HMS Pegasus by Landlubber Mike - Amati/Victory Models - Scale 1:64

[Landlubber Mike]

The Pegasus will be my third build that I will work on alongside my current Lyme (based on Corel Unicorn) build

 

 

 

 

The Pegasus is a 14-gun 6th rate sloop, the sixth built of the Swan class.  Despite being a gorgeous ship (due to having been built before the Admiralty issued orders to minimize decorations (especially for lesser rates)), her history is not all that colorful.  She was launched on December 27, 1776, and in October 1777, was lost in a storm off the coast of Newfoundland.  

 

The Pegasus was 301 tons burthen, 96 feet 7 inches (29.4m) in length, with a beam of 26 feet 10 inches (8.2m) and a depth of hold of 12 feet 10 inches (3.91m).  She had a crew of 125, carrying 14 six-pounder guns and 16 swivel guns as armament.  The kit is at scale 1:64, which works out to a length of 31.5 inches (800mm) and a height of 27 inches (600mm).  

 

 

Links of Interest

 

Keel and Bulkheads:  Preparation of Keel   Modification of Bulkheads   Bulkheads Installed

 

Main Deck:  Installing Main Deck (adding supports)   Building Hatches   Start of Deck Planking   Deck Planking, Main Mast Partners, Capstan Step   Bitts   More Deck Planking, Stern Extensions   Main Deck mostly completed

 

Hull:  Gunport Patterns   Start of First Layer of Hull Planking   Stern Counter   Wales   Second Planking (spiling)   Lower Hull Planking Completed   Black Stain on Wales and Hull  Upper Hull/Waist Blocks  Upper Hull completed/stained  Main deck planking completed  Bulwark Planking

Edited September 8, 2016 by Landlubber Mike

[Landlubber Mike]

The kit is very high quality all around.  It definitely is a big step-up in quality from my Caldercraft Badger.  Here are some pictures for those of you that like eye candy:

 

 

 

 

Wood - the keel and bulkheads are on a very solid piece of MDF, with no warp issues.  I'm surprised more kit manufacturers don't use MDF, given all the issues people are having with warped keels and the like (such as what I had with my Unicorn).

 

 

 

 

 

Building materials - nice kit pieces, but in particular, the copper plates are very, very nice.  Some questions about the size of the cannons, and the anchors seem a bit too triangular, but otherwise very nice, high quality parts.  The photo etch detail pieces are very well done.  In some areas, PE pieces are laid on top of each other to create a more three-dimensional decoration.

 

 

 

 

Plans - the plans are very detailed and nicely laid out. 

 

Edited July 3, 2014 by Landlubber Mike

[Landlubber Mike]

My approach to the build:

 

The Pegasus kit seems to be a very accurate kit.  There are some questions about the size of the cannons that have been documented, but overall, it seems to me that one can build a very accurate kit out of the box.  For my build, I not only have the full TFFM series, but I also recently ordered the lines and profile plan from the National Maritime Museum (available at the link below).  I plan to use those resources to help me add additional details to my build.

 

http://prints.rmg.co...MS_Pegasus_1776

 

I also have Bob Hunt's practicum for this kit.  I bought it a few years ago when I bought this kit from a MSW member, in large part to help me get through my Badger build.  I'm not sure how much I'll get out of the practicum at this stage, but it probably does have some decent nuggets that will be helpful.

 

At this initial stage, I plan on doing the following:

 

1.  Avoid the use of paint.  Like with my Unicorn, I'm hoping to avoid paint to the extent possible.  I probably won't completely "paint with wood" as the kit wood seems to be very good, but I will use some dyes and stains that I bought from General Finishes to add some color to the model (black, red, maybe blue).  I need to see how well the kit wood takes the dyes and stains.  After working with Jeff's wood however, I might replace some of the kit wood with respect to the outside hull planking, the deck, and the masts.  For example, I probably will go with boxwood for the masts and some of the accents and trims.  The only paint that I can see using at the moment is paint to provide a burnished look to the decorative items, and maybe the figurehead (though, I might carve my own to get it closer to the NMM plans).

 

Overall, I don't want a brightly colored model.  So, in addition to avoiding paints, I might try different washes, stains, dyes, finishes, etc. to come up with a darker, more muted older look to the model like some of the museum replicas and modern masterpieces.  Not sure how to do that, so I have a feeling there will be a lot of experimentation.

 

2.  Sails.  I liked how the sails came out on my Badger, so I will add sails to this build.  I probably will add a mix of furled and unfurled sails.

 

3.  Replacement and scratch details.  I'll have to go through the kit in more detail, but it looks like the cannons are a bit oversized so those will likely be replaced.  The kit also comes with cast metal small boats - to avoid the use of paint, I might try scratch building them.  There are also a lot of other interesting details that you can add to the kit that are outlined in the TFFM series that I might try.  Finally, the stern decoration is a bit different on the NMM plans as Blue Ensign points out - not sure what I will do there, but I might end up modifying the stern decorations to more closely conform to the NMM plans.

 

Should be fun!  Hope I can keep up with the high bar set by the other Swan class builders

Edited July 2, 2014 by Landlubber Mike

[Mirabell61]

Good decision and kit choise Mike,

 

shall watch out for your start date....

 

Nils

[ianmajor]

Mike,

 

I await developments with bated breath.

 

I think this is going to be a good read.

[aliluke]

Looking forward to this Mike.

 

With an unpainted approach will you be using the PE brass friezes that run along the hull?

 

I also have Bob Hunt's practicum - bought years ago in a bulk buy deal he did - but it is a very strange read in places. He goes completely off topic and complains about his eyesight and the state of the economy etc. The rigging section is actually for the Bounty. I have not used it all and feel no need to.

[riverboat]

Good luck on your new build Mike...... nice kit!!

 

Frank

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks very much guys, I really appreciate it!

 

Alistair, on the friezes, there are two paths I could take.  One would be to use them, but to paint them so that they have a patina look using dry brushing techniques and/or washes.  I think the former would be better given that there aren't many, if any, nooks and crannies in the friezes for the wash to settle into.  The alternative would be to carve them.  I'm not sure if I really want to go that route, as the PE pieces are gorgeous, and it seems like it would be a big waste of the kit.  Plus, I'm scratching enough of the Unicorn that it will be nice to just build the kit with as many of the kit components as possible.

 

On the Hunt practicum, it was helpful in a few very select areas with my Badger, but I doubt that I will be relying heavily on it for the Pegasus, if at all.  Frankly, I was very disappointed in it.  As you say, he does a lot of complaining in it and uses other models for pictures.  On top of that, he makes a ton of errors during the course of the build and fesses up to them.  Chuck's practicums are much, much better in my opinion.

Edited September 27, 2014 by Landlubber Mike

[Sir Charles Edward]

Kit looks good, awaiting the assembly now.

[jwvolz]

Great choice Mike. Looking forward to watching the build!

[ianmajor]

Mike,

 

This is a very nice kit - very tempting.

 

One thing you might consider when doing your own improvements - the flags supplied are from the wrong period. Your photos shows the Union Flags with red diagonal lines. This is the form of the Union Flag after the Unification of Ireland (with the rest of the UK) in 1801 - the Parliamentary Act of Union passed in to law in 1800. The red diagonals are derived from the flag of St Patrick the patron saint of Ireland.

[Stockholm tar]

Mike,

 

Good choice of kit and, as I mentioned on the Unicorn thread, it should help with that model. This will be one to watch, I think.

 

I was going to mention the flags, but I see Ian has beaten me to it!

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks for the heads up on the flags guys.  Interesting that Amati missed that detail, but maybe these are stock flags that they use in other kits from the 19th century.  Now I'm going to have to check my Badger - I think the flags I used are the correct ones.  In any event, I was probably going to replace them anyway, as the flags I believe are of more of a vinyl material.  I like the way cotton allows you to add more natural folds and creases

[ianmajor]

Mike,

 

Your Badger looks OK to me. I am sure Stockholm Tar would have picked you up on that point earlier if I hadn't spotted it.

 

I find it interesting that there seems to be a lot of effort goes in to the research of ship's structures for kits but flags don't get the same level of consideration. I saw a kit for one of King Henry VIII's ships with a Union Flag on it. Henry VIII had been dead for some 60 years before King James VI of Scotland (who also became King James I of England) instructed the navies to use the combined Scottish and English flags from 1606 on. It did not become the national flag until the act of Union of English and Scottish parliaments in 1707.

 

Another horror that I saw in a kit was an ensign with the Union Flag upside down in the flags first quarter. Sadly these days I think about 50% of the UK's population don't know the correct way up for the Union Flag.   When I was at primary school the headmaster gave me the responsibility of raising the schools Union Flag on flag days. Flying it upside down would be rewarded with a beating - so I got a bit obsessive about it.

Edited July 3, 2014 by ianmajor

[ChrisLBren]

I'll never understand you kit bashers(smile). It's easier just to scratch build if you don't want to build out of box with the materials you've already paid for as part of the kit.

[Landlubber Mike]

Hey, easy now Chris    I'm slowly working my way towards the dark side.  The Unicorn is what's going to push me there a lot quicker 

 

You're right though about spending money to replace items you paid for with the kit.  With these kits I was fortunate enough to pay significantly below retail, so I don't feel as bad incurring the extra costs.

[Landlubber Mike]

No worries on that SpyGlass - I tend to think, plan, overthink, and then plan and think some more, and repeat.  The Badger took me over 5 years  ​ 

[Stockholm tar]

Mike,

 

Your Badger looks OK to me. I am sure Stockholm Tar would have picked you up on that point earlier if I hadn't spotted it.

Mike,

 

The ensign on your Badger looks ok to me as well (pre 1801 Union Flag in the upper corner) - and I just might have mentioned it!

 

Ian,

 

I had the same job as you did, both at my last school and at the museum where I later worked, which must have stemmed from my interest. I wasn't under the same compunction as you were, although I do remember things going wrong on occasion!

[Sir Charles Edward]

Scratch building requires wood stock, and lots of it.  Until I have a full stockroom of all plank sizes available, all metal fittings available in all scales, all wood sheets available, it is easier to buy a kit that supposedly includes everything and then just get what you need make that particular model kit better.  I keep all excess wood stock from all of the kits I build, so the lumberyard is sort of getting started.

 

Eventually, I will have a full model lumber yard and fitting warehouse, THEN I will start to just purchase plans or get museum blueprints of the ships that I want to model.

[Beef Wellington]

Glad to see your Pegasus up and running Mike, can fully understand your frustration with the Unicorn kit.

[Blue Ensign]

Welcome to the 'Swan' club Mike, looking forward to seeing her develop.

 

B.E.

[Landlubber Mike]

While you have a new kit to hand - a few queries .

 

You may have seen my major whinge about the kit - have you got this strange 1mm ply for the decks etc in yours ?

 

And are your keel and bulkheads in Ply or MDF - I havent been able to work out whether there is a difference in the Fly /Pegasus kits or just a random Amati variation as each batch are made.

 

And a small point where there seems to be an error - how long are your main mast Bitts - part 42.

And do they match the drawings ?

Hi Spyglass,

 

On the ply for the decks, I do have very thin ply for them.  I haven't tried fitting them or otherwise studied them yet - can I ask what is strange?

 

The keel and bulkheads are in MDF for sure.  The list of kit parts also notes them as MDF.

 

The main mast bitts are of differing sizes, thanks for the heads up!  Part 42 is 55mm in wood, and only 51mm on the plans.

[aliluke]

Hi Mike

All my bulkheads and false keel on Fly were in plywood. There is nothing wrong with MDF just don't wet it! It will absorb moisture and expand.

 

The deck ply for my Fly kit is just fine - in fact all of the parts are. I believe Spyglass got a bad run on the deck ply but I'm not sure why.

 

I'm not sure about the size of the bitts but I don't care as I'm making my own anyway to the dimensions in the FFM.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Alistair.  The MDF is very, very solid material.  It will definitely make for a good stiff skeleton for the build, though fairing the bulkheads could be a challenge.  I didnt realize that about moisture and expansion, thanks for the tip!

 

Thanks also for the tidbits on the deck ply and bitts.  I'll keep an eye on them going forward. 

[Landlubber Mike]

Hi Spyglass, I took a closer look at the parts sheets you mentioned (including some macro close-ups, which were the best I could do).  Here are some pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

It does look like these parts sheets in my kit are essentially walnut ply (or some other wood).  It almost looks like there's a very thin piece of plywood in the middle, with very thin walnut ply glued to either side.  The Caldercraft Badger kit was somewhat similar, though I think it was just walnut ply for three layers.  I sure hope it's not like my Badger kit - that walnut would crumble if I sneezed on it, which was incredibly frustrating   Caldercraft at least added plenty of extra pieces so that I could choose the best from the bunch, or just make my own from the extra wood of the sheet.

Edited July 6, 2014 by Landlubber Mike

[Trussben]

Nice to see your start of the Pegasus.

 

Ben

[Landlubber Mike]

A little present arrived in the mail today - plans of the Pegasus from the NMM!  The plans are really gorgeous and show a lot of detail.  I know some people had some issues ordering plans from there, but my transaction went very smoothly.

 

Interestingly, the stern figures as well as the figurehead are quite different than the kit.  Not sure what that means for my build, but the figurehead looks pretty wild relative to the kit figurehead.  

 

 

 

 

 

Don't mind my toes in the first picture 

Edited July 15, 2014 by Landlubber Mike

[Blue Ensign]

Gorgeous is the word Mike, I really must get around to having my copy framed.

 

Although what appears on plans as decoration is not necessarily translated into actual work on the ship, the Navy Board were notoriously stingy when it came to paying for such items, at least it makes sense in relation to the named ship.

 

Representations of Medusa, Perseus, and the watery kingdom of Poseidon are what you would expect to find. Those 'norman' knights on the kit stern still irk me and if I can work up the courage I may yet cut them out and replace them with something more appropriate.

 

B.E.

[aliluke]

These are very nice things Mike - I may just have to splurge out and get the Fly versions of the same. I thought about it a while back through Timmo's Granado log but chickened out....

[ianmajor]

Gosh Mike,

 

That has a huge amount of useful detail including position of and height of belfry and swivel gun mountings. A few hours careful examination will reap many rewards.

 

At first glance a couple of things intrigue me. The stove flue appears to be slightly foul of the fish davit position (assuming the span shackle that would be used was on the far side of the flue) and the hawse holes appear to be foul of one of the head timbers.