Type R25 mid-war Räumboot

[Steve D]

Last May I decided to build a companion model for the s-boot I had built in 2021.  I like companion models, they make great comparisons.  It also fits with my small WW2 coastal forces navy that I've been constructing for a few years.

 

There were only two problems:

 

1. My almost complete lack of knowledge or reference material for the Kriegsmarine; and 
2. A total lack of commercially available plans.

 

The challenge with 1:48th scale is you need a huge amount of information to do a subject justice.  It's a very unforgiving scale as you can (should) build down to the rivet 

 

Countless hours on search engines plus a couple of lucky breaks; 10 new books for my naval reference library; a Russian model forum; and last but not least some very helpful people on a German naval forum turned my meagre cache of 4-5 pictures into to an astonishing 150 images of the type.  I still didn't manage to find a good drawing of the R25, but enough others and some assumptions plus a bad lines sketch was just enough to produce my own 4 sheet set of plans.  It's all tentative, but I've done my best to align dimensions with drawings I trust and photographs.  Thankfully I don't count hours modelling, but the plans alone probably took over 300 hours before I was happy to start the build last September.

 

As with my other models, this is a working boat during wartime.  It is dirty and chipped with algae and oil on the waterline

 

Here are the completed plans.  I hope to make them available via a model shop in the UK, rescaling is straightforward, it would make a stunning 1:35th scale RC model....

 

 

I've spent the past couple of weeks fitting out a loft space as a gallery (to stop the "and where is this one going to go...." from my better half), so these pictures are in my new light box

 

 

 

The single crewman (for scale) is fixing the anchor winch this time

 

 

The midships assembly is packed with stuff and of course the wheelhouse is complete with Kriegsmarine charts for the Norwegian coast (this batch of R25's all served in Norway)

 

 

The sweep winch and gear

 

 

The fo'c'sle came out well, love wooden decks, these are 2 mm planks cut in to the margin plank using the 1/3rd rule

 

 

 

 

And this thread wouldn't be complete without the s-boot.  The cases are identical in size and I've tried to align the waterlines with the pillar mounts

 

 

 

Feel free to double zoom, there is a lot of detail to take in

 

Thanks to everyone who followed the build thread and provided encouragement and information, I hope it represents a useful resource for anyone else wanting to attempt to model this under-represented workhorse of the Kriegsmarine.  I have many wartime pictures I didn't post, so if anyone wants to have a go, please get in touch and I will be most happy to help

 

Lastly, I said at the end of the build thread that I would announce my next project

 

Well, I've been working on more drawings (I always do this in parallel with building) and I'm going to attempt a diorama of a beached ASR buoy being inspected by some RAF personnel who have just arrived on a Bedford MWD.  The ASR buoy will be made in copper, the MWD in metal and wood, all at 1:48th scale of course.  I'm not sure about the latter main component as I've never built a truck, still the attempt should be amusing.

 

I parallel I'll be starting the drawings for a large complex build, but more on that in time

 

Happy Easter🥚 and thanks again for the interest

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Darwinism]

Cracking work Steve - you’ve built a masterpiece that’s worthy of being a museum exhibit.

[Rich75]

I think I said during your build that hitting "like" doesn't do your work justice, this is outstanding and inspiring too, thanks for sharing 

[BerndM]

Fantastic work.

[robgizlu]

Steve - she is absolutely Beautiful - Wow!!

The detail is stunning 

Rob

[Keeff]

Outstanding model and build!  So much detail too....

 

 

Keith  😁

[longshanks]

Congratulations on producing such a fine miniature

Setting the gold standard in 1/48th

 

Kev

[beefy66]

Great build Steve always pick up something new from your builds to try on mine might just have a bit more time on my hands now as I retire on Monday.  

 

Stay Safe

beefy

[Chewbacca]

She should not be in a loft gallery, she is museum quality and is easily good enough to be displayed somewhere for others to see.  First class modelling 👍

[Toryu]

Very very nice! The research and commitment to detail are outstanding, and the comparison with the S-Boot makes it even more interesting.

[Autle]

Stunning looking model, I reckon this will win a medal or two. Well done 

[Steve D]

On 08/04/2023 at 22:43, Darwinism said:

worthy of being a museum exhibit.

Nice of you to mention this, I am considering what to do eventually with my coastal forces navy, donating them to a museum is certainly an option 

 

On 09/04/2023 at 19:38, Rich75 said:

hitting "like" doesn't do your work justice

Thanks Rich, ALL comments and suggestions are very welcome (as are the likes of course).  These projects induce a form of tunnel vision, please comment on future builds

 

On 10/04/2023 at 11:42, robgizlu said:

The detail is stunning

Cheers Rob, these vessels have so much opportunity for extraneous detail, would be a shame to waste it

 

On 12/04/2023 at 17:08, Keeff said:

So much detail too....

Ditto Keith

 

On 12/04/2023 at 18:14, longshanks said:

Setting the gold standard in 1/48th

Ha Kev, I think I'm more or less the only one scratch-building 1:48th so the completion isn't fierce enough right now.  Hopefully that will change with my full encouragement

 

On 13/04/2023 at 07:58, beefy66 said:

more time on my hands now as I retire on Monday.

Great news Beefy, now the problem will move from finding time to model to where to put all the boats....  How big is your loft?

 

On 14/04/2023 at 18:07, Toryu said:

The research and commitment to detail are outstanding,

Thanks Toryu, I loved the research and the opportunity to present a decent rendition of this very under-represented workhorse.  Hopefully it will encourage others to build them, there are so many variants and equipment options, I still don't know why no kit manufacturer has taken it up.  I definite gap in the market

 

On 14/04/2023 at 20:32, Autle said:

I reckon this will win a medal or two

Thanks Autie, I must look into Telford this year, see if I can show some examples of my endeavours now that the Model Engineering Exhibition seems to be defunct

 

Thank you again for all who commented, responded, encouraged the build and provided such positive feedback, onto the next project...

 

Cheers

 

Steve

 

[Angus Tura]

Steve,

 

This is just beautiful. Please do tell if the plans become available. 

 

As mentioned above, we need a "like-a-lot" button for this kind of post/model.

 

Very good regards,

 

Alan

[MilneBay]

That's a finely detailed masterpiece. The look of a hard working boat is captured superbly.

[Steve D]

On 19/04/2023 at 17:49, Angus Tura said:

Please do tell if the plans become available. 

Angus, if you want a set, just PM me and I'll organise it, happy to help 👍

 

On 19/04/2023 at 22:59, MilneBay said:

The look of a hard working boat is captured

Well, I know weathering splits the crowd, but working boats should look that way and I'm working on slowly getting a little bit better at that aspect. 

 

So many stock pictures were taken just after launch or re-fit and it all looks so clean.  Check it out after a month of service and see the difference

 

Thanks again for all the nice remarks

 

Cheers

 

Steve

[Dermo245]