Since discovering that the Airfix HMS Shannon and the Addar (nee Gowland) USS Constitution are in fact identical, one might be tempted to stop and reexamine the entire project. Is this akin to doing a World War Two diorama representing the Battle of the Bulge and having both side using, say, M-48 Patton tanks, with the German ones modified as per many a 1960's movie?
Here, I must say nay.
Maritime design and practice in the late 18th century was moving from tradition to a science; it had been since the 17th century. It was no mere coincidence then that ship classes of different powers began to resemble one another, as the various navies began to settle on designs that worked. Maritime engineering relied as much on copying those things that were successful as it did true innovation.
Both the Leda class frigates and the American super-frigates owe much to French design practice. The Leda were, in fact, copies of a French design, the Hébé class, modified sufficiently to suit Royal Navy needs. The Ledas themselves would be further modified, and as such served long with the Royal Navy; that the class was a success goes without saying, as it is one of the few 18th-19th century designs to be represented by not one but two surviving vessels, the Trincomalee and the Unicorn, the latter being of a much later and improved sub-class. There were evolutionary forces at work on ship design during this period, with each navy pushing their designs. Part of this evolution was, to a degree, convergent, which is to say that some foreign classes began to resemble one another; hence, in many ways, the Ledas began to look a bit like vest pocket American 44's.
Shannonman has been kind enough to supply links to another builder's larger model of the Shannon, and it has answered some questions as to the actual stern decoration as well as that of the bow. My own research has provided me with enough data that the deck detail appears to be somewhat correct, if not close. While it is true that some things were not done to this Shannon that should have been, namely the opening of the focs'l and quarterdeck gun ports, enough has been done as to create a fairly passable small scale model of the Shannon..
That being said, the project continues.
"I have loved the stars too dearly to be fearful of the night..."