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Just for Fun
Every model builder secretly longs to own the real thing. Occasionally, someone comes close to making that dream a reality.
William Terra of Maine has done just that, scratch building a 1/20 scale model of the Admiral Graf Spee. The hull of the ship was built like a canoe, with fiberglass covering a layer of basswood strips, each measuring one inch by 4 inches. The ship measures 30 feet in length with a beam of 52 inches and an unloaded weight of 700 pounds. It even includes concealed seating for two people. A 15hp outboard engine, located under the rear gun turret, gives a maximum speed of 15mph.
Mr. Terra enjoys his music, so this Graf Spee comes equipped with an onboard music system. The sounds of Wagner, a personal favorite of Mr. Terra, often echo across the lakes of Maine as this miniature battlecruiser motors by.
The pictures in this article show the Graf Spee as she appeared in 2002, after 4 years of construction. At that time, Mr. Terra estimated that it would require two more years to complete the ship. Mr. Terra appears in the pictures, piloting the Graf Spee on a local lake. He would like to see more models in this scale, but for now this German battlecruiser remains one of a kind.
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