R.M.S. Mauretania finished (pics)

Fred,

What a beautiful model!  The detail is superb.  I see what you mean about the stanchions...my God, they go on forever...!

The rigging really came out great, it really stands out, especially the funnel guys.

I originally saw your post earlier today at work , but they block the photos, and I can only read the text.   So I had to check this out first thing tonight when I got home.  Is this kit still in production/available?  Was Mauritania a sister to Titanic?

very nicely done. Is this a sister ship to the Titanic? The hull looks somewhat like that of the Titanic.

Peewee

Very nice! And your rigging looks great, especially in that scale.

I'm going to have to remember your idea of using spent cartridge cases for finials, they look great and I can probably get all I want from the local gun range.

Thanks everyone,

As far as I know, Airfix is out of business and this kit has been out of production for a long time. It has been sitting in my stash for about ten years.

She was smaller than the Titanic, in no way a sistership. She was built about the same time as the Lusitania, and was similar, but not quite a sistership of her either. Mauretania was the fastest liner on the Atlantic run for many years. She served as a troop ship in WWI. Here is a brief history:

http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/mauretania.asp

Now, if you haven't already seen Jim Baumann's model of the Maury as a troopship, get ready to be either amazed or demoralized. This is the same kit as mine:

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/misc/liners/600-Mauretania-jb/jb-review.html

Fred

onyxman wrote:

Thanks everyone, As far as I know, Airfix is out of business and this kit has been out of production for a long time. It has been sitting in my stash for about ten years. She was smaller than the Titanic, in no way a sistership. She was built about the same time as the Lusitania, and was similar, but not quite a sistership of her either. Mauretania was the fastest liner on the Atlantic run for many years. She served as a troop ship in WWI. Here is a brief history: http://www.ocean-liners.com/ships/mauretania.asp Now, if you haven't already seen Jim Baumann's model of the Maury as a troopship, get ready to be either amazed or demoralized. This is the same kit as mine: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/index1.html Fred

If I recall, it was Model Master enamel, some variation of 'Sand'. But as I look at these pictures now I wish it was a little grayer.

Fred

PeeweeBiggs wrote:

very nicely done. Is this a sister ship to the Titanic? The hull looks somewhat like that of the Titanic. Peewee

The RMS Mauretania and Titanic were not even of the same line. The Titanic was built by the Oceanic Steam Navigation Company, more commonly known as the White Star Line. White star also built two "Sisters" if you will to the Titanic. The Britannic and the Olympic. The Britannic was sunk in 1916 after it was struck by either a mine or a torpedo. I'm not sure it has been detirmined which it was yet.

The RMS Lusitania and RMS Mauritania were in fact "Sisters" but unlike the White Star triplets who were built side-by-side-by-side. The Lusitania was built by John Brown and Company of Clydebank, Scotland. The Mauritania was built by  Swan, Hunter & Wigham Richardson at Wallsend, Tyne and Wear. Both companies were owned by Cunard Lines. Both ships were launched within 3 moths of each other. The White Star and Cunard lines merged in 1933.  

Mauretania was not identical to Lusitania.  Among the differences that I recall offhand is that some of Lusitania's decks were narrower and I think she didn't have the same cowl vents. I think they weren't even exactly the same length.

There's a short discussion here:

http://russellwild.co.uk/forumdf/index.php?topic=263.0

The folks over at TRMA know more about this than I care to know:

http://titanic-model.com/

I guess one could make a Lusitania from the Airfix Maury kit, depending on how much work you want to do and how fussy about details one is. I believe there is a 1/350 Lusitania  kit out there. I don't know if it's in production, but I've seen them on eBay.

Fred

The 1/350 Lusitania was originally produced, in the 1970s, by Entex. It is currently available in a Gunze Sanyo box, imported into the USA by DML, so shouldn't be too difficult to find.

Among the differences between the Titanic and the Mauretania/ Lusitania were that the Titanic was almost half as big again as the Mauretania (46 200 tons vs. 31 200 tons), and almost 100' longer. She did, however, have only three screws as against the Mauretania's four, and had a top speed of only 21kt as compared to the Mauretania's 27kt.

The Mauretania, scrapped in 1935, also had a rather longer service life...

Cheers,

Chris.