This is the frame set for the commuter launch Aphrodite, in 1:12 scale. There are over 250 laser-cut parts in this set.

Actual boat:

 LOA: 74’
 LWL: 72’
 Beam: 14’ 6”
 Draft: 4’
 Year Designed: 1936
 Builder: Purdy Boat Company, Port Washington
 Designer: Ned and Gil Purdy
 Launched: 1937
 Displacement: 25 tons
 Engines: 2 x Caterpillar C-18 1,000 hp. Each, running at 2200 RPM
 Cruising speed: 36.5 knts
 Engine thrust: 6,000 lbs
 Propellers: 27 x 29 Nibral 4-blade – Michigan Propellers
 Rebuilt completely in 2005 at Brooklin Boatyard, Maine

Scale model dimensions, at 1/12 scale

 LOA: 74”
 LWL: 72”
 Beam: 14.5”
 Draft: 4”

Model design criteria:

The model is designed to ease construction. Using multiple frames, and many bulkheads and supports means a builder has plenty of material to work with in case they want to make modifications to the design, based on their methods, complementary parts, or interested.

o Four keels of 1/8” each This gives the total width of the keel at ½”.
o 3/16th offset for hull planking
o Inside keel to support rabbet plank.
o Bulkheads are 1/8” birch plywood.
o Complete set of deck structures and some furniture.

 

Some Assembly Pictures

Let’s dig in and have a look at what a builder could expect when they start this amazing model.  First, it is useful to know there is plenty of material in the kit. This kit was designed to be a builder’s model, a model that one could modify and work with according to their skills, interests, and equipment.
		The keel is four widths of plywood. This gives incredible rigidity to the hull and helps keep everything absolutely straight.
		Once the hull is pulled off the build board and reversed, the nice curves of this boat appear.  The hull has been designed with a sub deck to separate equipment from the bilge.  Many of the frames even have limber holes in the bottoms as well as holes along the sides in case a builder wants to pass some wiring neatly.  One can clearly see the four widths of one-eighth plywood that keeps the hull straight and strong.
		A perfectly adjusted stand is included in the kit so that, once the boat is out of the build board, working on the hull is still feasible without resorting to making a stand of your own.
		The cabin structure is designed to be inserted in one large section. The main cabin bulkheads are made with one-eighth plywood but the non-structural bulkheads are made in one-sixteenth plywood in order to keep the weight low in the model and also to make them closer to the correct scale dimension.
		Scratch-built engine mounts to receive the custom-made motors from Astroflight.

 

 

The Laser-cut Parts

The picture below shows all the parts you get with the frame set. Note that each little rectangle is a 24″ x 12″ Baltic birch plywood board. The frame set normally comes with all parts in one box but we can divide the order in two sections for a builder in order to reduce the initial cost. 

The main cabin bulkheads, floors, and supports are made in one-eighth inch plywood for rigidity but bulkheads where the edges may be visible, for example in doorways, are made in thinner material so the scale is more accurate.
These particular windows were made in optional eighth-inch acrylic for this builder but other solutions for the windows are available. The kit itself comes with one-sixteenth inch acrylic.

The sliding hatches and the  various brass parts you see here are not included in the model. The veneer on the sides of this model were applied commercially using a vacuum-forming process. The veneer is not supplied with the model.

 

Assembly Progress

The first kits were sent out in January 2021. In June 2021, the first model is at this level. At 74-inches overall, she is quite a model!

This is a great challenge for a seasoned builder. Because of the amount of material and parts, there is plenty of room to modify the design to suit a builders needs, interests, and skills.   Thanks for looking and enjoy the challenge!

Order MW205 - Aphrodite

Price @ $1,000.00 Qty:

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