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Ocean Liner kits?


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Hello,

My friend wants to work on an ocean liner project together, and I'm getting a few ideas.  I'd like to avoid the ubiquitous Titanic, and probably want to go with some of the larger, later ships like the Queen Mary, Normandie, or such.  Or the Imperator Class (later Berengaria, Majestic, and Leviathon).   Does anyone know of any such large ocean liner kits available in card or, suitable plans to build from?  I will rescale whatever I build to 1/700 and possibly 3D print most of the tiny parts. 

- Meriadoc

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  As a teen, I made a dandy model of the liner United States out of paper that was about 2 1/2 feet long.  With everything I made in those years, there is no notion what happened to it (other than a parent 'cleaning house' while I was away).  I went to a dock on the Philadelphia waterfront some years ago to see the once-proud liner moored, neglected and showing rust.  'Guess with everything already stripped from her - as well as all the asbestos still inside - it turned out to be cost prohibitive to get her ship-shape to cruise again.  People game for cruising prefer those mega 'love boats' afloat these days.

Completed builds:  Khufu Solar Barge - 1:72 Woody Joe

Current project(s): Gorch Fock restoration 1:100, Billing Wasa (bust) - 1:100 Billings, Great Harry (bust) 1:88 ex. Sergal 1:65

 

 

 

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Taubman’s has ocean liner plans.

 

If you follow the links for card model sales sites in the Intro To Card Modeling thread, there are multiple liners.

Building: 1:64 HMS Revenge (Victory Models plans)

1:64 Cat Esther (17th Century Dutch Merchant Ships)
 

On the building slip: 1:72 French Ironclad Magenta (original shipyard plans)

 

On hold: 1:98 Mantua HMS Victory (kit bash), 1:96 Shipyard HMS Mercury

 

Favorite finished builds:  1:60 Sampang Good Fortune (Amati plans), 1:200 Orel Ironclad Solferino, 1:72 Schooner Hannah (Hahn plans), 1:72 Privateer Prince de Neufchatel (Chapelle plans), Model Shipways Sultana, Heller La Reale, Encore USS Olympia

 

Goal: Become better than I was yesterday

 

"The hardest part is deciding to try." - me

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United States was built with a healthy subsidy from the US Government, that required her to be fitted with a power plant to propel her at speeds higher than required for a normal TransAtlantic passenger liner.  Her top speed was a classified military secret that I don’t believe has ever been revealed.  State of the art for a high speed marine propulsion plant at the time of her launch was high pressure (600-900 psi) steam turning steam turbines.

 

State of the art marine engineering for new cruise ships is “all electric;”. Large Diesel engines generating electricity.  Electricity is then dispatched to operate electric propulsion motors and to satisfy the huge hotel loads.  

 

Even if United States could be cleaned up, her propulsion plant would be uneconomical to operate and probability expensive to replace.  This assumes that a crew could be found that would be qualified to operate it.

 

Roger

 

 

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Thanks for all the information! 

I see there is a Vaterland and several other offerings in the paper market, and lots of plans. 

I've known about the Airfix liners and built several of their warship kits in high school, but now everything comparable I have is in 1/700... 

I'll have to do some thinking.

 

Cheers!

Meriadoc

 

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1 hour ago, Roger Pellett said:

Even if United States could be cleaned up, her propulsion plant would be uneconomical to operate and probability expensive to replace.  This assumes that a crew could be found that would be qualified to operate it.

Still somewhat uplifting that that they haven't scrapped her.  Maybe they're keeping her in mothball in case they ever do need a rapid fireproof transport.

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The Steam plants in the Iowa Class Battleships are similar to that in the United States.  Several of these were brought out of mothballs in the 1980’s as part of the Regan era navy buildup.  The cost to return their power plants to operating condition was major.  The condition of United States’ power plant today is probably much worse and costs to restore it would be huge.  It is also possible that some repair material and replacement equipment is unavailable.  As the ultimate in ocean liner design she was a beautiful ship, but her days are long past.

 

Roger

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Hello,

After some discussion, enthusiasm was found for building the Aquitania!  ...if anyone can find a good set of lines plans for her frames.  Nothing on Google or Taubman's that I can find.  I thought of using the available deck plans to reverse engineer the hull shape, but that's an iffy prospect likely to cause many headaches.  Anyone know anything I don't?

Appreciating the help,

Meriadoc

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