Ships at Trafalgar - what kits are available?

[bruce d]

Ahhh, Trafalgar, the most famous battle at sea ever.  And of course an eternal source of inspiration for ship modellers everywhere.

Is there a list of kits of ships that were at Trafalgar?

Here is the order of battle:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_battle_at_the_Battle_of_Trafalgar#Table_of_the_British_fleet

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_battle_at_the_Battle_of_Trafalgar#Table_of_the_French-Spanish_fleet

 

Apologies if this has been covered before.

 

 

[bruce d]

 

Below is a list of ships present at Trafalgar. Any errors, please advise.

Also, any comments on the kits of these ships would be helpful; not a whole review, just something like ‘not for beginners’, ‘best around’, ‘be aware this has a solid hull’, ‘updated 2010’ etc.

 

English ships:

Victory

Temeraire

Neptune

Leviathan

Conqueror

Agamemnon

Britannia

Ajax

Orion

Minotaur

Spartiate

Royal Sovereign

Bellisle

Colossus

Mars

Tonnant

Bellerophon

Achille

Polyphemus

Revenge

Swiftsure

Defence

Thunderer

Defiance

Prince

Dreadnought

Euralyus

Naiad

Phoebe

Sirius

Pickle

Entrepenante

French ships:

Scipion 78

Formidable 81

Duguay Trouin 83

Mont Blanc 86

Héros 92

Bucentaure 98

Neptune 100

Redoutable 102

Indomptable 109

Fougueux 112

Intrépide 115

Pluton 119

Aigle 122

Algésiras 126

Swiftsure 130

Argonaute 132

Achille 137

Berwick 142

Cornélie 148

Hermione 149

Hortense 150

Rhin 151

Thémis 152

Furet 153

Argus 154

 

Spanish ships:

San Juan Nepomuceno 145

Neptuno 75

Rayo 80

San Francisco de Asis 87

San Agustin 89

Nuestra Señora de la Santísima Trinidad 95

San Leandro 104

San Justo 105

Santa Ana 106

Monarca 117

Bahama 121

Montañés 125

Argonauta 128

San Ildefonso 134

Principe de Asturias 139

 

[mtaylor]

I'm doing these from memory but I could be wrong and it's possible there's more that I have forgot about but call this a start...

 

On the English side, I know of Agememnon, Victory, and Pickle.  

French/Spanish...    San Ildefonso, Santisima Trinidad, San Juan Neponyceno,. 

 

As for scratch.. there's a lot of plan sets and books.

 

 

[chris watton]

I think Spartiate would be a cool one to do, great name, too.

 

Am sure Bellerophon is available, via the Vanguard kit.

[Gregory]

1 hour ago, mtaylor said:

French/Spanish...    San Ildefonso, Santisima Trinidad, San Juan Neponyceno,. 

 

 

Montanes?

[Old Collingwood]

54 minutes ago, chris watton said:

I think Spartiate would be a cool one to do, great name, too.

 

Am sure Bellerophon is available, via the Vanguard kit.

Royal Sovereign  would make a Grand  Kit.😉😀

 

OC.

[Chuck Seiler]

15 hours ago, bruce d said:

Ahhh, Trafalgar, the most famous battle at sea ever. 

Hmmmm.  I thought that was the Battle of Midway...but I have ya covered.

 

[catopower]

I was going to put together a list for Ages of Sail, but nothing ever came of it. I think you have all of the available kits covered in what's been mentioned here. 

 

Only addition, sort of, is that Disar Model makes a cross-section kit of the Spanish ship Rayo. Don't know how accurate it is, their kits tend to be more for looks.

 

Clare

[Thunder]

Hi,

 

Not quite the same but many done by Langton Miniatures. I believe at one time you could make a full Trafalgar set for war gaming.

 

http://www.rodlangton.com/index-2.html

 

 

[glbarlow]

I’ve always wondered why HMS Africa was so out of position

[bruce d]

7 hours ago, glbarlow said:

I’ve always wondered why HMS Africa was so out of position

She lost contact with the fleet in the night before the battle and was trying hard to rejoin in the light breeze throughout the day.

I speculate that the time lost by the fleet in maneuvering into lines of battle allowed Africa to make up ground. She joined in time to be blooded in the battle.

 

[Chuck Seiler]

[bruce d]

On 11/16/2020 at 11:28 PM, mtaylor said:

I'm doing these from memory but I could be wrong and it's possible there's more that I have forgot about but call this a start...

 

On the English side, I know of Agememnon, Victory, and Pickle.  

French/Spanish...    San Ildefonso, Santisima Trinidad, San Juan Neponyceno,. 

Plus ...

On 11/17/2020 at 12:42 AM, chris watton said:

Am sure Bellerophon is available, via the Vanguard kit.

 

So not many of the ships in this momentous battle are available as kits. This surprises me.

 

HMS Bellisle (AKA Belleisle and other variants of spelling) was a captured French vessel of the Superbe class: Mantua Le Superbe is a potential kit-bash. 

 

 

 

[chris watton]

Problem is, if one were to produce kits of most of the vessels at Trafalgar, many would look almost identical, especially with the 74's. Most would not be able to discern the difference between Victory, Temeraire, Prince, Neptune or Royal Sovereign for the 3-deckers.

[bruce d]

37 minutes ago, chris watton said:

Problem is, if one were to produce kits of most of the vessels at Trafalgar, many would look almost identical, especially with the 74's. Most would not be able to discern the difference between Victory, Temeraire, Prince, Neptune or Royal Sovereign for the 3-deckers.

I think the ancient art of kit-bashing is appropriate. Are conversion kits feasible from the kit manufacturers point of view?

[chris watton]

54 minutes ago, bruce d said:

I think the ancient art of kit-bashing is appropriate. Are conversion kits feasible from the kit manufacturers point of view?

Not sure about conversion kits, as it is the most expensive parts like figureheads and any decoration that would need to change. I think the closest I have come is the three ship options for Vanguard. I do have an idea for some future kits, though, regarding choice.

 

For those who like the details and dispatches for the battles, this book (or MP3 CD) is terrific, highly recommended:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hour-Victory-Royal-Navy-Nelson/dp/0857895737/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JUX9AEIEYMLV&dchild=1&keywords=in+the+hour+of+victory&qid=1605881752&sprefix=In+the+hour%2Caps%2C169&sr=8-1

 

Certainly throws new light on some aspects of the battles it includes, especially the Nile and Trafalgar

[bruce d]

1 hour ago, chris watton said:

... especially the Nile and Trafalgar

Straight on my to-buy list, many thanks.

In the back of my mind is this notion that 3D printing makes figureheads possible, but I ain't done any of that voodoo.

[chris watton]

4 minutes ago, bruce d said:

Straight on my to-buy list, many thanks.

In the back of my mind is this notion that 3D printing makes figureheads possible, but I ain't done any of that voodoo.

That is true, but you still need someone very good to digitally sculpt the parts, and that's before high quality 3-d printing costs.

 

That book is very good, with many fascinating letters, I loved the ones from the French side, after the Nile.

[bruce d]

Just now, chris watton said:

That book is very good, with many fascinating letters, I loved the ones from the French side, after the Nile.

Just ordered it. 😁

[glbarlow]

1 hour ago, chris watton said:

That is true, but you still need someone very good to digitally sculpt the parts, and that's before high quality 3-d printing costs.

I'd think the market for that is very very small.  I had three choices, including the figureheads, when building Vanguard. I am quite certain I'd never build it again just for a different name on the stern and figurehead on the bow, though I was tempted the first time to use the elephant figurehead, it was kinda cool.

 

[bruce d]

On 11/20/2020 at 3:48 PM, chris watton said:

That book is very good, with many fascinating letters, I loved the ones from the French side, after the Nile.

 

On 11/20/2020 at 3:49 PM, bruce d said:

Just ordered it. 😁

 

Just got it.

I see what you mean, looking forward to reading this one. Thanks!

[bruce d]

Update: AL have just announced a whole new Santisma Trinidad:

Also, JoTika are promising a 74 with an interesting history.  My bet is it will be HMS Defiance, a Trafalgar veteran, but we will have to wait and see.

[Artesania Latina]

21 hours ago, bruce d said:

Update: AL have just announced a whole new Santisma Trinidad:

 

Thank you for your comment! And don't forget we also offer Santa Ana and San Juan Nepomuceno! 🙂

[RolBerg]

On 9/16/2023 at 12:04 PM, Artesania Latina said:

Thank you for your comment! And don't forget we also offer Santa Ana and San Juan Nepomuceno! 🙂

The Santisma Trinidad looks very nice.

[RolBerg]

It is in the shopping cart now 😁

 

The building instructions for this model is amazing.

Edited October 11, 2023 by RolBerg

[Keith_W]

OK I made an attempt at compiling a list of model kits available for the ships at Trafalgar. Feel free to quote this post and modify it. 

 

ENGLISH SIDE 

Victory: Corel (1/98), Billings (1/75), Caldercraft (1/72), Artesania (1/84), Airfix (1/180), Heller (1/100), Revell (1/450)

Temeraire: None

Neptune: Corel (1/90) 

Leviathan: None

Conqueror: None

Brittania: None 

Agamemnon: Caldercraft (1/64) 

Ajax: Euromodel (1/74) 

Minotaur: None

Orion: None

Spartiate: Heller (1/150)

Royal Sovereign: None

Belleisle: None 

Mars: Caldercraft (1/64) 

Tonnant: None

Bellerophon: Victory Models (1/72) 

Colossus: None

Achille: None

Revenge: None 

Polyphemus: None 

Swiftsure: None

Dreadnought: None 

Defiance: None

Thunderer: None

Defence: None

Prince: None 

Euryalus: None

Naiad: None

Phoebe: None

Pickle: Caldercraft (1/64) 

Entreprenante: None 

 

FRENCH SHIPS 

Scipion: None

Formidable: None 

Duguay-Trouin: None

Mont Blanc: None

Heros: None

Bucentaure: None

Neptune: None

Redoutable: None 

Indomptable: None

Fougueux: None

Intrepide: None

Pluton: None

Aigle: None

Algesiras: None

Swiftsure: None

Argonaute: None

Achille: None

Berwick: None

Cornelie: None

Hermione: None

Hortense: None

Rhin: None

Themis: None

Furet: None 

Argus: None

 

SPANISH SHIPS 

Neptuno: None

Rayo: None 

San Francisco de Asis: None 

San Agustin: None

Nuestra Senora de la Santissima Trinidad: Artesania (1/84), OcCre (1/90)

San Leandro: None 

San Justo: None

Santa Ana: Artesania (1/84) 

Monarca: None

Bahama: None

Montanes: None

Argonauta: None

San Ildefonso: OcCre (1/70)

Principe de Asturias: None

San Juan Nepumoceno: Artesania (1/90) 

 

[RossR]

No model kits of French ship at Trafalgar are available?   Seems like an opportunity for Syren or Vanguard.  

[Blue Ensign]

The Caldercraft HMS Mars, is a Brig of the 1770’s, not the 74 launched in 1794.

 

B.E.

Edited October 11, 2023 by Blue Ensign

[uss frolick]

HMS Ajax is also just a 'typical representative British frigate of the eighteenth century' based on detailed plans from an elusive contemporary technical German book, that was allegedly lost by the company's 'previous owners'. Supposedly, the new company is so eager to document their beloved Ajax, that they are offering a free kit to anyone who can find a copy of this book for them. Sounds like marketing BS to me, but I'm way too cynical, I will admit.

[Cold_Fire]

New HMS Victory's cross section model from Artesanía Latina can be added to the list.