Arkadion by GeorgeKapas - FINISHED - 1/72 Greek blockade runner for the Maritime Museum of Crete

[GeorgeKapas]

Good evening all! So once again I have not posted for a while, but this year was different. Many projects were finished, and many more are on the way. In fact I have been modeling quite a lot, including commisions. 

 

Arkadion was originally ordered by the Confederate states as CSS Dream, but the end of the American civil war in 1865 found it still at the stocks in Liverpool. The following year, 1866, the Cretan revolt began, and the Greek state bought several of these unfinished confederate blockade runners in order to supply the revolutionaries on the island. Arkadion was the first such ship, and managed 23 such supply runs until the Ottoman navy managed to intercept it. 

 

It is indeed a historic ship for my island, and I wanted to make a model of her, donating it to the Maritime Museum of Crete. The museum has a large collection of post WW2 vessels, but no earlier historic ships. The plans of such ships are extremely rare. In fact none I could find of Dream. Never the less, the plans of CSS Hope, the next "class" of blockade runners were abailable, and so I modified them to approach Arkadion as best as I could. 

 

The lines were re-formed to match Arkadion's dimensions, the deck arrangement and superstructure was moved around to match the only depiction of her that we have. Obviously all these were done respecting the opinions of the Museum's curators, since I had informed them of my intention to donate the finished model. Here is the early version of the plans

[GeorgeKapas]

Today and tomorow I'll slowly post all the built. My building method is rather unique, similar to that of the brig Ares, but it suits me, so it is what it is. The museum insisted on a a large model and not the kit-sized ones I prefer. We found the middle road at 1/72 for a meter long model, which was at the upper limit of what I can do with my methods. 

The frames are made out of 1 or 2 mm balsa sandwiched between two sheets thick paper. It strengthens the balsa amazingly a lot, while i can still cut and shape it with the modeling knife. In fact the entire ship was done with the exacto knife. 

[GeorgeKapas]

So this is the ship talking shape. It is not solid balsa all the way through, I just put plugs between the frames (which are hardened with superglue) and sand them down 

[GeorgeKapas]

Above the balsa, just like the rest of my projects, I "plank" it with stripes of thick paper and coat it with thinned woodglue that hardens and protects the balsa underneath. Then a coat of filler. 

[Thanasis]

Hi George.

I admire your tidy workbench and having seen your previous work, I'm sure for the magnificent result.

Thx

 

Thanasis

[GeorgeKapas]

The two paddlewheel covers were done with a compination of balsa and strips of plastic styrene. The funnels are plastic piping. Originally I had designed to have the wheel on the bridge covered with a panelled wheelhouse, then decided to have it in the open. The cover was very visible when viewed from the profile, and the engraving of the ship showed no such thing, so...  

Edited Friday at 08:25 AM by GeorgeKapas

[GeorgeKapas]

The feathered paddleswheels were done mostly with styrene. They dont articulate, I did them like that mostly to suggest the mechanism. They were also done all the way around (as opposed to only the lower halfs) because they are visible throught the openings of the side of the covers. In any case, it was a fashinating experiment of such a built for me 

[GeorgeKapas]

The whaleback cover for the forecastle was another problem for me. The ribs underneath were visible, so I had to make them, but the Hope plans had no lines for them. I had to make them myself. Not ideal, but the end result was fair enought. Eventually little was visible looking across the deck. 

[GeorgeKapas]

The prossess of making one of the winches. Once again I was trying to match details from the few similar models of blockade runners I could find. 

[GeorgeKapas]

Here is most of the equipment. The guns were an issue. Greek sources state the armament as 4 armstrongs. One source described them as 40lb. The engravings and the one ottoman painting showed no gunports or folding bulwarks etc. As far as I could see these blockade runners were not armed in confederate service. With civilian crew, arming ships is an act of piracy. My idea was that the guns were land pieces that were later disembarked on Crete. Long story short, the consensus was to put them in naval carriages and open 4 small gunports. 

[GeorgeKapas]

Speaking of bulwarks, I forgot to post them, also made with styrene. 

[GeorgeKapas]

So here she is, unpainted. The deck, just like Ares and the rest of my models, was done in the PC and printed. I'll do some modifications for the rest of the projects thought,

[GeorgeKapas]

The painting procedure

[GeorgeKapas]

So here she is painted and rigged in my workshop, without the boats and some other equipment still to go. I had a deadline to catch, as December 1st is the anniversary of the union of Crete with Greece. The ceremony is conducted in the fortress were the naval museum in Chania is located, and Arkadi was included in the festivites' program.  

[GeorgeKapas]

Arkadion in the workshop of Maritime Museum of Crete, puting the last touches on it 

[GeorgeKapas]

Arkadion ready! Photos from December 1st 2025 when I officially donated her to the Maritime Museum of Crete. It was a really interesting project, and I learned a lot. This type of ship and era is not really my speciality, so I was not very comfortable with the built,  but the result is fair enough. Visitors and schooltrips will surely enjoy it. It is a significant part of the maritime history of Crete, and I am happy that a such a relevant subject is displayed there for the local community. 

[Baker]

Congratulations, a beautiful model.