RCN WWII BPC Motor Torpedo Boat World Naval Ships Forums Archive

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RCN WWII BPC Motor Torpedo Boat World Naval Ships Forums Archive

RCN WWII BPC Motor Torpedo Boat

Posts 1 to 28

In October, 2016, I started scratch building a 1/72 model of a Royal Canadian Navy 71’-6” British Power Boat Co. Motor Torpedo Boat. To prepare for the build, I made 1/72 scale plans from line drawings and photos found on the Internet. I’m using the plans to make templates for the various scratch built parts. I'm using Coastal Craft & Great Little Ships weapon sets, as well as odds & ends from around the house & the parts bin. The Naval Museum of Manitoba (Canada) has also provided me with invaluable assistance for this build. The first step was to carve the hull from a 4X4 cedar fence post (a remnant from the same post that I carved the hull for my 1/72 Fairmile D model). I've completed most of the bits & pieces, and will be starting final assembly in the next few days. I've attached a few in-progress photos showing my progress to date. More photos in my next post.
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More in-progress photos ...
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Very nice looking model. Will it go to the museum, or somewhere other people can see it? Jim

[QUOTE=Vegaskip;10169345]Very nice looking model. Will it go to the museum, or somewhere other people can see it? Jim[/QUOTE] Thanks Jim. No plans for displaying the model, at this time. I've only been sharing photos of the build with the Manitoba Naval Museum, as well as with the [URL="http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?/topic/295669-172-rcn-british-power-boat-co-motor-torpedo-boat/"]ARC modelling web site[/URL], & now this site. So far, the benefit of building the model has been doing research on these boats & RCN MTB flotilla's in WWII. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of information available, so it's taking a lot of digging to make the model as accurate as possible.

With the exception of the two masts, all the sub-assemblies and bits & pieces have been glued in place. I still need to make and assemble the radio antennae, flag lanyards, white ensign flag, & mast rigging, and glue the masts in place. Getting really close to completion now. Photos are attached showing where she stands today.
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A beautiful model John - amazing how much firepower was packed into that small hull!

Thanks Tim! I've finished adding the mast rigging/guy wires & the radio aerials. Photos are attached. I've also included a couple of photos showing the cedar fence post that started this project, and where that post sits today. :)
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[QUOTE=JohnS;10170086]Thanks Tim! I've finished adding the mast rigging/guy wires & the radio aerials. Photos are attached. I've also included a couple of photos showing the cedar fence post that started this project, and where that post sits today. :)[/QUOTE] More great shots John - thank you. By the by - when were you in the UNTD?

[QUOTE=Scatari;10170087]...By the by - when were you in the UNTD?[/QUOTE] I was lucky to be in the last intake of UNTD cadets in 1967-1968.

[QUOTE=JohnS;10170088]I was lucky to be in the last intake of UNTD cadets in 1967-1968.[/QUOTE] I guess we just missed each other - I was in the first year of the ROUTP (Reserve Officer University Training Plan) in 1968/9.

She floats! With a little help from Photoshop. :D
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[QUOTE=JohnS;10170195]She floats! With a little help from Photoshop. :D[/QUOTE] Photoshop or not John, she looks great!

John: Great photo. For the record I was in the first year that ROUTP(Army) was conducted in 1969. Brian

I've attached a few photos showing the completed model display.
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An excellent model, very pleasing to look at. Well Done/BZ. Jack.

Nice work John. Jim

[QUOTE=JohnS;10170322]I've attached a few photos showing the completed model display.[/QUOTE] A real beauty John - congratulations. Any more models in the works?

First class model, well displayed. Jim

John: I am feeling thick as a plank, as I have only now realized the significance of the hull number of your model. For the information of others, MTB 486 was a member of the 29th Canadian MTB Flotilla and was commanded by LCdr Tony Law, Canada's best known Coastal Forces officer and a noted war artist. Much of the 29th Flotilla was destroyed in a tragic fire in Ostend, Belgium in February 1945, with the loss of five boats and 26 sailors. 486 survived the disaster. [url]http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4616&highlight=ostend[/url] She was actually the subject of a planned restoration project when she was discovered in the UK in 2006. but it would appear that this project did not come to fruition. [url]https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/theflowerclasscorvetteforums/mtb-486-t987.html[/url]

Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Good eye Tim! Last year, I purchased a copy of Tony Law's book - White Plumes Astern - and I decided to bite the bullet and build this model. However, searching the Internet & reviewing my small library (photo attached), I couldn't find enough details about any one 29th Flotilla MTB to build a complete boat. So, I built the model using information for a number of different 29th boats, as well as RN Coastal Forces BPB MTB's. Collectively, I was able to compile enough detailed info to complete the model. Since the model includes characteristics from a number of different RCN BPB MTB's, I picked the Flotilla's senior officer's boat hull number (486) to represent all the boats that I used for reference. As you mentioned, 486 survived the war & is the only known RCN MTB to survive into the 21st century, albeit as the houseboat 'Sungo'. Even though researching & building this model was a lot of fun, I need some R&R time & won't be starting another model for a while.
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[QUOTE=JohnS;10170376]Thanks everyone for the kind comments. Good eye Tim! Last year, I purchased a copy of Tony Law's book - White Plumes Astern - and I decided to bite the bullet and build this model. However, searching the Internet & reviewing my small library (photo attached), I couldn't find enough details about any one 29th Flotilla MTB to build a complete boat. So, I built the model using information for a number of different 29th boats, as well as RN Coastal Forces BPB MTB's. Collectively, I was able to compile enough detailed info to complete the model. Since the model includes characteristics from a number of different RCN BPB MTB's, I picked the Flotilla's senior officer's boat hull number (486) to represent all the boats that I used for reference. As you mentioned, 486 survived the war & is the only known RCN MTB to survive into the 21st century, albeit as the houseboat 'Sungo'. Even though researching & building this model was a lot of fun, I need some R&R time & won't be starting another model for a while.[/QUOTE] Thanks for the background information John - your efforts in researching her background certainly paid off. Sad that the proposed purchase/restoration of 'Sungo' didn't pay off.

WOW! What a cracking job you have achieved with this scratch build. Not an easy task at the best of times but with the dearth of info on the BPB this is a miniature to be treasured. Nice breakdown on ARC as to how it all went together Kev

Thanks Kev! Much appreciated.

Well I can only say that all my models were scratch built other than the hull and do what others on there have done god knows there are enough of those out there to chose from . Perhaps a local club could assist where others failed or take the plunge and do your own thing.......no one ever said it was easy but patience and research I found were the key factors in model making .....both scale and others :D

I've added a few sailors (conscripted from plastic model kits) to show a sampling of the many uniforms worn by the MTB crews, and to give a sense of scale.
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[QUOTE=JohnS;10171158]I've added a few sailors (conscripted from plastic model kits) to show a sampling of the many uniforms worn by the MTB crews, and to give a sense of scale.[/QUOTE] Nice additions John.

John: The crew is a nice addition. I assume Tony Law is the CO! Brian

Thanks Tim & Brian. I didn't name the CO :D, but 486 was Cdr. Law's boat. :)

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