What was your most expensive plastic ship kit you ever built? Here you can find a very expensive one: http://www.moduni.de/product_info.php/cPath/10000000_10400000_10403001_10403050/products_id/1447009. I wonder where the market for a kit of $2000 might be residing. I have seen $1000 wood model kits, though. Btw: Why aren’t there more resin kits of sailing ships available? The following link points to a very promising (though not that big in size) sailing ship with outstanding details: http://www.moduni.de/product_info.php/cPath/10000000_10400000_10403001_10403050/products_id/5150118 Regards, Katzennahrung
I couldn’t get the links in Katzennahrung’s post to work, but I know the feeling. The most expensive resin kit I’ve heard of is the Andrea 1/35 WWII U-boat. I think it sells for something like $3,000. Must be nice to have that kind of money to spend on a hobby - especially on a kit that wouldn’t actually take very long to build.
A few years ago Model Shipways issued a resin-hull version of its New York pilot boat Phantom, on 1/96 scale. The kit had been on the market for about thirty years, originally with a solid wood hull. The resin version kept all the original britannia metal castings, wood spars, and all the other wood components of the original version; the only thing that changed was the hull. I bought one and built it. (Here’s a link to some photos: http://gallery.drydockmodels.com/phantom ) I like it. I thought the hull casting could have been better (the moldmaker missed the distinctive “step” at the base of the bulwarks, and I couldn’t figure out why the planking seams were visible on the deck but not on the exterior of the hull), but with some work (including a layer of styrene “planks” on the exterior) I’m pretty happy with the result. I certainly thought the basic concept was worth pursuing. Apparently I was unusual in that regard. The manufacturer took the resin-hulled version of the kit off the market, and is now selling it again with a wood hull.
I believe a company called Cottage Industries has just released a Morris-class revenue cutter with a resin hull and other parts. And Bluejacket ( www.bluejacketinc.com ) makes a couple of small sailing vessels in resin. I’d like to see other manufacturers try this idea. Resin is a versatile material for such things as hulls and fittings. It does have its limitations. (The thought of a sailing ship model with resin masts and yards is laughable.) But I agree that it has a good deal of potential for the sailing ship modeler. I guess the problem is that the market is so small. The few manufacturers who are interested in sailing ships at all probably are reluctant to take risks.
Hello: For me the two links do work: The $2000 link (note a possible line delimiter issue when copying it:) http://www.moduni.de/product_info.php/cPath/10000000_10400000_10403001_10403050/products_id/1447009 jtilley what are your comments to the following resin kit from Artitec “Utrects Statenjacht 1:87” (awesome, isn’t it): http://www.moduni.de/product_info.php/cPath/10000000_10400000_10403001_10403050/products_id/5150118
Regarding your phantom: you are not only a talented commentator and writer concerning model kits you are also a very experienced and outstanding model ship builder. Both talents are rare. Regards, Katzennahrung
Katzennahrung wanted to show the Andrea Miniatures 1/32 scale Roman bireme.
The second link is an Artitec model. It is a small (1/87) Dutch yacht model.
BTW, Artitec has built a huge diorama with the end of 17th century Dutch fleet, here is the link :
Michel
Katzennahrung - many thanks for your kind, if extravagant, remarks. And that Artitec Dutch yacht looks beautiful. What a fine subject for resin casting. (I assume the spars are wood.) And the price isn’t unreasonable. If it fits together as well as it looks, it would be a fine first subject for newcomers to sailing ship modeling. There’s a woeful shortage at the moment of kits that fit in that category.
I don’t read Dutch, but that Artitec webpage looks fascinating. I have to go out of town in a minute (shopping trip to Williamsburg, followed later this week by a flight to Texas to spend Christmas with the grandchildren), but when I get back I intend to spend some time perusing that site - and maybe getting it translated.