Shipbucket

Thanks everyone! Glad to see there is a demand for these things! Well spotted. Assmebling mistake, fixed in the original. Interesting. Shame they were eaten up by Photobucket. If someone can lay a hand on your drawings, I'd certainly be interested in seeing them.

More coming soon!

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Soviet Century/Cold War 2020 Alternate Universe: Soviet and other Cold War designs 1990-2020.
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And here we go, back in time one torpedo boat generation:

Projekt 63.3 Iltis

Following the failure of Project 57, a contest was launched in March 1958 for a new torpedo boat on a much lighter planing hull, with the Roßlau Elbewerft, Wolgast Peenewerft and Yachtwerft Berlin yards submitting proposals respectively under Projects 63, 81 and 68. The Wolgast Peenewerft design, based on a fully-welded light-alloy hull, was selected over Roßlau's riveted aluminum hull, and underwent further developed into what would become the standard face of East German torpedo boats.
The open torpedo tubes of the prototypes gave way to fully enclosed tubes located over the central deck, concealing the engines.
In an unusual attempt to reduce the size of the torpedo tube assembly and the boat, the torpedoes were fired rearwards over the stern, to run forwards to the target, while the boat turned sharply around.
Defensive armament was entirely absent, the boats relying on their speed and maneuverability to escape engagement.
After a series of six prototypes, thirty production boats were built between 1964 and 1966, serving in the newly created Light Torpedo Speedboat Brigade under the 6th Flotilla in Bug/Dranske. Shortly after production ended, all boats were modernized with, among other things, a new radar antenna, a new comms mast with broad-band HF-DF dipoles, extra fuel tanks on the deck, and smoke dispensers to conceal their escape. The last boats were retired in 1976 and replaced with the newer Pr.131 Libelle boats.

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Soviet Century/Cold War 2020 Alternate Universe: Soviet and other Cold War designs 1990-2020.
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There is a series of four videos for the tactics used by these torpedo boats in German. My favorit East German torpedo boats, nice to see them in Shipbucket.

Excellent drawings, especially when considering the limitations imposed by SB scale.
These magnificent drawings are excellent FD scale material (hint)

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Thank you Kim for the crest

"Never fear to try on something new. Remember that the Titanic was built by professionals, and the Ark by an amateur"

Excellent work!

That's a very nice addition, excellent work considering the small scale and the small boat!

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English Electric Canberra FD
Interwar RN Capital Ships
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Never-Were British Aircraft

Thanks everyone for the comments!
I must say that this boat and the next have given me a hard time, what with all the near-parallel lines of the hull and tubes, and the finicky and inconsistent details of the equipment...
Let's just say, don't take these drawings at face value.

And yes, if I one day decide to make the jump to FD scale, I'll make sure to keep this series in mind

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Soviet Century/Cold War 2020 Alternate Universe: Soviet and other Cold War designs 1990-2020.
My Worklist

Aaand here comes the last of the actual torpedo boats to see East German service:

Projekt 68.2 Hydra/Wiesel

Project 68 started as the Berliner Yachtwerft entry into the torpedo boat selection of 1958. Selected for production in parallel with the Project 63 torpedo boat, the Pr.68 took a different path to the weight reduction problem by using a full mahogany hull instead of aluminum. It was also the first East German torpedo boat class to be easily configured for several missions, the ground support crew being able to quickly replace torpedo tubes with mine racks or seat rows for ferrying combat divers.
The operational concept in torpedo boat mode was otherwise the same as with Project 68, both classes using the same torpedo ejection system and even the same propulsion plant. The larger size of Pr.68 allowed the torpedo tubes to sit behind the engines instead of above, which made maintenance easier and gave actual space for alternative payloads inside the hull when the torpedo tubes were removed.

Two prototypes were built in 1958-60 and served until 1963, followed by 26 production boats. Construction problems caused by the wooden hull led to a stop in production in 1967, which resumed only with support of the Wolgast Shipbuilding Institute (ISW), the earlier boats being then brought back up to the standard of the second batch.
All in all, 24 boats entered service between 1964 and 1968 in the second Torpedo Boat Brigade, serving until 1975 alongside the Pr.63.3 boats.



Note: the boats are shown in their final configuration, as late production models or after rebuild.

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Soviet Century/Cold War 2020 Alternate Universe: Soviet and other Cold War designs 1990-2020.
My Worklist

Great work!

Nice to see those boats so well represented here on SB.

Excellent work Citizen

Jolly Well Drawn my friend

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