Hello Mike

Let's see the photos then!

Hi Christian' I have sorted out my Photos but alas the Kb size after computer reduction is 4599 Kb. The ones of the Brave =186 Kb, Pics of Ferocity and Brave= 620 Kb, Pics of Ferocity after repairs prior to painting =507 Kb, Ferocity running on pond =498 Kb, and  the last 4 photos I took a few days ago total 2788 Kb, each averaging 697 Kb. I could email them all to your home email. My Home email is :- 

   mailto:mikeandwendy@snap.net.nz - mikeandwendy@snap.net.nz       If you do send me your Email address ,It will remain confidential. I enjoyed your photos on your website, and was quite suprised at how many Patrol type craft have been converted to pleasure craft.  I will also give you a breakdown description of each photo.      Regards, Mike Harrison.

Mike's spectacular Ferocity

Mike's Ferocity.Wonderful.

hi mike i wonder if you could help me?

i picked up a sad and tatty looking model boat last week and i am trying to find out what type of boat it is. after scouring the net i thought i it was a ferocity. but after looking at your pics i dont think it is. the upper super structure is pretty much the same but i have a lovely sleek funnel behind the fly bridge. can you help please i want it to have a correct ref number.

thanks

Hi , PPUX, The model you have purchased , it seems to be from memory ,to be a VERON Kit of Vosper-Thornycroft's 103 ft diesel-engined fast patrol .According to my copy of International Defence Review of June 1971.  It says a total of 33 having been built for 4 navies. Powered by twin deisels giving a max speed of 25 knots, the craft carries 2 40mm Bofer guns, 2 rocket flare launchers, sonar and depth charges. Hope this answers your question,

Regards Mike

Hello Mike and PPUX,

Here is a poor image of one of several Vosper craft exported to Malaysia. This boat was one of 14 known as the 'Kris' class named 'Kelewang'. There were several other boats of similar appearance (4 'Sabah' class and 6 'Kedan' class). I do have the complete list of Pennant Numbers if you so wish - drop me a PM and I'll forward them on.

Hi PPUX, The photo of The Kelewang is the similar craft that I was refering to in my last message.

Regards Mike.

You guys are stars !!!

thanks for the info .this is my first boat and i would like to get somewhere near a actual vessel. my normal modes of r/c fun have wheels,wings or blades. like i said before it is in a bit of a state, i think being built by a one armed octopuss with a broken sucker who had never seen a boat before was the start......never mind we can rebuild it!!!! ha ha

where did you source the stunning deck ordanance for your fleet mike?

  phil

Just a quickie..

it,s not "kris" class it is "keris". you lead me up the garden path there for a while..

Hi guys

I am given to understand that the image below is of Ferocity and Sthal, the Vosper export to Germany, if that is correct, Which is which?

Hi Robotski, Have just returned from a 2 week holiday, thus my delay in reply to your enquiry about Stral and Ferocity.  Firstly a little history about the 2 boats that I have. In 1960 Vosper received an order from the Federal German Navy for 2 Fast Patrol Boats. One a modified version of the Brave class, embodying an enclosed bridge and one a 92 foot version of Ferocity, but without the diesel crusing and manoevring engines. The photo you sent shows both craft > Stral is on the left [ie, the one with 3 gas turbine exhausts and Pfeil is the one on Stral's right. IE, the one with 2 gas turbine exhausts on the transom. These boats were later transfered to the Royal Hellenic Navy and renamed Aiolos and Astrapi.  My information source is from a Vosper publication that I obtained in the 1970's. I trust  it helps you in your identification of your accompining photo.

Regards , Mike Harrison.

Thanks Mike

Yep that sorts them out, It would be nice to be able to get comprehensive drawings on each of the Vosper variations from this period and build an example of each for display, would look great.

Hello Mike and Robotski

Both of those boats were eventually bought by the owner of Brave Challenger as a 'spares pool'. Strange but the actual fate of the original 'Ferocity' is still unknown. I have a copy of the sales brochure for 'Ferocity' which I could send if you put your e-address in a pm

Regards 

By the way PPUX

The 'Kedan' class is now avalible as a 1/24 scale semi kit with a comprehensive range of fittings from Fleetscale, it has been created from the original builders drawings to Fleetscales usual impecable standards, not the cheapest of kits, so I might have to wait a while before having a go at this one.

regards

Mike

Hi Pioneer, Yes I would love to have a copy of the sales brochure of Ferocity. My email is    mailto:mikeandwendy@snap.net.nz - mikeandwendy@snap.net.nz

regards Mike.

Mike

I would have to echo the earlier post with the photograph of your Ferocity, top notch  

Is she in 1/24 scale, and were your fittings self made? we would all love to know more.

regards

Mike

Hi Mike, When I first decided to build Ferocity I thought of building her to 1/16 of her origional size to match my 6 ft Brave Swordsman. Alas I made an error. Ferocity is 52 inches making her 1/19 approx. All the fittings are hand made except the shaped nav lights on both sides of the bridge and the 2 fairleads at the bow as well as the 2 fairleads on both sides of the deck at the transom and the chain fitted to the forward anchor. The Bridge is made of birch mm ply, bofors are built with 1/16th ply, white pine, dural barrel ,with bronze welding rod. torpedoes are machined  out of a broom handle. Staunchions are made from bronze welding rods. anchors are formed from brass sheet. the fire hydrants ,one at the port front of the bridge and the other 2 located forward of the co2 extinguishers next to the life buoys are made of brass [each hydrant is made up of 16 parts. The hull is double diagional planked with 1mm ply. deck is of 1/16th ply. The engine is currently a 22cc weed eater which delivers too much torque and I am soon to re engine her with a 10 cc model aircraft engine. The origional engine was a 22cc O & R [as per the photo of Ferocity running] this engine was rather unreliable and the more modern 2 stroke i put in delivered to much torque causing the hull to twist [roll] when running and didnot look very scale like. Any more queries I am happy to give

Regards , Mike Harrison

Hi Mike

Two things come to mind, one was to do with your ply, my local timber merchent only seems to stock 4mm or thicker, was this 1mm ply a special order or is it fairly common?

Where did the plans come from as they seem to have been very comprehensive? the only example of a Vosper boat I have seen is the original builders drawings that Fleetscale used for the 'Kedan' class, way more detail than you would need to build a scale version.

Regards

Mike.  

Hi Mike, Firstly the ply I used on Ferocity is actually 1.5 mm birch ply, I was able to get it here in NZ from a speciality wood supplier that dealt with these smaller sizes [very expensive and only available in sheets of 4 foot by 4 for foot. ] You might like to obtain it in the UK through microlight aircraft builders or some model boat shops.  The drawings for Ferocity. Firstly the hull lines. I got these from a book written by Uffa Fox called Seamanlike Sense in Power craft. This was published in the 1960's, and should be available in reference sections of major libraries [I hope so]. I had to enlargen these hull lines to the size I built the boat. The general arrangement drawings of the boat were obtained[purchased] from Vosper Thorneycroft.  The drawings that I received were of the military [navy] version of Ferocity. I then had to scale up the drawings 2.48 times to give me the 4foot 6inch model I built. Vospers very kindly sent me 3 large photos as well. I built Ferocity to the naval version, and after a mishap when the roof rack on my car plus 2 boats dislodged from my car at 50 mph. The resulting damage which wasn't too catastrophic, I decided with the repairs to bring the boat back to as she was built ,as in the photos that Vospers had given me. This is as she is now as per the photos that are  with bmpt. Vospers were very good to me and I cant thank them enough,and further dealings with them when I purchased Drawings of Brave Swordsman have been excellent. I approached Vospers through their public relations Section.  I hope I have been of some help to you.

Regards ,Mike Harrison.

Thanks very much Mike

That has been very helpful, I am hopeing that Vosper are as helpful, as I have already aproached them for drawings of the Mexican Azteca class, some of which were built by Vosper.

regards

Mike.

Hi Mike

I have found a copy of the Uffa Fox book on the internet, looks like a gold mine of information on small power craft, so I have ordered a copy, I have Also found out that Glasgow Univerisity Archives hold copies of the Azteca Drawings, they are looking at how feasible it would be to cpy them for me.

Can you tell me the name of your contact at Vosper as I have not had any reply from them so far, I send my E-Mail to thier enquiries department, which may not be the best place for such things.

I also found a local timber merchant who stock 1.5mm birch, mahogony, teak and oak, way more expensive than the normal 4mm ply, but avalible in suprisingly large sheets.

Another shot of Mike Harrisons lovely model of "Ferocity"

And another

Hi Robotski, Great to hear of your find of Uffa Fox's book.  I wrote to the Public relations Department of Vosper Thornycroft in Portsmouth, It was some 35 or so years ago now, for the drawings of Ferocity. I addressed my letter to the head of that department. I am sorry  that I don't have that person's name. I did in my request ,that I was prepared to meet all costs for the drawings and postage charges. They gave me the costs etc. I forwarded them British Postal Orders, and recieved the drawings soon afterward. Also pleased to hear that you have found a source of birch ply. It is lovely to work with.  When I built the hull , I double diagionalled the ply using approx 3/4 " strips of the ply which helps to give the hull its proper shape.  But remember that after fitting the first  diagional , . one should make a cardboard pattern of the next to be placed strip so to get a  proper butt joint with each placed diagional strip. I used a marine glue and used a staple gun to hold the strips in place. It is a bit of a long process, but you will find the end results most pleasing.

Hope these tips will help.

Regards ,
Mike Harrison.

Hi Mike

I find that taking your time to do these things not only produces better results, but usually is a lot less frustrating than trying to do everything in a tear *** manner.

Thanks for the tip with Vosper, I will let you know how I get on.

Cheers

Mike.

Hi Robotski,, I have tracked down the drawing of Ferocity that I got from Vospers. Its Drawing no 18852/E. The drawing scale is 1/4 inch to the foot. Also the photos that I purched are Vosper photo numbers :- 181A, 268 and 273. Hope this will assist you. Please remember that I scaled up the drawing  2.48 times to give my the length of my model.

Regards

Mike Harrison.

Thanks Mike,

I think I would be aiming to scale up by a factor of 2, which should be 1/24 if I have calculated that correctly

Mike,

The details I got from Defence Standards were that decks were BS4800 14C39 (no names for 4800 colours) from the mid 1950s to 1968. It was a high gloss colour & very slippery when wet. I only found the grey coloured decks the other week when I came across a colour photo of them both in Wales in 1962 & they had grey decks. The YouTube video Christian aimed me at has overhead colour footage of them showing the grey decks.

The green is a medium green darker than Humbrol’s deck green. I have seen an RN painting instruction for Chatham Dockyard on a Leander where it says BS381C Mid Brunswick Green 226 could be used. Never knew until then that there were 3 shades of Brunswick Green!

If you are painting anything any decent paint shop should be able to mix up the standard colours & a mob called Phoenix Paints makes them in different sized cans for modellers. I believe they now also do them in spray cans to order.

I used to visit Malaysia a lot for work & heard one Perkasa had been retained for a museum but was never able to find it. I think a Danish Brave is in a museum somewhere.

Regards,

Michael

Just noticed you are in NZ, so no chance of getting spray cans mailed out.