kit review 1:75 Black Swan - OcCre

[James H]

1:75 Black Swan

OcCre
Catalogue # 12012
Available from OcCre for £215.99

 

 

During the golden age of piracy, the Black Swan sailed the perilous waters of the Caribbean, leaving behind a trail of fear and admiration. Under the command of the ruthless Captain Tom Leach, this legendary ship raided Spanish trade routes and boldly faced fleets that tried to stop it. Its dark silhouette and black sails billowing in the wind were symbols of defiance, freedom, and adventure. OcCre's kit is a fictional vessel, inspired by Rafael Sabatini's novel of the same name, and the 1942 film. "From the coasts of Jamaica and Tortuga to Hispaniola, this ship is one of the most emblematic figures in the naval history of the Caribbean."

 

The kit

OcCre's kit is packaged in the same size box that Fram used, and several other of their kits that I've looked at here. This is a generic package, with a cutout that showcases the clear plastic fittings box. A large product label is fastened to the rest of the lid. When the lid is lifted off, the lower carton is folded inwards on itself to secure the contents. All of the timber/ply sheets are sealed with cellophane and didn't appear to have any warp or twist in them. The first sheet out is quite obvious. You can see from the MDF sheet that there are ten bulkheads along its length. The bulkheads are on two separate sheets and are made from ply. A few other parts are on these sheets too, such as the mast steps and various fairing blocks.

 

 

 

One sheet here contains the parts for the cradle/display stand. This is made from ply. The top sheet contains the prow, keel and rudder post. This is produced in solid timber.

This sheet of ply holds the four deck sections (including beak deck), and the various parts that go together to make the ship's launch. 

 

 

This is the sheet which holds all the details, such as rails, cannon carriages, etc. but also things like the mast tops and the lower run of cannon ports, on a single strip. Also on here you'll see galleries, channels etc. Laser cutting is excellent. Notice that these sheets don't have part numbers engraved. You'll need to cross reference the instructions for those details. 

 

 

 

Single piece upper bulwarks are supplied in ply. The quarterdeck upper edge has the ports with a temporary piece in situ so the edge stays straight during the most vulnerable part of the hull construction. Other ports are completely filled and just need the centres cutting loose. 

 

 

There are three packs of timber strip/dowel in this kit. The hull is planked in lime and then the dark, thin veneers are applied. I feel quite nostalgic when I see this as my San Francisco kit was constructed in the same way. The strip wood and dowel are nicely cut, with no fuzzy edges or warp in the parts.....quite important for the dowel!

 

.....more soon.

 

[James H]

A single fittings box is included. This kit has many cast metal features, such as the black swan, obviously! The latter is cast in three parts (body and two wings). Also note the name plate, anchors and stocks, lanterns, ship's wheel, and unusually, the mast cap squares. Gratings are supplied as combs, as is traditional, and brass wire is included, for things such as mounting the lanterns. Three spools of rig cord in arm brown are included, but this is only to pack out the remainder of the compartment, as the rest of the cord is supplied in an envelope. Also here are the rigging blocks and deadeyes, belaying pins, and other wooden details such as barrels. A good number of brass pins are included too, as are pre-formed brass rudder hinges.

 

 

 

I did mention an envelope. This contains a whole suite of pre-sewn sails and the remainder of the rigging cord, in both natural and dark brown colours. Cord size is clearly printed on each spool.

 

 

There is actually another envelope that lurks at the bottom of the box so that it's kept flat and less likely to bend. This contains a large, single sheet of photo-etch parts. Numerous are the gallery parts, window frames and bulkhead doors from the quarter deck. You'll also see scroll decor, and most unusual are the ladders which are typically made from timber. PE quality is every bit as good as that found in other contemporary kits, and the connecting gates are small enough that only a little pressure will be needed to remove them from the sheet.

 

 

Instructions
All instructions are supplied in the kit, but they can also be found online, should you want to study them on your computer before the next bench session. These amount to 63 colour-printed pages which detail everything in photographic form apart from the masting and rigging drawings. These are supplied as line drawings. There are NO extra plans included here as they simply aren't needed. Everything is in the manual. Here you'll also find the sheet maps so all parts can easily be identified. 

 

Conclusion
This kit is very similar to the Artesania San Francisco that I built as my first ever wooden model, so I don't doubt that a relative beginner should be able to tackle this build, but I would suggest some experience beforehand, or at least in another modelling genre...simply so the modeller has a little focus and understanding of how to approach a build that contains different media. The model is also presented at a good price point too, and will doubtless appeal to those who have a love for pirate ships, but want to build a legitimate wooden kit of such a subject! The Black Swan also isn't 'too' large, relatively speaking. She's 613mm long, including bowsprit, and 585mm tall. If you want to sit her on a shelf, note that she's 257mm wide, so not too imposing. 

 

My sincere thanks to OcCre for sending out this kit for me to review on Model Ship World. To buy this kit direct, click the link at the top of the article. 

 

 

ALSO...

If you need a paint set to go with this kit, OcCre have their own acrylic set. This can be bought HERE for £25.99. In here you will find two 50ml bottles containing walnut dye and satin varnish. The remainder are 25ml bottles. The supplied colours are gold, black, white, bitumen, and lastly a bottle of primer.