Large Scale Model Warship

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

In browsing the MB Mayhem site I came across links to this :

**LINK**

**LINK**

…. scale model of ww2 cruiser HMS Sheffield – constructed to a scale of approx 1:50. The model is over 12ft long ! …. and must have a very large displacement. I wonder how it is transported to the pond !!! Has anyone seen this model on a pond ? The original constructor was a Mr Bowness of Stockport according to information gleaned from the many photos.

Ian

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

why don't you ask on Mayhem, Ian.

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

Hello Neil,

I'll wait a bit to see whether there are any responses here first – also I didnt want to join yet another web forum with passwords, nicknames etc.

Ian

[David WooleyParticipant @davidwooley82563]

Hello Ian I personally have no knowledge of this vessel but Bob Abell a frequent contributor to this site and who is from the area and belongs to the local club, Etherow MBC may be in a position to shed some light on your request.

Dave Wooley

[Paul TParticipant @pault84577]

The answer lies right here in this forum from Steven Kipping posted 16/10/2011

Hi,

I'm now looking for a new home for my radio controlled model of the HMS Sheffield. This is no ordinary model though, as it's well over 12ft long. It's fully radio controlled and was built completely from scratch by my great Uncle Jack who has now passed on. Jack was a skilled engineer and had built many model boats before this one (I have 3 others of his for sale too, more detail on those to follow later).

Anyway I've made a video to introduce the model to you

http://youtu.be/2_spLKj46QQ

and there are some pictures as well on my Flickr account

http://flic.kr/s/aHsjwscux5

It's in need of a little cleaning up and some attention here and there where the detailing has taken some damage. Unfortunately there's no way I'm going to be able to do this model justice and get it back to it's glory days as I just don't have the time or skill. It seems a shame that this model is tucked away from public sight when it should be displayed at shows or used on boating lakes as it was built for. I have many fond memories of this beast being used on the local lake when I was a kid.

I'm looking for sensible offers for this unique model please. It comes supplied with all the blueprints that were made for it (Jack had to be security checked by the Navy before he could have copies) and plenty of research material to show how the real HMS Sheffield looked.

[Bob Abell 2Participant @bobabell2]

Hello Ian

As Dave says, I belong to the Etherow Modell Boat Club, which is in Stockport

I have not come across this model or even heard of it on my travels and I'm surprised it hasn't appeared at the shows!

The model certainly is a big un at 12 feet and very interesting considering the special construction used

Thanks Dave for the mention

Bob

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

Hello Paul & Bob,

I missed the text "….It seems a shame that this model is tucked away from public sight when it should be displayed at shows or used on boating lakes as it was built for. I have many fond memories of this beast being used on the local lake when I was a kid. I'm looking for sensible offers for ……". Paul thanks for pointing that out. An amazingly detailed model ship – very interesting to see the inner workings as well. My father also constructed an RN ship model in the 1940's – F Class destroyer at 1:50 scale. I worked with him in the 1960's to restore it and add RC – but it mostly relied on electromechanical actuators which we constructed. In 2010-11 I restored the model ship installing modern RC. I'll post a picture of it in my album. This was partly the reason for my interest in the HMS Sheffield model – also dad served as senior engineering officer on HMS Glasgow just after WW2 and he made the model in the ship's workshop.

Regards.

Ian

PS Anyone purchasing the HMS Sheffield model will need a very large van for transport – I transport the destroyer in a transit van (hired). I don't sail it often as van hire is not cheap. Also restoring a model is a non-trivial task as I discovered (I started the project by saying to my wife "just a few weeks to restore the paintwork "! 12 months later I finally finished the work).

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

Apologies for creating this thread – there is already a thread from 2011 about this model of HMS Sheffield already on the Model Boats site :

**LINK**

The model was sold in January 2012.

Ian

[shipwrightParticipant @shipwright]

I know this thread ended in 2013 but there is a sequel. I discovered that the person who sold this ship (Steven Kipping) found a video tape and posted it on YouTube – the video shows Jack Bowness (the builder of this large scale model) demonstrating various functions that are activated via RC :

**LINK**

With a bit of searching I discovered that he was a member of a scale model boat club near Wigan at Haigh Hall – in the 1990's this club moved to a location near Bolton.

Ian

[Andy HustlerParticipant @andyhustler32076]

I can but dream of building something of this scale and quality ,this is no mer model but a fine example of engineering in miniature and should be shown at schools and collages to show off the engineering and promote the hobby in general

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