Model Boat Mayhem
Mess Deck: General Section => Chit-Chat => Topic started by: John W E on July 09, 2014, 07:14:50 pm
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Hi everyone
Just been pondering for a while; as to which you think is the most common model boat that has every been produced either in kit form or by plans.
My thought is that when you go down to the lake you can guarantee to see either a tug or a lifeboat on the water.
What has been the most successful model produced I wonder?
aye
john
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now that's a tough one to answer............I suppose it depends upon the era.........in modern days I guess you are right...with a close third coming up as fishing boats.
now if you'd have asked that question 30 - 40 years ago ( and they are still being produced) I would say aerokits sea queen, commander and fire boat/RAF Crash tender
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precedent perkasa
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I was just about to say the same thing about the aerokits crop up every where and still be produced today
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precedent perkasa
never ever seen one of those on the water Phil. not too common around these parts...............
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hi, I was thinking about the Veron police launch and the RTTL and also I wonder how many Club 500's were produced - I have seen a good few of them knocking about :-)
aye
John
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I would say Bismarck has to be in the top five, from airfix kit to plans it has a model most category
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I'd like to think it's the Huntsman 31 kits but there's plenty of strong competition there. The problem is that it can only be speculation - no-one actually knows the right answer.
DM
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On the tug side the IMARA by Caldercraft is quite common,but then so are mobile marine tugs
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Flower class corvette from matchbox/ revell
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Titanic and for rc Smit Rotherdam
john
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Star yacht?
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In germany the probably most common model you see on the lake is the Adolph Bermpohl.
But Im sure that over the years there have been a lot of other models with higher sales numbers, but probably most of them rott in some basement chambers.
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depends what you mean by model.... do you include everything from papercraft to RC models.
If so then I'd say for the UK it would be either the cutty sark, titanic, or HMS victory
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Flower class corvette from matchbox/ revell
At one time I would have said these - excellent kit even for a beginner (once they get over how to gain access when built), at one ellesmere boat show I counted 47, which varied in size - the majority were matchbox though.
RAF high speed rescue and fire launches seem to be the most common before that.
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Southampton RTR tugs seem to be popular. Before r/c boats became popular the most common model boat must have been the Star model yachts. I think they were made in Birkenhead, every seaside resort sold them.
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Hi all, what about the Graupner Bugsier 3? This kit came out in 1974 and has been on sale ever since. So it is its 40th. anniversary this year.
regards Roy
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I'd like to think any model from the Lesro or Vernon and Kiel Kraft ranges were at one time. The most built models.
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just googled star yachts of Birkenhead....started by a Belgian who worked on Liverpool docks during the first world war...he then started making model yachts plus other types of boat...supplied to bassett&loke and gamages....also made for triang 70 years of production...must be the most popular.....tony
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the most common model boat must have been the Star model yachts. I think they were made in Birkenhead, every seaside resort sold them.
I would think almost certainly.
They started making them in 1922 and continued until the factory was the subject of a compulsory purchase order in 1991.
Here's a (rather poor) shot of the factory in Marion Street, Birkenhead taken in 1923.
I know a fair amount about the company and its products but if anyone has any more information, I'd be delighted to hear about it.
Mark
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Hi all, I expect the 'toy' yachts of 6 inches in length upwards are going to win this.
There are the remains of the clockwork toy boats much collected by enthusiasts but 90 +% of them rusted away or made into spitfires during the last war.
But perhaps of more interest is the model boat that was constructed by the owner and repaired etc. Then sailed again.
I heard somewhere that the Imara tug had got to 5000 kits by the manufacturer then they stopped counting.
regards Roy
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The RAF Crash Tender (or Fire Float to give it's correct name) seems to be ubiquitous at shows and ponds. Amazing that models of this boat have been around since the 1950s. Thousands of models must have been made of a boat that only ever had 2 prototypes.
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hi ya all,
Good few surprises among these mentioned; but when you think about it as far as the yacht is concerned, every shop selling a bucket and spade for the seaside also had these model yachts on sale as well - so thousands of them must have been sold, I wonder how many sailed out to sea never to return.
The other thing I forgot about was the Matchbox corvette kit - this has to be the most popular plastic kit conversion - cos I bet ya every club has at least 2 members owning one of these conversion kits :-))
The other thing that surprises me is that there have been no plan builds models - when you think of how many plans Vic Smeed drew up; you would think a couple of his plan builds would be among the top ten?
just my thoughts at the moment
aye
john
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hi ya all,
Good few surprises among these mentioned; but when you think about it as far as the yacht is concerned, every shop selling a bucket and spade for the seaside also had these model yachts on sale as well - so thousands of them must have been sold, I wonder how many sailed out to sea never to return.
The other thing I forgot about was the Matchbox corvette kit - this has to be the most popular plastic kit conversion - cos I bet ya every club has at least 2 members owning one of these conversion kits :-))
The other thing that surprises me is that there have been no plan builds models - when you think of how many plans Vic Smeed drew up; you would think a couple of his plan builds would be among the top ten?
just my thoughts at the moment
aye
john
John,
I don't know what the most popular Vic Smeed plan was but "CERVIA" must be up there amongst the most popular.
There was a free plan in Model Boats which I think may be the one that you used in your "CERVIA" build.
I started it but thought it was too small for a steam plant so I scaled the plan up to 3/8" ft which allowed a steam plant with a D10 engine into a 42" long hull.
I still admire your build as an aspiration to get mine correct but unfortunatelly I am not a very good builder with wood, give me metal anytime.
George.
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How about the kiel kraft eezebilt range of boats. Most older modelers will have made one of these and there is a great web site that people are still building from. The number of models made must run into the thousands.
Not sure which would have been the most popular, possibly the Terrier mtb.
Chas
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How about the kiel kraft eezebilt range of boats. Most older modelers will have made one of these and there is a great web site that people are still building from. The number of models made must run into the thousands.
Not sure which would have been the most popular, possibly the Terrier mtb.
Chas
This was my thoughts, I had a Neptune built by my Father but this were everywhere when I was young. Much cheaper than the Aerokit kits which were not pocket money pricing both kits & the power plants required for them
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The question was about boats built from kits or plans, so the RTR and ready built toy yachts are out.
Not any one particular kit, but, as a subject, the RAF crash launches have been modeled from when the real thing appeared and are still a popular subject in all the various forms from scratch built IC and straightish running balsa kits, through the various RC electrics versions over the years down to the Airfix version. And that's been RC'd as well.
But if I was to nominate one single kit, it would be the 1/72 Corvette.
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My first two builds were aerokits crash tender & waveny lifeboat in 1968-69 the crash tender is still popular today ...Bill....
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how about the micro magic....sold worldwide....tony
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How many Vic Smeed "Starlets" are there out there?
cheers
vnkiwi
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How many Vic Smeed "Starlets" are there out there?
cheers
vnkiwi
I've got a "Starlet" O0
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There's a lorralorra springers around the World :-))
Ned
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hi there
well this is a very interesting read this one, and very nostalgic too. Couple of things that spring to mind though, when we consider a topic like this one - I dont think we can truly disregard the role played by plastic kits in the modelling field.
We could safely say that in all the modelling fields plastic kits started us modellers off with our hobbies. :-) Starting off with a 10 pence plastic kit in a bag - depending on our age for the price of course :-)
I bet it would either have been a Spitfire or can one remember HMS Shannon from Airfix?
If we consider the plastic kits we also have to take into consideration the little plastic yachts as well - as the manufacturer of these little toy yachts also produced models of boats for Triang. Can you remember the clockwork fishing trawler? The other ones I can remember was a model I think it was called the Mercury of a luxury cruise yacht. Along with that was the firefloat - as I often see that coming up for sale on EBay.
The next thing I can think about and totally forgot was the KeelKraft Easy build models. I have been on to their website and downloaded plans for the Terrier MTB. Nostalgia kicking in real badly here.
Who remembers the EveryReady cycle battery as well - also as has been said to me via Personal Message was the Vic Smeed plan for the Guardsman - how many of those have been built.
Some more food for our nostagic thoughts.
aye
john
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The question was about boats built from kits or plans, so the RTR and ready built toy yachts are out.
Malcolm, you've eliminated my two suggestions by suggesting I didn't read the question correctly. Not right, the question set wasn't the correct one to my answer! (should have taken up politics - lol).
I bet it would either have been a Spitfire or can one remember HMS Shannon from Airfix?
John, going off subject, wasn't the first 'true' Airfix kit the 1952 Golden Hind and cost 2/-? Some of the rare kits are quite valuable today - SS Southern Cross is one, and some which the moulds have been 'lost' in time, which don't just spring to mind. Can anyone help?
Tony
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Hi all, its difficult to find out numbers but I was told that the Imara kit hit 5000 units some years ago and then they stopped counting.
As in a previous point Bugsier 3 was and still is in production after 40 years, do not know how many but if they shipped 5 per week that comes out at 10,000 units.
Any body know any numbers?
regards Roy