Greetings!
I normally build airplanes but I have this project with some other fellow modelers, we are planning to build this big diorama where the main subjet it’s a cargo ship in 1/72 scale.
So I wonder if the ship gurus of the forum would help me what cargo ships WWII era, are available 1/72 scale? axis or allied not matter.
Thanks a lot!
None, zero, zilch, nada! There are NO 1:72 scale WWII era cargo ship model kits available - any nationality.
1:72 is not a common ship model scale. You may find a 1:96 scale hull for R/C but you will have to finish fitting it out.
A note regarding size. The attack transport my father served on in WWII (USS Oberon AKA-14 – a cargo ship) was 459 feet long. in 1:72 scale the model would be 6.3+ feet long.
You should be able to purchase some plans for a cargo ship (see floatingdrydock.com) and scratchbuild your own. I think I would go with wood for stability given the size. Lay in a goodly supply of Evergreen for the superstructure. Then what to do about the fittings. They’re available in 1:96 scale (and others) but not so much in your desired 1:72.
Good luck, but it is a long term, high cost (not just dollars but time too) project
Dang!.. that’s what I thought… sigh
Oh yeah we are aware about the size in fact that’s the idea… we want a HUGE diorama for displaying at our local modeler club down here. The idea is that everyone at our club to participate in a communal build, and we thought about this cargo or merchant ship in the dock getting filled with a couple of tanks some disambled airplanes, jeeps etc, and in land some other staff cars parked around, full of busy people, in short, tanks, airplanes, ships, figures, etc, everyone subject and technique, at least that’s the idea so far.
Just as you said it will be a looooooong term project, but at least it will keep us planning arguing and building all together for some time. 
The irony of the project it’s that the main subject will be the ship and at our local club the majority build airplanes and tanks, just 2 guys build ships, battleships specifically, and when we wondered what kind of cargo or merchant ship would be ideal, well… we found out that our knowledge about merchant and cargo ships are quite limited… 
We are thinking about some Victory-class or Liberty since they were the more common, but some (including me) think about something not that common like some german or italian cargo ship, delivering tanks and airplane parts to, say, Northafrika, or some japanese, the question is, it was some axis cargo or merchant ship capable to get loaded with both tanks and airplanes?
Thank you EdGrune, for the page floatingdrydock.com, I’m on it right now.
Just a suggestion - I really like the idea of a Liberty or Victory ship at a dock getting loaded up (my Dad served on several Victory ships) - and here is a thought to maybe make things more manageable. Put the dock at an angle and just build a portion of the hull, with enough there to show at least one cargo hatch, a kingpost, the cargo booms and all associated rigging and hoisting gear. That would make things look “busy” enough without breaking the bank by having out outfit the entire ship in, as Ed pointed out, the not to popular 1/72 scale. It’s not to hard to make winches, booms, bollards and watertight doors out of sheet styrene, railings would be a challenge but doable - and for a part of the ship rather than the whole, it might make it not only manageable but affordable.
It’s a great subject for a model railroad, because a railroad is going to be central to the whole thing, can’t load a ship without one. HO 1.87 is the closest scale and Preiser makes a zillion figures; every kind of railroad rolling stock/ locomotives (steam of course!) are available from Walthers and other catalogues.
Used to be only Roco made military stuff in HO, and it was German, but now there’s a lot available.
It’s not a ship scale either, but if the ship is a backdrop, 1/96 will work there for a sense of scale.
It would be nice to make it lit so you can be working round the clock.
Still, figure on a dio at least ten feet long and a couple-three feet deep. Certainly doable.
Go for it!
There is a Matchbox / Revell 1/72 corvette model, and I think Airfix had a 1/72 destroyer too. There are also a few boats in 1/72, I know of a US PT boat, German E boat, British MTB and RAF Crash boat at a minimum.
Not cargo ships but these, and any aftermarket for them might provide a source for useful detail bits like AA guns, props, spotlights and such.
Hey Aaron how’s it going? Did you realize a prop from a liberty ship is 3" in diameter at 1/72??? I was curious when I read your post, so I looked it up and did the math.
While as many point out, 1:72 is not a popular ship model scale, it is not unheard of either. One of the larger kits is the Revell (G) Flower class Corvette Snowberry. This could possibly act to supply many parts for a scratch build or drastic conversion.
But because there ARE some 1:72 kits (mostly patrol boats and subs) there are aftermarket accessories available that can be used to detail a scratch build. Many guns, railing sets, ladders, and various fittings.
The Flower class corvette was built on basically a whaler hull, and this is a very full hull that could represent a merchant ship. One would have to scratch deck and deck structures.
Thanks a lot for the tips and suggestions guys!
I like the idea about the dock at an angle, I just having a picture in my mind about it, showing a cargo hatch as you said. Sounds great!
Yeah, as you guys said 1/72 it is not a popular scale for ships, but also as Don said it is not a unheard scale neither, we thought about this scale cuz it will easier to get stuff, like airplanes tanks and figures, in other words… we thought that in case we can’t find any merchant ship available in the market, which seems like that, at this scale we preffer to scratchbuild one big ship rather than a LOT of small vehicles and figures.
Bondoman,Thank you for remind me the railroad!!! . There’s 1/72 railraods actually!!! I saw Hobbyboss have some of them… they are german locomotives though, also track sets and even a carrier wagen for tanks at this scale!.. another reason I like the idea about some german or italian merchant. I love the idea about the railroad getting unloaded next to the ship.
Hello Aaron! Thanks for the tip… Also thank you Don, we are just starting picking up information about what we can get in 1/72 for this project, how much it would be to start and mainly where the heck we are gonna start building this behemoth, I gonna have a look at this Revell corvete and Airfix destroyer.
I’ll talk to my fellow modelers about this ideas and tips this Saturday (we met every Saturday at our club down here) However I still thinking where to build this possible monster. The space will be the problem for starters. We are quite exited about this, still, I hope we can find some place to start and not get discouraged.
Oh well… Thank you again my friends!.. I’ll keep you updated. Later!
Does it need to be a liberty ship or similar? You could kit bash a flower corvette into a coast hugger transport, have it off load some armor and instead of carrying aircraft add them as sea planes?
just my 2c
Andrew
That would make it about 18 feet? I knew they were big, but not that big. I went past a big tanker in a 21 foot sail boat years ago and it was kind of scary watching the prop choping through the water even being a pretty good distance off.
Millicast do a LCI, in US & UK versions, with shed-loads of accessories & appropriate vehicles.
http://www.milicast.com/shop/search.php?mode=search&page=1
Accurate Armour have an LCT4 & LCT5, & accessories.
http://www.accurate-armour.com/ShowProduct.cfm?manufacturer=1&category=86&product=1425
http://www.accurate-armour.com/ShowProduct.cfm?manufacturer=1&category=86&product=1835
Someone has also produced a LCT5/6 in plastic , but I don’t know who!
This might be more managable, [;)]
Mach2 http://www.mach2.fr/ have in their Armagedon range LCT6: http://www.mach2.fr/militaig.htm
I would personally recommend the dio be done in 1/87-H.O. scale.Why? well you can get all kinds of detail stuff that is model railroad related that will work on ships! Also,do you want H.O.scale plans for a tramp type steamer from the late 30s to the early 40s?Contact me off site at gjgeracci@satx.rr.com and I will give you the info you,re seeking.My specialty IS H.O. scale ships.I would consider guiding you along.The suggestion to do a quartered dio from a prospective is sound.I did a TANKER for JUST TRAINS in CONCORD, CAL.In H.O.scale she,s twenty seven inches long,maybe a little longer it was supposed to be 256 feet long in scale .I also did a container ship for JOAN at 755 scale feet she was 6’ 6-1/2" long!! The possibilities are endless it,s all up to you! You may contact me by mail at G.J.GERACCI C/O MINSHIPCO 436 COPPER HILL DR. NEW BRAUNFELS, TX. 78130.
Sorry for the delay answering, I was just loaded with a lot to do at the office!
Hi Andrew, nop… not necesary a Liberty, in fact in our last meeting at our club this past Saturday one of the guys said exactyl the same about to convert a Flower class into a cargo ship. However some other guys have in mind to scratch a larger one. Well, we decided that if the guys that want the larger one can get some blueprints or schematic drawings before we can get the place where we are gonna start the project, the larger one will be, if not… the Flower class then.
Jon and Trabi thanks for the links… those LCT looks quite interesting.
Tanker… I talked to my buddies about your HO porposal. And well, since this will be a comunal project, most of the guys still want to go for 1/72. Just one liked the HO idea, he’s a train builder. However we liked the idea about to get some HO plans and convert it to 1/72 scale. Thank you for your email, I’ll definitely contact you, so you can guide us and recomend which freighter would be the adequate for us. We still need to get the place where to start this monster project.
Thanks for your help, suggestions and tips all you guys!
We are in contact!
There are some cargo ships available in scale close to 1:72. Unfortunately most tend to be more modern freighters from Europe.
M/V FAIRWIND is 1:76 scale and 40" loa
LSM 751 kis 1:72 scale
The advantage to doing just a portion of a Victory ship, say, is that (in general) it would involve nothing more complicated than straight lines. A good supply of Evergreen plastic in various thicknesses, plus the correct diameter tube for the cargo booms and railings, should see you through. Just my [2cnts] for the easy way out! And my observation from having had the opportunity to crawl over, under and through the American Victory in Tampa.
Hi,
just for info- here’s a 1.70 card (yes, card) kit of a freighter with all her internal scantlings. It is quite cool to say the least. http://www.marcle.co.uk/sd14.htm
I notice the kit is available in sections, and maybe a cross-section like this would be a good approach- you could have war materi él loaded in her holds, and even suspended from cargo handling gear? You would need the builders original drawings to do a cross-section to such a degree of accuracy though.
If you went up a scale to 1:48 (I know it sounds mad!) you might find life a bit easier actually? This is a traditional model ship scale (including for the original builders) and a lot of fittings are available from the modelling industry. Is 1:48 common scale for armour and vehicles other than aircraft?
A cross-section in 1/48 would be massive, but maybe a bit easier to model if you reigned-in how of the ship is portrayed.
good luck- It is certainly one heck of a project!
Will