The drawing is interesting it shows a retractible boom like the earlier torpedo boats used instead of the twin torp tubes so maybe they were fitted after? I like the look of the torpedos on the deck and the torpedo tubes coming through the bow so I am going to include them. I may also widen the beam a hair and use a lead bulb keel to improve stability.
I think I found some info' about that a little earlier today, care of one of the links Stav' provided -
http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/thornycroft.htm - as it throws the name 'Defender' into the mix.
A quick internet surf turns up Wikipaedia page for a 'Defender class torpedo boat,' with additional information including the names of the four New Zealand boats (Defender, Taiaroa, Waitemata, and Poneke).
For armament it says;
"As built the (first two of the)
class was armed with a single McEvoy spar torpedo, which was designed to be rammed into a vessel and explode beneath the waterline.... ...The last pair had 18-inch Whitehead torpedoes fitted at build, and these were later retrofitted to Defender and Taiaroa"As always with Wikipaedia, it has it's limitations and part of it should be disregard as it falls down when compared to the information in Stav's N.Z. link and the images of the preserved example.
The N.Z. link shows an original photo of the full-size boat with a flat foredeck and the fitment of a spar torpedo. It matches the remains of the preserved example, and the display model of the preserved example - both at the The Lyttelton Thornycroft Torpedo Boat Museum, N.Z.
The second photo is of a boat that retains a flat foredeck, shows no apparent modification to the bow, but is carrying 'regular' torpedos on rack(s) fitted amidships, which is supported by an explanation, stating;
"1886 The spar torpedoes were replaced with Whitehead mobile torpedoes, which could be launched from the torpedo boats by means of dropping gear amidships. However the narrow hull remained stable only if both torpedoes were dropped simultaneously."Finally, the image showing the bow section of the preserved example (Defender), also indicates that no modifications were made to the bow for the launching of torpedos. Therefore, I think we can safely assume that the latter part of the Wikipaedia information is eroneous in the detail of the modification, although the originating author was aware to some degree that a modification had occured to at least one of the 'Spar' boats.
Consequently, I'm be inclined to believe that the first two boats were fitted with a Spar Torpedo, and were later upgraded with the side-mounted torpedo racks, and the later two boats, were built with the forward torpedo ramp, launching the torpedos through the bow tubes, as shown on the David Metcalf plan, the Joe Hinds illustration, Stav's illustration, and the photo of the model in the orignal post of this thread.
Andy
Links for reference:
Museums of Banks Peninsula, N.Z:
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/cityleisure/artsculture/museums.aspxThornycroft Torpedo Boat Museum, Lyttelton, N.Z:
http://www.lytteltonheritage.co.nzWikipaedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defender_class_torpedo_boatPDF Vessel Plan:
http://resources.ccc.govt.nz/files/TorpedoBoatPlan-artsculture.pdf
Source:
http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/thornycroft.htm
Source:
http://www.ccc.govt.nz/cityleisure/artsculture/museums.aspx
Source:
http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/thornycroft.htm
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Defender_class_torpedo_boat.jpg
Source:
http://www.nzmaritime.co.nz/thornycroft.htm
Source:
http://www.naval-history.net/PhotoZHinds.htm
Source:
Model Boat Mayhem Topic - Victorian 2nd Class Torpedo Boat
Source:
Model Boat Mayhem - Blackpool Show 2012 (Image cropped)
Author
Topic: can anyone id this model (Read 17656 times)