Model Shipways Fair American

[Ed Mostowicz]

I built this kit 8 or 10 years ago, maybe more, and was pleased with the plans sheets by Ben Lankford and the supplied materials. It built into a pretty little ship. A friend asked me to build one for him and so I bought the kit again from Model Expo a few weeks ago. I did a dry fit of the bulkheads to the center former and it appeared odd to me. Comparing it to the first model, the new version is noticeably smaller. The plans sheets are also reduced so I'll have to take measurements directly from the plans in constructing deck furniture, spars, etc. … not my usual method. I haven't compared the cast fittings, but I typically replace them with scratch built components in wood.

 

But maybe I'm wrong. There has always been some question about what actual ship the model represents. Perhaps the current kit is correct and my first model is too large. Who knows.

 

End of grumble..

 

Ed.

[abelson]

I recently completed the Fair American. I didn’t have any problem with the scale of the drawings. I did find that the plans lack a lot of detail, especially the rigging plan. The instruction manual is also lacking in discussion on some aspects of the build. In spite of that, I’m satisfied with how my build turned out.