st george

Thanks Mike.
 
This is the one I am developing:
https://prints.rmg.co.uk/products/lines-and-profile-plan-of-the-sphinx-1775-j4272?variant=9699771220012
 
Like the Fly, but bigger.
 
I did initially intend to do Atalanta, another Swan Class, but figured that too many others are doing this class now, and wanted to bring new classes to the market, rather than re-treads. At this early stage, at least. So r Atalanta was replaced for Sphynx.

1952 - The worlds first commercial Jet Airliner a De Havilland Comet with 36 passengers paying up to £315 for a return ticket took off from London for Johannesburg.

Still in pre-prototype stage, but am now ready to start laser cutting for the actual prototype model, now that I have worked out all essential patterns required. These pics will not reflect the actual model, as the inner bulwarks will be wood, plus there gave been quite a few minor changes to everything...

Cheers ASAT. I don't know know, though, I love Chuck and CAF's models, they are great, and lot more technical than mine. But I try to design with the novice in mind, and hope they can build something that looks great out of the box without too much 'kit bashing', like we're used to with the older mainstream kits.
 
ETA - Forgot to mention, bulkheads and bow/stern patterns are thicker MDF and keel is 3mm, to be clad either side, like Duchess of Kingston for etched details and rabbets.

OK, am now fully up to date with the Duchess of Kingston manual, not much left to do on that. So today I cut the second 'pre-prototype' Sphinx parts, which have quite a few little changes from the first. One of which is making sure the bowsprit sits correctly when added. Still only MDF for most parts. Gun deck is split into halves. I did try bending a complete deck into position on the first prototype, but only managed to damage the bulkhead tabs. Nothing is glued at all at this stage, just checking critical alignments. In fact, I shall recommend that nothing is glued until the 2mm lower/birth deck is in place.
 
The upper tabs look vulnerable, but the gun port 'stringers' are added (3mm MDF) once the gun deck is in place, making them a lot stronger as they connect to every single bulkhead. In fact, because the deck is in two halves, they could be added before fitting the deck...

Hello dear friends,
thank you all for your kind words, feedback and comments. I am pleased, you enjoyed the pics from progress.
Well, Sovereign of the Seas is is approximately in 1/90 scale, and Royal Katherine in 1/55, she is much more larger, but in the photos it doesn't seem that way. On the other hand, the SoS was a huge ship and in 1/90 scale it's a great model.
 
 
Hello Jan, 
I make all ropes myself using ordinary ropewalk from Amati.
And about top-ropes - no problem, I am grateful for feedback and notification of possible errors. Exactly, I made them according to Anderson; in fact the rope on starboard side is placed a little higher - it should have been approximately in the middle, but there is a metal reinforcement inside the mast and this did not allow me drill a hole through. 
But I was already trying to move the rope a little lower to make it even more in line with reality. It's a bit visible here on the masthead. The top-rope on main mast is meanwhile without change:
 
https://www.modelforum.cz/download/file.php?id=1617212
 
 I found inspiration for example here at this museum model:

 
https://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/65964.html
Hello Alan, 
In fact, all these parts are hand made, I use common tools. I gradually add layers and glue them together, then I cut each newly glued layer with a scalpel. Finally, I sand the edges and close them with a glue.
 
***********************************************
Yesterday I finished  ratlines on starboard shrouds, now I will continue on the other side and also add the upper catharpins (by Lees):
 

 
 
Have a nice day and enjoy the pics. 
 
 
 

Doris, you are truly gifted. As others have rightly said, your work is stunning.

And here are the current photos of the model as it looks these days:
 

I slightly shortened the length of the main and front yards to more closely match the proportions of the real ship.
 
Previous version:
 

 
 
current version:
 

 

The corwfeet on round tops with hand made wooden blocks:

Although the masts of the Royal Katherine model are based on the proportions of Lenox's masts in Endsor's book, I found the mastheads too short and decided to make a radical adjustment.
 

 
 
Original appearance:

 

 
Thanks to this change the mastheads have the exact length now:

Completely assembled masts:
 

I will use CNC blocks from HISModel, for a long time I am very satisfied with high level of quality and service of this eshop. 
https://www.hismodel.com/articles-category-1
https://www.hismodel.com/articles-category-19
 
In addition, I can save a lot of time than if I made everything by hand. I tried it as well, but I would spend about a whole year to make my own wooden block. Time is too precious for me.
 

And here they are during the completion:
 

The tops are made mostly of card, but I also used wooden ribs to achieve higher solidity:

And this is how the model should look with sails, I'll probably use the second version:

 
 

Masts, their parts and all yards are completely handmade. The biggest yard is more than 50 cm long.
Here are some drawings from Endsor's book dedicated to Lenox, from which I took dimensions and proportions of masts and yards and adapted them for my RK.

Hello everybody,
thank you for your comments and support. These days I continue with masting and rigging of the model. Plenty of details are created according to these two books : Lees - The masting and rigging of English ships of war (1625 -1860)  and Anderson R.C. The Rigging of Ships 1600-1720.
I would like to build my model in the most realistic form as possible.
 
Well, I use copper or brass wires coated with black paint and shape them with various tweezers. More complicated parts are made from several parts, which I assemble together then. Here is one of the wires which I use:
https://www.hismodel.com/articles-detail-1672
 
Moreover, I also use photo etched parts - mainly for tiny details. They are high quality and relatively strong. I purchase them here together with other accessories:
 
https://www.hismodel.com/articles-detail-351
https://www.hismodel.com/articles-category-20
 
 
And finally, here are photos from progress on the model....
First part of rigging on cannons and finished doors on bulkheads:

Good morning!
 
As my Amati HMS Victory is currently on hiatus due to needing a good number of sheet replacements, I'll start work immediately on the future Vanguard Models release of the Royal Yacht, 'Duchess of Kingston'. As with my other VM stuff, this will be for the kit instruction manual. Chris conceded that (1) he hadn't taken enough photos of the original build, and (2) the design had changed significantly enough from his own build to merit a new build anyway, so the manual is representative of the final product.
 
Yesterday, I received a large box with the final production parts, and also a second set of earlier parts, including PE sheets. The photos here are of the production parts, and I'll cobble together a dry fit of the bits later, to give you a very quick idea of how this goes together, before work starts proper.
 
This kit must've taken an age to produce with all the sheets of pear, plus the pear overlays and beautiful engraving too. Here's what you can roughly expect to see in a final production kit:
 
MDF

 

 

 
 
 
Maple deck

 
 
 
Ply parts

 

 
 
 
Pear parts

 

 

 

 
 
Other laser parts

 
 
Strip wood

 
 
 
Photo etch

 

 

 

 
 
Resin parts

 
 
Fittings etc.

 

 
 
 
Rigging cord

 
 
 
Acrylic display stand (with engraved name plates)

 
 
It's interesting to see some of the design ideas, such as the stern/transom where the resin ornamentation sits atop the pear panel, and that panel has recesses engraved into it to allow the PE window frames to sit within!
 
I'll post a dry fit image of the hull a little later on...

Uuuuh, ok, but just a couple or three.
 
mostly Wingnut Wings and resin kits.

Cheers!
 
At the moment, a big three decker is way off. When I start this, I would need to be in a position to be doing this full time plus have a lot of extra cash to cover development costs. But working up to Royal George is my aim and it is the flagship of the range I have settled on.
 
I did think about Caledonia at one point (even San Josef), but that would be too much of a monster, and flatter lines than the mid 18th Century First Rates. Although I did laugh to myself envisioning my wife's face when seeing the hull grow on the dining room table..

Yes. Carving masters will cost a small fortune to get made, so it's a while off yet...

I'm just glad I don't have to build it again!