HM Brig-Sloop Flirt 1782 by Sjors - FINISHED - Vanguard Models - Scale 1:64

[Sjors]

I ordered the Flirt and monday or tuesday she will be arriving.

She is not so big as the previous builds that I make but I think it should be fun.

 

Lenght overall : 656 mm

Height overall : 492 mm

Width overall  : 230 m

 

But first a little history:

The Flirt was ordered together with Speedy in 1781 and both built by Thomas King, a private shipyard owner based in Dover with Flirt being launched on 4th March 1782, three months before Speedy.

The Flirt/Speedy class of brig-sloops were the second class built to the new flush decked brig-sloop designs, the first being the Childers class of 1779 (Childers was in the very first action that led to the long war with France from 1793-1815, after being fired upon on 2nd January 1793 from a French battery based in Brest, a cannon ball from the battery being taken to the Admiralty in London). Both the Childers and Flirt/Speedy class were almost identical, and it would be difficult to tell the differences. Both were around the same dimensions, mast plans and armament and crew compliment. They also shared the same very graceful lines, more cutter-like than brig. These early flush decked brig-sloops had a graceful sheer and steeply raked stern, unlike the later ‘mass-produced’ Cruiser and Cherokee classes.

The term ‘Brig-Sloop’ means that she was a two-masted vessel, and on the Navy List sloop was a term given to a vessel which was commanded by an officer with the rank of master and commander. Flirt was 207 tons, the length of her upper deck was just over 78 feet and her breadth was 25 feet, 8 inches. She had a crew of between 84 men and 6 officers, with only two of the officers being commissions, the commander and his lieutenant.

Her armament consisted of 14 x 4-Pounder carriage guns and 12 x half-pounder swivel guns, but posts for 20 guns, as the swivel guns could be taken out of their posts and moved and placed in another post.

Flirt and Speedy were completed too late to see any significant service in the American War of Independence. She then spent most of the years of peace in British waters. She sailed to Jamaica in 1791, but was laid up in Deptford in November 1792, and did not return to service before being sold in 1795. Daniel Bennett purchased her, had her almost rebuilt, and then employed her as a whaler in the Southern Whale Fishery. A French privateer captured her in 1803 as Flirt was returning to Britain from a whaling voyage.

 

Now we have to wait till she is here and we can start.

 

Sjors

 

 

[Vane]

Welcome to the Speedy/Flirt club!

[Sjors]

Thanks Vane,

I follow your speedy for wile now and i’m impressed.

And also the Speedy from others.

I hope i can reach that level!

 

Sjors

[Vane]

Thanks, its a great kit and a pleasure to work on.

[Sjors]

She has arrived today!

 

First of all I will show you the box with the things that is inside.

It feel a little like Christmas....only not the temp. 🙂

So here are the pictures.

 

Sjors

 

[James H]

...and so it begins  

[Sjors]

2 hours ago, James H said:

...and so it begins  

Yes Jim 😀

 

The first glue is on it......

Ok, it's the cradle but it is glue!

De frames are dry fit at the moment and I can trow my file's away because it fits perfect!

This will be a pleasant and amazing build!

Even Anja was surprised with what see has seen in the box.

First pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sjors]

And now a question for Jim.

I'm not at that stage but are you using a spray can of paint or those little cans?

And for Chris Watton......

In the manuel you are telling us what kind of color we need for the build on the first page.

But you forget the blue one 🙂

Maybe you can change that in de future?

Not for me because we find it further on in the Manuel.

 

Sjors

[James H]

15 minutes ago, Sjors said:

And now a question for Jim.

I'm not at that stage but are you using a spray can of paint or those little cans?

 

 

I used aerosol paint for the underside and all the red areas (but you can use enamel/acrylic etc). Humbrol enamel for the blue and yellow areas, and Vallejo acrylics for the small details. Check the manual as I put the paint type and numbers in there. 

 

I wrote the manual and did the build, but forgot the blue paint code. That's Humbrol 25 Matt Blue. I also used 74 Linen for the Yellow. 

[Sjors]

Thanks Jim.

I give Anja a shopping note so she knows what to get.

 

Sjors

 

[realworkingsailor]

Hi Sjors!

 

Glad to see you’re back. Good luck with the new build, you look like you’re off to a great start!

 

Andy

[BobG]

My Flirt arrived today and it is impressive in every way: great materials and fantastic instructions and plans. I really like it that, instead of having a couple of huge plans like most kits have, Chris includes a whole bunch of small plans that are so much more manageable and easy to find what you are looking for.

 

I'll be in the front row following your build. She's a beauty. Good luck, Sjors!

[Sjors]

8 hours ago, realworkingsailor said:

Hi Sjors!

 

Glad to see you’re back. Good luck with the new build, you look like you’re off to a great start!

 

Andy

Thanks Andy,

 

It’s good to be back and i will enjoy the build for sure.

 

7 hours ago, BobG said:

My Flirt arrived today and it is impressive in every way: great materials and fantastic instructions and plans. I really like it that, instead of having a couple of huge plans like most kits have, Chris includes a whole bunch of small plans that are so much more manageable and easy to find what you are looking for.

 

I'll be in the front row following your build. She's a beauty. Good luck, Sjors!

Thanks also Bob,

 

And you are right, it’s better to have small drawings then those big papers who cover the whole wall.

Sjors

 

[Kevin]

good morning Sjors, look forward to following your build, hope you sre both well

[Jim Lad]

Nice to see you back here building, Sjors!

 

John

[Sjors]

7 hours ago, Kevin said:

good morning Sjors, look forward to following your build, hope you sre both well

Hello Kevin,

 

You’re welcome and we are fine, both of us.

Thanks for asking.
 

6 hours ago, Jim Lad said:

Nice to see you back here building, Sjors!

 

John

It’s good to do something John.

And it is a beautiful  little ship.

Totally different then the ones that are more then a meter long....

 

Sjors

 

 

[Sjors]

Even when there is a heatwave in Holland I have done some work on the Flirt.

The frame's are glued in en beveled the bow frames.

It's indeed easy to do that before it is glued to the model. (thanks for the tip Jim!)

Also placed the lower deck en the deck beams.

And there is a little door.... 🙂

I hope that we can see that when the second deck comes in place.

If not, we knows that it is there and that's the most imported thing ( I think ) 

 

Sjors

 

 

 

[mtaylor]

Sjors,  it's great to see you back and building.  I'll follow along also.

[Vane]

It has a door! My speedy didnt come with the lower deck but the kit has evolved since then. 

[Sjors]

11 hours ago, mtaylor said:

Sjors,  it's great to see you back and building.  I'll follow along also.

Be my guest Mark 🙂

 

52 minutes ago, Vane said:

It has a door! My speedy didnt come with the lower deck but the kit has evolved since then. 

A tiny door Vane 🙂

But you don't see it anymore.....

Only when you shine a light to the inside.

 

 

 

 

[Sjors]

I have placed the support voor the stern.

And also placed the second deck.

That was very tricky because you have to bend the whole deck.

And those frames are not that strong.

But everything in place without braking any frame!

A few times I thought it was going the wrong way because of the noise that I hear........

And also you can not have enough clamps 😁

 

Sjors

[Vane]

I think i did the mistake here and dryfitted it to see if needed adjustments.. it didnt... in fact it squised so well into place it was really difficukt to get it out again and put in some glue...

[chris watton]

You honestly do not need any of those clamps at the deck edges, as once they're in place, they can't move because they are slotted in place beyond the bulkhead tab edges. I designed it this way precisely because you wouldn't need any pins or clamps at the deck edges.

 

All you need is a couple of pins perhaps holding the centreline of the deck flush with the top edges of the deck beams.

[James H]

20 minutes ago, Vane said:

I think i did the mistake here and dryfitted it to see if needed adjustments.. it didnt... in fact it squised so well into place it was really difficukt to get it out again and put in some glue...

 

That's why I now just fit a lot of the parts, and especially the deck, before gluing. I just paint glue in from underneath and that works just as well.

[rafine]

Great to have you back Sjors. Enjoy the build.

 

Bob

[BobG]

1 hour ago, Sjors said:

A few times I thought it was going the wrong way because of the noise that I hear........

Yikes...that would put a scare into me!

[Sjors]

2 hours ago, Vane said:

I think i did the mistake here and dryfitted it to see if needed adjustments.. it didnt... in fact it squised so well into place it was really difficukt to get it out again and put in some glue...

I have read that on your build log and don't do a dry fit .

Straight glue under it.

 

2 hours ago, chris watton said:

You honestly do not need any of those clamps at the deck edges, as once they're in place, they can't move because they are slotted in place beyond the bulkhead tab edges. I designed it this way precisely because you wouldn't need any pins or clamps at the deck edges.

 

All you need is a couple of pins perhaps holding the centreline of the deck flush with the top edges of the deck beams.

I have seen it Chris.

I think it's an old habit ( right word?)

The deck is going no where anymore when you put it into the slots 🙂 

2 hours ago, James H said:

 

That's why I now just fit a lot of the parts, and especially the deck, before gluing. I just paint glue in from underneath and that works just as well.

I just follow you orders Jim 🙂

It's pleasant to follow the instruction if there is a teacher talking to you.

You know what I mean?

For example: be careful with, do this or do that first.

1 hour ago, rafine said:

Great to have you back Sjors. Enjoy the build.

 

Bob

Thanks Bob en I enjoy every minute.

 

1 hour ago, BobG said:

Yikes...that would put a scare into me!

It's not that bad Bob.

Just keep in mind that it is wood.

And you can glue wood.

Everything wil come together 🙂

 

Sjors

[glbarlow]

Glad to see Flirt underway!

[Sjors]

I see in your signature that you also have one in stock.

I’ll be waiting till you get started. 

 

Sjors

[glbarlow]

7 hours ago, Sjors said:

also have one in stock.

I do, the first copy of the Master Shipwright version. It will be waiting for me after I complete Cheerful, still have a long way to go.