(What I did to) Sirius by Heller/Zvezda

I'm your ally from Europe (Poland, Warsaw).
I've meassured the model: ship is about 55 cm long (with bowsprit) and c. 35 cm height (with baseboard).
I did also Santa Maria by Revell. Will upload the pics soon.
I've got also few kits im my basement: e.g wooden HMMV Convulsion by Caldercraft, USS Constitution (Revell, big one) and some others. Now I think of taking a challenge with (of? sorry for my English) a wooden one.

Jules

Thanks,

Sorry about the close up pictures, (cheap CPU camera) works great on distance shots but I have not figured out how to get nice close up shots.

Habe you done other ship? send a few pictures. I'm in New Orlean , LA. Where are you from?

Jake

I'll measure the ship later.
Almost all of the ship model kit are out scale but yes Hellers grain looks great - and somehow realistic.
You did a great job on your Cutty Sark! (the pics can be more sharp, they're quite fuzzy).
As far as I know there are only few kits with not one-piece-molded (how to call it?) blocks and ratlines - all by Heller - Soleil Royal, Victory etc.

Do not buy the brigantine - its a poor kit. The best of all those old Hellers kits is Pourquoi-pas. This kit is based on a REAL ship.

Jules

I like what you did with the shrouds and rigging. What are the dimentions (LxH)?

I have been thinking of gettign the Brigatine but have not decided.

The issue of whether Heller are better than revell Deck can lead us both into a serious discussion. It truly depends on a scale. Some models look bettern than others, Hellers Victory look great but the grain is WAY out of scale, but again it look great! Check out the following pic in my web shots album and let me know what you think?


http://community.webshots.com/user/jbgroby

Look in the Cutty Sark Album on page 1 under #6 eyebolts, the photo is not 100% sharp but you can still see the wood grain in the deck, It depends on how treat it.

Jake

I've added some new pics. So check it out.

Story so far - this is old Heller (reboxed now by Zvezda) kit dated probably from late 50s or 60s. This kit is rather poor detailed - especially as for 1/100 scale one. This kit is also a variation on an another Heller/Zvezda kit - Porquoi-pas (same hull halves and most of the fittings). Pourquoi-pas was the earliest kit and the next ones: Sirius, Brigantine and some other are only "variations" on that kit. Pourquoi-pas was the ship from 1908 and Sirius was from 1838; but Sirius kit has the fittings from Pourquoi-pas...

My idea was to change steam ship Sirius into a Prussian steam corvette from the 1830-40s. My ship is a mixture of original Sirius kit and some parts (stern plate, bow) from above mentioned Pourquoi-pas. The deck is originally engraved (btw Heller produces much better decks than e.g. Revell). Most of the fittings are wooden ones (blocks, gun carriages etc.) designed to card model of.... HMS Victory (but the scale is ok). The masts and spars are from the kit but rearranged into a proper look.

References were: "Paddle warships" and few more books (not at hand at the moment).

Jules

I got a bunch of Questions.

1. How did you find the quality of the kit?
2. Did it have a lot of detail, were the decks engraved?
3. When you rigged the deadeyes, did you have any problems?

The mast and yards look O.K., how big was the yards in inches. I have been thinking of gadding this to my collection.

Thanks
Jake

I've changed the link. Hope now it is fixed.

Jules

Check your link, I got "page not found".

Jake