You are on RC Florida
Go to Home Page
We are about RC Scale models, boats, armor (tanks), vehicles, and more.
[Sitemap]
Lew's Model Boats - Wiesel part B
About Lew's Wiesel Model
Updated:
April 29, 2026
About
First, some photographs of Lew's RC Model of the Schnellboot "Wiesel" built from the Graupner #2145 kit. The the reasons for building this kit will come to light.
Why model a Zobel Class boat?
Back in the early 1970's, Lew saw this model of the type 142by Graupner in an issue of "Model Boats" and liked it! When the type 142A modernization came out in the model he "had to have it." In April 1975, Lew purchased the kit in London and had it shipped to Florida (U.S.A.. Years later He decided to finish the kit, but now with the internet and photos of the original boat available, he found the kit had a lot of short comings, mainly missing details and being wrong in many places. Years later he decided to finish the kit, but now with the internet and photos of the original boat available, he found the kit had a lot of shortcomings, mainly missing details and being wrong in many places.
Construction was to start soon after it arrived however this was delayed as the dishonest hobby shop substituted three cheap Ripmax motors instead of the Graupner motors. They would not answer his letters (no email back then). So Lew had to order the motors from another source. Finally the motors arrived and work was on the hull. He installed the deck, three motors, shafts, propellers, and rudders. Then the model sat for quite a few years (over 20) as he now had a family.
When (~ year 2000) Lew was ready to resume we had the internet and after downloading some photos he realized that he had to undo all the work he had done. It was worse than starting over as Lew had to patch and modify the hull and order new motors, shafts, and props plus make two rudders. (Graupner did not make this a "scale" model!)
From that point up to 2009 it was assemble - do online research - and make replacement parts that were correct. The motors, shafts, and rudders were now correct. That large gaping hole in the deck was now filled in so the there is no seam. The openings to the inside were now under the deck structures for the most part. By 2009 the boat was done and it was time to join the local model boat club as Lew had something that was good looking.
However, the performance was not all that good. The speed was very slow despite using the Speed 300 motors. The four propellers diameter was too small and the pitch (angle of the blades) was not enough to move the water fast. The Wiesel has been sitting on the shelf as other boats took over his interest. The Wiesel became a static model. In 2020, Lew was now into 3D modeling and printing. He made four new propellers (right) which he has yet to install. Hopefully this will be the answer to increasing the speed significantly.
Construction was to start soon after it arrived however this was delayed as the dishonest hobby shop substituted three cheap Ripmax motors instead of the Graupner motors. They would not answer his letters (no email back then). So Lew had to order the motors from another source. Finally the motors arrived and work was on the hull. He installed the deck, three motors, shafts, propellers, and rudders. Then the model sat for quite a few years (over 20) as he now had a family.
When (~ year 2000) Lew was ready to resume we had the internet and after downloading some photos he realized that he had to undo all the work he had done. It was worse than starting over as Lew had to patch and modify the hull and order new motors, shafts, and props plus make two rudders. (Graupner did not make this a "scale" model!)
From that point up to 2009 it was assemble - do online research - and make replacement parts that were correct. The motors, shafts, and rudders were now correct. That large gaping hole in the deck was now filled in so the there is no seam. The openings to the inside were now under the deck structures for the most part. By 2009 the boat was done and it was time to join the local model boat club as Lew had something that was good looking.
However, the performance was not all that good. The speed was very slow despite using the Speed 300 motors. The four propellers diameter was too small and the pitch (angle of the blades) was not enough to move the water fast. The Wiesel has been sitting on the shelf as other boats took over his interest. The Wiesel became a static model. In 2020, Lew was now into 3D modeling and printing. He made four new propellers (right) which he has yet to install. Hopefully this will be the answer to increasing the speed significantly.
But what is the magnetism of the Zobel class boats?
The size of this model is about right in order to have a model that shows numerous details. If you want to build a model about 42-inches (107cm) long, is it better to build a battleship at a smaller scale (about 1:225) or a gunboat like the Wiesel at 1:40 scale?
Lew's preference was the smaller ship, the gunboat. A model of a larger prototype (full sized ship) would have to sacrifice a lot of details (nuts, bolts, etc.) whereas the gunboat can have these details to the enjoyment of the viewer. Think of even trying to have figures at 1:225 scale, about model railroad "Z" scale. Its just more realistic and allows the viewer to really look at the mode's details.
Perhaps the most modeled smaller military craft are the WW-II U.S. "PT Boats." The Zobel boats are almost twice the length but still offer the viewer to look at a high speed military boat with torpedoes and open turret guns. The Zobel boats carried an abundance of communication antennas, radar systems, and a washing system for nuclear warfare fallout. The sleek hull contrasts with a odd shaped superstructure that was designed to allow deck space for four torpedo tubes in the early configuration.
The size of this model is about right in order to have a model that shows numerous details. If you want to build a model about 42-inches (107cm) long, is it better to build a battleship at a smaller scale (about 1:225) or a gunboat like the Wiesel at 1:40 scale?
Lew's preference was the smaller ship, the gunboat. A model of a larger prototype (full sized ship) would have to sacrifice a lot of details (nuts, bolts, etc.) whereas the gunboat can have these details to the enjoyment of the viewer. Think of even trying to have figures at 1:225 scale, about model railroad "Z" scale. Its just more realistic and allows the viewer to really look at the mode's details.
Perhaps the most modeled smaller military craft are the WW-II U.S. "PT Boats." The Zobel boats are almost twice the length but still offer the viewer to look at a high speed military boat with torpedoes and open turret guns. The Zobel boats carried an abundance of communication antennas, radar systems, and a washing system for nuclear warfare fallout. The sleek hull contrasts with a odd shaped superstructure that was designed to allow deck space for four torpedo tubes in the early configuration.
"It's like a WW-II U.S. PT boat being morphed with a modern day gunboat."