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Fast Attack Craft Class 143 S61 Albatros
Scale: 1/250
Skill Level: difficult
Size (LxW): 230x32 mm (9x1 inch)
The vessels of the class 143 replaced the Jaguar S-Boats. Peter Brandt redesigned this model completely and it has nothing to do with the former, handdrawn model published in the seventies. This detailed model can be built with two different skill levels - a lot of parts are optional. As an alternative you can also build one of the sister ships S62 to S70 (P6112 to 6120).
This model of the class 143 or better known as type 143 was designed by Peter Brandt long before he worked for HMV. But already back then the level of details was convincing and the model was very popular for quite some time. Together with Peter we decided to completely redesign the model for a new HMV edition. Of course extensive illustrated instructions, an HMV detail level, and the well known Lasercut Set is imperative.
The kit has everything you wish for in a paper model. A lot of parts are optional and you can build an easier version. Still it's not suitable for beginners. Building the S61 Albatros requires some experience in building HMV models, but is on the other hand a manageable project.
You can either build the S61 Albatros or one of the sister ships S62 Falke, S63 Geier, S64 Bussard, S65 Sperber, S66 Greif, S67 Kondor, S68 Seeadler, S69 Habicht, or S70 Kormoran. So building the whole squadron shouldn't be a problem after all. In order to make it possible to build the different versions in a proper way we included complete replacement parts of the superstructure and the stern for every single version - so you surely don't need to glue on numbers.
The model highlights:
- all 9 sister ships can be built
- 4 detailed Exocet
- 2 torpedo tubes
- completely redesigned
- detailed speedboat
- turnable gun turrets
- open helm
| Product type | Papermodel |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | HMV Hamburger Modellbaubogen Verlag |
| Scale | 1/250 |
| Designer | Peter Brandt |
| Difficulty | difficult |
| Sheet size | DIN A4 |
| Sheets | 4 |
| Parts | 647 |
| Parts without alternative parts | 510 |
| Length | 230 mm (9.06 inch) |
| Width | 32 mm (1.26 inch) |
| Bauanleitung | German, English, Pictures |
Technical data:
- Sister ships: S62 bis S70
- Shipyard: Lürssen, Kröger (nur S65, S67, S69)
- Commissioning: 01.11.1976
- Length.: 57,6 m / 189 ft
- Width: 7,8 m / 26 ft
- Draught: 2,6 m / 9 ft
- Displacement: 393,7 t
- Speed: 40 kn
- Operating range: 600/1600 sm at 30/16 kn
- Engine: 4 MTU diesel engines 4,000 to 4,500 HP each
- Electrical system: 4 diesel engines MWM D601-6
- Crew: 40 seaman including 4 officers
- Armament:
- 2x 76 mm OTO-Melara guns
- 4 Anti-ship missile MM38 EXOCET
- 2 torpedo tubes for 533 mm
- Heavy weight torpedo SEAL DM2 A1
In the late sixties the German Navy realised the necessity of a new fast attack craft class. New developments in weapon systems put the known torpedos in background and made it necessary to install missile systems. The main reason for this were the development of Russian fast attack crafts that already since the early sixties had missile systems on board.
The fast attack craft class 143 was designed with a hull in composite design. The boats of the class 148 which were built at the same time in France were still built in steel. In spite of the higher construction cost a decision was made in favour of the already known way of construction. The hull of these boats had a wooden keel and framework and the deck construction was mad out of metal.
These new boats were the replacement for the Jaguar class boats. The new class 143 was considerably longer in order to have enough room for the new weapon systems and all the necessary electronical systems.
These baots were equipped with the automatic combat and information system for fast attack crafts (AGIS) that allowed combat situations with up to 5 targets simultaneously. Additionally the boats had a defence system calle OCTOPUS and were later also equipped with a Buck-Wegmann Hot Dog decoy launcher for countermeasures and a DAG 2200 Wolke chaff launcher.
First used for defence during the cold war the boats of the Albatros class were later based at Warnemünde. During their last years of service they took part in international missions like for example Operation Enduring Freedom at Cape Horn in Africa. Due to the restructuring of the German Navy the ships of the fast attack craft class 143 were not used anymore and decommissioned in 2004 and 2005.
Six of these boats were sold to Tunisia and another four were kept as spare part donors. Two of these four boats were sold in 2010 to the Republic of Ghana.
