Elder Jim

If this is a first wooden model ship build, I THINK you are setting yourself up for frustration and eventual discouragement in starting out with either the Constitution or Surprise.  They are bigger which helps in learning the more difficult construction techniques, but very complex and the amount of work, the planking, rigging, detailing and time required is so extensive that it may overwhelm you.
 
My first model was the Bluenose II by Billings Boats.  It is a plank on bulkhead and  pretty good starter kit; you will learn planking, steaming, what adhesives work best for you and for what purpose, and don't grab a bottle of super glue thinking it is all purpose, it isn't!  My suggestion would be to use something like Tightbond's Woodworkers Glue  (the yellowish stuff); Elmer's makes it too--I think they call it Carpenter's Glue.  Even though the ship is fore-and-aft rigged, you will also learn rigging techniques and tying ratlines. Alternatively, I would also recommend a Model Shipway's Kit because their instructions seem to be better than most other kits, and yes, I know the Bluenose II isn't one of theirs.
 
When that is finished, you will have a nice looking model that you can be proud of and will probably know if you have the stick too it patience and stamina for a larger very complex model. 
 
One final suggestion, don't get a first model that requires you to build up the keel and frames; positioning is critical, and you will need experience to do it right; do overs are frustrating, and if you cut some ribs incorrectly, you will not notice until the frame is finished. They probably won't be fixable so have to be removed, remade and possibly re-positioned in a place that has little room for fingers.  My kit came through with the fore and aft keel piece warped, but two pieces of 1/2" 90-degree angle metal from an old Erector set bolted together on each side of the bulkhead solved that quickly and permanently.
 
Good luck!

If this is a first wooden model ship build, I THINK you are setting yourself up for frustration and eventual discouragement in starting out with either the Constitution or Surprise.  They are bigger which helps in learning the more difficult construction techniques, but very complex and the amount of work, the planking, rigging, detailing and time required is so extensive that it may overwhelm you.
 
My first model was the Bluenose II by Billings Boats.  It is a plank on bulkhead and  pretty good starter kit; you will learn planking, steaming, what adhesives work best for you and for what purpose, and don't grab a bottle of super glue thinking it is all purpose, it isn't!  My suggestion would be to use something like Tightbond's Woodworkers Glue  (the yellowish stuff); Elmer's makes it too--I think they call it Carpenter's Glue.  Even though the ship is fore-and-aft rigged, you will also learn rigging techniques and tying ratlines. Alternatively, I would also recommend a Model Shipway's Kit because their instructions seem to be better than most other kits, and yes, I know the Bluenose II isn't one of theirs.
 
When that is finished, you will have a nice looking model that you can be proud of and will probably know if you have the stick too it patience and stamina for a larger very complex model. 
 
One final suggestion, don't get a first model that requires you to build up the keel and frames; positioning is critical, and you will need experience to do it right; do overs are frustrating, and if you cut some ribs incorrectly, you will not notice until the frame is finished. They probably won't be fixable so have to be removed, remade and possibly re-positioned in a place that has little room for fingers.  My kit came through with the fore and aft keel piece warped, but two pieces of 1/2" 90-degree angle metal from an old Erector set bolted together on each side of the bulkhead solved that quickly and permanently.
 
Good luck!

If this is a first wooden model ship build, I THINK you are setting yourself up for frustration and eventual discouragement in starting out with either the Constitution or Surprise.  They are bigger which helps in learning the more difficult construction techniques, but very complex and the amount of work, the planking, rigging, detailing and time required is so extensive that it may overwhelm you.
 
My first model was the Bluenose II by Billings Boats.  It is a plank on bulkhead and  pretty good starter kit; you will learn planking, steaming, what adhesives work best for you and for what purpose, and don't grab a bottle of super glue thinking it is all purpose, it isn't!  My suggestion would be to use something like Tightbond's Woodworkers Glue  (the yellowish stuff); Elmer's makes it too--I think they call it Carpenter's Glue.  Even though the ship is fore-and-aft rigged, you will also learn rigging techniques and tying ratlines. Alternatively, I would also recommend a Model Shipway's Kit because their instructions seem to be better than most other kits, and yes, I know the Bluenose II isn't one of theirs.
 
When that is finished, you will have a nice looking model that you can be proud of and will probably know if you have the stick too it patience and stamina for a larger very complex model. 
 
One final suggestion, don't get a first model that requires you to build up the keel and frames; positioning is critical, and you will need experience to do it right; do overs are frustrating, and if you cut some ribs incorrectly, you will not notice until the frame is finished. They probably won't be fixable so have to be removed, remade and possibly re-positioned in a place that has little room for fingers.  My kit came through with the fore and aft keel piece warped, but two pieces of 1/2" 90-degree angle metal from an old Erector set bolted together on each side of the bulkhead solved that quickly and permanently.
 
Good luck!

Iondriver,
 
I have only built one Billings kit, Bluenose II, that I modified to look more like the original ship, and I wasn't too impressed with the wood.  If the new wood you need is for hull planking, I would definately use soft woods, even pine would do, as they are much more flexible than hardwoods and much easier to steam for the radical bends an alternative would be Basswood. My Emma C. Berry (Model Shipways) Instruction Manual also recommends Lime wood (Tilia  vulgaris) which they say is an European wood which might be easier for you to get, and they say that  Lime wood has superior steam bending qualities. They note that it is often called Basswood in Europe.
 
As an experiment some years ago, I tried restore dried out wood by lightly moisting a paper towel, wrapping it around the wood (don't stack the planks), then wrap in waxed paper and weight or clamp down onto a flat smooth surface.  After a couple of days remove the papers but leave the wood clamped down until it dries.  The process restored the wood, but much of it warped; it wasn't worth the effort.
 
Good luck with your building project.

If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's HAPPY!  After 50+ years of being married to the same woman this advice is from well earned experience:
 
  (1) If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's happy, (2) Flowers work and if you add dinner at a new and good resteraunt, it works even better, and (3) Never-Ever refer to the reason for your new purchase as "because she bought a new .......".

If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's HAPPY!  After 50+ years of being married to the same woman this advice is from well earned experience:
 
  (1) If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's happy, (2) Flowers work and if you add dinner at a new and good resteraunt, it works even better, and (3) Never-Ever refer to the reason for your new purchase as "because she bought a new .......".

If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's HAPPY!  After 50+ years of being married to the same woman this advice is from well earned experience:
 
  (1) If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's happy, (2) Flowers work and if you add dinner at a new and good resteraunt, it works even better, and (3) Never-Ever refer to the reason for your new purchase as "because she bought a new .......".

If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's HAPPY!  After 50+ years of being married to the same woman this advice is from well earned experience:
 
  (1) If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's happy, (2) Flowers work and if you add dinner at a new and good resteraunt, it works even better, and (3) Never-Ever refer to the reason for your new purchase as "because she bought a new .......".

If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's HAPPY!  After 50+ years of being married to the same woman this advice is from well earned experience:
 
  (1) If the Admiral ain't happy, nobody's happy, (2) Flowers work and if you add dinner at a new and good resteraunt, it works even better, and (3) Never-Ever refer to the reason for your new purchase as "because she bought a new .......".