Question about the Academy Cutty Sark

I have the Academy Cutty Sark kit # 1406 in 1/350 scale.

Is this the one you are inquiring about?

If so, it is indeed a mid 60's tooling but not the Aurora. It is the ex- Pyro Cutty Sark kit.  I bought this kit at Hobby Lobby some time back and posted here about it.

It's not a bad little kit but it definitely shows it's age.

If your interested, I can post some pictures of it , just let me know.

Adrian A.

Thanks! that would be a great help!

No problem philo.

I'm no expert by any means on this ship, but I have found that it is the ex Pyro / Life-Like & I believe the ex  Lindberg issue.  

The hull length is approximately 7 3/4" long from tip to rudder. Detail is a bit heavy and the bow seems to have a mold defect that I have seen in several different pics.

Mold defect (?) on the bow.

Four sprues of parts - 2 brown hull, mast & deck parts and 2 white sail, spar and ratline parts.

Comparison between Academy & Minicraft 1/350 Cutty Sark hulls.

Academy & Minicraft kits side by side -

Hope this helps.

Let me know if you need more.

Adrian

Thanks for posting the pics!

This brings up a wants list item.  Small sailing ship models really cry out for photo etched shroud/ratline assemblies.  There is virtually no other method of doing them well.  I picked up one set of generic ones at the Nats, but it sure would be nice if one of the bigger PE firms, (WEM, Toms, etc) would make sets for specific ships.

It is also a shame that the small scale sailing ships seem to be disappearing.  1:600 was big, with both Airfix and Heller making them.  So I applaud Academy for doing the 350 CS.

No problem Philo.  If you want any more pics, let me know.

Don, I have the Alliance Modelworks PE ratline set & it's really nice.  I don't know if that's the generic one you mentioned in your post or not. I intend to use it if I ever get around to building the Cutty Sark & Constellation.

Although I haven't used it yet, I'd recommend it to anyone building a 1/350 sailing ship.

Is this the one you mentioned?

In regards to your comment on the 1/600 Airfix & Heller kits - I don't have any Airfix that small (I think my HMS Shannon is close though - 1/450 - 1/500 maybe?)

I do have two of the Heller 1/600 kits - Le Phenix & La Couronne. Both are pretty nice little kits but I'd have to give the nod to Le Phenix because of the vac formed sails.

I'd have to say that my Heller 1/500 Le Superbe is without a doubt the best detailed small scale sailing ship kit that I have.  The surface detail is really nice, much better than either the 1/600 kits or the 1/350 kits.  If it had vac sails like the Le Phenix kit, it would be close to perfect IMHO.

I've been looking for some 1/500 - 1/600 PE ratlines for these kits before I start but I haven't found any yet. 

Adrian

Tnonk

No problem Philo.  If you want any more pics, let me know.

Don, I have the Alliance Modelworks PE ratline set & it's really nice.  I don't know if that's the generic one you mentioned in your post or not. I intend to use it if I ever get around to building the Cutty Sark & Constellation.

Although I haven't used it yet, I'd recommend it to anyone building a 1/350 sailing ship.

Is this the one you mentioned?

-  Yes, that appears to be the one.

In regards to your comment on the 1/600 Airfix & Heller kits - I don't have any Airfix that small (I think my HMS Shannon is close though - 1/450 - 1/500 maybe?)

I do have two of the Heller 1/600 kits - Le Phenix & La Couronne. Both are pretty nice little kits but I'd have to give the nod to Le Phenix because of the vac formed sails.

I'd have to say that my Heller 1/500 Le Superbe is without a doubt the best detailed small scale sailing ship kit that I have.  The surface detail is really nice, much better than either the 1/600 kits or the 1/350 kits.  If it had vac sails like the Le Phenix kit, it would be close to perfect IMHO.

I've been looking for some 1/500 - 1/600 PE ratlines for these kits before I start but I haven't found any yet. 

 

Adrian

I also built the Heller Le Superbe, and agree that it is a very nice kit. I particularly like the Superbe, and have also built the 1:150 or whatever scale that was, and am building a large wooden kit (I believe 1:90), one of those Spanish imports, of le Superbe.  Major work- probably take several years- I build it in spurts, working on plastic between spurts.