discussion Original 1960’s Airfix HMS Prince

[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

 

[PaulTRose]

Very impressive.... More patience than me lol

 

[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

 

[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

 

[scottie3158]

Looking very nice indeed. I wonder how many miles of rope it took to outfit a ship like this.

 

[Jim R]

That's turning out to be an amazing model.

 

[Airborne01]

That'll be an interesting conversation piece for sure!
Steve

 

[Bigfoot57]

HMS Prince Nearly There

So I’ve finished rigging the ship using a bit of artistic license in places. I cannot guarantee that this is an accurate rig of how it would be in real life and I do know that it’s only half the rigging the actual real ship carried but I just wanted to give it an effect of having rigging It’s not a museum piece by any means
All that’s left to do now is repair two lanterns the middle ones usable but the two outside ones weren’t so have to reconstruct those they’re still in the process of being built and the flagpole which is currently being painted before it goes onto the ship at the rear or the Stern
As you can see the model has now been transferred to a perspex case to protect it from dust because dust will kill the rigging completely it may not look very elegant but it will protect it so the next time you see some pictures it will be in the finished state and in the completed model section for Maritime ships gallons etc meanwhile here are the last set of pictures showing the complete rigging

 

[Steven000]

The rigging looks excellent, nice work, cheers

 

[flyjoe180]

Stunning work, and that display case looks nice too