USS Kearsarge 1886? (yes- regarding Revell Kit!)

Modeling Subjects Ships
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Hi all,

I have got a Revell 1/96 plastic kit of USS Kearsarge, which appears to be a hybrid of the 1880s barque-rigged fit, and some attempt to backdate to the Civil War ‘Alabama’ incident period. Alas the higher bulwarks and long forecastle immediately betray this.

Does anyone know if plans exist anywhere that portray Kearsarge in the 1880s? It seems to me it would be less work to make the Revell Kearsarge kit portrary the post 1886-8 version than it would to backdate to 1860s.

I have seen this webpage http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-usn/usnsh-k/kearsarg.htm, but anything in scale drawings would make things a lot easier.

I have no experience of getting US ship plans from their national institutions, but plenty of the UK at the National Maritime Museum. Does anyone know what sort of cataloguing is used at the Smithsonian and if it is available online?

The Revell kit really seems worth building, but I’d like to make it accurate as possible for the Kearsarge at any stage of her career from 1860s to er loss in 1894, so any general comments on this matter would be greatfully rec’d!!! I must admit, US Navy is a whole new thing for me!!!

Will

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If you do a Forum search on the word “Kearsarge” you’ll find quite a few threads dealing with the Revell kit; it’s been a popular subject in recent years.

The official repository of plans for U.S. Navy ships (and Coast Guard, Army, and other government-owned vessels) is the National Archives. Copies are available, but the process of getting them is a little complicated and not cheap. (I confess I’ve never ordered any plans from the Archives myself, but I know it can be done.)

The Smithsonian Institution maintains a large collection of ship drawings - some original plans, some modern drawings that the Smithsonian commissioned (usually for building models - back in the days when the place did such things), and almost all of the drawings by Howard I. Chapelle that he made for his books. (He was for many years Curator of Transportation at the Smithsonian.)

I don’t know whether the Smithsonian has any plans of the Kearsarge or not. But it’s worth a look. I’ll take the liberty here of pasting some info that I typed for another Forum thread:

"Here’s the link you need: http://americanhistory.si.edu/csr/shipplan.htm .

"Unfortunately the process of ordering Smithsonian plans is a little complicated. The first step is to order one of the catalogs described on that website. (You want the collection of warship plans.) The catalog contains the necessary information to order the actual drawings.

“The good news: the Smithsonian has a pretty good reputation for service of such requests. (Caveat: I haven’t ordered any plans from this source for quite a few years. But I have the impression that most modelers have gotten good service from the Smithsonian.) Other good news: those catalogs are fascinating things in themselves - great wishbooks, as well as sources of information.”

This may be a slightly dirty trick, but here’s a link to a photo of Donald McNarry’s model of the Kearsarge, on the scale of 1/16" = 1’ (i.e., half the size of the Revell kit): http://www.donaldmcnarryshipmodels.com/22.html .

Like I said, that may be a dirty trick. I make it a point to avoid looking at McNarry models when I’ve just finished a session in the workshop; he makes me wonder why I bother.

Hope that helps a little. Good luck.

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For the ship in her later years, one good source is The Old Steam Navy, Volume One, Frigates, Sloops and Gunboats by Donald L Canney, which contains plans of the ship as she was at the time of her loss. Although sized to fit the book, they are large and clear enough to be usefully enlarged to 1/96.

For the ship’s appearnce in 1864, your best bet is probably Arthur C Roberts’ four-part series in Nautical Research Journal, which describes the research and construction of his 1/48 model. The series appeared in the December, 1999-September, 2000 issues, not all of which are available from the Nautical Resrach Guild as back-issues, but the two most useful segments for modelers, Parts Two and Three in the March and June, 2000 issues, are still offered as back issues on their website:

http://www.naut-res-guild.org/reprints2.htm

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I have ordered the book on the Alabama recommended by Dr. Tilley and expect that to influence the rigging of Kearsarge a lot. I’ve also aquired some of the books available on general ship rigging up to that era.

I have an Alabama I got off Ebay just needing repainting and rigging. It is taking the place of my Kearsarge which I had to leave in Thailand unrigged because I didn’t have a carrying case for the model once the masts were in. I’ve studied the online pictures of Kearsarge over and over and am doing the Mare Island refit of 1874. It’s been easy to make a few more yards and copy the paint scheme. I have also raised up the deadeye planks based on one of the photos from Maine and study of all the others. Looks better to me now. I’ve also used the Revell ratlines after much study and mounting them on card backing to play with the fit before gluing them in. Sticky fast setting glue helped. If I ever get another Kearsarge I’ll probably saw down the sides of the ship to look like she did in 1864. The Revell hull is not perfect at all, but I just keep thinking it’s far better than I’ll ever do on my own and it’s just a plastic model after all. I’ve always enjoyed them. Check out Bluejacket model ship parts for better blocks. The second to smallest block they have is probably the best. I’ll probably use some of the Revell blocks shaved down, but will mostly use Bluejacket. Don’t forget to turn the deck eyebolts amidships and not fore and aft. (See the pictures) Good luck and slow is fast! Paul V Los Angeles, California