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German customs cruiser Helgoland / Borkum
Scale: 1/250
Skill Level: difficult
Size (LxWxH): 199x77x115 mm (7x3x4 inch)
Peter Brandt started this unusual design - Andreas Jacobsen finished it with his knowledge and love to detail. The model presents itself with lots of details and can be build either as full hull or as a waterline model. The Helgoland fits perfectly with Mellum and Nordic.
Helgoland's unusual hull alone makes this SWATH ship a very special model. The two topedo like bodies are highly detailed and with propellers and rudder. The model can be build either as full hull or as a waterline model.
The countless details will make every experienced papermodellers heart beat quicker. With a bigger speed boat and small rubber dinghy, crane, winches and a lot of accessories on deck it will be great fun to build this model. But the mast might be the biggest challenge.
From this kit you can build either Helgoland or the sister ship Borkum. Those fine differences between the two ships are of course in the model as well. There are parts specially for one of the ships.
The model highlights:
- SWATH hull
- detailed speed boat
- filigree davit
- optional bridge interior
- Waterline or full hull model possible
- prototypical mast
- Alternatively sister ship Borkum buildable
| Product type | Papermodel |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | HMV Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag |
| Scale | 1/250 |
| Designer | Peter Brandt / Andreas Jacobsen |
| Difficulty | difficult |
| Sheet size | DIN A4 |
| Sheets | 12 |
| Parts | 1490 |
| Length | 199 mm (7.83 inch) |
| Width | 77 mm (3.03 inch) |
| Height | 115 mm (4.53 inch) |
| Bauanleitung | German, English, Pictures |
Technical data:
- Shipyard: Nordseewerke Emd, Germany
- Launching: 2009 / 2010
- Length: 49,35 m
- Width: 19,00 m
- Draught: 4,55 m
- Displacement: 1.559 BRZ
- Speed: 20 kn
- Engines: 4 x MTU 16V 4000 M40B, 2x Siemens Asynchronmotor
- Power: 4 x 2.200 kw, 2 x 3.800 kw
- Action time: 7 days
- Crew: 13 + 8
The German department Beschaffungsamt der Bundeszollverwaltung ordered two new customs cruisers build as SWATH ships from Nordseewerke in Emden. The first one - Helgoland - was launched on August 4th, 2009. Not much later on February 3rd, 2010 the sister Borkum followed.
SWATH stands for "Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull". This special hull was already presented to the British Navy by Frederick George Creed in 1938 and it was patented in 1946 in the UK. SWATH ships have two torpedo like bodies under water and on supports or slim beams a platform is mounted which is completely above water. This leads to a minimal waterline surface. SWATH ships are very stable in rough waters and compared to monohulls they don't roll very much. On top of that the SWATH concept allos higher speed in rough seas which of course might be essential for a customs cruiser.
Both cruisers are stationed in Cuxhaven and replaced four older customs boats when launched. Apart from services for customs control - meaning assuring that German custom laws are followed on the North Sea, prevention of smuggeling, fight against transnational crime and of charging customs and taxes, both ships execute tasks for border control, police, fishery control, and environmental control.
Helgoland and Borkum both have a diesel-electric engine. Four diesel generators on the main deck supply the energy needed on board and for the two Siemens induction motors which are located in the torpedo like bodies under water. The ships are fitted with state of the art communications devices and even a hospital on board is standard. On starboard a special platform can be lowered down to waterline to ensure a safe approach to the water or to vessels with very low freeboard. The speed boat is 8,5 m long and its top speed is about 40 knots. It is launched with a special equipped C-Davit. The other small boat is motorized rubber dinghy.
This particular model was the last model Peter Brandt was working on before he passed away. The design was finished by Andreas Jacobsen with much care and in the way Peter would have done it. Not only because of this the Helgoland will have a special place in the HMV range.
