Paul Wagner Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 I have a hankering to do a whaling scene, but being vaguely fussy about scale I'd like it to be somewhere up around OO/HO and 1/72 (that way I can get lots of little figures involved). But what kit would be appropriate? Someone suggested an Aurora "Wandering Whaler" but I can't find one... Any suggestions?Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) Here is my small whaling diorama, the steam whaling barque Esquimaux, laid alonside an ice shelf. It is scratchbuilt though, as I have never been very successful with kits. Kits of commercial ships are few and far between anyway! Bob Edited March 16, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) Here is another, the whaleship Essex, that was sunk by an enraged sperm whale in 1820. I found the plans in the book In The Heart of the Sea. I have no in-depth knowledge of whales or whale ships, but simply built these two because I found plans in books and felt like something different. The Esquimaux plans were found in a Model Shipwright magazine a number of years ago! These are the only two whaleships I have ever built, as my prefererred field is the grossly unpopular subject of merchant ships! Bob Edited March 16, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Wagner Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 All very nice - but doesn't help me, I need a kit (I'm also planning on including a whale!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 If you just put "Kits of whaleships" in Google search, there appear to be lots of them! Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Wagner Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Yes but nothing approaching the right scale - all too little.... Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bootneck Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 1:72 scale your only choice is likely to be the Matchbox/Revell Flower Class corvette. The design is based on the Whale catcher "Southern Pride" and so would probably fit your requirements, with some modifications. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Wagner Posted February 7, 2016 Author Share Posted February 7, 2016 Really? I did not know that. Pretty industrial looking whaler (!) - I was hoping for something with sails! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted February 7, 2016 Share Posted February 7, 2016 (edited) If you can find one, the Airfix Classic Ship "HMS Discovery" will do the job. She was originally the whaling ship "Bloodhound" it seems. Certainly looks very like one! This is an American whaler of around 1850: This is the "Discovery" If you're up to it, cloning the Discovery's boats so you have a few more whaleboats would probably be a good idea. bestest, M. Edited February 7, 2016 by cmatthewbacon 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Wagner Posted February 8, 2016 Author Share Posted February 8, 2016 That could do, yes if I can find one. Looks like I'm stalking ebay until either that, or the Aurora kit, appears then....! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 The Revell-Monogram Charles W. Morgan is a very nice kit and considering it's age (late 60s), it does an excellent job of representing a 19th century American whaler. The kit is 1/110 scale. It occurs to me that the European model railway scale 'TT' is fairly close at 1/120 so I guess you could get figures to match the kit fairly easily? There is also a smaller scale kit of the same vessel by Academy- called a 'New Bedford Whaler' also scaling out quite nicely, but smaller at 1/200. Here's a picture of mine under construction, which after completion I gave away- but the postcard behind it is 6'' long, so that gives an idea of scale. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted February 11, 2016 Share Posted February 11, 2016 More examples of craftsmanship. That first one wouldn't look out of place anchored in Grytviken. Just started reading 'Heart of the Sea' and good to see what the Essex would have looked like. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 (edited) Grytviken, 1983. Bob Edited March 16, 2019 by ShipbuilderMN 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShipbuilderMN Posted February 12, 2016 Share Posted February 12, 2016 Whaling song, U Tube: https://youtu.be/K6OYb_7bhME Bob 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Wagner Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 Very inspirational Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 1:72 scale your only choice is likely to be the Matchbox/Revell Flower Class corvette. The design is based on the Whale catcher "Southern Pride" and so would probably fit your requirements, with some modifications. To complete the circle, some of the Flowers were converted to Whalers post-war e.g. HMCS Mimico Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Fleming Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 If you can find one, the Airfix Classic Ship "HMS Discovery" will do the job. She was originally the whaling ship "Bloodhound" it seems. Certainly looks very like one! The Airfix Discovery is Scott's 1901 ship (RRS Discovery) as now moored in Dundee, not the earlier HMS Discovery - the ship were similar but not the same Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmatthewbacon Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 The Airfix Discovery is Scott's 1901 ship (RRS Discovery) as now moored in Dundee, not the earlier HMS Discovery - the ship were similar but not the same Oh, bother... good point. Well, I guess the AIrfix classic ship still looks like a whaler, if that's all that's necessary! bestest, M. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brooker Posted February 25, 2016 Share Posted February 25, 2016 There are always card kits or plans - I think I have a large scale set of the Essex, but I'm not really sure - build in card and it all comes in really cheap at around £20 all up for a 6 foot model. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
seadog Posted April 9, 2016 Share Posted April 9, 2016 There's always this, if you're feeling flush! http://www.modelexpo-online.com/product.asp?ITEMNO=MS2140 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted April 10, 2016 Share Posted April 10, 2016 Oh, bother... good point. Well, I guess the AIrfix classic ship still looks like a whaler, if that's all that's necessary! bestest, M. Discovery was designed like a Whaler, and built at a whaling ship builder, but was purpose built as an Artic (Antartic) exploration vessel. Amoung other modifications, the captains cabin was moved amid-ships to aid communication with his officers in extreme weather - this caused the ship to be about 10' longer than a more coventional whaler. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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