Beyond The Sprues
Modelling => Completed GBs => Group and Themed Builds => Naval GB => Topic started by: Story on October 27, 2021, 08:54:33 AM
-
I've been monkeying around with this Time and Scale plot twist since December past, but this is as good an excuse as any to push it over the finish line.
1) Historical Context.
Ross Winan made a 'cigar ship' that inspired Jules Verne.
Do you see?
https://www.vernianera.com/CigarBoats.html (https://www.vernianera.com/CigarBoats.html)
https://isleofdogslife.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/the-strange-story-of-the-cigar-ship-on-the-isle-of-dogs-1866/ (https://isleofdogslife.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/the-strange-story-of-the-cigar-ship-on-the-isle-of-dogs-1866/)
https://www.modelshipmaster.com/products/civil_war/ross_winans_cigar_ship.htm (https://www.modelshipmaster.com/products/civil_war/ross_winans_cigar_ship.htm)
2) [Fabricated Narrative] Winan built a predecessor patrol boat for the City of Baltimore (state of Maryland) in the summer of 1859, finishing sea trials in the Chesapeake Bay during the summer of 1860. Even a year before the war, it was obvious that the city had pro-southern sympathies and under the guise of 'harbor security and customs duties' the City's financial fathers quietly funded Winan's work.
By late March 1861, southern sympathizers in Baltimore realized their position was untenable and during the first week of April (the exact date is contended) five or six men (accounts vary) made steam, slipped her cables and headed for Virginia waters.
At some point during the nighttime journey, the patrol boat was intercepted by an unnamed United States Navy frigate and holed at least once by a carronade on the frigate's foredeck (interview with unnamed USN sailor 'witness', 12 January 1884, 'Baltimore Sun').
Winan's ship disappeared with all hands and the wreck has never been pinpointed.
The United States Navy files on the incident have remained sealed ever since.[/Fabricated Narrative]
Do you see?
https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/historypolitics/where-the-civil-war-began-2/ (https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/historypolitics/where-the-civil-war-began-2/)
https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-lincoln-letter-20150420-story.html (https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-lincoln-letter-20150420-story.html)
3) Model Context
Genesis for this build was a 3D print of one of the 63' steam launches for the USS Maine, done in 1/72nd.
Regret - I believe this 3D print was sourced from THINGVERSE but I can not find the file location there anymore.
Do you see?
https://modelshipworld.com/topic/18130-uss-maine-by-haze-gray-172-scale-radio-plastic-3d-printed/ (https://modelshipworld.com/topic/18130-uss-maine-by-haze-gray-172-scale-radio-plastic-3d-printed/)
http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/52/t/185947.aspx (http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/52/t/185947.aspx)
(https://i.imgur.com/jWjbhBV.jpg)
4) Since my other ship builds for this period are in 1:124th scale (mostly based on Lindberg's BLOCKADE RUNNER), I decided to stick with that. Using all of my fingers and toes, I think that means the model works out to 109' or thereabouts.
Anyone care to check my math?
-
So here's our starting point.
(https://i.imgur.com/xQXD6tS.jpg)
For 1860, I see one or two Carronade pivot guns and the very first spar 'torpedo'.
Those pivot guns look like this - it was a common arrangement on both revenue cutters and slave ships of the era.
War of 1812 carronades rifled to a larger bore diameter sounds about right for sourcing as armament without attracting attention.
(https://i.imgur.com/5IFMAYo.jpg)
..which will require scratchbuilding this
(https://i.imgur.com/660d4ZR.jpg)
Here's what I got in a box
(https://i.imgur.com/xRk0xn9.jpg)
Here's what I dry-fitted while noodling about it's final incarnation
(https://i.imgur.com/Nw79je3.jpg?1)
For size perspective, here's the Harbor Patrol Boat next to a salvaged ITC/GLENCOE 'Coursar II' (1/128th, closeenoughforNavyworkamIright?)
https://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=30010 (https://www.oldmodelkits.com/index.php?detail=30010)
https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/glen/kit_glen_8303.shtml (https://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/glen/kit_glen_8303.shtml)
(https://i.imgur.com/MNzIuWS.jpg?1)
-
Someone's shot away the masts & rigging of the Corsair II! :o
Cybermodeler have the Glencoe kit at 1/130 (Old Model Kits has it at 1/128) but, even so: Yes, close enough for Navy work. ;)
-
Built as ~109 ft. gives room to work with. That pilot house design is unique. Liking it already.
This is first I known of Glencoe Corsair II.
-
That looks like a good print! The early torpedo boats were great designs.
-
Fantastic, really looking forward to this one
-
When I saw 'Winans' I was expecting something a little less conventional, but this is a good looking craft, regardless. Good luck with the build!
-
With spar fitted. Thinking about reconfiguring to a single stack.
I figure that the CSN merely used Winan's design as a stepping stone for their own efforts the following year.
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2018/01/17/the-spar-torpedo/ (https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2018/01/17/the-spar-torpedo/)
(https://i.imgur.com/CJv9F9a.jpg)
Found the 3D file https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2854679 (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2854679)
-
When I saw 'Winans' I was expecting something a little less conventional, but this is a good looking craft, regardless. Good luck with the build!
Designers like Winan didn't start with things like the Cigar ship, which leaves plenty of room to explore their learning curves - particularly where there's a dearth of information. I'll leave the luck to the rabbits.
The early torpedo boats were great designs.
In this case, the design turned out to be a dog - too slow to do it's job, which is why only the prototype was built. 20 years earlier it'd been spiffy.
-
For those unfamiliar with the works of Winan, this was a pre-war design
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winans_Steam_Gun
(https://external-preview.redd.it/ly5Xv_tAaQ2P0avYgdwlrj0m_il_VVr4RQ5hp0ph8Rg.png?width=640&crop=smart&auto=webp&s=386bd6d4d21b049e5e31aa7f09a57b237ff8f566)