I have to admit, I like building plank-on-bulkhead sailing ship models. But, as the old adage goes, "Let the buyer beware!"
I never buy a kit without first researching the real ship, even using secondary and tertiary sources. Lately, I have been looking at the Corel kit of the HMS Neptune; the model looks attractive and there are no other kits of 17th century 50-60 gun ships. However, I was disturbed by the kit description of her as being a "50-gun heavy frigate", a term that came into use over a hundred years later. Corel describes this model as representative of the HMS Neptune that ". . . took part in the Battle of La Hogue on 2 June 1692."
Looking at my trusty "Ships of the Line, vol. 1," by Lavery, I found that the HMS Neptune that took part at La Hogue was, in fact, a 90 gun second-rate. She underwent two rebui renamed HMS Torbaylds, the first between 1724 and 1730 as a 90-gun second rate, and the second between 1747 and 1749 as a 74-gun third rate. She finished her life as the 74-gun HMS Torbay in 1784.
In other words, there never was a 50-gun HMS Neptune, as the kit pretends to be! Again, it pays to do your research; let the buyer beware!
Bill