Pyro Kits (not KIDS) ;-) for sailing ships

[Marcus.K]

jtilley wrote the following post at Sun, Dec 10 2006 4:47 PM:

Actually there is a reasonably sound plastic *Morris-*class revenue cutter kit: the one Lindberg is currently selling under the name “Independence War Schooner.”

That kit has an odd, convoluted history. One of the first kits Model Shipways produced, in the late forties, was the revenue cutter Roger B. Taney. (Taney was Secretary of the Treasury during the Jackson administration; hence his having a revenue cutter named after him. He later earned a prominent, if not exactly pleasant, place in U.S. history as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court who issued the notorious Dred Scott Decision.) They based it (I think) on the plans for the Morris class in Howard I. Chapelle’s classic History of American Sailing Ships. Chapelle was, at that very time (I think), working on his next book, the equally important History of the American Sailing Navy. While digging through the National Archives in pursuit of material for that work, he found another original drawing labeled specifically Roger B. Taney. While quite similar in overall shape, the ship shown in that drawing is different from Chapelle’s earlier one - and the Model Shipways kit - in quite a few details. I’m a little surprised that MS, which in those days was noted for its integrity when it came to such things, didn’t either revise the kit or stick the name of one of the other class members on it.

At any rate, a few years later Pyro (affectionately known around the tiny Model Shipways “factory” as Pirate Plastics) brought out a Roger B. Taney that quite obviously was based on the MS kit. (Pyro stole the Harriet Lane, a tugboat, and a couple of modern fishing boats at the same time - and ripped off the Gertrude L. Thebaud from a Marine Models kit.) Some years later Pyro reissued the Taney kit with that bizarre label “Independence War Schooner.” (If I remember right, one member of the Morris class - I don’t remember which one - did end up in the short-lived Texas State Navy, so it could be argued that the label wasn’t exactly wrong.) That’s the kit that turns up in the hobby shops nowadays under the Lindberg logo.

It’s not a bad kit - especially in view of its extreme age. The detail on it is extremely basic; it is, after all, the plastic equivalent of a solid-hull wood kit. One freakish feature of it is that some of the gunports are molded shut, with their edges indicated as raised lines on the inside and outside of the hull halves. Unfortunately the lines on the inside and outside don’t line up. If one is willing to correct, or overlook, a few items like that, the kit has the potential to be the basis for a fine scale model. It would be an excellent project for a newcomer who wants to start with a warship. But I suspect the new Cottage Industries resin kit is more detailed and accurate in every respect.

I don’t know whether Lindberg is actually in business stamping out new kits now or not. I’ve heard, via another thread in the Forum, that its molds have been bought by another firm that has an interest in adult modelers, so maybe we’ll see some of those old ex-Pyro kits again - preferably under their original names. (I gag whenever I see the Sovereign of the Seas being marketed as a “pirate ship.”) Better yet, call this one the Hamilton, which it actually represents more accurately than the Taney.

Hello Gentlemen,

after reading this interesting post I tried to google the "“Independence War Schooner” … only to find another PYRO “Brigg of war” and even a PYRO B312-75 BARBARY FELUCCA PIRATE SHIP CA. 1/350 . All of them are principally interesting models for my interest (early American Navy) even if the scale of the felucca is far to small for my taste … it might be somehow an interesting little “taster” project.

I found another kit - which I believe it could be the same than the above mentioned War Schooner - but without any real knowlegde about it : Heller´s "“Goelette Belle Isle”.

Does anyone has experience with those kits?

[jtilley]

I know Heller did release a number of Pyro and Aurora kits, under completely fictitious French names. That was back in the years when Heller was just getting established - the 1950s, I think. It’s entirely possible that the Heller people “renamed” the Pyro Taney "Goelette Belle Isle; I’ve never seen any of those old, fictitiously-named Heller kits myself.

The “brig of war” and “felucca” were parts of a line of tiny sailing ship kits that were designed and marketed primarily for little kid. Each had only about 20 parts - including (in most cases) injection-molded “sails.” The “brig of war” was based very loosely on the Model Shipways Fair American - but only very loosely. As I remember, its hull was outrageously fat, to the point of caricature. I don’t think I ever bought the felucca, but I’m inclined to think of that whole line as toys. (They originally retailed for 50 cents; my mother bought me some of them at the drugstore when I was about 8 years old.)

Not much basis for scale models there, I’m afraid; it would almost certainly be easier to work from scratch.

[tankerbuilder]

Hello :

I must admit that you’re right again .But , I will take you to task for this . They were , although " Fat " little kits and a first time modeling effort by yours truly .Just before my " Box scale " REVELL kits that is . They were fun ! Now that said I believe I have built every one at least five or six times .Why ? Well , they help me visit my childhood . Second ,they’re a break from the intense detail and accuracy my clients demand and that I find myself enmeshed in on my own builds.

It’s nice to just see one of the little scudders come together , looking at the flash and thick , incorrect molding and being able to think ," Boy " We have come a long way in both quality , accuracy and last but most importantlu Price , Haven’t we " Still , I would start a child on one just to see if they could pick up on the fun I did back then .

[Robert]

I remember the Heller “Belle Isle”, “Le Sphinx” (=Harriet Lane) and “Duchesse Anne” (=Gertrude L Thebaud) VERY well as they were the first ship kits I built way back in 1966. They had one, for me at least, overwhelming advantage over the Pyro and Lindberg incarnations: they were molded in black, white, tan and dark brown instead of that ridiculous dark grey Pyro and Lindberg molded the deck and paddle boxes of the HL in. That meant I didn’t have to do much painting myself. I still think they are wonderful kits and have done the HL seven times.

[jtilley]

I have plenty of nice memories of those tiny Pyro sailing ships too - especially the Golden Hind, which had a hull shaped about like a walnut. They were a great introduction for kids into the world of sailing ship modeling. But not serious scale models.

[GMorrison]

I have two Heller “Pourquoi Pas?” models; one on 1/400 scale and one in a Zvezda box on 1/100 scale.

I understand it also was boxed less a foremast and also with paddle wheels.

[Tnonk]

I have the Lindberg boxings of both the War of Independence Schooner and the Brig of War.

I’ll have to second Mr Tilleys assesment of the tubby little Brig. It is a very fat little ship.

I was quite disappointed in it as a scale model but it looks like it would be a fun little kit to build.

The War of Independence Schooner is a nice kit. Quite a bit larger in scale, but a bit sparse on detail. Lindberg lists it at 1/79 and while I have my doubts on Lindbergs scaling, it does look close.

I’m not familiar with the felucca, I’ve never owned one so I can’t comment on it.

However, if your looking for an early American Navy type ship, try looking for the Armed Schooner Sandpiper. I have the Lindberg boxing of it and it is a nice kit. I don’t think it’s actually based on a real ship but it is a good kit. It is also a little lacking in the detail we see in todays newer kits.

I can post some pictures of the kits, sprue shots etc. if you’re interested, just let me know.

Adrian