The free plan to a scale of 1:20, drawn by James Pottinger in the October 2004 issue of Model Boats provided me with an opportunity to build a model boat that had an appealing shape, ought to be simple to build and within my ability. The 45ft Admiralty MFV was a type of service craft…
If you feel inclined to make a model of a Polperro Gaffer just 5 1/2ins long, I suggest you get a cup of tea and with luck the feeling will pass, but no such luck in my case! You see my wife was determined I should make such a model and you will understand I…
Pic 1: The hull of SAJU VI part planked. In July of 1998 I reached the important age of 65 and as I could now draw my state pension, I decided to retire and start enjoying the next chapter of my life. The first thing that I needed to complete on my retirement was the…
Pic 1: The French warship Forbin (D620), a Horizon Class DDG. Pic 2: Foremast of the Type 45 DDG H.M.S. Dauntless under construction at the VT facility Portsmouth. Pic 3: Part of the T45 amidships deck housing under construction. Pic 4: The forward section being transferred from VT Portsmouth to the Clyde (Picture courtesy of…
Welcome to this months Focus on Scale. This time we will be paying a visit to Grays Thurrock MBC at Belhus Park for a warship day, visiting Barleylands for the Essex Country Show and continuing the build of a Springer tug. Grays Thurrock MBC Warship Day Belhus Park in Essex is a few miles from…
Pic 1: Alex McFadyens award winning G3 battlecruiser H.M.S. Anson. Pic 2: Note the plating detail on top of the turret. Pic 3: Ships boats on G3 include two 50ft steam picket boats. Each one of these is a complete model in its own right. Pic 4: Looking towards the boat deck and the after…
This month we will be concluding our weekend at the Weymouth International Maritime Modelling Festival, pay a visit to the Floatplane and Model Boat Show at Child Beale Wildlife Park near Reading, and do some more work on the build of a Springer Tug. The Weymouth International Maritime Modelling Festival 2007 The displays within the…
Pic 1: John Hollis launching his 1:48th Victorian battleship HMS Devastation. Pic 2: Turret and bridge detail on Devastation. Pic 3: Bed anchors and cat davits on Devastation. Pic 4: Amphibious APC – Is it a boat or vehicle? Pic 5: Inner detail of the amphibious APC. Pic 6: Tony Hartley with his “How To’…
Pic 1: Born in 1927, Triantafilos Boudalas learnt his skills over many years working in the busy shipyards that once dominated the harbour of Skopelos. Now he works from home, creating intricate scale models that sell to collectors for thousands of pounds. Pic 2: Triantafilos and his son-in-law show off this 5ft long model of…
In any list of the world’s major maritime heritage sites, Portsmouth must command a place in the top ten. Rarely can you see so much in one place, so when our Editor suggested I might like to do a feature on the Historic Dockyard from a modelmaker’s viewpoint, I didn’t need asking twice. Portsmouth has…
