Charles Martel 1/200 scale French Pre Dreadnaught Battleship

The Brits had some interesting ships in that period too.  They were days of rapid technical change, and builders just didn't know how best to use steam and particulary huge cannons.

Hmmmmm!

     That Model! Holy Cow, she's definitely a Beaut. That era fascinates me in that many advances showed up at that time, Some kinda weird like that almost fully circular Russian ship. But, go back in time and you'll see many designs brought on by emerging tech or just plain engineering! Not to forget many by what was once the "Spot Wars" going on at the time.

     She proves the pure unusual beauty of that particular design. I never understood why any ship would be built with a reverse flare to the bows, resulting in a very "Wet" ship. But they soon learned. But they were a lot tougher for their time as well! I would go for the "Buff" upperworks as that seems to have been the standard.

MissileMan & TankBuilder, you two hit on exactly what attracts me to this era. Features and designs elements that would become tried and true, then ubiquitous by the 40's aren't a given or even an option in this age. The below staple features of the 40's were rarely if ever seen:
- Homogenous superfiring main turrets
- At least two guns per turret
- Single or dual inline funnels (ok, inline was common - but not a given!)
- Clipper bows
- Tower bridges
- Prominent range finders and later radar
- Turreted secondaries
- AA mounts (Flying machines hadn't been invented yet!)

Instead you have all manner of turret layouts in all manner of shapes and guns per turret, maybe even barbet guns. Casemated secondaries were everywhere (except on Charles Martel!) and funnels could be abreast or in a triangle layout. Heck these old ships had real windows and doors! And Rams! Steam was king and electricity was the high tech of the day.

After Charles Martel is done I'm thinking maybe an 1/200 example of the Royal Sovereign class of the 1890's or maybe something more obscure. All depends on the availability of good pictures.

Surfsup & PFJN2. thank you both for the kind words.

JoeSMG

and electricity was the high tech of the day.

"Spark" dynamos, too, and some over-size dynamos, all in DC, until everyone worked out that Nick Tesla was not a Blakan Mystic

Lighting was still oil lamps and coal gas until everyone violated/ignored Edison's patent.

The major miracle was wireless commo, even as inelegant as spark telegraphy was.