Free Ship Plans of US Navy Cargo Vessel USNS Comet

U.S.N.S. Comet First Roll-on/Roll-off Cargo Vessel of Her Kind

C-3 Cargo Ship Had Stern Loading Ramp Allowing Vehicles to Load Under Their Own Power

FIRST DEEP-DRAFT OCEAN GOING CARGO VESSEL TO OFFER SELF-LOADING

C-3 Cargo Ship U.S.N.S. Comet

The first of her kind, U.S.N.S. Comet was designed for roll-on/-off loading of wheeled cargo such as military vehicles. Her keel was laid May 15, 1956. The ship was launched July 31, 1957, and delivered January 24, 1958.
U.S.N.S Comet was designed by the U.S. Navy Bureau of Ships and the Maritime Administration to carry fully-loaded self-propelled wheeled or tracked vehicles, and able to load and unload them through a ramp in her stern and four side loading ports. A series of internal ramps allowed the vehicles to be moved under their own power or towed into the holds.
Our U.S.N.S. Comet free ship plans page offers seven sheets of high-resolution downloadable plans perfect for the ship model builder looking for a challenging scratch-building project.

Free Ship Plans USCG Cutter Acushnet Former USS Shackle

U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Acushnet serves 67 year career

That began as U.S. Navy salvage vessel USS Shackle

Decommissioned in 2011, she was the only World War II vintage vessel still in Coast Guard service

USCG Cutter Acushnet/USS Shackle

U.S. Coast Guard cutter Acushnet's long career began during World War II as U.S. Navy salvage ship USS Shackle (ARS-9). After joining the Coast Guard, she served as a tug, oceanographic research vessel, and medium-endurance cutter. 

With the attack on Pearl Harbor, navy shipyards were suddenly hard-pressed to build all the new vessels that would be required for the war effort. The U.S. Navy turned to the U.S. Maritime Commission to contract many of the attack transports, oilers, and other auxiliary ships it needed, such as salvage ships.

Outboard profile USCG Cutter Acushnet

While the first task of salvage ships was to clear the damaged ships in Pearl Harbor, duties went beyond dealing with destroyed or sunken ships to any repair tasks beyond the scope of a ship's crew, such as fire-fighting or towing disabled craft. The Navy used every resource possible – both military and commercial salvage company - in the design of what would be named the Diver class salvage vessel to which Shackle/Acushnet belongs. Her keel was laid in October 1942 at the Basalt Rock Company shipyard located on the Napa River, and she was launched February 1944. This shipyard constructed all 16 Diver class salvage ships.

 U.S.C.G. cutter Acushnet/U.S.S. Shackle has great lines and would make for a great ship model, built from the free ship plans available at TheModelShipwright.com

Free Ship Plans of Spanish Mine-laying Vessel

Spanish Navy Mine-laying Boat also Transported Torpedoes

Spanish name “Barcaza para Embarque y Fondeo de Minas y Transporte de Torpedoes”

Translates to “Barge for Shipment and Anchoring of Mines and Transport of Torpedoes”

Spanish Navy Mine-layer

This 1950s Spanish naval vessel was used to transport mines and torpedoes, and also worked as a mine-layer.
The smaller size of this boat would make it suitable for a larger scale ship model. The hard-chine hull would make scratch-building a model easier as well.
Check out the free ship plans for the Spanish navy mine-layer at TheModelShipwright.com

Free Ship Plan: Steam Tug Hercules

Steam Tug Hercules

Recently, we've been concentrating on Oar-Powered Vessels and Sailing Vessels, so maybe it's time to come back to the 20th Century, and offer a free ship plan of a historic Motor Vessel.

Few motor vessels have more character or make a more handsome ship model than the steam-powered tug boat. As a model ship, these vessels offer a lot of appeal, especially for someone desiring a radio-controlled model. There are even working scale steam engines that can be built into a model tugboat for the ultimate in operating realism.
And what better choice for that ship model than a historic tug such as Hercules? The last remaining ocean-going steam tug on the West Coast, Hercules was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1986. She was was documented as part of the Historic American Engineering Record, a program of the National Park Service. We've brought together the photos and drawings from that survey on our Hercules Plan Page and Hercules Photo Gallery.