CapnMac82
Sadly, with Lindberg, that only means that they labeled them the same scale. Whether they were actually moulded to that scale is a question that remains to be answered.
Those kits dated back to a time when scale accuracy was not a halmark of kit manufacturers. It was not quite to calling a Hurricane a Spitfire or vice versa, but close.
CapnMac82,
I believe I can answer some questions on the Plastic kits of the C.S.S. Virginia and Union Monitor.
The Prototypes:
The Monitor has been listed as 171’ to 179" OA .
C.S.S. Virginia has been listed as various Lengths. 275’ OA seems most common. (Lengths range from 262’, 275’, 281’ and up.)
The Plastic Kits:
The original Pyro kit(s) was the Merrimac,(Hensforth C.S.S. Virginia), followed by the Monitor. These were re-boxed together by Life-like as kit #09257. I have this kit.
Pyro/Life-like Monitor kit is 9.75” long. This makes it 1/210 scale.
Pyro/Life-Like Virginia is 11” long. This makes it 1/300 scale.
Lindberg reboxed the old Pyro kits as Lindberg Kit #00718 . I believe this helped to create confusion since these kits are the 1/210 and 1/300 scale ships. It appears that Lindberg when re-releasing their own Original kits as 70791, 70886 & 77257, kept the reference of 1/210 scale despite the actual scale of 1/245. See “ Lindberg made their own version” below.
My reference for kit 00718 is Scalemates :
https://www.scalemates.com/kits/1100032-lindberg-718-monitor-and-merrimac
Lindberg made their own version of the Monitor and “Merrimac” with motorized kit # 717M. This kit was re-released again without motor as kit # 70791 and released again as kits # 70886 and 77257. These had a Sea Base/Diorama included. I have access to kits 717m, 70791 and 77257.
The description on Lindberg kit boxes 70791, 70886 and 77257 is incorrect.
The Monitor is listed as 8 ¼” but is said to be 1/210! The Lindberg Monitor kit is actually 8.37” long. This makes the Monitor 1/245 scale.
The Virginia is listed as 15” long and said to be 1/300 scale. This is incorrect. The Virginia kit is actually 13.26”. This makes the Virginia 1/245 scale. (The Sea base happens to be 15” long on the diagonal.)
Scalemates listed these Lindberg kits incorrectly as 1/210 scale:
EDIT: SCALEMATES SEEMS TO HAVE CORRECTED THE SCALE listing of the Lindberg version.
So, which Plastic kit(s) are “Better”?
The Pyro/Life-Like/Lindberg 00718 kits depict the Monitor with the Turret in the wrong place. Also, the Virginia Gun ports are depicted symmetrical Port to Starboard. They should be staggerd Port to Starboard . However, the Surface details are better than the Lindberg versions.
The Lindberg version is not as detailed as the Pyro kits, Virginia gun ports are not staggered either, BUT the kits are a consistent scale of 1/245. And the Monitor Turret is placed correctly.
EDIT: The Lindberg "Merrimac" has a detailed hull showing "Copper plates". This is a real plus as the Union Merrimack was copper plated and therefore the CSS Virginia would also be coppered. ("...Merrimack burnt down to the copper plates...")
The resin and wood kits I located are:
Verlinden 1/200 scale waterline only
Flagship models 1/192
Blue Jacket 1/192
Cottage Industries 1/96,
LoyalHanna Dockyard 1/72
Later edit: I think Lone Star also did some kits. I know they provided Plans of some Civil War Ironclads to Flagship Models.
Later Later edit: I understand that all of Lone Stars ship line was sold to Flagship Models over 10 years ago.
Note: I have found that many Resin kits are not to the listed scale since Resin Shrinks. Case in point the Verlinden 1/200 Keokuk is larger than the Flagship Models 1/192 Keokuk. Based on the length of the Keokuk, the Verlinden kit is to scale.
( Also, Flagship Models depicts the Keokuk with a wooden deck whereas my research indicates it was an iron deck. Verlinden also depicts iron.)
That's all for now. I'm researched-out.
Nino