Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length.

[davem99]

I am modelling the HMS Confiance in her RFA period at 1:48 scale. I have a fibreglass hull and rather old plan. I am looking to find details of the inside of the wheelhouse and would welcome info from any one who has modelled this or any of the other ships from this class.

[dodes]

I remember them when in service and they had a twin C.P controller on a pedestal similar to the ones on the Wild ducks on each bridge wing. Plus I do not believe they ever carried them but in event of hostilities they where designed to be fitted with a single 40mm gun on the fore deck.

[Shipmate60]

I think I have some of the ships plans.
I will try and dig them out.
Do you have the older hull with the tumblehome moulded in or the older hull without.


Bob

[davem99]

Hi Bob
Thanks for the offer.
I have the older model.
Any help would be greatly appreciated
Dave

[davem99]

Hi dodes
Thanks for the info. "twin CP controllers?" can you explain please? My plan shows two controllers at either side of the front screen - I assume these would be for the winch and davits on the rear deck, in which case they seem to be facing the wrong way.
The model when acquired did have the 40mm gun on the fore deck. I have decided I prefer the vessel when she served in the RFA as I like the buff colour scheme.
There is a rather grainy pic in Bill Hannah's book 50 years of Naval Tugs which is useful as it shows injside the wheelhouse with the wheel etc and an officer with his hand on a pedestal which I suspect would have been the engine controls.
Would you know if the radio room was a separate compartment at the rear of the wheelhouse? The aerials seem to be located on the roof at the rear.
Any help or recollections would be most welcome.
Many thanks
Dave

[dodes]

Hi the vessels as you know were twin shaft so on each side of the bridge would be a control column to take the twin controls. Most of the admiralty tugs of this size and smaller usually had a M/F set at the back of the wheelhouse. But Bob, shipmate 60 served on one of this class many years ago as an engineer and probably has a better memory of them, I only went on the one at Devonport when she was in refit for a couple of days to make up numbers. Though the Black and Buff painted ones were P.A.S./R.M.A.S. ones I believe the R.F.A. ones were grey or black hull and grey upper works, the P.A.S. and R.F.A. had some these tugs each at the same time, but eventually they all came into R.M.A.S. control.

[dodes]

Reference the towing winch, it was most probably locally controlled as on the R class with a PA intercom.

[RobertH]

New boy on the block.[/size]I served on Confiance in the early/mid 1970's and had a great time. Being retired now I'm engaged on building my early ships for the grandson - Whimbrel is done (1/48), and Kinbrace, now want to do Confiance and Sea Giant. I've found Sea Giant plans at Greenwich, so OK there.Here's the kicker - I think it was Christmas 73 or 74, I pulled a whole weekend duty, so carefully traced the complete set of original full-size plans of Confiance. I kept them in a cardboard tube for decades - now, several moves later there is no sign of them.There is hope though, as I see one of you on this forum has plans. Have you still got them? Can I have a copy?I have plenty of photographs, so detail is not too difficult.I see LoyalHannah are offering plans at 450$ - but that is way beyond my pocket money - I have managed to discover very basic plans at Lloyds for freeboard certification but difficult to scale up, so, can you guys help?Thanks, in anticipation, and with bated breath,Robert

[dodes]

The class had two massive sprung towing hooks for harbour towing and a locally controlled towing winch for long sea towing. They had a wireless cabin at the back of the wheelhouse. At sea they rolled like the brown admiral in a pot. High sides with a constant turning propeller's they had to be handled with care when cold moving subs.

[Shipmate60]

I will dig through my plans to try and find them, dont hold your breath just yet as I do have quite a few.


Bob