Motor torpedo boats are among the most popular small warship subjects for modellers. They are fast, purposeful-looking and compact, and they work well both as detailed static models and as fast radio-controlled boats. This guide covers the main types, where to find model MTB and motor torpedo boat plans, how to check a “free download PDF” before trusting it, and what to consider when building one in wood.
MTB, PT boat, S-boat: what the names mean
The terms overlap, so it helps to know what you are searching for:
- MTB (Motor Torpedo Boat) is the British and Commonwealth term. Well-known builders included Vosper and the British Power Boat Company, and Fairmile designs were also used.
- PT boat (Patrol Torpedo boat) is the US Navy term. The best-known types were built by Elco and Higgins, and both appear in PT boat model kits.
- S-boat (Schnellboot) was the German type, larger than most Allied boats and built with a rounded hull form for rougher seas. See our 1/35 Schnellboot build for one in plastic.
- MAS boats were the Italian equivalent.
Related types such as motor gunboats (MGBs) and motor launches often shared hulls or builders with MTBs, so plans for one may help with another.
Popular subjects for model torpedo boat plans
Some boats appear far more often in plans and kits than others, largely because of their fame and the amount of reference available:
- Elco 80 ft PT boats, including PT-109
- Higgins 78 ft PT boats
- Vosper 70 ft and later MTBs
- British Power Boat Company MTBs and MGBs
- German S-boats
Choosing a well-documented boat makes it much easier to find plans, photographs and fittings.
Where to find MTB and PT boat plans
Free plans and PDFs (and spotting spam)
Searches for “wooden model torpedo boat plans free download PDF” return a lot of pages that are not genuine. Common warning signs:
- document-sharing pages with titles made of random words or strings
- sites that ask you to install a downloader or browser extension
- “download” buttons that lead to surveys or sign-up forms
- many unrelated “free plans” listed on the same page
Genuine free plans usually come from a named source: a modelling magazine plan sheet, a club library, a forum member’s own drawings, or an enthusiast or veterans’ group sharing reference. Some original naval drawings of wartime boats are held by national archives and museums, and enthusiast groups sometimes publish redrawn versions. If you find a plan on an image-sharing site, try to trace it to its original source.
Paid plans and kit plans
Model boat plan services and specialist designers sell MTB and PT boat plans, often drawn for RC construction with bulkhead patterns included. Wooden and plastic kits are another route: several manufacturers have produced PT boats, Vosper MTBs and S-boats in scales from 1:72 up to large RC sizes. Kit instructions and parts are not a full plan set, but they can be a useful starting point.
Reference to check against
Whatever plan you use, check it against photographs. Published histories and monographs on Coastal Forces and PT boats contain photographs and sometimes drawings. Museum boats and surviving restored boats are also excellent reference if you can visit one.
What a good torpedo boat plan should show
Torpedo boat hulls are mostly hard-chine planing forms, so a good plan should show:
- Accurate sections that show the chine line and the shape of the bottom panels from bow to transom
- Profile and deck plan with the positions of the bridge, gun mounts, torpedo tubes or launching racks, and engine room hatches
- Armament and fit for a specific date. Many boats were rearmed several times. A plan should state which boat and which period it represents.
- Details of the transom, rudders and propellers, which are visible on display models
If you need help interpreting the sections and profile, our guide on how to read a model ship lines plan explains how the views fit together.
Choosing a scale
Torpedo boats are small ships, which gives you flexibility:
- 1:72 is popular for plastic kits and compact static models.
- 1:48 and 1:35 suit detailed static models, and at these sizes many boats become large enough for RC.
- 1:24 and larger produce big RC models with plenty of room for motors and batteries.
If your plan is at a different scale from the one you want, see how to scale model boat plans up or down. Remember that changing the scale changes the weight a working model must carry by much more than its length.
Building a wooden MTB hull from plans
A common approach for a wooden torpedo boat hull is plank-on-bulkhead with sheet sides and bottom:
- Make bulkhead templates from the sections, allowing for the thickness of the hull skin. Our guide to transferring model boat plans to wood covers this step.
- Assemble bulkheads on a keel on a flat building board, checking each is square and that the chine notches line up.
- Add chine stringers and a sheer stringer to support the skin edges.
- Fair the framework so sheet material lies flat across it.
- Skin the hull with thin plywood or sheet, or strip-plank the curved forward sections where the bottom twists.
- Seal and finish the hull. For RC use, many builders apply thin glass cloth and resin.
Hard-chine hulls are generally easier to build than round-bilge hulls because flat or gently curved panels can be cut from sheet.
Running one as an RC model
An MTB built for the water is a fast model, which brings its own considerations:
- Weight control. Planing hulls need to be light. Keep superstructure and fittings light and avoid unnecessary ballast.
- Balance. The fore-and-aft balance point affects how the hull planes. Builders often test with the battery in different positions before fixing it.
- Watertight hatches. Spray at speed is significant. Seal hatches and the deck edge well.
- Detail survival. Fine fittings such as guns and aerials may not survive regular running, so some builders make them removable.
- Club rules. Some clubs have speed or noise rules on shared ponds, so check before running a fast boat.
For other vessel types and general advice on choosing and checking plans, see our main guide to model ship plans.