Original 1960’s Airfix HMS Prince

[Bigfoot57]

So when I last left you, I’d repaired the anchors as they weren’t stuck correctly since then I’ve done the masts and the rat lines which are still to be finished couldn’t believe how long and how fiddly this so-called simple task was anyway here’s some photos to show where the progress at the moment
starting with the bowsprit mast was painted & the spars were added 1st with Tamiya liquid cement and once this was dried, I actually tied the spars onto the mast using thread then I need the ratlines and finally, foot ropes which were used so that the crew could get out onto the spars to furl & unfurl the sails
this was repeated for all the remaining masts Took approximately two weeks to complete, hence the lack of any postings
You can also see I had to do a repair on one of the spars on the bowsprit hence the piece of wood on the end
other photo show the construction of the binding for the bowsprit which attached to the very forward end of the ship normally, this would form a figure of a loop around the end of the bowsprit I’m loop back around from the Forward end of the ship but because of the way they’ve already started the construction on this the small front deck was already in place and I didn’t want to remove it with a fear of breaking it or other damaging it some other way so what I did was I got two pieces of Dowel with a gap in between to make the binding, which is then looped over the end of the bowsprit and pushed inside the ship to make it look like it had actually been looped around

[Bigfoot57]

So here’s where I am now with all three masts in place We have a slight issue with the foremast in that it has a slight lean backwards which I will correct with some standing rigging so is what the ship looks like now with all the rat lines now in place to get the tension on each line after tying the knot and applying glue by hung a pair of reversible tweezers from each of the lines whilst the glue was setting this kept them taut apart from the little link lines that run from the top of the spars to the base of the fighting platforms which i’m in the process of constructing this will complete the ratline installation and we can move onto the standing rigging

[HAWKERHUNTER]

Wow. What a transformation from the kit when it first arrived. That sir is looking quite remarkable.

[Bigfoot57]

With the completion of the Porsche, I can now get back to this and I’ve started a Preliminary rigging this will not be a full rig as that would be ridiculous on a scale of this size but it will be sufficient to make it look as though it has got some rigging on it. I’ve already started with the Bowsprit and the Foremast
so as is the normal for me my photographs come out backwards again so starting from the bottom work your way up to the top the first section is my home-made rig for making that piece of rigging that goes between the two static lines this was done by using toothpicks in a cardboard box, bits of thread and superglue after it was attached to the yards and then cut thin slices of toothpick to represent the blocks
The final picture at the top is where I am at present. I’ve just added the three back stays to the Foremast Standing rigging and will continue on from this please note that the blocks I’ve used may be slightly out of scale because they were taken from an old de Prado kit which I think was 1/100th whereas this kit is 1/160th or slightly larger

[Jim R]

What an incredible transformation from how it started. Real skill and buckets of patience.

[Bigfoot57]

Hello again well I’ve finished the bowsprite and the Formast now moving onto the Main Mast well, I’ve just started adding some blocks on the main yard and three lots of standing rigging lines at the back of the mast not much else to add really you know it’s just plod on bit by bit tomorrow will be adding the running lines from the Main Mast to the tie off points then move onto the Mizzen

[HAWKERHUNTER]

This is looking stunning.

[minitnkr]

Amazing.

[Jim R]

Truly amazing.

[Bigfoot57]

Latest update on HMS Prince
Rigging is half done I’ve run out of black thread which I’m waiting for a new delivery of then I’ve gotta add another 30 blocks to the Masts & the Yards
that should finish off that part, then I can add the running rigging and I haven’t decided yet whether it put the sails on or not

[Bigfoot57]

Hello, again when I last left you, I just started doing the running rigging for the formast & Bowsprite that has now been completed and I’ve moved onto the main Mast & did the standing rigging for the mizzen mast where we met a slight accident and I snapped the top of the Mizzen mast off never mind, I’ve retrieved it. I will put it back on again when I finished with the rigging cause there is nothing actually attaches to the top of it. It’s basically a flagpole for the pennant again I would like to emphasise this is not a full rig. This is just to make it look like it’s got some rigging on it. A full rig For a model this size is not on th cards I’m afraid to give you an idea. I went to a place called Hismodel on the net to see how much it would be for all the blocks go for the HMS Prince There are 199 standing rigging blocks and 246 running rigging blocks and it comes to a grand total of around £140 + VAT + Postage which in my book is a ludicrous price which I’m not prepared to pay that would make the rigging more expensive than the entire model so I will stick with my slightly overscaled blocks from a De Prado model
I’ve also fashioned some smaller blocks using toothpicks and cutting them into slices as you can see from the Mizzen Mast standing rigging that runs from the top of the Latin Spar. I think that’s what it’s called that’s the spar that’s angled about a 45° angle to the top of the main mast well almost the top
And again as throughout this build I’ve used reversible tweezers to keep tension online whilst the glue sets on the knots that have been tied and for fiddly things like the lantin spar blocks whilst the glue sets

[flyjoe180]

Very impressive work

[Airborne01]

Lateen spar mate for (more or less) triangular lateen sail. This rig was superceded by the more common four sided spanker /driver with (sometimes) a small square sail bent to the lower mizzen yards. Vast improvement , coming on very nicely! Lateen sails were a very efficient rig that was much used in fast 'pirate' boats but was cumbersome on a ship of war!
Steve

[Bigfoot57]

it was Lanteen but the spellcheck changed it to Latin and I missed it sorry about that at least I was more or less correct

[PaulTRose]

Very impressive.... More patience than me lol

[Bigfoot57]

Latest update on the rigging we’ve now moved onto the Lanteen spa having completed the main Mast and the Mizzen so were nearly there
Apart from all the pieces that fell off whilst I’ve been rigging the ship as you can see in the photograph mostly Cannons and Gunport lids
you can also see the reversible tweezers being used again to keep tension on the line whilst the glue sets on the knot