Finished My USS Constitution

Jake

Very nice work!

So rare to see a 1/96 actually completed.. Wonderful.

I agree.  Never seen one actually built.  It turned out very nice.

This model came with plastic sails. What was the reason why these sails were not included in the model build ? Does attaching these sails detract from the overall quality of the model ?

Hi Anthony,

You have the option of building the model with sails and without. I chose without because I like to see the rigging.  I have never cared for the plastic sails that are full and drawn when the model is sitting still and they hide the rigging. Another is the thin plastic ratlines, I prefer to hand tie mine, takes a LOT more time but makes the model look much better in my opinion. If I had decided to put sails on it, they would have been furled to the yards.

It is in my opinion a very good kit with a decent amount of detail. There is always the fight over the ‘correct color scheme’, deck parts placement and stern decoration. This model represents the 1812 configuration with the solid mid-ships bulwarks and the tall carved entry points as she was on display in Boston about 7 years back. Few modelers think to do this version. The only issue I have are the gun port doors; the original research for the model was based on plans that were at the Smithsonian and the Peabody Museum, so the one piece doors are correct, but I was unsure as to exactly when they changed to a two piece configuration.  I’ve build the model with the door drilled and cut in half already.  You would think that with all the cottage industries we have in the market, someone would come up with some resin parts to modify these – hell may I will ain’t that hard!

During the current re-fit, I understand they have removed the solid bulwarks and replaced them with the iron and rigged stations.

Oh I love it. You have done a fantastic job on her. You should be very happy.....Cheers mark

Thanks Guys, good to be back in the hobby again. Now I get to focus on my '60 GMC for a bit.

Not only is the ship great, your model photography is excellent!

I like your CONSTITUTION build, although the kit is a copy of the actual ship in Boston. I have the Revel kit for a future build and would like to present this kit as the CONSTITUTION appeared before the War 0f 1812, based in the painting by Michel Come, which was painted sometime during 1803-1804. With help from the book "Anatomy of the Ship' series, "The 44-Gun Frigate USS CONSTITUTION" by Karl Heinz Marquardt, this build should be a close representation of the original ship.

As a side note, how does one post pictures on as thread ? Ever since the format of FSM forum was changed, I could not figure out how to post photos. Any help ?

Nice build, excellent job on the rigging!

Mike

That is seriously nice.Well done.

You need to first post your pictures on a hosting site, such as photo-bucket.  I put these on facebook, once on facebookk I right clicked the picture, clicked on "properties" copied the phonto link and then on the FSM post, I pasted the link in the pic. icon.

Big Jake, she is a beauty. Thanks for sharing her!

Very nice build Jake. I've got a couple sailing ships in the stash and you are making me think about bringing them out and working on them.

Jim

Good idea with the Facebook link, Jake. I never would have thought of that. Now maybe I can post pictures with my IPhone. Thanks!

Your Constitution looks very, very good. I wish I had space to display one, I think yours is very inspiring to try one myself.

Now THAT is really impressive.

Very nice work.I had that kit 25 years ago,I never built it.

crackers

I like your CONSTITUTION build, although the kit is a copy of the actual ship in Boston. I have the Revel kit for a future build and would like to present this kit as the CONSTITUTION appeared before the War 0f 1812, based in the painting by Michel Come, which was painted sometime during 1803-1804. With help from the book "Anatomy of the Ship' series, "The 44-Gun Frigate USS CONSTITUTION" by Karl Heinz Marquardt, this build should be a close representation of the original ship.

This is not quite correct.  The 1/96 Revell kit was patterned after the famous Hull model and is close to the actual 1812 configuration out of the box.  The smaller 1/196 Revell kit was based on the 1930 restoration and had the higher bulwarks and three-window stern.  The most recent restoration attempted to return the actual ship to the 1812 configuration and cut the bulwarks back down again, among other changes.

Mark

RedCorvette isn't exactly incorrect about the origins of the 1/96 Revell kit, but there was one "step" between the old "Isaac Hull model" and the Revell version.  

Sometime back in (I think) the late fifties or early sixties the Smithsonian Institution decided to commission a 1/48-scale model of the ship as she appeared during the War of 1812. The resulting model (which used to be prominently displayed in the National Museum of American History, but which I haven't seen for many years) was built by a firm called (I think) the Arthur L. Henning Company.  I know nothing more about that company.  The plans were drawn, again on commission from the Smithsonian, by the distinguished draftsman George Campbell.  (He also drew the plans of H.M.S. Victory that were published with C.N. Longridge's Anatomy of Nelson's Ships, and the famous plans for the Cutty Sark that were used in one of her restorations.  (Mr. Campbell was, I believe, in charge of that project.)

The Revell kit was based on Mr. Campbell's plans.  (Revell said so on the side of the original box.)  Mr. Campbell quite clearly studied the "Hull Model" all right (thank goodness), but that model is, as has been noted many times in this Forum, extremely crude; the Revell kit is a reconstruction of the ship's 1814 configuration, making allowances for the inaccuracies and crudities of the "Hull Model" - and the limitations of the mass-market model manufacturing process.

Those Campbell plans (and the Revell kit) surely represented the best current  (mid-1960s) thinking about what the ship looked like during her glory days.  Since those days a great deal of additional research about the ship has been done, and quite a bit of new information has been unearthed.  The result has been some criticism of the Campbell plans and the Revell kit.  I'm sure most of those criticisms have been justified.  To my notion, though, the Revell kit has held up mighty well.  It certainly can serve as the basis for an outstanding scale model - as has been demonstrated quite a few times here in the Forum. 

Beautiful work Jake!  My Constitution is calling but I must fight the urge........  I hope mine turns out as well as yours someday.

Steve

Wonderful build!  Does anyone else think there should be some sort of award from the scale model communtity or may be even Revell for finishing one of these?

I second that motion. You should get something besides the satisfaction of completion. Revell could use it to their advantage to sell more.

See! It can be done!

That would be quite the honor, but I think they will say NO. Because they would have to figure out what to do about the shrouds and ratlines, might cost them sales as well! Scare off th emarket;)?  There is MUCH to be said of modelers who can use them, I've seen beautiful model of the ship (Les Wilkins USS United States in his book on building Plastic Ship Models) I just am a bit old school.   Maybe IF Revell could figure out how to do them in a thicker material?

I don't there would be a problem if it was a strict out -of- the- box build.  However, did you not mention adding custom made shrouds, ratlines and other little goodies here and there?   That would cause them heartburn about using the model for box art.  Remember a while back when model companies went to crappy photos moving away from the stunning box art by John Steele and others?

I think I said that ;).  Another point is the lack of something to represent the hammocks in the netting and stantions along the top of the bulwarks.  I'm make hundreds of incerts from clay to fill mine.  If you have seen of built the HMS Victory by Heller, you get this as a part of the kit.  I also addes netting to the Mast top platform railing, because the ship has them.  

But aside of ALL of the above, the kit being produced in 1956 was ONE HELL OF A STEP UP. from every other model on the shelves and I'm glad we have it.

The was the 4th. one I've built in 30 years for customers. rpobaly won't be the last.

Most capital!

A fine build!

The shrouds are well done!

I wish my "crew" had the ability to make such shrouds.

cs.finescale.com/.../151297.aspx

FLOG THEM! and hold off on the GROG, some Capt you are ;)

BEAUTIFUL! I have this model in stash. I hope to make half as nice as yours.

Outstanding, just simply outstanding.