I have just got home from the IPMS UK Scale Model World exhibition at Telford . On display there amongst a number of new releases was a kit of a sailing warship described as the French Frigate Acheron by the Russian company Zvezda .The blurb on the side of the box ( top wasn’t visible ) described the Acheron as a very powerful and fast warship , the scourge of the British whaling fleet in the southern oceans . Someone has been watching "Master and Commander " i thought .It certainly tallies with the ship in the film . From what I could see it looked very like one of the big American frigates . It carried at least 50 guns(I counted them on one of the sprues available for inspection) on the upper and main decks . Scale was given as 1/200. Shrouds and ratlines were neatly injection moulded , sails were vac formed . Thinking the scale was a favourite of Heller , I had a look at their catalogue . "La Belle Poule " seemed very similar . A little research revealed that La Belle Poule was based on the Constitution , so that accounted for the resemblance .In the film Acheron was supposed to be Boston built . Has anyone seen this kit before , am I simply discovering something everyone already knew . I would hope it’s new , kits of old sailing warships are as rare as the teeth of the hen . The Belle Poule I am referring to was built in the 1830’s and brought back the body of Napoleon from St Helena .
Steve,
It is not the Belle Poule but rather is believed to be an old kit by Ocidental of Fedinando II e Gloria, a Portugese frigate. See http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=45508
Certainly Zvedza confirmed that it was by Ocidental a while back.
Francis Macnaughton
Francis , many thanks for the info . I certainly didn’t think it was an original , but that explains the source . It does look like it will make up into an attractive model and I will try and get one . Other shipping news : Airfix had a number of examples of their 1/350 HMS Illustrious which looked very nice and surprisingly big and one example of a British SSN , same scale , which I think I heard as “Swiftsure” ,but may be wrong . Revell had a number of very nice nice maritime subjects , modern merchant vessels ,offshore power boat , luxury yacht and a large scale model of a US built destroyer in German service .But then they spoil it all by reissuing that wretched kit of the Beagle . Have they no Shame!!
I’m wondering if this ship ever visited Thailand. I’m there now and have seen pictures of old ceramics depicting a Constitution like vessel. Anyone know about Thailand and the 19th century ship situation? Thanks, Paul
Airfix is going to release a 1/350 British SSN? Now that is something I certainly want!
For Brit SSN, there’s enough demand out there, that the modelers would probably tolerate 1.161:372.93 scale