Airfix Vosper

I looked up the Revell Vosper kits in Dr. Graham's Remembering Revell Model Kits.  Here's what that source has to say:

H-323 McHale's Navy PT-73 - 1965-69 - 1/72 - $70-90 [that's an estimate of the kit's present-day value] - Gray plastic.  Decal.  Includes McHale and three other crew figures.  Model based on a British Vosper MTB acquired by ABC-TV to play the role of a US PT boat in the 1962-66 series starring Ernest Borgnine.  Reissued as H-335 Vosper MTB (1968).

H-335 British Vosper MTB - 1968 - 1/72 - $25-35 - White plastic.  Decals.  Revised issue of H-323 McHale's Navy (1966) with radar removed and some other changes.  Includes original McHale figure and three crewmen.

I suspect there's an interesting story behind that TV show - and how ABC happened to get hold of a Vosper boat.  That vessel must have been through some curious adventures during the previous twenty years.

You might want to check out the article on torpedo boats in this month's FSM.  I don't have it in front of me, but I'm pretty sure one of the featured models is based on the Airfix kit.

I can't comment on the accuracy of the old Revell kit, but I do remember it.  It initially appeared in a box labeled (brace yourself) "McHale's Navy PT-73."  For those of the pre-trogladyte generations, "McHale's Navy" was a TV sitcom, starring Ernest Borgnine, Joe Flynn, and Tim Conway (the latter's first big role) that ran during (I think) the early to mid-sixties.  By today's standards it was pretty awful; it concerned an outrageously fictitious PT boat in the South Pacific during WWII.  The boat used to film the series was indeed a Vosper.  (How the TV company got hold of it I have no idea.)  The original kit included 1/72-scale figures of "Commander McHale" and "Ensign Parker."  I suspect it was intended to capitalize on the success of the PT-109 kit.  The "British Vosper" boxing came a little later.  I suspect the two kits were identical except for the omission of the figures. 

I suppose it's conceivable that the Revell designers worked from the boat that was used in the TV series, which may have differed from the standard Vosper products.  It's also entirely conceivable that the Revell people simply screwed up the dimensions.  At any rate, it was a nice kit for its time - and probably more than satisfactory for most of its intended purchasers.

I have built 2 or 3 of these kits.They are basically accurate and reasonably detailed.There are a couple of errors.What look like 50 cal. Brownings mounted on the forward tubes are wrong.These should be flare projectors which are similar in size but basically pivoted tubes for firing illuminating rockets.These kits are now at least 30 years old,and the moulds are showing it. Not the finest detailing ,but a long way from the worst.A good model can be made. You can make a 3rd series Vosper armed with only 2 tubes ,a 6pdr gun and a twin Oerlikon without too much trouble. As an ex RN person I think this a reasonable kit. The Revell model is of a type of boat never used by Britain. I have compared it with plans in a hope of converting it but its either too short or too long.  

  Gosh, it's been years since I built that one...looking at the model now, it does have crisper lines than the revell kit, and better surface detail, but the area where the deck meets the hull required a lot of filler. I only built one, so it could have been just that particular cast...will see if I can pick up another or two and make a more informed decision.

The Airfix Vosper MTB represents a different version (a later type, I think) to the Revell one -
the cabin/superstructure and armament configuration are totally different.

Regarding the kit quality, it's definitely much better than the Revell kit in terms of moulding quality and fineness of detail (it dates from the late 70s I think, whilst Revell's Vosper is a 60s mould), but I can't really comment on accuracy. It looks OK to me but I'm neither an accuracy nut nor an expert on Vosper torpedo boats (or any ships/boats for that matter!). I do know that Airfix's German E-boat (Schnellboot S-7) is supposed to have some inaccuracies as regards the hull shape.

If you had to choose between the two, I'd definitely advise going for the Airfix kit, but they're such different boats that if you're a fan of 1/72 scale naval models, it's worth building both.

I have the Airfix Vosper in my kit stash (built the Revell one last year). Would photographs of the sprues/parts be of any use?