yvesvidal

There is probably nothing to follow, as I have no time to restore it, nor the desire to do that yet. I managed to find a small chopper at the scale of 1/48th which i believe will be more detailed than the one provided by Billing Boats. The ship would need to be thoroughly cleaned, sanded in some places, re-painted and lots of detail could be added. This was done with 30 years ago technology and paints and details are much better today than they used to be in the early 80's. If the urge to fix it sparks in my heart, then I will have a place to report the progress. Thank you for your interest. Yves

Popeye, Yes, I agree with you that the outside of the hull looked like metal. But it was made of wood and that probably explain why it sank so quickly when it was hit by that Chinese barge in the harbor of Singapore. Before being an exploration vessel, the ship was a mine-sweeper. There is a lot of information on the WEB about that famous vessel. Yves

Folks, This is a model that is not seen too frequently on this side of the pond: the famous and legendary Calypso of Jacques Cousteau. The model was produced by Billing Boats in the early 1980's and was offered with an ABS molded hull, lots of injected plastic parts, brass and some wood for the construction of the cabins and decks. The model was offered with all the parts and details (which was not the norm in the 80's) and could be radio-controlled. The model at a scale of 1/45 was close to 95 cm long, 33 cm high and 19 cm wide. I purchased the Billing Boats model in 1985, spending my first monthly pay on the kit and two Mabushi motors. I was working for IBM on the French Riviera at that time. This was my first big kit and I was (and still are) in love with that vessel and its legend. The pictures you are seeing below show the model after 30 years of almost no activity. The model would have to be seriously cleaned up and re-painted. I have removed a lot of parts (the crane for instance) as well as all the radio control gears (battery, receiver, servos, motors, switches and speed controller). That model, like his big sister, has sailed in a few places in the world: the Harbor of Cagnes Sur Mer (salt water) in the Alpes Maritimes in France, some lakes in the South of France near Toulouse, a couple of lakes in Massachusetts near Boston and Lake Lynn in Raleigh, NC. I built a sturdy box that was used to transport it and move it from Europe to the USA. As some of you may know, the Calypso was sunk in the Chinese harbor of Singapore, following a collision with a barge early 1986. One year later she was lifted from the bottom of the harbor and stored in a shipyard. Sadly, Jacques-Yves Cousteau died the same year. In 2006, the wreck was given to the Cousteau Society and after many years of transaction (French administration is heavy and slow), the restoration of the ship started recently. Calypso is considered as part of the French Patrimoine (like the castle of Versailles) and as such will receive governmental funding for its restoration and the assurance of a long and cared for life (hopefully...). Yves

Since you live near the place where Oysters are built, you should go to their plant and show them your masterpiece. Sailboat makers have a need for models of their boats, in small quantity and easily reproducible (you have access to the equipment). I know Beneteau for instance, sells some of their flagship boats as models for an hefty price. I think Jeanneau does the same and future or current owners have no problem paying 1-2K euros for a model of their beloved sailboat. There is also a very nice lady in Puerto Rico who makes models of current and modern sailboats and motorboats. Her prices are more affordable (a few hundreds dollars to a couple of K depending on the model) but her manufacturing process is more traditional (hand made). She comes to the Sailboat show in Annapolis, MD, every year. Yves

Iain, This is magnificent. Thank you so much for sharing. I love modern sailboats and enjoy tremendously your Blog. I toured the real Oyster yachts at Annapolis, during the October Sailboat show. They are very impressive but out of reach for the vast majority of human beings. Now, as far as you are concerned, you need to sail the real one. Yves

It is superb Jack. Most likely far too clean for a Viking ship.... Yves

Eccellente, magnifico Jack!!! Yves

This whole process is amazing (at least for me). I can see some potentials and opportunities for kit manufacturers, using these technologies. Laser wood cutting, as well as water cutting, has been around for a while and is not really new. On the other hand, creating the hull and other small parts the way you are doing it, with 3D cutting machines should allow to decrease the price of kits and improve the quality of the parts. There will always be a traditional way of building wooden model kits, but for modern boats I really like this approach. Yves

Indeed!! That last picture looks like what you would see in a Naval Museum. This is a masterpiece Jack. Yves

Ciao Francesca, We have not read any recent updates and I miss seeing your beautiful boat. Any progress? Maybe it is finished.... Yves

If that helps, there are plenty of parts becoming available on the retail market, since Trumpeter launched the 1:200 scale Hood. Just in case some issues would be impossible to obtain..... Yves

Pete, That vision of the two sisters next to each other just sped up the rate of my heart.... What beauties. I assume the sister with the sails is the one we see on the water, in your pictures. Congratulations. Yves

Great stuff. Definitely a notch above the wood and planking techniques. Yves

What a beauty Jack, what a beauty! Yves

Thank you Pete, Coming from you it is an honor. Did you notice the other boat on the ledge? http://imageshack.com/a/img907/1196/ujY6ma.jpg Yves

Very nice and very high-tech..... Quite a change from the traditional methods of construction seen on this forum. I am glad you can share with us some of this leading edge technologies. Yves

Beautiful boat Francesca. I love the way you treated the upper deck with the benches and people sitting. There is something magic about these old boats and your model does convey that magic and spirit. Yves

I love the implementation with the magnets. Very clever. Yves

She is a beauty Jack. Wow, you can be proud of you. I absolutely love that long planking. Yves

Beautiful work Jack. And you got the books to know exactly how the Vikings built these boats. It is going to be a masterpiece.... Yves

Great technique Francesca. Thanks for describing it. Yves

What a splendid model. Congratulations. Yves

Brilliant building stand jack. You really put a lot of care into this part of the construction. With such tools at your disposal, you could start producing this hull in small quantities.... :-) Yves

Beautiful boat and great kit. I will be watching with a lot of interest. Yves

Probably due to the fact that the resin tower is molded from resin. There is usually a 10% reduction in size taking place with molding techniques. It could explain what you are seeing with the tower and the grab irons. Yves