SEARCH FINESCALE.COM

Enter keywords or a search phrase below:

Ark models?

3731 views
14 replies
1 rating 2 rating 3 rating 4 rating 5 rating
  • Member since
    November 2009
  • From: Twin Cities of Minnesota
Ark models?
Posted by Don Stauffer on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 9:18 AM

I see in the latest Squadron Flyer some ship offerings from a company called Ark Models.  One of their offerings is the Shell Welder, which I suspect is a repop.  Anyone know about the other kits?  Anyone know how their quality is?

Don Stauffer in Minnesota

  • Member since
    April 2006
  • From: Denver, Colorado
Posted by waynec on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 10:57 AM

the lightship is also a an old eastern express kit. i picked one up at an auction. they tried to do rubber railings which don't work but at that scale scratchbuilding new ones isn't a problem. will also hae to rebuild the railings on the light platform and add some steel stays to the masts. my house deck is lsightly warped but easy to fix. portholes need to be drilled out and glass added. tghe decals, assuming they don't fall apart, have cutouts for the portholes.. just begs for some lighting.

Никто не Забыт    (No one is Forgotten)
Ничто не Забыто  (Nothing is Forgotten)

 

  • Member since
    March 2006
Posted by TD4438 on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 11:04 AM

I was curious about Ark myself.Especially that 1/500 Royal Sovereign kit.

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 12:08 PM

I saw the same ad.  It looks to me as though most of the ships (including the lightship and the Royal Sovereign) are old Frog kits.  Frog was one of the pioneer British model companies; it was producing kits before WWII.  It went out of business in, if I remember right, the early eighties. The molds apparently have traveled around a lot since.  For a while they were sold by a Russian company called Novo, and some of them did appear under the Eastern Express label.  The old Frog ships aren't bad kits - considering their age.  They were similar to what Airfix was making at the same time.

The Aurora on 1/400 is almost certainly the one that I first saw many years ago in a Heller box; I think Heller got it from a Russian company.  It's a nice kit.  The God's Predestination kit has knocked around for a long time; I forget what company sold it first, but it was another Russian one.  I've never seen it "in the flesh," but those who have say it's not bad - though pretty basic. 

Freetime Hobbies is advertising (as "coming soon") an Ark Models Type VII U-boat on 1/48 scale.  (http://www.freetimehobbies.com/ )  Pretty mind-boggling.  Where this one came from I have no idea.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 12:42 PM

I know for 1/48 aircraft most of their kits are ICM re-boxings. They are releasing a new tool I-16, but haven't heard about the quality yet.

 

 

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
Posted by subfixer on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 4:19 PM

When I read "Ark Models", I thought you guys were referring to the first ship that tankerbuilder served on.

Wink

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

  • Member since
    March 2010
  • From: MN
Posted by Nathan T on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 4:29 PM

Ha! Knee slapper! He only does Commercial ships thoughCool But I guess then Noah was working for God??

 

 

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 10:59 PM

jtilley

Freetime Hobbies is advertising (as "coming soon") an Ark Models Type VII U-boat on 1/48 scale.  (http://www.freetimehobbies.com/ )  Pretty mind-boggling.  Where this one came from I have no idea.

The mind boggles.  I remember--as well as time and age permit--advertizements for a 1/32 U-Boot.  The kit, IIRC, was sold in parts, so that a person might only buy the conning tower, the like.  (I want to remember Loren Perry's magazine detailed the making of the kit into an RC submarine, too).

Mostly. I remember this for thinking that I could buy the island, and kitbash it with one of the several Flakvierlings I had on hand, and mount this on a black-melamine shelf of 6" x 48" and do a dio of a hull-down U-boot.

Will be interesting to see if Ark Models has an inventory off all things, two-by-two . . .

  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 8:44 AM

AW !

  Hey you guys

I do Tankers and yes ,  NOAH and I had a great time figuring out what a CUBIT was !GeekedHuh? Also that got me to thinking Subfixer , Was that you in the picture putting a plank on the Turtle ?

  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 8:45 AM

Oh That One !

You know the biggest problem was where do I put Wooden water and lamp oil tanksIndifferent .There were just so many animals underfoot .Tongue Tied You do know that a shipwright didn't exist back then ? You shoulda seen how hard it was to bend planks back then .

  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 8:55 AM

Hi , Mr Tilley !

  Now I will say this much , I have the Russian release of the " SHELL WELDER " and it is definitely showing it's age mold wise .But I got one thing with it from the person that sent it to me and that was a set of P.E. which I did NOT know existed for that well worn model . My first build of that one is when it was an ICM kit .  Proff . Tilley , this kit brings back a lot of memories and that is why I had to have it . My first Command for the company was one like her that traveled the Mediterranian in the time period .Great little ship and didn't break often  , although her keel had been laid three years after I was born . I was in my late thirties then , when I walked aboard . The Ship was well kept , and I thought her Handsome , if that is the right word .Well Proportioned comes to mind too ..

  • Member since
    March 2004
  • From: Spartanburg, SC
Posted by subfixer on Wednesday, January 8, 2014 12:35 PM

tankerbuilder

AW !

  Hey you guys

I do Tankers and yes ,  NOAH and I had a great time figuring out what a CUBIT was !GeekedHuh? Also that got me to thinking Subfixer , Was that you in the picture putting a plank on the Turtle ?

Recognized me, eh?

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

  • Member since
    January 2005
  • From: Tampa, Florida, USA
Posted by steves on Thursday, January 9, 2014 3:52 PM

CapnMac82

The mind boggles.  I remember--as well as time and age permit--advertizements for a 1/32 U-Boot.  The kit, IIRC, was sold in parts, so that a person might only buy the conning tower, the like.  (I want to remember Loren Perry's magazine detailed the making of the kit into an RC submarine, too).

There were two 1/32 Type VII kits that I am aware of:

  The first was by a now-gone company called 32nd Parallel and was designed for RC.  They offered the basic kit as well as running gear and working torpedoes.  They also produced a schnellboot, a German military hydroplane that was either fictional or a proposed design that never reached production, and (if MY memory serves) a Gato class US sub - all in 1/32 scale.  They were multi-media kits that featured ABS hulls, vacuformed parts and cast metal detail sets.

The second, more recent, Type VII was a very expensive resin kit produced by Andrea Miniatures of Spain.  They also offered a separate kit of the conning tower.

I think that there was also a 1/35 waterline resin model produced a few years ago.

Steve Sobieralski, Tampa Bay Ship Model Society

  • Member since
    November 2005
  • From: Formerly Bryan, now Arlington, Texas
Posted by CapnMac82 on Thursday, January 9, 2014 11:15 PM

steves

The second, more recent, Type VII was a very expensive resin kit produced by Andrea Miniatures of Spain.  They also offered a separate kit of the conning tower.

I think that there was also a 1/35 waterline resin model produced a few years ago.

VLS/Verlinden had a 1/35 "U-Boat" conning tower, if creaky memory serves.  I also want to remember that it was a VII, a VIIB, maybe.  But, in near-solid resin would be a pain to bash into different varieties of U-Boot.

  • Member since
    August 2008
Posted by tankerbuilder on Tuesday, January 14, 2014 9:39 AM

YES !

And if you look carefully at any really good picture of the Langley You will see me , big smile in place next to the lady swinging the champagne at her launch ! He! He! He!

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY!

Our community is FREE to join. To participate you must either login or register for an account.

SEARCH FORUMS
FREE NEWSLETTER
By signing up you may also receive reader surveys and occasional special offers. We do not sell, rent or trade our email lists. View our Privacy Policy.