coxswain

Here's a couple for you - the 17th and 18th century ships have beautiful sterns, but are expensive/troublesome to build in any decent scale - how about a stern only build like the Victory prow section that Panart offers - only not Victory - I'm kinda tired of that one, besides, with the new mediums available, I would like to see better decorations instead of the vague, chunky metal ones, I don't think people are too biased against resin or (choke!) even plastic if done properly. Another thing I would like to see is the aforementioned sharp and rakish civil war era ship, say like the Harriet Lane that MS offers, but in a larger scale to better show detail. Also would absolutely love to see a midship cross section of this ship with the interior machinery and hull framing, with or without a mast and the paddlewheel shaft (eliminating them would save time and cost). If you can catch my drift here - the cross sections aren't too well represented in the market right now, and would be more affordable and less time-consuming to build and not require too much space to display, not to mention the expense of a case to protect it. I'm a lover of detail, but severely limited in both time and talent! Price point will be consistent with the quality - I like to have something to start with a la the Cheerful and launch kits, with the option to upgrade or not with timber sets, and masting/rigging sets as originally planned for the MS Essex, which can stand on its own as an admiralty style. BTW, I'm liking what I've seen lately with the new offerings from the mfrs that sponsor the website.

Absolutely love it!! Of course, building the old Revell big sailing ships, it's what made them come to life for me - the rigging is at the same time part of the beauty of a ship and the very life of it, for the position of the rigging/sails determine the movement, life and death of it. I love the hull lines of the sharper ships, but when they are in the water, they are for the most part, hidden from view, and this brings the position and rake of the masts into the fore, and the ballet, as it were, of the rigging into play. And of course it helps when you like 'busy' designs - one time I showed my sister a picture of a model of a clipper shp and she exclaimed "Look at the strings on that thing!"

I'd like to second Mr. Robinson's emotion there. Zoran, I'm sure you are aware of but haven't to my knowledge mentioned the interesting story of the Stefano. I stumbled across a book that was written in 1992 about the wreck and subsequent ordeal of the two sole survivors http://www.amazon.com/Wreck-Barque-Stefano-North-Australia/dp/0374385858 and as a side note the Western Australia Museum Shipwreck Database on this wreck, which has been located http://museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/wrecks/stefano . I was already sold on this ship based on the inherent overall beauty of the subject, but this makes it an even more interesting subject!