CSS Alabama (possible) questions

As other members of the forum will probably tell you, the Revell Alabama kit is actually a heavily modified version of the Kearsarge kit and re-uses many parts from this kit, such as the cannons - hence it is inaccurate in quite a few areas. The hull is also too short (I think) as it is modified from the Kearsarge hull.

However, don't let this put you off - it is still definitely a very nice kit and certainly looks like the Alabama! I definitely intend to build this kit some time in the future, with some scratchbuilding/kitbashing work to "accurise" it as much as possible.
The Revell Alabama kit is certainly a much more accurate representation of its subject than the other Revell "modified and reboxed" kits like the Thermopylae.

Regarding rigging, other forum members will probably be able to give you much better advice on this subject, but if it's anything like the Kearsarge kit, rigging the Alabama is certainly a lot of work! It has taken me nearly 2 weeks to rig my Kearsarge model, even though I simplified the rigging layout considerably.
If you can find another kit of a smaller rigged sailing ship (unfortunately these are hard to find, as only big, famous ships like the Victory, Constitution and Cutty Sark - all with horrendously complex rigging - sell, at least according to kit manufacturers) it might be worthwhile building this first to practice rigging techniques.
Good examples of small ships with (relatively) simple rigging layouts are schooners, brigs, yachts and caravels, there are quite a few good plastic kits (Revell's "Yacht America", Pyro/Lindberg's schooner "Gertrude Thebaud" and the Heller "Nina" and "Pinta" caravels, for example) of these around, but I'm not sure any are still available at retail.

Rigging a ship model is not nearly as hard as it looks once you've got the hang of it (though it is definitely time-consuming), but practice is very useful!

Some advice on painting - with a large-scale model of a ship like this, drybrushing and "washes" are essential (IMHO) to give a realistic appearance, not just to represent weathering but to give a varied and non-uniform appearance to the hull, deck planking, etc.

Zephyr,

I totally share EP's every comment about the Revell Alabama. The biggest problem of the kit is the armement: those guns supplied by the kit are a total junk. Replacing them is a must be. For these, you have two solution: either you may try to scratchbuilt for yourself (I have scanned some correct drawings from a modeler's draught of the ship for late Steve Nuttall in the past months. Let me look for them) or you may buy a superb brass replacement gun set from modelbarrels.com. This is late Mr. Nuttall's website and as he used to produce those replacement sets in limited numbers I'm not sure you may find one. In the case you shall find one set for sale, it will cost you about 80$, just about the price of the kit itself. But what you get is virtually a perfect product that deserves its price.

The Revell Kearsarge and Alabama both appeared initially in 1961.  (My source for the date is, as usual, Dr. Graham's Remembering Revell Model Kits.)  Olde Phogies like me will recall that 1961 was the beginning of the U.S. Civil War Centennial, which saw an enormous amount of public and commercial interest in that conflict.  Revell obviously was trying to capitalize on it.

In Revell's defense, at that time little reliable information about the Alabama was available.  Since then, a surprising amount of additional data has turned up, in the form of some reliable drawings, a builder's model, some documents, and a handful of photographs.  The Naval Institute Press publishes an excellent book that covers (so far as I know) everything that's known about her.  Here's a link:  http://www.usni.org/webstore/shopexd.asp?id=18770

If you do take a look at that book, though, be warned:  it will emphasize just how inaccurate the Revell kit is.

Does no one do a similar book on Kearsarge? Or are any plans availible for Kearsarge in her 1864 fit? I built this kit ca. 1965, and am tempted to try it again, but as her earlier fit (the kit fit is 1888).

Thanks. And no, I'm not trying to hijack the thread....

Weasel

I'm not aware of any book or major article devoted to the Kearsarge.  That really isn't surprising.  She was an attractive, interesting ship, but her period of major importance in naval history lasted a few hours.

A good place to start researching her would be Donald Canney's The Old Steam Navy.  There may be some plans for her in the Smithsonian or the National Archives.  Bluejacket (www.bluejacketinc.com) used to offer a wood kit of her; I don't know how good the plans in that kit were, but the company probably would be willing to sell you a set of them.  I have the impression, though, that the most conveniently available information about her (plans, photos, etc.) dates from the later period.

I've had an Alabama kit on the shelf for quite some time now - still uncertain as to whether I want to build something that looks like the Alabama or use the kit as the basis for building a model of the Kearsarge's sistership the Mohican (they were both built in the Portsmouth Navy Yard to the same hull plan).  One day I might even get around to building it!

Bluejacket Shipcrafters (http://www.bluejacketinc.com/) also has a very complete line of fittings including Brooke and Parrott rifles and 32 pounders that can be used in lieu of the 9" and 11" Dahlgren guns that are supplied with the kit.  If I recall correctly, the Brooke rifle is priced around $4 and the others are priced around $3 so six 32 pounders, a Parrot and a Brooke rifle will cost about $25 plus shipping (you should be able to re-use the kit's gun carriages, so you won't need to buy them) which isn't too outrageous and will provide a closer approximation of the real ship. 

 

Thanks for all the advise and info! Any and all info is welcomed. My motto, if I had a motto, would be "No such thing as too much information", so thanks guys! Keep it coming. I enjoy reading it all

Can I give a tip I tried on my second attempt at the Alabama? It helped enormously in covering up the deck joins.Take the middle and forward deck sections and place 4 or 5 masking tape strips across the top of the join, longitudinally, to pull the sections together as tightly as possible. Make certain the planking marks line up exactly and that there is no step in the join. Then turn it over and cement 5 or 6 pieces of sprue along the underside in a longitudinal direction. This will make a very strong join. When this is dry repeat the process with the stern section. You now have the entire deck together and can paint it. I found it slipped into the hull and stayed there firmly without cementing. When I first built this kit  in 1966 as a 14 year old I followed the Revell instructions for deck assembly and it looked dreadful. I hope this helps. Robert

As an aside about Kearsarge, there is an excellent three part series on her in the Nautical Research Journal, from the December 1999 issue through June 2000. Superb scholarship. I found the  third part about the gun arrangement ( via tracks on decks, etc.) fascinating.

I had the same bug that you i picked the kit up a while ago the biggest issue that i had with the kit is the instructions to where the the prop dropd out of the hull the instructions show a square hole in the hull unfortunatly the reissued kit does not have the hole see attached image besides that it seems to be a neat little build evan thought its not so little

Unlike you, my passion is sailing ships.  I have done many aircraft and WWII warships, though.  I have done the Alabama and she is one of the most prized of my collection and one of my best ever builds.  Do the kit.  You will totally enjoy the challenge.

Dale

In the thread on the appearance of the U.S.S. Kearsarge, EPinninger provided a link to a side-by-side review of the Kearsarge and Alabama kits: http://steelnavy.com/Alabama&Kearsarge.htm which has some good information on the kit.

I was very dissapointed to see from a post above that the re-issued Alabama kit does not provide an opening in the hull for the lifting propeller which I always thought was one of the nicer details in the kit.  I have an older (circa 1974) kit - can anyone with the latest re-issue confirm if the rest of the parts for the liting propeller including the frame for the propeller, the shaft from the main deck down to the opening in the hull and the winch are included in the new kit?

Thanks all.  

Carmike wrote:

In the thread on the appearance of the U.S.S. Kearsarge, EPinninger provided a link to a side-by-side review of the Kearsarge and Alabama kits: http://steelnavy.com/Alabama&Kearsarge.htm which has some good information on the kit. I was very dissapointed to see from a post above that the re-issued Alabama kit does not provide an opening in the hull for the lifting propeller which I always thought was one of the nicer details in the kit.  I have an older (circa 1974) kit - can anyone with the latest re-issue confirm if the rest of the parts for the liting propeller including the frame for the propeller, the shaft from the main deck down to the opening in the hull and the winch are included in the new kit? Thanks all.

Yes all the parts are there, just no hole. Your gona have to do alot of cutting because where the prop slide's down, the distence between the rudder and hull is way to narrow. hope that helps?

EPinniger,

You wrote "However, don't let this put you off - it is still definitely a very nice kit and certainly looks like the Alabama! I definitely intend to build this kit some time in the future, with some scratchbuilding/kitbashing work to "accurise" it as much as possible."

How do you plan to do this "accurise"? I would really like to know how you will modify the hull, as well as any other modifications you plan.

Thanks.

I'm not totally sure, as I don't have the kit yet or any good reference material on this ship. I certainly don't plan on building the Alabama any time in the immediate future as I have so many other modelling projects in progress at the minute.
When/if I do eventually build this kit I'll concentrate on improving or replacing the deck fittings, armament and rig as much as possible (via scratchbuilding) using whatever reference materials and plans I can find. I'll also try and improve the hull details as much as possible. However I probably won't attempt to fix the hull's dimensional inaccuracies - this sort of thing doesn't bother me as much as some, and it is probably beyond my skill anyway!