Innehållsförteckning för March 2025 från Model Boats

I generally don’t build boats from ready-made hulls, preferring plank on frame or plate construction, but when one of our retiring model boat club members from Redruth insisted I accept one he’d had for years as a gift for helping him re-home his extensive model collection, I made an exception. Although a bit scuffed and full of mouse droppings, the heavy and well-made 31-inch GRP fishing boat hull was already fitted with propshaft and propeller, and mahogany gunwales. The donor assured me it was based on one of a range of fishing vessels built locally by Robb Lello, founder of Treeve Boats in Connor Downs, Cornwall. I did nothing to the hull for some months, still concentrating on finishing my steam-powered 1:18 scale Princess Victoria (see the February 2024 issue…

I should perhaps begin by pointing out that the construction of this model is aimed at the more experienced craftsmen amongst you. Please also be aware that some metal working tools, such as a small lathe, will be required for making the numerous deck fittings, such as the winches, power blocks, etc. “Some metal working tools, such as a small lathe, will be required for making the numerous deck fittings, such as the winches, power blocks, etc” My plans have been drawn to a scale of 1:30, which will result in a model of manageable (823mm in length overall) size while still affording plenty of internal volume for a power plant. A bit of background The Venture, LK641, a 24.7 metre fishing trawler, was built by James N. Miller of…

An interesting aspect of writing for a magazine, particularly a regular column such as Boiler Room, is that it’s sometimes easy to forget that the article is frequently written a number of months before the magazine actually hits the shelves. For instance, I am writing this at the beginning of October, bemoaning the passing of an all too brief summer and getting my head around the fact that we will soon find ourselves in the depths of yet another cold, miserable and wet winter. So, what is the relevance? Well, invariably this seems to be a time of year when thoughts turn towards what might realistically be achieved indoors during the long, dark evenings. This thinking led me to review just what suppliers are currently offering in terms of such…

KIT CHAT Airfix 2025 announcements Three iconic 1:72 scale kits are to be re-released by Airfix this year within the brand’s nostalgic Vintage Classics range, all of which are aimed at Skill Level 3 (intermediate) modellers: ● RAF Rescue Launch (Ref. A05281V) Scheduled for release this summer RRP (Recommended Retail Price) £24.99 ● Vosper MTB (Ref. A05280V) Scheduled for autumn 2025 RRP £24.99. ● German E-Boat (Ref. A10280V) Scheduled for autumn 2025 RRP £49.99 Pre-orders are now being taken. For more details, visit https://uk.airfix.com OUT AND ABOUT Grand Modeller’s Bring & Buy Sale From 9.30am to 1pm on April 5, 2025, the Mutual Model Boat Society will be holding a bring & buy sale at the Crimble Croft Community Centre in Aspinal Street, Heywood, Manchester OL10 4HL. Admission will be…

A short, fat, black hull not only makes a perfect candidate for a Victorian ‘Black Fleet’ warship (so-called as the hulls were all black, at odds with the previous black/white striped look) model but also perfectly fitted the brief when considering various different top ideas for my General-Purpose hull No.1 (see the July 2024 issue of Model Boats). Always intrigued by the subjects that are quirky/unusual, my research led me to a vessel that was certainly a bit of an oddity in the Royal Navy of the time, being the only armoured battleship made with a wooden hull – a one off, as all the major armoured vessels were either built in iron (Warrior, for instance, in 1860) or in some cases in a mixed wood and iron construction. HMS…

Back in 2000 I went along to an antique toyfair at Sandown Park in search of old model ships fittings, as at that time I was in the process of restoring a Bassett Lowke Streamlinia and building a 6ft long working model of Medway Queen. It was there, whilst browsing the numerous stands, a 54-inch hulk of a wooden boat with a broken deck and a badly reshaped bow caught my eye. Inside the battleship grey painted hull, a modern Bassett Lowke boiler and engine had clearly been installed. For me, though, it was the note attached to it that singled this model out as a really fascinating ‘find’. Following a basic (and as it happened incorrect) description, ‘Bassett Lowke steam launch’, this read “One really interesting point is the…

After a festive two-parter on vintage marine steam power, I open this month with something totally different but quite dear to my heart, a high wing vintage model aircraft kit from Mercury Models (Henry J. Nicholls Ltd), c.1960 – yes, I know this is Model Boats, but bear with me… This simple high wing model aircraft kit, equipped with a second-hand Frog 150D (a small aero diesel) and home constructed single-channel valve radio gear (XFG1 receiver, rubber actuator and a host of miniature high and low voltage batteries), built from circuits found in the old MAP book Simple Radio Control by Hundelby & Ives (illustrated) was my first model (of any sort) back in 1962/63. Found on a popular auction website during 2023 I just had it buy this part-built…

FIREBOAT FUN With water squirting power well and truly maxed out! FORMIDABLE If the idea of building a historic steam drifter model seems daunting, fear not, as we’ve got a step-by-step recipe for you! A TAYCOL TALE Why this ‘quick and easy’ side project proved trickier than expected! PLUS A thematically varied selection of feature-length articles, all your favourite regular pages – including Your Models, Your Letters, news, reviews – and lots more (Please note: content may be subject to change) You will find more about the exciting content coming next, features of particular interest you may have missed in past editions and details of the very latest subscription offers on our website at www.modelboats.co.uk You can, of course, order you copy of the April 2025 issue, which goes on…

This month, thanks to the generosity of the kind folks at Cornwall Model Boats, we’re able to offer you the chance to win Mantua Models’ fabulous 1:25 scale wooden kit from which to build Galaxy, a sleek and stylish luxury motor yacht. Based on sheet hull construction, with the plywood parts laser cut for accuracy, the kit also provides the necessary metal fittings, i.e., the propellors and shafts, a set of plans from which to work, and full, easy to follow, instructions. With the novice in mind, construction methods have been kept super simple, but, of course, there’s also plenty of scope for the more experienced modeller to super detail to his/her own specifications. What’s more, the kit can be built either as a very attractive static display model or…

I am not going to try to tell you how to build a model ship, many of you will be far better than I at doing that. Neither am I going to tell you how to sail one. However, while making a working model of a sailing ship may not have been one of your priorities, if it ever becomes so, you’ll need some confidence before attempting to tackle such a project. What follows, then, is a way of acquiring some of that rare commodity. First, make a mock-up… Making the yards brace round to get the wind where you need it is crucial. How this is done isn’t obvious, but it isn’t difficult either. If you make a mock-up, you can try your hand at this quickly and easily.…

By the 1950s rapid technological progress had led to two major milestones in the design of submarines. First came the USS Albacore, launched in August 1953, which showed that a submarine with a short teardrop-shaped hull and a single propeller was the best shape for underwater travel, running rings around conventional designs for speed and manoeuvrability (see Flotsam and Jetsam, January 2014 Model Boats). In January 1955 the launch of the USS Nautilus harnessed the power of atomic energy to create an underwater vessel that was at last no longer tied to the surface by the frequent need to recharge its air or batteries (Flotsam and Jetsam, August 2023 issue). The obvious thing to do next was to combine atomic power with a teardrop hull and create a fast attack…

San Felipe I have just finished building OcCre’s San Felipe. It’s a marvellous kit, but, as has become my practice, I, of course, decided to add some customisations. Firstly, I used pure Sapele wood strips for the hull, instead of the 2nd layer Sapele provided by OcCre. I also made extensive use of LED lighting. In order to show off the illumination within the interior, the solid metal portholes supplied with the kit were replaced with wooden framed, glazed (the glass being represented with clear plastic) ones. Likewise, I opted to fashion my own wooden doors (as opposed to using the kit’s solid metal ones). The stern lanterns, too, were swapped out for those from another OcCre kit, and these also light up. Plus, I have light coming out through…