USS Constitution

A friend showed up last week with a new US boxed Constitution in work. (just saw the boat with cannon installed on the lower deck. The parts were amazing! Cannon barrels were round, flush seams, matched, no flash, great fit. He said that the molds were now in China and had been reworked. I haven't had any opportunity to pursue this 'story', but I saw his boat under construction and it looked better than any I've seen.

I'd forego the ROG Constitution if this is true.

Anyone out there hear about a Chinese Constitution? 

Regarding the Model Shipways instructions - in addition to the differences in scales, remember that the MS kit (which seems to be an excellent one, though I've never actually seen the inside of the box) represents the ship as she appeared in 1998, after many extensive renovations.  The Revell kit is a reconstruction (a mighty good one, in my opinion) of her 1814 configuration.  Revell worked from the plans drawn by George Campbell, one of the best in the business, on commission from the Smithsonian.  The Model Shipways plans were drawn by Ben Lankford, also one of the best in the business, on the basis of the ship's appearance at the time when he was working on them.  There are quite a few differences between her 1814 and 1998 configurations - including armament, ornamentation, deck furniture, spar plan, etc., etc. 

Mr. Tilley and others.

thank you for the prompt reply. I will just choose one and go with it at some point. I love that Model Shipways USS Con, but I am afraid that that would be too overload for me. 

Thanks again everyone !

Donnie 

I strongly advise anybody undertaking a project like this not to start worrying in advance about replacement blocks, deadeyes, etc.  In the first place - you won't need them for several months.  In the second place - how many, and what sizes, you need depends to a huge extent on how thorough a rigging job you want to do, and you shouldn't make that decision till you've had time to study the kit, do some research in other sources, and think carefully about it.  (To install every single line that was on the real ship in 1814 would require well over a thousand blocks and deadeyes.  Most modelers don't take it that far.)  In the third place - those things cost quite a bit of money.  The total outlay for aftermarket parts for that model, if you do even a reasonably thorough job of rigging it, will run well over $100.  There's no earthly reason to buy all those aftermarket parts at the same time. 

When you do decide what you want to buy, I recommend the Britannia metal blocks and deadeyes from Bluejacket (www.bluejacketinc.com). 

cthulhu77 wrote:

... which you are going to want to replace anyway. ...

Is there a list, that you know of, stating size, type and counts of blocks and deadeyes so these can be ordered?

  I've built both, one of the ROG kits is about halfway done right now...the disparity in parts count is nothing to worry about, as the added parts are some of the block and deadeyes, which you are going to want to replace anyway. The ROG kit certanly has more flash than the American version, but the plastic is not as soft, and I had no warping problems with it at all.  I'd say it's a toss up...but I agree with JT's advice, find one on sale. Be ready to replace all of the masts!

   I picked mine up at a HobbyLobby sale for 50% off.  It does go together slowly, though!

                                Greg

I've always been curious of this myself, besides the parts count difference, the skill level, length, and price are also different according the some sites. I have to believe their the same, and therefore buy the much cheaper Revell Monogram if i wanted a brand new off the shelf kit..but thats just me.

I'm at least 90 percent sure that the German and American kits come from the same molds.  Any disparity in the parts counts probably resulted from somebody miscounting - not terribly surprising, given how many parts are in that kit.

I've read quite a few complaints in the last couple of years about Revell Constitutions made of cheap, rubbery plastic with lots of flash, warpage, etc.  I think the complaints about the German one have been more frequent, but I suspect the American one has more than its share of problems.  This is, after all, a 40-year-old kit, and Revell does not have a good reputation for quality control.

If I were in the market for one of these kits, my first step, frankly, would be to check e-bay for a bargain price on an older one.  Failing that, I'd probably buy the cheapest new one I could find - and hope for the best.

Caveat:  I haven't actually looked at the contents of one of those boxes for quite a few years.  I imagine some Forum members who've bought the kits recently will have some relevant comments.