It’s too flexible to rig upright. You’ll get a bow.
Plastic kits at this scale are kind of botchy when it comes to structural integrity.
When I build a sailing ship I run the masts all the way down to the keel.
You might set up the mizzen with a good hard 1/8" rod, get the angle right, and slip the plastic mast cut off at gun deck level over it.
Thanks Bill. I’m beginning to think the Revell Constitution is a Yugo disguised as a model.
And you were right on the gun deck too, most of the detail work should be spar deck and rigging where it can be seen.
The upper masts and spars I’m trying to turn on my lathe. The plastic is too flimsy.
Shipwreck’s Constituion looks good. I think a lot of modelers worry too much.[:|]
The transom on my Connie took a bit of TLC, but it ended up OK. I added some sheet plastic to the bottom of it to cover any gaps.
I tested the mizzen stays to correct the lean. There is enough play to pull it forward the three quarters of an each, at the top, that I need.
I used putty on the ransom gaps. I hope it lasts.
I filed the openings for the mizzen mast forward on the spar deck and aft on the gun deck. That almost eliminated the mizzen mast leaning sterward.
Your build looks good.
I’ve been studying pics of sailing ships in battle, mainly US and British. In the Comey paintings both Guerrire and Constitution have a reduced amount of sails during the battle. The gun ports were opened usually during combat.
I was going to make furled sails, but since the kit is usually built with gun ports open, maybe battles ready, I think I’ll build her battle ready with reduced sails.
Thoss plastic sails are terrible so I ordered some silk span.
The courses, or largest square sails; were furled for battle Unless it was a running fight.
They would quickly get shot up, they wouldn’t be of any use sailing even if the crews weren’t busy elsewhere, and most importantly they would obscure the view of the sharpshooters in the tops firing down on the enemy deck.
Thanks Bill. I’ll furl them, I hope, with the silkspan