Vosper MTB 234...?

[Ian M]

Well I wan going to wait until I was finished and surprise you all, but I thought why not.

I started this at the start of the Christmas Holiday and the kit goes together very well. It the Italeri 1/35 scale kit of MTB 77, which although a good choice on Italeri's side is not one of the more interesting MTB in the class: A big grey boat with a couple of torpedo tubes, a twin vickers gun turret and thats about that.

From the kit with the addition of a few bits from other kits and a bit of scratch building it is possible to build 63ish of the British built boats and 61 US built boats. That's some options!!!

I went for 234.

I am awaiting a 20mm Oerklion from Accurate Armour to fill out the fore deck a bit, and will probably put some crew on her.

Any way, digging around for info on the chosen subject I found that 234 was born without the 20mm Oerklion which was added at a later date, (this is reported to being the first boat mounted with this weapon. They asked for on and was told; No, as the deck will not be able to handle the stresses from the gun. So like all good MTB crew, they liberated on and bolted it to the deck anyway. Not long after, other boats where being fitted with them).

Also she was at some point fitted with three rudders, (having only two at launching). This presented a problem as I had by this point built the hull and also begun to paint it!!

The Reason for this post is due to having just scratch built the third rudder and all that goes with it. I think it looks OK, but would like the opinion of some one not so bias as I am...

So here is what I did this afternoon.

I just noticed I missed a bit!! lol I'll sort that out later.

So what do you think, does that white one in the middle look like the kit ones?

Ian M

 

[papa 695]

The only difference i can see from the other two Ian is its WHITE great job on the scratch rudder

Sorry Ian just noticed the 4 bolts at the top of the rudder are missing and the top of the rudder pole sticks out longer than the others tut tut tut :laughing:

 

[John Huggins]

Nice one Ian looking good.

John

 

[Sky Raider]

Looks good to me Ian, that good that i cant even se the bit you missed. Nice job mate.

Andy

 

[Ian M]

you spotted it Ian, its the bolts on the back plate on the top brace. And now you mention it the top of the post is a bit iffy....

Ian M

 

[Ian M]

Just for you Ian, I got the bolts and rudder post sorted.

By the time its had a bucket of paint thrown at it it should pass muster.

Ian M

 

[mobear]

i would be more than happy with that,the force is strong in you lol

mobear

 

[papa 695]

Like i said before One great scratch build rudder Ian should more than pass muster when the paints on

 

[Ian M]

You where right. once painted it did look OK.

One small problem, it was wrong. So it is now history...

Having found a tiny picture of the set up with the third rudder, I just had to get it sorted.

So after cutting the post and removing all the unneeded bits and plugged that rather large hole, I set about putting things right.

This is a bit more like what it should of looked like:

and a bit closer:

What can I fiddle with next....

Ian M

 

[mobear]

yargh a nice sea shanty ian,you did a marvellous job,nice save

mobear

 

[Sky Raider]

Thats wicked mate. You did an ace job on that mod.

Andy

 

[mossiepilot]

Nicely done sir, looks just the job.

Tony.

 

[treyzx10r]

Thats a bit of a kick in the dangly bits ,nice save Ian its looking sharp!

 

[Polux]

You do a very nice and clean scratch work there.

Cheers. Polux

 

[Ian M]

Thanks Chaps.

I wont bore you all with the whole build, but I will post the modifications as and when.

I just cut some of the moulded on deck detail off which don't need to be there for my boat. So a bit of cleaning and filling to sort out now.

Ian M

 

[Ian M]

Right then play time over. Time for the photos:

The two mounts here below the torpedo holder are not the ones that had to go, but I had already started butchering the others.

This is what I discovered once I started cutting. I didn't realise that they where also raised!

After a bit of filler pieces and some filler..

Time to put the deck reinforcement plates back. These where left in place on the real boat, only the actual brackets where removed.

As she was built, there where two pairs of two torpedo holders, under the refit, the rear ones of each pair was removed. Again some deck detail had to be cut away and the scars removed.

The Radar ariel's on the mast in the kit are in PE. and very flat! So I made some new ones up from brass rod and tube. A bit of solder and looking a lot better...The Yard arm is also replaced with a bit of rod, The Wires for the ariel's has been added using lead wire.

The IFF transponder in the kit was just wrong. Also after the Deck gun was fitted it was moved from the bow of the boat to up on the side of the bridge. So I made a new one, and the mount for it out of plastic stock and brass. Again a bit of lead wire to give it some juice.

The Cleats for all the rig and signal flag ropes and what not where also just a molded on with no posibility to attach a line. so they went to the growing pile of plastic chippings. The small white electrical out let box is built out of six bits of plastic. it measures 6x6mm. The wires from the mast ariel will be going in here.

More later when my eyes are uncrossed and I can feel my fingers again.

Ian M

 

[mobear]

did you use laughing gas for the operation,really neat work done there,love the cleats and power outlets,watching from afar

mobear

 

[treyzx10r]

did you use laughing gas for the operation,really neat work done there,love the cleats and power outlets,watching from afarmobear

What he said!

 

[Ian M]

Well its looking more and more like a boat!

A few photo's in a bit but first the boaring bit... reading.

I got the Oerklino from Accurate Armour and that was washed, painted, primed, built and painted by the next day. Nice little kit. I sorted out the ankle breakers and after a play with a compass got them (fairly) evenly spaced. Oh I got the deck painted as well!

Things left to sort out. Due to still waiting for the nuts and bolts to turn up from Ebay, I have yet to finish painting the torpedo tubes. Like wise the smoke generator needs paint. All the vents are drying after the last of the three colours went on this evening. Need to fine out if the depth charges would also of been painted in the style of the boats camouflage or if they where just single colour. And which one.

DC racks need fitting as well. The bridge/charthouse needs glueing down as aat the moment its just sitting there.

Then its time to rig it!!!

Right photos:

Comments welcome and if you know the answer to the Depth Charge conundrum please chip in at any time

Ian M

 

[treyzx10r]

Ian sorry no help with the depth charge issue . Really liking that gun mount ,it came out great! cheers Trey