British Revenue cutter/Shipyards HMS Rattlesnake/Alert

T

tball4217

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I tried using a free online pdf of Kings Cutters and Smugglers to get help, but the book only made more issues and made me mad.

For the scholars here,

The models of cutters built before 1800, and showing actual ships built for his majesty, half of the models show stern ports. Half do not. On the hull lines, etc, you can see stern ports cut, but the interior deck profile, never shows the gun, and in some cases shows deck structures that would require the stern guns to have 12 foot long barrels.

As the Shipyards HMS Rattlesnake/Alert is the only model in existence that has stern guns for this 4 ship group of cutters, or for any cutter at that. I emailed the company asking for verification. they gave me a generic

These guns are described in historical sources and in the Admiralty plans for this ship.
We always reproduce ships in accordance with history and preserved sources.

british ALERT class cutters - HMS Alert, HMS Rattlesnake, HMS Pigmy and HMS Cockatrice

in order to summarize the contemporary data and available documents of the british ALERT class cutters HMS Alert (1777), HMS Rattlesnake (1777), HMS Pigmy (1781) and HMS Cockatrice (1781) https://threedecks.org/index.php?display_type=show_class&id=204 HMS Alert was a 10-gun cutter...
shipsofscale.com

This thread here includes a deck plan that seems to show two fixtures at the stern ports that look like internal pivots for a carronade. But how conclusive it is, as in the actual "documentation" online has the 4 ships of the class put out at nominal 14 guns, and nothing about the stern guns.
 
Well an interesting update, directly from the email i recieved from the kit manufacturer:

When building our models we use sources that are company secrets.
The cutters are so popular that, as an exception, we can reveal that
such cannons were mounted on an Admiralty model of a British cutter.
Information about them can also be found in monograph:
Peter Goodwin HMS Alert 177 from the series Anathomy of the Ship and
Lennarth Petersson Rigging Period Fore and Aft Craft.


Yes the Petersson book does show a deck plan of a cutter, that seems to be 90% identical to what they used for THIS model kit, however..

When searching, I cannot find any online image of this model Petersson used for his deck plan. And I have not seen any other model cutter given stern guns.
 
tball4217 said:
stern ports cut, but the interior deck profile, never shows the gun,
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These were stern chase ports which did not have cannon rigged unless in a situation where the aft most broadside guns would be maneuvered into position to shoot out the stern chase ports. Goodwin gives a lengthy explanation of the construction, layout, as well as the armament that you may find helpful on pages 12-17 of the AOTS Alert book.
Allan
 
AllanKP69 said:
These were stern chase ports which did not have cannon rigged unless in a situation where the aft most broadside guns would be maneuvered into position to shoot out the stern chase ports. Goodwin gives a lengthy explanation of the construction, layout, as well as the armament that you may find helpful on pages 12-17 of the AOTS Alert book.
Allan
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not spending 140$ on the book, im not willing to get a non cancellable membership with scribd to get a pdf download.

This kit is already going to be costing me too much in upgrade parts. rope definitely, most likely 100$ in new blocks.
 
tball4217 said:
not spending 140$ on the book, i
Click to expand...
WOW, can't blame you for that, I got mine for $10 from the NRG when they sold off their library many years ago. I had no idea it was going to be such a good
investment. :) Yesterday was the first time I ever opened the book thanks to your post on the chase ports. Thanks for that!Thumbs-Up
Allan.
 
AllanKP69 said:
WOW, can't blame you for that, I got mine for $10 from the NRG when they sold off their library many years ago. I had no idea it was going to be such a good
investment. :) Yesterday was the first time I ever opened the book thanks to your post on the chase ports. Thanks for that!Thumbs-Up
Allan.
Click to expand...
perhaps one could share the good luck with me by sending a cell phone picture of the appropriate information.

I once had a chance to get the complete series back in the 90s at liek 25-30 per copy
 
Hi TBALL4217
I would love to help but the copyright is still in order so all rights are reserved and unauthorized duplication contravenes applicable laws. I am aware of fair use and if it were a paragraph or so I would take the time to transcribe it here for you but it is several pages with charts and such and beyond reasonable use or duplication for educational purposes.
Allan
 
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