for destroyer types--I've decided to produce a series of US destroyers in that scale and already have a Farragut class completed. Hopefully model companies will take the chance with such a large scale in the near future.

--Karl

Karl,

Please tell us more -- "producing a series of US destroyers in that scale and already have a Farragut class completed". What medium are you producing them in?

Rog in Oz.

Hi Roger!

If you go over to the Features section and look up "The Greyhound and the Flea" you'll see my 1:144 Monaghan.

I have several ideas in mind for the Revell Fletcher in that scale and also completed a Samuel B. Roberts DE in 1:125 a few years back.

I scratchbuild with sheet styrene which I can get cheaply practically by the yard.

The real challenge is getting good drawings and photos without breaking the bank. Since information on U. S. destroyers is in good supply, a series on each of the classes is feasible. 1:200 IJN destroyers can also be worked out with some plastic surgery on their Kagerou kits.

I recently obtained a copy of the 1:200 Chinese Anshan which was a Soviet WW II-era destroyer with an eye into converting it into an O class RN destroyer. With the Friedman book on Royal Navy destroyer design history, getting useful information on British destroyers should be easier.

--Karl

Hello Everyone,

OK, at this stage this is the order of preference so I will most likely be releasing one resin model (kit) at a time in the following order (perhaps):

1. Vosper MTB. The more common wider (19’3”, 1941-2ish) version as opposed to the much narrower (14’9”, 1939-40ish) type. As far as I can tell the wider hulled boats included numbers 57-66, 73, 75-98, 222-245 and 347-362. This type has recently been released in 1/35th scale by Italeri and 1/72nd scale by Coastal Craft Models.
2. US Elco 80' PT. this one would need to include two cabin castings to cater for the different (slightly) positions of the starboard gun tub. I haven’t quite sorted out boat numbers yet, but do have the info available.
3. PBR Mk II.
4. Monitor (prog 4) plus Cmd & Control version.
5. PCF Swift Boat.
6. ASPB 1st Generation and
7. US Higgins 78' PT.

This next list are distinct possibilities depending of course on the level of expressions of interest, they have all been mentioned at least once:

British Power Boat Co. MTB (71’9”), MGB (71’6”) which could include the earlier 70’ & 63’ MGB types.
Elco 70’ & 77’ PT Boats (there were also RN MGB/MTB versions).
The WW1 55’ CMB (could also include the 40’ version).
BPB Co. 63’ ASRL (like the Airfix 1/72nd one).
‘Miami’ class ASRL.
The Korean War PTF ‘Nasty’ boat.
‘Tacoma’ class Patrol Frigate – don’t have anything on this ship.
PACV – likewise, don’t have any info only a photo.

These next ones are of particular interest to me:

The SOC-R boat. Check out “The Navy’s Best Kept Secret” on ‘youtube’ and the movie ‘Act of Valor’, only released last month in the US.
The WW1 80’ ML.
The HDML, the smaller ‘maid of all work’, the larger one being the Fairmile B class ML already available.
The modern CB-90 boat, designed in Sweden I think and being evaluated/used by the USN as an RCB (Riverine Cmd Boat).
The LCSM. This one is rather obscure and was a landing craft conversion used on the Arakan coast in Burma.

Having said all this I need to point out the following –

Please be very patient with this rather comprehensive list, but you guys (and girls of course if there are any ladies interested) can help me (and yourselves) a great deal in bringing these models to fruition by offering to help make the masters.

My plan is to include brass etch parts and crew figures.

As I have stated previously my caster friend has very limited time to devote to making any masters and while he would like to tackle the Vosper and Elco boats (perhaps) I really would like others to ‘have a go’.

I already have a candidate willing to do the PBR so the others are up for grabs. Please don’t be (too) frightened to put your hand up.

While the models I do are waterline I fully appreciate the desire to have ‘full hull’ models so I would strongly suggest that we have a separate piece made for those who wish to either mount their model on a stand or if in a diorama have the forefoot showing.

Cheers,
Roger in Oz.