I’m considering a nostalgia build of Revell’s Coast Guard Cutter Eagle. Dr. Tilley provided a USCG link to his 1994 drawings in an older post, but that link no longer works. I’m hoping someone may have an updated link?
I built the Revell kit with my dad circa 1979 and had the finished product for a number of years. We were also fortunate to have the Eagle visit Seattle and I remember touring the ship and taking pictures. That the Revell model was based on the wrong ship and is also 24 scale feet too short is disappointing. However it would be a challenging project though to modify an old Revell kit to correct specifications.
Thank you, that’s a good suggestion. I will give them a call on Monday. I suspect that they are closed to the public, but maybe they are taking phone calls or email.
The Coast Guard site was revamped. All the links gone. No new link available.
But there is good news.
I did a Freedom of Information Request and received a CD with all the data on the USCGC Eagle.
A copy of my original letter/request is below:
USCGC Eagle (WIX-327) Plans request
**To: Scott T. Price,**Chief HistorianU. S. Coast Guard Historian’s Office. From: James E. Margerum, Interested Modeler. Mr Price,
I am a ship model builder interested in making a correct model of the USCGC Eagle (WIX-327). To make my model correct I will need plans of the Ship. Can your office provide me with plans showing multiple views with dimensions? I would be interested in newer plans dating after the Mid-80’s but I will take whatever is available. If no plans such as those by Underhill are available thru your office, could you direct me to an alternate source? Thanks.
Please feel free to Call or Email me with whatever you find.
I am xxxxxxx Home xxxxxxx Cell xxxxxxx Jim xxxxxxx
xxxxxxx Phila., Pa.xxxxx
Sincerely,
Jim.
P.S. Some background:
Some time ago (1994) John Tilley, Associate Professor of History at East Carolina University, was commissioned by the Coast Guard Historian’s Office to do a line drawing of the Eagle. His communication to me consisted of discussions of the various existing kit models of the ship and the lack of accuracy in both wood and plastic models. He also provide a Web Link to members of the Fine Scale Modelers Forum for his drawing but the Link no longer works. He also mentioned that the Coast Guard Historian’s Office could supply accurate plans, including the one he did.
Nice work, but… Three years ago and the Government currently will pretty much tell anyone nothing, or nothing to anyone.
USCG massively defunded.
Build the Revell kit. It’s a good model. If you could find the Imai kit, even better.
But your father would love the same kit built with your new skills.
Tilley made drawings that were very general. He didn’t measure the ship. He attempted to combine drawings from three sources to sort of rationalize the information. I think he was allowed about an hour on board. Certainly couldn’t measure any lines.
Very often we have to accept that we are trying to make somehting that stirs a thought, looks like what we want to have people remember, but not be so accurate as to take more time to create tahn our audience would appreciate.
I may end up doing just that, but I was hoping to spice it up a bit. Plus I enjoy the research part of it. A Revell Gorch Fock kit (per Scale Mates it uses the same molds as the pseudo Eagle) is on its way from EBay.
At this point I’m mostly curious what changes were made between G.F. and Horst Wessel. Aerial pictures of both ships seem to show a “blunter” bow on G.F. Also the old Underhill drawings are available at this website and include the differences between the two. Just curious if anyone can comment on these drawings:
I was stationed at USCG Support Center NY (Industrial Division) on Governors Island from 1989 to 1993. I was a newly commissioned CWO2 when I reported aboard to run the buoy yard. I think it was in 1992, we received a request from the USCG Naval Engineering branch to build a new split spanker boom for the EAGLE. The original had been removed years earlier, and apparently scrapped. One of our staff contacted the South Street Seaport Museum for assisatance with getting the boom. SOuth STreet recommended a flag pole manufacturer; as that’s where they got some replacement spars from. After we received the flag pole, our shipfitters fabricated and welded on the various eyes, sail tracks, and other assorted hardware. All of the welds were x-rayed. I was involved with inspecting the welds and reviewing the xrays. Before my promotion to CWO, I had been a Damage Controlman (DC), and was experienced in welding. One of my tours as a DC was at a Marine Safety Office, where I was an Assistant Inspector and went to a class on x-ray reading and interpretation. The welding done by our shipfitters passed all the inspections. The only weld that had a few minor imperfections was the factory seam weld - which was machine welded.
I’m an Eagle fan- I sailed on her every chance I could during my CGA days. I have owned many Eagle kits over the years. Some thoughts:
As Dr Tilley pointed out, with the exception of the 1/200 scale Imai kit, all of the other kits are actually based on the Gorch Fock, a ship that is about 24 feet shorter than Eagle. That means the Revell kit is about 1 1/8" too short. The Revell kit is based on her 1958 appearance, and is missing the modern pilot house, the 26’ motor surfboats and davits on the quarterdeck. ( The Imai kit is the only one I’ve ever seen that has the pilot house.)
The USCG Museum in Seattle is a great resource- the guys there are modelers, and great to talk to. I bought a set of drawings from them, they weren’t expensive. (Not sure if they’re open now.)
Here’s a link to a great post by Dr. Tilley from 2009, that discusses the differences between the ships:
