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Napoleonic ships

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  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Thursday, November 3, 2005 9:38 PM
I've only seen the Skytrex Victory, but on the basis of the instructions I gather the other ships in the range are done similarly.

The kit consists of a hull casting (beautiful), a few additional white metal detail castings (in this case the poop deck, the boats, and a framework-like part that represents the beams in the waist), a set of white metal spars, and a small photo-etched brass sheet containing the sails and "shroud-and-ratline" assemblies. The whole thing is surrounded by bubble-pack inside a sturdy box. I ordered mine over the web; it came in a reasonable amount of time in fine shape.

It looks to me like the kit would produce an excellent model for wargaming right out of the box. If I ever get around to it, I'll more likely do it for display purposes - and replace everything from the deck up. The masts and yards bend awfully easily (probably an advantage for wargamers). Making the sails out of brass was a clever idea; they have reef points etched in relief, and they can be shaped to look like they're full of wind. But there's no way to make them translucent. I've been playing around with the idea of making sails out of drafting vellum, or some other extremely thin, slightly translucent paper. (I don't want to be able to see through the sails. I do want them to show the effect of backlighting, which makes shapes behind the sail appear in silhouette on it.)

Using photo-etched brass for the shrouds and ratlines was also a neat idea, I think. (They even provided the lower futtock shrouds.) These aren't the finest photo-etched parts I've ever seen (the designer missed the opportunity to make the ratlines skinnier than the shrouds), but they're not bad. Again, the designer probably had the wargamer most in mind; the slightly-oversized brass shrouds and ratlines, super-glued to the white metal masts, probably would produce a model that could stand fairly rough handling on the gaming table. I'm inclined to think they'll look a little clumsy, but I don't want to pass judgment on them till I give them a try.

The biggest problem is those white metal masts and yards. (The lower yards have "furled" sails cast integrally with them; the photo-etched sheet only contains the topsails, topgallants, and headsails.) They're really, really soft, and each mast is molded in one piece from deck to truck. (The tops, crosstrees, etc. are kind of blobby.) My intention is to replace them with wood and/or brass.

The instructions are generic (I gather one sheet is used for all the kits), but pretty good. They offer some sensible advice about rigging the model and mounting it on a base, and there's a nice series of drawings illustrating the color schemes for the various nations at different dates.

All in all, it's a nice kit. I'd go so far, in fact, as to call it the fourth most realistic Victory kit that's come to my attention - after Calder, Heller, and Revell (in that order). It beats either of the Airfix offerings, and certainly would form a better basis for a serious scale model than any of those expensive continental "plank-on-bulkhead" kits. Highly recommended.

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

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Greenville,Michigan
Posted by millard on Thursday, November 3, 2005 6:33 PM
Jtilley
i looked around at Skytrex last night also.I found thier site vague too.From your Victory kit what do you suspect your going to have to scratch build?Yes I noticed some of the kits available. Some really diiferent ones which would of be of great interest to me.How are the instruction with the Skytrex kit?Thanks for your imput always appreciated.
Rod
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Thursday, November 3, 2005 12:31 AM
Haven't seen them. The website is disappointingly vague - though the few pictures on it do look pretty good.

I do have, in my "to be built" stash, an H.M.S. Victory in 1/700 from the British firm Skytrex. It's an impressive little model. It has a beautiful cast white metal hull (one of the most accurate renditions of the Victory's 1805 configuration in kit form - complete with raised forecastle bulwarks), and photo-etched brass sails, shrouds, and ratlines. It's designed primarily for wargamers, but deserves to be taken seriously as a scale model. My intention (when and if I get around to it) is to toss the brass sails (thin paper, I think, would be better - if for no othe reason than that it's translucent) and the white metal masts and yards (too flexible). Those aren't criticisms; the sturdy brass sails and flexible metal spars probably would be preferable for wargaming. I've been playing around with the idea of putting the Victory on the same base as H.M.S. Hood on the same scale.

The Skytrex line contains quite a few Napoleonic period warships of different nations - including the U.S. (I know of no other U.S.S. Chesapeake in kit form.) On the basis of the one example I've bought, I recommend these kits strongly.

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

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Greenville,Michigan
Napoleonic ships
Posted by millard on Wednesday, November 2, 2005 8:33 PM
Anyone in the group worked with or seen Rod Langton 1:300 scale Napoleonic models.www.rodlangton.com in person.They come with resin hulls,brass sails ,and photo etch ratlines.I know they use them for gaming.But they look well detailed.I know he's located in England.I'm trying to find out what all comes in one of his kits.How much has to be scratch built etc.
Rod
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