Looking for Aeropiccola Serapis instructions

[pinel]

Hello, I'm Pierre and I recently started with wood modeling again. I have now built 3 flat bottoms. I have come into possession of a kit of the Serapis from Aeropiccola Torino.

I do have the large drawings but no construction manual.

Can someone help me with that?

[amateur]

Hello Pierre,

 

Welcome to MSW. I can’t help you with the requested drawing. The only thing I can do to help you is suggesting that you put an ‘informative title’ on your topic. Something like ‘looking for Aeropicola Serapis drawings’

 

Btw we have a ‘new members -section’ Putting a messgae overthete, presenting youself, will draw some attention to you, and your question here.

 

Jan

[ccoyle]

Given the age of that kit and its Italian origins, I doubt that it came with very extensive instructions.

[Jaager]

Pierre,

 

H.Hahn drew up plans for the class - Roebuck 1774 - they are 1:98 - they are available for sale.  A Web search should bring up a link.

Given the level of quality in an Aeropiccola kit - there should be more than enough additional detail - beyond what Aero plans provide.

 

As for instructions - there are more than a few books covering POB kit construction.

The kit build log forum here should provide any how-to possibly needed.

 

Just guessing here,  but I predict the following:

The number of moulds provided by the kit will not be sufficient to build a proper hull.

The wood will be brittle -  this not being a result of the age of the kit - this is because poor quality wood was what the kit originally provided.

You will probably need to add more moulds - or use fillers.   All new and better quality wood purchase probably necessary.

 

A 44 gun frigate is a complex and difficult subject.   It has all of the difficulties of a 74 gun ship - the 74 just has 2-4 times more of it  OR a 100 gun ship which has 4-8 times more.

Kit builders who come from a plastic background often have an unrealistic expectation for what the provided instructions contain.  The more recent kits from select companies are becoming more hand holding in nature.  The older kits, especially the pioneers like Aeropiccola  were a lot more -you're on your own -good luck!  Instruction books and journals were much more necessary.

 

A cutter, sloop, schooner, or brig would probably be a more friendly next step.

[Thunder]

Hi,

 

As regards the instructions they are limited as a separate booklet, most are on the drawings, but in Italian. What there should be is a little book which was described as a nautical dictionary. If read it will find it has all the translations from Italian to English of the comments on the drawings.

 

I disagree with Jaager in a lot of what he has said. The wood is all lime and generally good in all my three Aeropiccola kits. They were, and older kits still are, designed as single planked hulls. Consequently there tends to a be a greater number of bulkheads than you would get with another manufacturer that has designed the kit with second planking. With their Nonsuch kit they also provide preformed bow sections to aid planking. They also had other innovations such as cutting a rabbit at the bows and strengthening rods through the bulkheads for strength and ensure alignment.  

 

Yes, some of their kits were poor but from what i have seen of the Serapis, the Indiscret and Nonsuch these could build into great models, with some care. They do not compare with what Chuck has created recently or with Vanguard models but for their time were ground breaking.

[navarcus]

I have built the Nonsuch many times and the

pre-formed/sawdust/glue/heat-moldable cookies for the carvings 

were light, accurate and solved many problems that 3d printing 're-solved' 40 years later.

Search MSW for 'Nonsuch ketch 1650' to see how wonderfully Aeropiccola exploited this technology.

Here is a sample from this link labeled internally as 'Album created by chas.'