BLACK VIKING

Thank you, dear friends, for your positive comments about the model!
Next step will be the three reinforcements on the sides. Instructions suggest to cut strips 5x5 mm, 55 mm in length, and to drill a 1.2 mm hole in the upper end for fixing the shrouds:

 
I never saw such a disposition of the rigging and then i cut only 45 mm in length without drilling the holes. I worked the strips in series:
 

 
Attention: the strips can exfoliate:
 

 
I carried out a test without glue and a squareness control:
 

 
After that, glue and painting:
 

 
 
The next step will be the rudder.
See you soon!
 
Rodolfo
 

George!!!!
 
Thanks a lot for your kind words.....
 
Let’s see the progresses ......
 
First, I spent some time studying how the “stays” are going to be fixed in the hull......in some of the pictures and documents i found something like this....
 
 
 
So not having something else ..... I decided to “install” a couple of these artifacts....
 

 
And now... it is time to start with the external hull....
 



 
Let’s see some pictures of the interior....
 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for all those “likes” and kind words
 
 

I will try my best to do the ocean as good as I can. My plan is to have her cruising at about 10 kts and is a pretty calm sea. A 4-5 ft swell at 1:350 scale equals about 4-5mm which is very subtle.
Ive been reading a lot about Kelvin’s theory and other bits about ships wake behaviour, I seem to learn the most from drawings and diagrams. So no wakes in straight lines at 45 degrees! In fact it seems 19.5 degrees is the magic angle.
 

 
She was over 220m long so most of the disturbed water looks quite close to the ship in photos. (This picture is of HMS King George V, close enough to use as reference I’m sure most would agree)
 

 
I’ve looked at so many pictures of all types of ships and their wake that they have all started to look fake and unrealistic haha!!
 
 

8/29/2020
 
Have finished the masts, crow's nests and cross trees.  Will be working on the yards tomorrow; hoping to finish shaping them and get them hung on the masts.
 
 

Masts
 
Tried out my new airbrush on the spars, and was pleased with the results:
 

 
I used Admiralty matt black, with just 2 drops of flow improver per 10 drops of paint and it went on like a dream. Spraying with this sort of kit is much more precise and much less messy than I'd imagined. I needed very little masking to protect the unpainted areas, and because the paint mists on so fine, there was no build up of liquid paint on the masking tape and so no chance of leakage under the tape. 
 
At times the Quadhands (Quinhands?) looked like some kind of wierd sculpture:
 

 
I couldn't resist dry-stepping the masts and yards just to see what she looks like:
 

 
Although I was a bit wary about some of the photoetch components they look absolutely fine when fitted and painted. Here's the yard arm of the fore yard, for example:
 

 
Now I'll have to de-mast her and start rigging everything. I've not counted, but I suspect there must be at least 75 blocks and deadeyes required on the masts, yards and bowsprit. I enjoy rigging and find the repetitive nature quite therapeutic (well, perhaps not ratlines!), and am looking forward to it. Still putting off the ship's boat!
 
Derek
 
 
 

For the fore castle planking I am soaking and bending short lengths of planks to fit around the bulwark supports. I am also adding planks around the aft upper decks. I made a row of two planks, then added a diagonal plank from the top of the transom. I will fill in the open area with more diagonal planks. 
 

 

Time for something different - - time for a walk . . . a carpenter's walk.
 
Of all the build logs I've looked at, I can't remember seeing any which have included the carpenter's walk, so I wanted to have a go at including at least part of one.
Building a section as big as this has advantages and disadvantages.  One of the disadvantages is that, although much more 'stuff' can be included, some of that 'stuff' could be obscured from view by other items.
For that reason, one item I have decided to omit is the mid-ships sail room.  In the same area where that sail room would be is the aft end of the carpenter's walk and cable tier and to include these would just be an added feature rather than creating a 'blind spot.'
From this drawing I can see that I will be able to include one and a half sections of the lattice-work partitions that make up the carpenter's walk.  I've outlined the two sections in red. >

 
Just these two small parts involve 96 half-laps, so time to recruit the mill again.  I used strips of beech in the dimensions of 4mm X 2mm and used a 2mm cutter to mill the 4mm wide half laps.  In order to cut the half laps I spot glued two batches of strips to pieces of 6mm plywood.  The strips were glued as shown in the following >

 
That allowed me to make the cuts in groups of 4 as there are 4 half lap joints vertically and horizontally in each section.  The 2mm cutter also took care of the vertical groove in the posts.

 
. . . and cut closer to their final lengths.

 
Trimmed and assembled.


 
. . . and with the white stuff.

 
First 'test ride' before the white stuff.

 
With a few of the cable tier pillars and ventilation beams.

 
The upper well and the blanks of the lower gun deck beams sitting in position (dry fitted) >

 

 

This will be my third Model Shipways build in my life and certainly the largest, I have never once before had any issues with their kits but this time I have already run into issues. I opened the box and did a head count of all my stuff and noticed the second sheet of laser cut keel pieces was really warped. I’ll call them tomorrow and see what they recommend. Other than this issue every thing looks great and was in nice working order, very excited to get started. 
 
I cut out all three keel pieces and glued them together, I didn’t think to make this post until after I started the keel so I didn’t get any pictures. I created a jig that pressed them evenly and clamped the whole thing to the table for a few hours. This is when I really noticed the bend, ill get a picture up tomorrow of that bend, I’m pretty sure its unfixable. 
 
I will probably post tomorrow as well, with an update from Model Shipways. Thanks!
 
Cheers, 
 
Bradley 
 

 

Yes, that would be rather confusing to all concerned (if they understood French!)
 
I'd agree with you about tacking - I don't think it would happen, they'd only be wearing, but as Mark points out, that means the danger of gybing (even with what is the equivalent of a loose-footed sail) which could capsize the vessel rather too easily.
 
Vangs appear on many, but not all pictures (both contemporary, and modern photos) of lateeners I've been able to find. I expect it's intended to keep the upper end of the yard from swinging too far to one side or the other.
 
Dropping the halyard may well be faster, and it seems to be a fairly common practice on dhows, from the photos I've got. In fact it looks in this photo like the sail may be hauled up unfurled, fbut it's a bit hard to be sure whether the unfurled sail is attached to the yard they're hauling up or behind it. But the second photo seems to indicate the sail is down near the deck but unfurled.
 
  
 
Yep. 
 
  
 
So it can be done (no rope ladders on my model). And yes, I've thought of adding a figure doing that, but it would be difficult to keep him from spinning around with only a single rope keeping him in place.
 
There's no sign of "crows nests" until about the middle of the 13th century, much too late for my dromon. So any lookout would have to perch at the top of the mast any way he could . . . or maybe he could sit on the yard;
 

 
 
 
 

So next up we have the forward arch.   Of course the plywood is not pre formed so it is very stiff and while it could be muscled into place I no longer apply brute force - so soaking, bending and strapping it is!


 
That part went surprisingly well, so once dried and formed I slapped on the veneer (I think in the future I am going to stay away from veneer - something about it is odd)


 
And then - after carefully trimming - we attach it to the forecastle and things are starting to move forward!
 

 
Next up!   The forecastle deck!
 
Enjoy!

My progress with Quarter Deck layout.
 
From the page 15 of the contract I found the quarter deck was rounded (cambered) 8-1/2 inches (21.6 cm) for deck water runoff.  The beams were sided (thickness forward to aft) 9-1/2" (24.1 cm) and moulded (thickness or depth top to bottom) 8" (22.8 cm).
 
At 1:64 scale these numbers are as follows:
rounded 8-1/2" (21.6 cm) = 0.133" (3.4mm)
sided 9-1/2" (24.1 cm) = 0.148" (3.8 mm)
moulded 8" (22.8 cm = 0.125" (3.2 mm)
 
First I made a copy of my "master model" and renamed it Quarter Deck.  I worked on this copy.
 
I drew my outlining lines along the perimeter and around the mast, extruded my deck slab, then sketched the rounding or camber at the forward facing end of the slab and cut that out.  When I started to outline the forward most beam I noticed the main mast as compared to the reference plan was missing.  I had it too far forward.  This was corrected on the master model and the location of the other masts were verified.  Then the quarter deck copy was replaced and the slab had to be re-created.  There is always time to do it over.
These are the results.  Now I sketch in the beams with one lodging and hanging knee at each end as per the museum plan and the contract.
 
I will post again when I have this one done.

Got some thread! All the rigging is complete, and I'm now working on coils around the deck. As you can see, I've finished the coils around the foremast.
 

look'in super Martyn........very nice finish on her.........well done!  

I just found this conversation.
My dad was a pilot it in the 385th BG, 551st bomb squadron at Great Ashfield from June-Sept 1944 and his main plane was "Li'l Audrey".  I've been scanning and transcribing his letters home to his family during this time (I received them last summer from my cousin who has been going through my grandmother's stuff.)  He mentions "Li'l Audrey" by name in his letters and said he is the one who flies her the most since he knows the plane best.  I was was searching for pictures because most of his pictures were lost in his luggage in the move after England.  "Li'l Audrey"'s number was 42-32008 according to the 385th Bomb Group website archive.  Great job with the model!

I too have 2 1/48 scale models I have never built. I bought them the 80's that my dad and I were going to build together but we never did. He pass away in 1990 and they have been sitting on a shelf all these years. He already had a model plane of this name Li'l Audrey complete with the apostrophe painted on it's nose which he flew as a BTG sitting on his TV. He always talked about the checker board tail and his dd214 shows him in 551bs / 385bg I had two pictures of him and his crews. Both photos we lost in a house fire. One was a photo taken New Mexico and at the time all I could make out on the tail was a 008. Many years later I was to see the photo of Li'l Audery 42-32008. The service record of her has her coming back to Kirtland AFB in NM and scrapped in Albuquerque. My dad was stationed at Kirtland and my parents met in Albuquerque so it fits. The other photo I found on line and when I seen it a cold chill went down my spine. It was the crew photo of Li'l Audrey 41-24523. assigned 323BS/91BG He is bottom row second from right. That plane crashed with another and crew was lost he was not on that flight. His dd214 may not be complete because it had him with two last names same serial number.
Good luck with your build and hope it is the 008
 

Hi all and thanks for the comments and likes  
A bit more done the wings and tail fins have been fitted and the fuselage glue together.
I have dry brushed the whole aircraft to give it a worn look.
 I have found out that she was hit by flack and number 2 engine caught fire but was put out quite quickly. It was replaced and a new cowl fitted but wasn't painted for a few weeks so I have shown this.
Just a little bit more to do then she will be complete.
Thanks for following 
Martyn

Hello Chapman,
 
A while back, I had a conversation with Michel Saunier about this, and I have to say that I agree that the roundhouses are most likely incorrect for a French ship of the First Marine.
 
To borrow an example of one of my favorite models of all time, here is the head of L’Ambiteaux:


As a side note, this modeler’s rendering of the ornamental program is the best and most faithful to the spirit of the epoch, IMO.
 
What I think is notable, here, is the way that the hull wraps around, past the beakhead bulkhead, in a diminishing crescent, towards the stem.  What I have most often seen for ships of this period are these lower, simple seats positioned as seen above.
 
I suspect, though, that Tanneron pulled this detail from the Louis Quinze model:

That the Quinze model is a first-hand document of the early 1700’s, lends that detail some considerable credibility.
 
Now, whether that detail extends back to SR1’s rebuild in 1689, and just prior to the birth of the Second Marine, I cannot say.  Perhaps, if Mr. Delecroix is looking in, he may be able to offer some perspective on the matter.
 
Now, the Heller kit vis-a-vis Tanneron, does not have the forward wrapping of the hull around the beakhead.  I have been toying with whether to re-construct this detail, or whether to maintain the roundhouses, while also including the short seats.  On a ship so large as Soleil Royal, additional seats would certainly have been needed.  For the time being, I am leaning towards the latter, as it is somewhat plausible, given the not too distant future that the Quinze model represents.
 
I am certainly open to advice and suggestion, here.

Well, I'm afraid I'm waffling a bit whether to have the sails set. Bigpetr's question got me thinking - do I know they used the sails while they were rowing, did I read that somewhere, or is it just an assumption on my part? If I can't remember where I got the idea, maybe I'll never be sure I have it right. So I did a bit of investigating; unless I read all the way through Pryor's book Age of the Dromon I'm not likely to find the reference (if there is one). I'm prepared to do that, but it's going to take a while. In the meantime the pictorial record does provide some evidence. Here are some Byzantine representations of dromons with both oars and sails in use:  from the 9th century Sacra Parallela BNF Gr. 923 f. 207r and the 12th century illustrated copy of the Synopsis Historion of Ioannis Skylitzes held in the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid (yes, I do believe that's a sail).
 
   
 
And one from the fifth century AD Roman Aenid of Vergil in the Vatican Library (Cod. Lat. Vat. 3867, fol. 77r) which is a little early, but a galley is a galley . . .  the 12th century Spanish Cantigas de Santa Maria, and the late 12th century Italian Liber ad honorem Augusti (f. 131)
 
    
 
However, there are also plenty of contemporary pictures of galleys, and not only in combat, without sails set, and in most cases without the masts either. The first two from the Synopsis Historion, the third from the Cantigas de Santa Maria and the fourth from the 12th century Byzantine Sermons of Gregory of Nazianzus, (Pantaleimon Cod. 6 f. 183r.)
      
 
So, where does this leave me? There seems to be enough evidence to justify having the sails hoisted while the oars are in use - unless the artists just decided "Hey, we've got oars and sails - let's show everything!"  
 
However, I'm also up against the problem that when I laid the whole thing out - hull, superstructure etc - belaying points were the furthest thing from my mind. So one pair of shrouds fouls the midship castles, and I'm really not sure if the same thing won't happen with the running rigging. Perhaps I'll just have the thing under oars alone, with the masts and yards stored on their stands above the deck - it's still an option. I need to do some serious thinking about all this.
 
In the meantime, today I've been cleaning up remnants of white glue. I'm a bit over-enthusiastic about slathering it all over the place (still better than when I was 17 -  parts of the Great Harry are not a pretty sight). I've previously used rubbing alcohol (otherwise known as isopropyl alcohol or isopropanol) to dissolve glue to remove things I'd glued down, but Liteflight put me onto using it to remove gobs of glue. So this afternoon I got a bit of cloth, a toothpick and some isopropanol and started rubbing the messy bits of glue that detracted from the look of the model, particularly on the gunwale where the oars and pavesades were glued on. And it worked! Looks much better. A fair bit of elbow grease involved, but well worth it. So thank you, Liteflight.
 

I think this self isolation has cocked my brain up . I forgot to add the pictures  
Martyn

Rows of benches and bow battle platform added.
I designed some photo-etched elements, based on photos a Spanish replica from Barcelona.
I cover the photo-etched parts with gold.
 
Work in progress:
 
 

Finally have the shields done, painted and in place. The picture shows just one side done. I have decided to skip the oars for now and do the sail next. 

I decided to dig out my files and do a few edits  - hope you like.
 
OC.

Now i have finished the planking of the right side of the hull arount the gunports. I make the openings for the gunports and sanded when needed. All this is painted yellow accorting to the plans. Continue now to the left side of the hull....

Deck Sides, Lower Wales and breaking things:
 
I've almost finished the interior sides of the decks and pieces that go inside. Everything has been straightforward except I don't have a way to bend the 1x2mm strips to the curves on the final stern bulkhead yet. I've experimented with some things like soaking in hot water and just gluing and forcing and nothing has worked yet, I may try the soldering iron method next. The curves on this piece are significantly greater than the others and I'll just have to keep experimenting till I find something that works for me. 
 
Painted and installed the lower two wales on each side. I tried using black stain for the wale but it wasn't nearly dark enough, I felt the look required a solid black wale to contrast with the hull so I spray pained the wales. My original plan for the wale that has the change and angle was to cut close to a 45° angle matching the angles in the plans but when one angle is greater than 45 and one less then the width, or distance from edge to edge across the angle is different and therefore it doesn't match up width so it looked poor. I had to just use a straight piece and then cut the bottom off to match the bottom (and top) of the wale coming across. Wasn't exactly what I wanted but it worked. Other than that the first two wales were pretty simple, I did use my longer 5mm strips or the included strips would have been maybe 8-10mm short. I'm sure that's due to some poor fitting of the basic structure when constructing that part. 
 
Working on the details near the bow I broke the bow piece of the keel that is in front, it was just moving my hand and my forearm caught it and pop. At first I thought since it was a clean break it would be really simple to glue back in place but I had a really hard time with it but finally got it glued in place and it was difficult to tell that it had been broken. Next morning I started working in the same area and broke it again exactly the same way. This time I decided I wasn't going to try and glue it back in place till the other pieces in that area all get put in place, I felt that every time I broke it it would just get weaker and after the second time I didn't trust myself not to do it again. I had been so happy that I hadn't broken that piece and then did it twice in less than 24 hours. Oh well. 
 
The installation of the wales really makes the model pop. I'm really looking forward to starting to add some of the detailing that's coming up.
 
 

And now it can be told.
 
I was planning to change the final configuration of the ship -  rather than have her under full sail I decided that it would look really cool to do a bit of "living history" - to leave maybe four pairs of oarbenches empty and carve new figures to take the place of those oarsmen I'd already done, but assign them to "other duties". I'd have the foresail hoisted but still furled, with two or three guys up on the yard unfurling it:
 
    
 
and a bunch of others in the process of hoisting the after sail like this:
 
  
or perhaps this:
 

 
I even carved four guys based on the picture above:
 
     
 
Then I changed my mind. Good though this might be, I really think it wouldn't look as good as an overall display as my original idea, to have both sails fully set and drawing (the wind directly aft - the only circumstancs the sails would be set in a dromon because of its low freeboard) and "goosewinged" as in the pictures below.
 
  
 
So there you go. I'm happier with this idea - I think it will look a lot better.
 
Perhaps I could feel that my making these new guys had gone to waste, but in fact it was fun - a welcome relief from doing so many figures all the same. I don't really care if they never get used. If I'm not stuck on a "sausage machine" production line, I really do enjoy carving.