I Wonder What high Pressure would do for us .

E.J. 

 There was a company a year or so back . Called B.a.D. Shipmodels .Most were 1/96 and of modern American naval vessels from the W.W.-2 period .These were improved upon when My friend owned the company . He found out like many , If there is a market for R.C. it is a Niche market .

 Most of the B.a.D. line were static built by the buyers .The " Wisconsin " at the Nauticus Museum is a joint project between my friend ( the owner ) and Myself .

 can you say 17 ft.long ? He bought the company from somebody I believe , in New York ?

ejhammer

Midwest doesn't even have any boat kits anymore except a kayak, listed on the website.

 

That is a shame!  They were very nice kits, a booklet of instructions with photos.  I always recommended them to friends who wanted to try a wooden ship model.

CapnMac82

 

 

Nino:

A "hoy" CapnMac82!                                                                                                     

      The "Brig" and Mortar shops are almost gone due to lack of interest. I don’t go to mine for model ships since the selection is only Arizona, PT-109, and Titanic.   We have some real problems now with Toys-R-Us going away and the sad news of Hobbico. (Who knows what will happen to their assests.)

 

 

 

Well, I will admit to a facsination with their bluff lines, shoal drafts, flush decks and simple huge gaff sails.  The hull form could be made into a lighter by just adding a couple unstayed masts for lug sails.

And, I have to disagree, Brigs would be an excellent way for the manufacturers to revitalize sailing ship kits.  They were the costal defense vessels.  They were privateers.  They were the actual "big" pirate ships.  The champions of Lakes Erie and Champlain (both sides, in two wars).  Compact hulls with simple rigging.

We have every variant of German armor, even to "paper" versions--yet not a generic Brig.

 

Ahoy again, and well put Sir.

   Hey, I like my Pzkfw V in models F and  G, and my B-17's too. Maybe they'll make a Yamato in Fand G.

          I actually would like a nice 2-masted Brig model.  The hull form could be used, as you mentioned, for a plethora of various identities maybe even the USS Niagara. Nothing like a good War of 1812 Movie with Oliver Perry and his "subordinate" in the Brig Niagara.  What a good story it would make: The Hero of Lake Erie!   Big Battles, Big Drama, and a Big History lesson. It would sell model ships.  It could bring manufacturers & LHS's to profitability. I can dream.

     I can't recall any plastic model company making a model of a Brig other than Pyro (and Life-like, & Lindberg).  It had too wide a stern but at least it floated well in a bathtub.

  Thanks Capnmac82. I continue to learn from you and all the other Forum members.

     An extra idea...For all you Active duty Sailors who build model ships, would you consider writing?  What if Active duty members wrote in to some manufacturers?  Nothing like a letter postmarked from a Naval base to garner attention in a good way.

         Jim.

P.S.  Okay, I know, the Niagara was a Snow Brig with less draft for working in shoal water so maybe not a Hull for a Caribbean Pirate ship.  I think Revells' Viking ship came out in 1977, 40+ years ago. Revell Germany did the Batavia released around 1996 and their Vasa came out in 2011. At least they are trying... every decade and a half or so.

Tanker - Builder

Aw , Cmon Stik !

 I know at least a few states full of shipmodelers . How do you suppose the R.C. and niche mfgrs of R.C. Sized kits stay in business . I still don't have as much wrapped up in an 1/72 scale Corvette from W.W.2 as I would have in the Normandie .. At least I can sail the Corvette . All I could do is look at the Normandie .

 Think about this too .There is an old company , granted a small one that has been in business for over 100 years ( Bluejacket Shipcrafters ) and they constantly release new stuff .Yes , Stik , I am serious . There is a market , and based on my research , it would grow exponentially if the product was out there .

I am a member of three clubs here in the Boston area.  One is an IPMS Club-  we have one Nationals-winning ship builder (WW2 warships) and a couple of other guys who build the occasional ship. In the last ten years, I have seen 3 sailing ships brought in-  my 1957 Revell Flying Cloud, and two small scratch built wood schooners built by a guy taking a ship-in-bottle class.

I am in an RC scale boat club. Scale RC is a niche hobby here in the states. There are few US kits available (Dumas), most are from Europe.  There are a lot of fiberglass hulls available, so we do a lot of scratch building. The RC scale boat suppliers here are struggling....

 I am also a member of a static ship modeling club.  The 30 guys there build wood ship models. Three of us from my IPMS club are also members (WW2 guy, bottle guy, and me.)They are welcoming, but WW2 plastic guy and RC guy are not mainstream.

As the late Dr. Tilley used to say, “Revell USA has been been out of the plastic sailing ship business for far longer that they were in it.”  

When was the last new mold released- 1969?

As much as I wish it were otherwise, creating new plastic sailing ship kits is a poor investment. The reality is that most sailing ship enthusiasts build in wood- and many look down on the plastic as inferior. 

Nino

A "hoy" CapnMac82!

Well, I will admit to a facsination with their bluff lines, shoal drafts, flush decks and simple huge gaff sails.  The hull form could be made into a lighter by just adding a couple unstayed masts for lug sails.

And, I have to disagree, Brigs would be an excellent wat for the manufacturers to revitalize sailing ship kits.  They were the costal defense vessels.  They were privateers.  They were the actual "big" pirate ships.  The champions of Lakes Eroe and Champlain (both sides, in two wars).  Compact hulls with simple rigging.

We have every variant of German armor, even to "paper" versions--yet not a generic Brig.

Jim (Nino),

In fact, I have written many times to Airfix for a 1/144 - 1/150 HMS Shannon and USS Chesapeake.  Indeed, I have also recommended their own line of  the "ships of Nelson", or a Napoleonic Wars series to a standard scale.  Alas, I'm sorry to say that they are rather narrowly focused only on airplanes.

Bill

CapnMac82

A skipjack in 1/48; a hoy in 1/32, perhaps cutters in 1/72 or even larger.  Tow boats, pilot boats, fishing craft--how about a Buoy Tender?

Larger scale, simpler rigging, big but not too big--interesting subjects to engage the interests of modelers.  Not drive them off to cottage and aftermarket sources.

A 1/48 Hoy would be about a14" hull.  One mast and a top mast; gaff, boom, and maybe a topsail yard.  Less than an whole extra sprue would allow making into an Anchor Hoy.  A Water Hoy would just need barrels.  A Ballast Hoy would just need a derrick and a clamshell.  A Gun Hoy would need tie-down bolts for the gun carriages.

A cutter would be similar--used by just about everyone in the Leeward Isles--you could legitimately claim one was Dutch, another British, and even American, and only change the box art a bit.

A brig hull could be easily repurposed as a Snow; or a Brigantine.  Design the bulwarks right and the kit manufacturer could offer a mercahntman or an armed version.  Just a few changes and a Bomb sloop/brig would not be a stretch.

Just how many 1/48 U-Boats are going to bought, let alone built?  And we can't even get a brig or a hoy.

 

CapnMac82

A skipjack in 1/48; a hoy in 1/32, perhaps cutters in 1/72 or even larger.  Tow boats, pilot boats, fishing craft--how about a Buoy Tender?

 

I'd buy them all!  Doesn't Midwest offer a Skipjack in their wooden kits?  I have built several of their smaller craft- pretty easy to build, no spiling.  Planks are all die-cut.

A skipjack in 1/48; a hoy in 1/32, perhaps cutters in 1/72 or even larger.  Tow boats, pilot boats, fishing craft--how about a Buoy Tender?

Larger scale, simpler rigging, big but not too big--interesting subjects to engage the interests of modelers.  Not drive them off to cottage and aftermarket sources.

A 1/48 Hoy would be about a14" hull.  One mast and a top mast; gaff, boom, and maybe a topsail yard.  Less than an whole extra sprue would allow making into an Anchor Hoy.  A Water Hoy would just need barrels.  A Ballast Hoy would just need a derrick and a clamshell.  A Gun Hoy would need tie-down bolts for the gun carriages.

A cutter would be similar--used by just about everyone in the Leeward Isles--you could legitimately claim one was Dutch, another British, and even American, and only change the box art a bit.

A brig hull could be easily repurposed as a Snow; or a Brigantine.  Design the bulwarks right and the kit manufacturer could offer a mercahntman or an armed version.  Just a few changes and a Bomb sloop/brig would not be a stretch.

Just how many 1/48 U-Boats are going to bought, let alone built?  And we can't even get a brig or a hoy.

Now Don ;

 Now you know how I got a lot .Plus there was way back when some good pictures and plans in the Boy's Life mags for the Lakes region of the country . Two boats of dubious scale but decent plain drawn plans .

Nino

 

 

Don Stauffer

 

Just tried to order plans for Henry Ford II from Bearco.  Order wouldn't take :-(

Have emailed them to see if ordering problem or have they dropped plans.

 

 

 

 

Don, 

      Regarding Bearco:

     I was interested in Great lake ships awhile back due to something Tanker-Builder said. I think I was going to be forced to order by check not credit card.  I did not follow-up.    Did you try the order by check process?

     Nino

 

No, I contacted Bearco, and will see what they say.  In meantime, I decided to do the Col. Schoonmaker instead.  A friend gave me a paper model of that boat, and with the pictures I found online, I think I have enough to do my own drawings.  The hull looks a lot like a standard 600 footer, and I have a set of plans from my build of the Strathcona.  I can redraw them with the slightly larger length and width and I doubt anyone could tell it was not hull lines from the Schoonmaker.

Sad day for the folks at Hobbico, and for the hobby generally.

Hopefully the federal investigation into Hobbico's employee stocks goes well for those affected, and that no criminal charges are filed.

Thoughts and prayers of support go to all those affected.

We're running out of companies to make requests to.

It looks like in the US, Lindberg is the last of the original (1950s-ish) major plastic kit manufacturers standing.

Marcus McBean

 armor 2.0

What you do is get a major amount of cash together and by revell for the amount of debt from hobbico and there you go you can manufacturer whatever you want. No problem.

 

Wait until they go bankrupt and then purchase them for pennies on the dollar.

 

You have a bit over a week to get your finance package in order.  Hobbico's assets go up for auction on the 26th of this month

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2018-03-13/hobbico-hopes-find-buyer-auction-set-march-26.html

Nino,

Believe you me, I would love to see Revell, which is really the last major US based model company left, issue new tool shop kits. Both historical and current. Why, because I know they could do a good job, and  I know it would be priced for at least one third less (here in the States) than anything out of the Far East. Their new tool aircraft kits prove that. 

Revell Germany and Airfix have been gracing us with new tool shop kits on occasion, but in subjects that represent those countries. I am still hoping that Airfix will backdate their 1/350 HMS Illustrious kit into Falklands War fit as HMS Invincible. And release some of the destroyer and frigate types that were down there as well. They are doing current RN types mostly. 

I hope (more of a dream really) that after Revell USA gets thru their bankruptcy, they can give us some neglected (in injection molding) Cold War USN ships in 1:350 such as a Knox Class FFG, and any of the various CGs and CGNs of that era as well. We have the carriers, BBs, Perry’s, Spruance‘s and Ticonderoga’s. I’m sure there are plenty of USN vets out there alive who build an occasional model that would love to see the ship(s) that they served on in an affordable kit that they could build.

armor 2.0

What you do is get a major amount of cash together and by revell for the amount of debt from hobbico and there you go you can manufacturer whatever you want. No problem.

 

Y'know, if I ever hit a big lottery (multiple millions), I plan to commission Trumpeter or Fujimi to do a styrene 1/350 Gerald Ford, then a 1/350 angle-deck Forrestal, then a 1/350 angle-deck Midway.  Because those are my holy grail ship models (nevermind that I don't have the skill to do them justice) and I couldn't spend a really big lottery quick enough anyway.  And then those models sitting on modeler's shelves would be my legacy.

Don Stauffer

 

Just tried to order plans for Henry Ford II from Bearco.  Order wouldn't take :-(

Have emailed them to see if ordering problem or have they dropped plans.

 

Don, 

      Regarding Bearco:

     I was interested in Great lake ships awhile back due to something Tanker-Builder said. I think I was going to be forced to order by check not credit card.  I did not follow-up.    Did you try the order by check process?

     Nino

Tanker - Builder

Hi Don ;

 You are so right there .years ago I was on a laker bent .I used a lot of two by fours and had lakers all over the house .Thank goodness my foster father could get me good wood . And yes , very simple lines for Great Ships all !

 Oh , and remember Don , 90% of my display fleet is scratchbuilt . Sometimes it just takes too long to get the info .

 

Just tried to order plans for Henry Ford II from Bearco.  Order wouldn't take :-(

Have emailed them to see if ordering problem or have they dropped plans.

Tanker - Builder

 

 I have two friends . Both tried to revive their companies with New products .They were slaughtered before the press releases were even released nationally .That's the way it is here .

  

If one of your friends is with Lindberg. Well, let’s just say that their “rebirth flagship” 1/72 IJN sub release was savaged with good reason. A member of our IPMS Chapter was tasked by IPMS USA to review that kit when released. While it may have been suitable to be an R/C model, as a scale display model it was terrible. Everything was toylike and way overscale. The deck hatches (and pretty much everything else) were way oversize, the midget sub only resumbled the real thing and compared to the Fine Molds model of the same subject was a poor second. The fit was atrocious, according to our member, etc. etc. etc. Now this is a guy I’ve seen turn some pretty old basic models fantastic builds. Being an aerospace guy, he walked us thru every critique reason in his review, backed it up with reference material, and explained his reasoning. He himself went into the build with high hopes for the Lindberg rebirth (he’s no snob or rivet counter), only to come away highly disappointed and bulling his way thru a most challenging kit.

Armor 2.0 ,Are you saying ?

 Be the new guy on the block ? Do you have any idea how much B&*^ S*&^@ that would generate .? It's like an old southern Good Ole Boys club now ! You would have to go in with six Mil just to shut mouths .

 I have two friends . Both tried to revive their companies with New products .They were slaughtered before the press releases were even released nationally .That's the way it is here .

 They don't dare react that way to our Asian friends because of various trade agreements . Home Boys , Suck it Up !!! you don't stand a chance .

Oh Yeah !

And , Boy , did that slow me down . Didn't stop me . Just went from turbocharged V-8 to a feeble four . Nah , I feel alright .

 I am just peeved that the doctors are driving cars I paid for ! Just think how much seed money went to them ! Oh Well , I guess that's why it's called life . Right ?

Hi;

 Well , after the market survey , my advisor said stay away from that debt .To Many legal and licensing entanglements in residual , not paid or only partially paid , over the years . Due to that , the One Mil wouldn't have made a dent .

 One would have to get the molds unencumbered and that isn't possible . Sad too , some nice ships hiding in there .

 If it was possible at this late stage in my life and I had the funds I would start U.S.Ship Shop and redo and refine many out there including leasing and what have you , the molds to make it happen . No can do .

One well heeled investor said I had a good idea but I would have to get at least four year agreements with the other mold owners . Two contacts said no dice , eight years . or nothing . So there you have it .

 You can't open the doors with those kind of encumberments up front .

Hi Don ;

 You are so right there .years ago I was on a laker bent .I used a lot of two by fours and had lakers all over the house .Thank goodness my foster father could get me good wood . And yes , very simple lines for Great Ships all !

 Oh , and remember Don , 90% of my display fleet is scratchbuilt . Sometimes it just takes too long to get the info .

Ah Timmy ;

 That is why I don't have one now .My maximum budget for a ship is fifty bucks and that includes detailing parts and paint .

armor 2.0

What you do is get a major amount of cash together and by revell for the amount of debt from hobbico and there you go you can manufacturer whatever you want. No problem.

There is the old saying:

How do you make a million dollars in the hobby industry?  Start with 2 million.