La chaloupe armée en guerre
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This launch would have been stowed on the gangway of a vessel. She was used for all sorts of work: anchoring, ferrying men to the shore, provisioning, etc … She also served during wartime manoeuvres. In this latter case, she was armed with a large calibre canon designed to fire stone instead of iron shot. A special structure was installed to take this temporary artillery. The interest in this model is derived from a launch fitted out for warfare. For more information, see the monograph by Gérard Delacroix (published by A.N.C.R.E) |
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This model is the work of Pierre Maillière.
It was this original model which Gérard Delacroix later took as the basis for his extremely detailed monograph.
My father started work in 1980. As for the Comète, he had to do a lot of research. The plan came from the 1834 Atlas du Génie Maritime. Subsequently, observation of different launches at the maritime museum permitted him to put together a coherent architecture to fit the elements of the frame necessary to fix the runners and the gun carriage. The abundant correspondence with Jean Boudriot was equally indispensible and productive for the success of his research.
This model is in pear.
The frame is constructed in the traditional manner with each member consisting of a floor timber and two futtocks. The assemblies were then fitted together on a wooden support, the keel uppermost.
- The 24 pound canon was turned on a lathe.
- The stone shot was worked with a bench grinder.
- The various metal parts are in brass.
- The ropework on the canon is in flax.