I've recently become interested in these boats and don't understand why no one produces a kit for them. ArtMaster has one in 1:87, and the photo of it completed is certainly impressive, but I'm not about to pay 100 Euros for it.



A large part of what interests me is the seemingly endless number of configurations, and perhaps that's what defeats the kit manufacturers. However, I can easily see many companies jumping in to add resin and PE variations / details, along with wood decking once a basic kit is available.

German modelers will convert a 1:36 civilian fishing boat(the original design inspiration for the military version) - the Elke model from Graupner, and I even found a video of a 1:100 operational model! Here is a grainy image of a scratchbuilt 1:72 version:



At a proto length of 24 meters, a 1:35 version is not unreasonable, and could be designed for easy conversion to RC. Here are two favorite photos from the dozens I found:



This one is quite obviously traveling much faster than the prototype could (14 knots as I recall) :




I just found this site, which has an amazing "half-open" model showing hull construction and full interior.

http://www.klausberges.de/meine-modelle/kriegsfischkutter/

I can see why you would be interested... some excellent work posted of boats full of character.

I can't see any of the mainstream manufacturers taking it up though.

I would suggest your only hope would be to scratch build perhaps on one of Christians hulls.

http://modelshipwrights.kitmaker.net/forums/202623&page=1

I don't know if he actually makes one 'yet' but he would be worth contacting.

Cheers

There are lots of interesting subjects I would like to see as a kit. I agree with you about the appeal of this particular one, but what appeals to you and I certainly may not appeal to others. It always comes down to money with a manufacturer because they are a business and without profit they wouldn't survive for long. If they don't foresee a substantial market for a particular subject they won't take the risk, and who can blame them. They do surprise us every now and again such as with the current crop of MTB kits from Italeri. But if the sales of the first kit hadn't lived up to expectations none of the others would have followed. So, we can always hope and who knows. I never thought that I would see an affordable 1/35 scale submarine kit and Bronco came out with one. Keep your fingers crossed and pray to the gods of styrene. Al

While these models are very well done, I would be wary of mounting anything larger than a Flakvierling, or, at most, a single Flak 37 mm. along with a couple of single 20 mm's. The above boat seems to have a 75 mm - 105 mm gun mounted in the bandstand. The boats were built for fishing and had no steel bracing. The recoil from even a medium calibre gun would soon wreck the boat.

While it is based on a fishing boat design and they were generally built with a thought toward post-war conversion, these were in fact constructed for military use. The references that I've seen indicate a steel frame.

Here's a link to a recent build:

http://www.hslmouldings.co.uk/kfk.htm

Hello Charles,

You are correct on this matter...

the KFKs were built from oakwood on steel frames so the
mounting of small caliber cannons may be possible.

Cheers,
Joe

Thanks, Joe - although I've read that pine was sometimes used when necessary. Apparently they were built at something like two-dozen yards over a dozen countries, and the engine used was whatever was available at the time.

I have seen the usual armament given as a 20mm flak - possibly a quad, and a 37mm in the front. This morning I saw a quote that captured weapons (Russian and others) were often used, but I should think that would be dependent on having an adequate supply of ammo. I've found many more photos of models than the proto, so have no idea if small cannons were ever mounted in the front or not.

I understand the fascination with sleeker and "sexier" schnellboots, but find the variety of these much more visually interesting and appealing. My surprise at there not being a kit is partly due to the very limited number of armed vessels that were small enough to produce in 1:72 or 1:35.

Also, I should think it would be easy enough to simultaneously do a civilian version, giving access to other markets. They ended up in close to a dozen countries as war reparations or fishing vessels, and apparently Germany had some new ones built/converted in the mid-50's. It's described as the largest production ever of a single class of ship. Instead of having to prove that your version was correct, it would be almost impossible to claim that whatever you wanted to do with it was wrong. Some are still sailing 70 years later. What's not to like ;-)

Charles

And I totally agree...
now you got me going...I like this vessel
so much that I am researching historical photos for a possible future
build.
And then maybe if there actually were vessels with this weapons configuration, who is tho say that, as so many were built, that they were not all photographed, so we
shall never know.

Who knows what the kit makers have in store for us. The future may hold pleasant
surprises.

Cheers,
Joe

I decided that I better try to keep up with Joe’s research. Here’s an Italian version:



Say – does that sign read that this is an Italeri pre-production model?
Surely it doesn’t claim that this was built by a junior!

As evidence of their seaworthiness, there are reports that at least one reached South America towards the end of the war.

Lastly, if anyone has a spare 400K GBP:

tinyurl.com/orndql2

The sign reads

1st Italeri junior static model contest.

Now it would be nice to know what relation the model has to Italeri.....a pre production model?

Would be most welcome....

Cheers,
Joe

The larger Vorpostenbooten certainly were armed with larger caliber guns, up to multiple 88's, but I haven't seen any pics of real Kriegsfischkutters with anything larger than a 20mm Flakvierling and a couple of single 20's. The above Italeri entry is a classic example of a Kriegsfischkutter.

Biggles - I had thought the Vorpostenboot were larger also, but Robin at Kingston Mouldings sent me this link, claiming there were shorter ones as well:

tinyurl.com/okqweb9

He has a drawing on his site which is clearly a KFK, but he has it labeled as a Vorpostenboot. I sent him an email mentioning this, and he got really defensive.

I pointed out that the drawing he has does not match the two photos at the link he sent me. This boat looks like an all-steel version (W-8, the lower ones have wooden pilot houses?) of the KFK with only a front gun and a higher and larger cabin/bridge, and with more electronics.

Actually, I think that Italeri sign could reference the crowded table behind it.

"Vorpostenboot" was a general term for several types and sizes of coastal patrol boats, usually impressed or captured boats. They could vary in size from the fischkutters to small freighters. The larger Vorpostenbooten could be armed with multiple Flakvierlings, 37 mm Flaks, and/or 88 mm Flaks. The small fishing boat varieties, I suspect, were too small and light to support anything heavier than light AA. Mounting heavier weapons on a raised bandstand would make the boat too topheavy and liable to capsizing.

It turns out that he prefers to refer to the KFK's as Vorpostenboot, even though they were a specifically designed class, and I gather by far the great majority of the Vorpostenboot general category.

I was surprised at this, as the rest of the world appears to prefer calling the kreigsfischkutters as just that, or KFK.

I suspect that the KFK with the large(r) cannon was the result of the modeler simply wanting a more impressive looking front gun; related to my suggestion that due to the great variety in the prototype, you could pretty much design your own. I wasn't questioning the logic of your argument, just the mis-direct on their design and construction.

Their seems to be good info available on each of them by number (some mystery around numbers 202, 203, 204 - with suggestions of duplicate numbers and conflicting reports of their fate), but apparently few photos, which might explain why no-one has done a comprehensive book.

I am interested in researching this vessel, but for the life of me I cannot find any reference material, books or suitable information.

Can anyone enlighten me where I may find (English) reference materials

Cheers

Hello Jeremy,

my secondary memory tells me that there is only one book for reference probably in german, let me get back to my specialist and find out more.

bis denne

Christian

Hello Jeremy,

As dicussed here is the book refence for KFK:

Herwig Danner ISBN 3813207293 2001

here is the link to Amazon.de:



And the central book shop for books not being published anymore: http://www.zvab.com/basicSearch.do?anyWords=Herwig+Danner+ISBN+3813207293+2001&author=&title=&check_sn=on

and here the link to amazon.de

http://www.amazon.de/Kriegsfischkutter-KFK-Herwig-Danner/dp/3813207293/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1395436955&sr=8-1-fkmr1&keywords=3813207293+2001

hope this helps.

The Basis for the KFK is the Fischkutter ELKE from Graupner: http://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313.TR11.TRC1.A0.H0.Xfischkutter+elke&_nkw=fischkutter+elke&_sacat=0&_from=R40