Looking For a Beginner Ship

EdGrune - I know this is an old thread, but i was searching for "beginners ships"... great tip with the SMS Emden, different type, era than the usual.. will add it to my list thanks!

I'm adding another ship to my list of good ships for beginners. In addition to the Tamiya Fletcher and the Trumpeter England I'm adding the SMS Emden light cruiser, recently re-released by Revell of Germany. While it too is 1:350 scale, it is just a bit smaller than the Fletcher and is about the same size as the England. It is a WWI subject and can be painted in either the wartime gray or an attractive pre-war light gray and buff livery. The hull has some very well done engraving which represents the hull plating. It is half the price of either the Tamiya or Trumpeter offerings. Gold Medal Models makes a photoetch set for it. The set is not as complex as the Fletcher or England sets but will provide some experience in PE installation. Vectorcut makes a laser-engraved wooden replacement deck for it too should you decide to go the whole hog. The kit instructions also provide the complex turn-of-the-century rigging which may be daunting to a novice ship modeler. But attempting it may provide the knowledge bridge to cross the gap between full-rigged wooden ships and ships of the steel era.

MrMorbid wrote:

Hey I'm looking for a beginner ship... The bigger the better sail, or warship... Any help would be greatly appreciated...

The best warship to start with would be the Tamiya 1/350 USS Fletcher. You could build it right out of the box or purchase brass detail sets to make it into a first rate model. The different types of weapons systems and rigging of this ship offer just enough variety to hone your techniques without being too complex and frustrating. The size is small enough to start out with but not so small as to cause assembly and painting difficulties for a beginner. You could move on from there to any of the Dragon/DML 1/350 more modern USN ships or the Trumpeter Sovremenny. All have plenty of sources of photo-etch upgrades IF you want them but all will making a satisfying display without them. WS

Go out and get either the 1/72 type 7C or the type7C 41 Atlantic from revell gremany vary nice kits and big ive built both.

T_Terrific wrote:

Honestly, from my experience, for a beginner ship, I would try a submarine or an aircraft carrier, since they tend to have simple decks with a minimum of details to frustrate you for an early try. Also, with a good carrier kit, you can play with aftermarket aircraft if you feel like modifying the model later. As you go into other surface vessels, the more modern steam-driven warships are less fatiguing then the sailing types, which are generally considered the most difficult and can involve buying special looms to make the ratlines, etc. OK? Tom

 

Actually I thought about doing a sub... But didn't put it in the original thread... The U-Boats look cool... 

 

Honestly, from my experience, for a beginner ship, I would try a submarine or an aircraft carrier, since they tend to have simple decks with a minimum of details to frustrate you for an early try.

Also, with a good carrier kit, you can play with aftermarket aircraft if you feel like modifying the model later.

As you go into other surface vessels, the more modern steam-driven warships are less fatiguing then the sailing types, which are generally considered the most difficult and can involve buying special looms to make the ratlines, etc.

OK?

Tom