The first "Carrier"

April 11, 2020 · in Aviation · · 13 · 1.7K

Greetings all!

This is an effort I completed as an entry in a contest category celebrating the 100 year anniversary of WW1 events back in 2017.

This unpowered vessel was a converted Royal Navy seaplane lighter (A flying boat would land behind it and then taxi into the trough and get fastened in as it was being pulled behind a frigate). As converted it would serve as a means to launch a single fighter from behind a destroyer travelling at speed in the English Channel in hopes of intercepting a sighted zeppelin before crossing the coast to England.

One can only admire the nerves of steel.

The lighter was a scratchbuilt effort with the old Revell in 72nd scale attched , mildly converted to a R.N.A.S. machine.

The first aircraft carrier?

I think so...

Reader reactions:
9  Awesome

9 additional images. Click to enlarge.


13 responses

  1. Profile Photo
    said on April 11, 2020

    That’s awesome! Thanks for sharing. I’d like to talk further with you about the lighter, as I have a ship’s camel I’d like to set in 32.

  2. This is a top class build, Philip. Equally unique subject - an eyecatcher.
    All the best!

  3. Great build. Love models being used as a means of understandig principles or historical inventions. Like a 3 D drawing of sorts. This is superb example of this.

  4. That's a creative eye catcher! I like this a lot. Lots of talent on display.

  5. Thanks for the kind words...
    I had a lot of fun with this project...the research was the most difficult part.

  6. Looks great! It's amazing what those early naval aviators did back then.

  7. Interesting, well done Philip.

  8. Nicely done Philip, unusual subject to say the least. My question is after lunching and completing her mission where did she land?

  9. Hi Tom...
    Nerves of steel for sure...Unfortunately if the "Camel" pilot was too distant to make landfall in either England or France he would have to "steel his nerves" for a channel ditching, and as I understand they were prepared for that...

  10. Cool bit of history and nice model.

  11. Well done, and interesting subject matter.

  12. Hello Philip,
    Never seen before. Interesting subject and amazing result.
    Regards, Derek.

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