La Reale De France by kpnuts - FINISHED - Heller - PLASTIC - 1/75

[Wishbone Stash]

Hi - just joined this site today, so first ever post.

Last night I decided to start my Heller 1/75 Reale after looking at some amazing stuff on-line, but being inspired totally by this build. Thankfully I read through it all and decided to check the sprues and yes, I too have only 1 each of 9, 9A, 17 & 18 !!!. I only bought the kit this year from shop in England and everything was sealed, so I'm guessing the missing sprues must have been a batch issue. Having said that, I have bought several Heller sailing ships new in the last year, including Soleil Royal so I hope the problem is confined to this kit.

I will e-mail Heller forthwith and . . . be patient.

I have had to contact Airfix a few times in recent years about 'quality' issues and they also took an age to reply, although they always came up with the goods, sometimes a sheet of decals arriving through the letter-box without any preamble. The re-release of the Mauretania had incomplete instructions in both kits I bought, but Airfix did send me a full-colour pdf (several weeks later).

The quality issues can work both ways, as a few years ago when Airfix re-issued their 1/48 Buccaneer they managed to cram 2 complete kits (both the RAF and RN versions) into one box!

Anyway, cheers for the inspiration and heads-up.

Neil

[popeye the sailor]

glad to see you got them KP     now the oar issue is resolved.    I like what you did with the sail issue.....I wouldn't have believed they were set up like that,  If I hadn't seen it for myself.   I don't know about any one else,  but I found that to be illogical.   two opposing wind masses......and without affecting the other sail,  no less...........the poor vessel would be spinning in a circle.     I wonder if anyone else ever came across this?

[kpnuts]

Firstly welcome aboard wishbone stash, what a friendly helpful bunch they are on here, one thing I would say about the missing sprues is from the last (very, very, very apologetic reply I got from them (must have been the mention that this build was on several forums and the fact that my being unable to continue it because they wouldn't send the parts had been mentioned) they told me in future to phone with problems as phone call get treated with priority. personally I like emails as I have proof of all communication whereas with a phone call what proof have you got you made it or what was said in that phone call.

Just to say that is what they told me in the last email.And I am humbled that my build has inspired you to build it I'm sure you will do a much better job of it.PS are you going to guild it as well.

 

Anyway a little update on the Reale, I thought I would try to improve the way the rowers handles are depicted.

 

 

 

 

so, only 29 more to go

Edited July 19, 2015 by kpnuts

[Jean-Pierre]

Great improvement to the rows. Did you make the handles yourself or is it an aftermarket product?  

 I just would suggest that you make the holes a little deeper so that the handles protrude a little less, a little like the solid kit items.  Just an idea...

[kpnuts]

Hi all yes I made the row handles myself,thanks for the advice will have to see if I can get the ones I've done off without to much damage, is an update on this build someone told me the clew? was missing, well apparently this is it (the loose flap of sail from the furled sail)in the first picture.

I've added all the cannons now as well.

[popeye the sailor]

she's looking super KP............nice improvement on the oars 

[kpnuts]

Hi all didn't like the oar handle, too irregular, so browsing the net I found these, they are OO gauge steps (1/87) so near enough.

But as you can see they are too wide

so with my guage 

I whittled them down a bit

cut to length

split

and with a little bit of fettling they will all look the same now

[foxy]

Great Idea KP mate.

 

That's a nice bit of conversion.

 

Keep it coming.  

 

Frank.

[kpnuts]

Hi all, well I think I'm on the last leg of this build, this is half way there with the oars

just these left to do

every single oar has this huge seam on it, so, only32 to sort

I really feel this is nearing the end now, once I add the oars it will be huge, no idea what I will do with it when done, I had my warspite dio in the local library, but now thats back due to the library re-utilising the areas and no longer having room for it (a polite way of saying no one was interested in it) so now I've got that back too. argh I have no room.

[kpnuts]

Well I am so annoyed I thought I had some oars over and I had finished them but no, stupid idiot there are 32 PAIRS of oars, not 32 oars, now I have to order more of the steps to cut down for the handles, or I display it from one side only.

 

 

 

 

 

[kpnuts]

Well I've got to do all 64 oars again, I ordered some more ladders to do the handles with ( ordered more than I needed as I could see them being usefull for other things) luckily I ordered the wrong bits.

 

 

now when you compare them, I just have to redo all of them

 

[mtaylor]

Bummer...     Hopefully, this will do the trick.

[popeye the sailor]

catching up on your build KP..........the oars look great.   sounds like a bad dilemma........but an easy fix.   just sad that you need to do it     you'll get it done,  I'm sure........she's looking fabulous!

[kpnuts]

Hi all well the advantage of taking my boss to have her hair done is it gives me 5 hrs sitting in the car, so I've bought a bag of oars and glue with me so looking forward to hours of glueing oars.

[popeye the sailor]

with the windows open.......I hope 

[kpnuts]

Hi all I've been racking my brains trying to think of a way to do the tassels round the canopy, I cant find any which match the cord I've done the flags on the mast with, so,came up with this.

take a piece of double sided tape and stick it to a piece of paper

tack that each end to a lollipop stick

wind the gold thread round the lollipop stick

Cut along the edge

then glue in place

 

 

 

[Jean-Pierre]

What a beautiful model indeed.  As I said earlier,I also built this model, a long time ago, I'm afraid.

With regards to the canopy, I painstakingly glue little lengths of gold thread, bit by bit along the edge of the plastic kit item, but in my case I used lengths that were only about 2/3 from yours, which, I think gave a cleaner result.  What I also did is to cover up all edges with lengths of gold thread, which finishes the canopy quite nicely.

 

As far as the oars are concerned, I think there were seven rowers per oar, the more amidships one using the tip of the oar, the other six using one space each in the handle.  This would mean only 7 plots in total (5 intermediate plots)!

 

I know there are a few oars from the Réale preserved in the Musée de la Marine in Paris as well as part of the sculptures, but alas, could not find pictures of them.

 

Happy modeling to you.

 

JP

[popeye the sailor]

nice touch of detail KP.......adds to the overall looks   I forgot to mention a couple of posts ago.......nice looking Monkee-mobile in the background.   that kit is somewhat rare here in the states.  I remember it well.......loved the show 

[kpnuts]

I loved the monkees too especially the car, its rare here too but I got it off ebay, if memory serves correct 27 quid so bit of a bargain too.

 

Dun da da da,da its finished

I will post better pics tomorrow but here she is.

I few suggestions for anyone building this, don't glue the trumpets on the angels on the stern till the kit is finished( cant count the number of times I've knocked them off). do not glue the side railings on till the end they were constantly getting in the way making it difficult on numerous occasions, and most annoyingly including the rigging stage, I know you tie some of the rigging off onto it but you could always tie off to the framework some where temporarily.

other than that it is a great kit and all goes together well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would like to thank everyone for keeping me motivated on this kit, as without you I would have given up at the first hurdle.

[popeye the sailor]

saw the bottle off to the side........is that you mini bar?         I thought I saw your build up in light as I came in.........CONGRATZ<  my friend!   you did a super job on this build!   you went through enough crap with it......even threatened to scrap it  {nasty words}!      but you pulled the rabbit out of the hat,  as they say:)   ..........great job....very pleased to have watched 

[kpnuts]

Well I had to have a celebratory drinkipoos. Thanks for the encouragement mate.

[kpnuts]

Hi all just a quick update,my bosses husband said he would buy the Royal Sovereign but that this was too big was talking to him the other day and mentioned the Greenwich maritime museum said they wanted it but did not have the room, but would I resubmit it next year as they are constantly changing their displays. He told me today he will buy it (no mention of price), what would I ask for I can't keep it for a year, don't have the room (incidentally i told my boss I had got the Airfix Wasa off ebay and she wants me to build that for her. Actually as I was typing this he came up they've both gone for £400.00 I am well chuffed, I'm sure I could have got more but hey, two models out of the way and money for more, still have to finish the Sovriegn, and of course, start a finish the Wasa, I love modeling 

[popeye the sailor]

gotta love a hobby that pays for itself......braVO! 

[kpnuts]

Hi all well getting this one back in a sorry state, went down to feed the birds and empty the bins this morning. Rolf tried to take it to his house in frinton yesterday, didn't even get it out of the hall broke lots of oars off the anchor post lots of railings, a lot of the rigging is slack so he's busted something there as well, he thinks I will just go down with a tube of superglue and stick it all back on, not that simple a lot of the guilding was pulled off when the oars and railings came off so that will have to be redone(a real pain as lots of bits were stuck on after the guilding ) I will take some pics when I get it home.

[kpnuts]

Ok so I've reguilded the damaged guilding and the actual damage is not as bad as I feared the worst bit being he broke one of the side arms off and I cant find it anywhere os will have to try and scratch one(those canons are tiny, maybe a stretched sprue or a matchstick in the lathe, it's also now missing one of the flags (which I also cant find) nothing I can do about that so will just touch up the paint where it was snapped off .

here is the damage.

[amateur]

It's a shame how some people treat a nice model.....

I can imagine your feeling. Good luck with the repairs. Will the model go to the same place afterwards, or are you going to look for a proper home for her?

 

Jan

[kpnuts]

Hi all well shes back to her former self Jan he bought it so yep its going back(lets see if he breaks it again, I may have to charge next time)

[popeye the sailor]

nice repair job..........looking in and reading all that was a shock to my system       glad you were able to bring her to her former glory 

[darios65]

Nice work on your Reale!!

 

Hi - just joined this site today, so first ever post.

Last night I decided to start my Heller 1/75 Reale after looking at some amazing stuff on-line, but being inspired totally by this build. Thankfully I read through it all and decided to check the sprues and yes, I too have only 1 each of 9, 9A, 17 & 18 !!!. I only bought the kit this year from shop in England and everything was sealed, so I'm guessing the missing sprues must have been a batch issue. Having said that, I have bought several Heller sailing ships new in the last year, including Soleil Royal so I hope the problem is confined to this kit.

I will e-mail Heller forthwith and . . . be patient.

I have had to contact Airfix a few times in recent years about 'quality' issues and they also took an age to reply, although they always came up with the goods, sometimes a sheet of decals arriving through the letter-box without any preamble. The re-release of the Mauretania had incomplete instructions in both kits I bought, but Airfix did send me a full-colour pdf (several weeks later).

The quality issues can work both ways, as a few years ago when Airfix re-issued their 1/48 Buccaneer they managed to cram 2 complete kits (both the RAF and RN versions) into one box!

Anyway, cheers for the inspiration and heads-up.

Neil

I must have bought from the same batch. I too have one of each of 9,9A, 17 and 18 instead of two. Maybe the worker who was doing the packaging was putting only one bag  with that set of sprues instead of two bags.

Anyway I e-mailed Heller, lets hope they will respond.

How did your case go?

[kpnuts]

Took ages and loads of emails I even mentioned it was on loads of forums and they were all aware of why the build was stalled, I think it took about 8 emails and two months. hope they treat you better.