Kit review 1:25 Drakkar ‘Oseberg’ V3 - Ships of Pavel Nikitin

[James H]

1:25 Drakkar ‘Oseberg’ V3

Ships of Pavel Nikitin
Catalogue # DROS003
Available from Ships of Pavel Nikitin for €216,98 (at time of writing)

 

 

History
It is believed that the word “drakkar” originates from the Old Norse words “dreki” and “kar,” which mean “dragon” and “ship,” respectively. The warship acquired this name because the head of a dragon or another mythical creature (like Jormungandr) usually adorned the ship’s bow. The shape of the ship was also long and narrow, resembling a sea serpent. The Vikings constructed drakkars out of pine, oak, or ash wood. They used a special technique for splitting trees along the grain. They then watered the planks and held them above a fire to make them more flexible. The shipbuilders put the parts of the ship together with iron rivets and nails and bound them with cords and ropes. After that, they tarred the whole structure and caulked it by plugging holes and gaps and making the seams watertight. The sail was rectangular or square. It was made of sheep’s wool and covered with grease so that it didn’t get drenched. If there wasn’t a fair wind, the Vikings used oars – 20 to 35 pairs of them.

 

 

In the Viking age, few ships could compete with a drakkar in terms of sheer speed, but drakkars were also very nimble. Thanks to the drakkar’s shallow draft, the Northmen could easily sail along rivers and fjords. They could land in places that were very difficult to access and attack their enemies unexpectedly. These warships were also barely visible between the waves because of their low sides. This helped the Vikings catch their enemies unawares, even in the open sea. Drakkars were created for more than just war, however. They were solid and capacious, so the Vikings sometimes used them for trade and to transport goods, but more often these ships were used for sailing long distances. How far did the Vikings travel? They reached the shores of Iceland, Greenland, and North America, to name but a few destinations.
(Abridged from Vikings: War of Clans)

 

The kit

The first thing you must know here is that this kit is not a rehash of the V2 which we looked at here in March 2023. This is an entirely new design, from the ground, upwards. That needs to be stressed before I continue. If you want to know what makes this kit different, this is from Pavel's website:

 

"The “Ships of Pavel Nikitin” presents a new version of the legendary Viking ship “Oseberg”. The differences from the previous version are so significant that it is essentially a completely new ship. There are lot of changes: the frame became almost like that of a real ship, the decks now have separate boards, and the hull plating is implemented differently, with all the textures running along the boards. The rigging of the ship has gained historical accuracy based on the scientific works of archaeologists. All the rigging blocks, are based on reliable sources of the Viking history and made of wood and are included in the set. Anchors and a galley printed on a 3D printer are also included. The kit comes with a sail painted in Viking colors. The model stand is made in the style of wooden construction and the carvings of the 9th-century Scandinavians. At all stages of model construction, auxiliary slipways and fixtures, which are included in the set, are used. The construction instructions consist of 73 pages in A4 format, as well as 4 very detailed drawings in A0 format. The number of pre-cut parts exceeds 1,900 pieces. The total weight of the set is an impressive 6.2 kilograms."

 

 

 

V3 is still modelled in 1:25, and there is an extra price premium to the V2, with this costing around €70 more than its predecessor. In fact, the V2 is now no longer available, and this new kit carries over 2kg more in materials and of course is packaged into a larger box to cope with that. That box is indeed quite large and there's definitely some reassuring weight to be had with this kit. 

Pavel Nikitin’s newly re-designed kit is still the largest in scale of this iconic vessel, recreated in at a whopping 1:25 scale! That equates to the following sizes:

 

• Length: 860mm
• Width: 430mm
• Height: 580mm

 

I know from experience that if you remove all these contents, you'll struggle to fit them all back in. In fact, I decided to leave out the MDF pack so I could start on building the first cradle, and still the box looked very full. Like the previous release, this kit is manufactured in several different timbers, namely alder, walnut, cherry, and beech. The kit's sheets are also divided up into various packs which have a cellophane wrap on them, and an identifying slip of paper which denotes the sheet number, which is as well as there are MANY sheets in this kit. 

 

 

There are not one, but two cradles/jigs in this kit, with there being THIRTEEN sheets of 3mm MDF for this purpose. The reason for two cradles? Ok, that's easy. The first cradle is simply a large framework into which you will sink the assembled keel, and then install the multipart bulkheads. Once this is complete, and the stabilising longitudinal strips are installed, the hull is removed from this jig and then transferred to the second one, where it will then be placed upside down whilst it is then planked. Later, the hull can then be turned the right way up and reinstalled in the same job while work further commences. These jigs are also large, as I can attest to at the moment. you'll see those in my build log which will begin soon.

 

 

Even though these are the last thing to be built, you can see the numerous sheets that exist for the display stand. I'll build this quite early on and then set to one side, just to reduce the number of sheets of parts! I included a 6 inch steel rule in the photo, so you can get an idea of the scale of the completed item.

 

There is some variation in the colours on these sheets, but looking at the parts, this would mostly affect areas that will be hidden under the deck area. This doesn't duly concern me. The laser cutting is also fine, with identifying numbers which are in areas that won't be seen on the completed model.

 

The multipart bulkheads have engraved lines denoting but they should be tapered to accommodate the external hull planking. All of this is also explained within the manual. In this photo, the parts for the rudder and laminated mast fish (base) are clearly seen. 

 

Here you see the deck panels. These are actually individual parts and with some imagination, you could probably pose a number of these so you could see the area below deck.

 

These parts are all hull planking. You can see the section will be keyed together with a scarf joint to create the whole lengths. 

 

More very shortly....

 

[James H]

I've not currently had the time to go through the entire box and deduce what the parts all are, but you cab clearly identify a number of parts, such as the tread boards which fit on deck, and the multipart shields. The latter have their forward rims cut as separate parts, and the shield itself is recessed along the circumference, so these should fit perfectly. The engraving detail in the shields is excellent. The hollow centres will be fitted with 3D-printed bosses.

 

 

These are the benches on which the crew sit. I believe they may also have doubles as chests for belongings. 

 

 

Here you can see the ornate 'carvings' which adorned both the bow and stern of the Oseberg. These are just beautiful. The material here is walnut.

 

 

 

Barrels are supplied to add to the deck detail, plus their plinths. Copper is supplied for the bands. The engraved parts for the bow and stern (seen bottom left) are a little heavy, but Pavel is sending out a replacement as I type this. 

 

 

 

These walnut sheets contain the paddles for the oars, as well as handles for the thirty-two shields that will adorn the edge of the hull.

 

 

This something you don't often seen in a kit....laser shaped parts, including those for the mast and yard etc. The latter will just need rounding off, while others (immediately below) will just need char removal and all the shaping is totally done for you.

 

A pack of dowel is also included, for their handles. I can't see what the long sections of timber are for. Nothing in the manual is shouting out at me. Maybe they are just packing strips, but I'll keep an eye out to see if I can place them. 

 

 

 

More soon.....

[James H]

Fittings etc.

Two fittings boxes are included in this kit, made from MDF and with a clear acrylic lid which is engraved with the part numbers. In this first box, you can see the 3d-printed shield bosses, as well as the period-correct rigging blocks and cleats etc.

 

 

The second fittings box contains spools of fuzz-free rigging cord of various colours and diameters, as well as copper parts for the barrels, a 3d-printed galley, copper paint, etc.

 

 

One stern looking crew member is included as a 3d-print. This will need some assembly and the print frames removing. I may do that soon to get an idea about how he looks, and to pose with the vessel as she's built. 

 

Here's a perfect illustration as to the size of the Oseberg....the pre-coloured sail. That's a 6 inch rule for comparison. Yes, she's big!

 

This set of paper templates is for use on the mast fish so it can be shaped to the correct profile from all angles.

 

More soon....

 

 

[James H]

Plans:

Four plans are included, at A0 in size, so you'll need a large area to open them out. Thankfully, I have those here to show you properly as digital images. These are very comprehensive, especially when you bear in mind that they also include some detail as to bulkhead construction too. 

 

 

 

Manual:

A 71-page spiral bound manual is supplied, with a clear plastic front cover. All drawings are line format, but are very clear to understand. Annotation is simple to follow too, with simple symbology used throughout. An introduction in the manual states to follow the chronological steps. That sounds an easy thing to say, but trust me, there isn't much scope for variation with a kit like this. Take your time and do things in the correct order.

 

 

 

Conclusion
The v3 of this kit makes the v2 look sparse, and that was an excellent kit in itself. Having this on my bench tells me that this is more aimed at an intermediate modeller, and one who plans several stages ahead so they know exactly what to expect. If that is the case, the results will be outstanding. The quality of kit manufacture is first rate, so when you realise that these are being manufactured in a country current at war, that's something else totally. In fact, I know the manufacturing facility was very recently within 500 meters of a rocket strike! 

 

From both appearance and materials, this kit stands head and shoulders above other contemporary kits of Viking drakkar, by a very wide margin. Being based on the Oseberg remains, she also appears to be the most accurate of all of them too. The timbers used in the kit are stated as imitating those of the real vessel, which may have been the case, but the ships themselves were coated in tar and would’ve been quite dark. Pavel does sell a set of antique stains which give the model the appearance shown in the final photos. Click HERE to buy that. I suppose the final choice would be for the modeller. I would probably go for the tarred look. In all, I’m seriously impressed with this kit and Pavel’s determination to improve what already looked like the best kit available for this subject. All the small touches like the 3D shield bosses and the highly detailed laser carvings instead of the usual white metal fayre, really sets this apart. If you’ve ever had a thing about Viking ships or just want to build something a little different, then I really recommend this new release. 

 

My sincere thanks to Pavel Nikitin for sending this kit out so quickly under current circumstances. To buy directly, click the link at the top of this article.

 

 

[chris watton]

For those in the UK, I have ordered a batch of these fantastic kits (along with the John Smith Shallop), so I should have them in stock in the next few weeks.

Edited 12 hours ago by chris watton

[ccoyle]

Good review, and the prototype is very striking! I'm sure you will do the kit justice.