French Rigging 1744 vs 1770s

Thanks for the help, I think I'll use the plans I have. It is a small model 1/133, so I will not be going for super detail, just a good looking and reasonabley accurate model.

I think if you follow your plans it will be without question a fine model.

I was hoping to avoid buying the plans, as I already have the 1744 ones, that I found.  If I can avoid spending $60 or $70, I can spend it on other models.

In terms of rigging, it's beyond me to  comment. Only that frigates of that era (latter half of the eighteenth century) in France/ Spain and England seem to be rigged  with three sails on the masts, a spanker sail and stay sails, much like our Constitution.

But a big difference seems to be that before 1744 most French frigates in the 8 pounder class had the gun deck below the weather deck, whereas after the mid-century they were designed with a weather/ gun deck.

The Lindberg model is in the first category.

Yikes!  I suspect there were some fairly noticeable changes, but I have no idea what they may have been.  I can suggest two courses of action.  One - order the plan package for La Flore from the Association des Amis de Musee Marine.  Two - if you've got a good library nearby, see if you can get hold of the books by Jean Boudriot (the reigning expert on French 18th-century naval architecture.

In all honesty, though, if you rig the model according to your 1744 plans I don't think anybody from anywhere other than France will see anything wrong with it.  I certainly won't.

Good luck.