Ventora3300 Posted September 23 Posted September 23 (edited) After much deliberation, I'd like to join this GB with the venearable Airfix Golden Hind - it's certainly a small subject in a small scale! I already had this boxing awaiting me in the loft. This is the Roy Cross artwork with all the attendant action. Also an excellent painting guide - I wonder what research material was used? The Instructions are the type being used in the 1980's and and the parts in white plastic look crisp. Some colour details such as the flags are included on paper. Edited October 9 by Ventora3300 7 1
Ventora3300 Posted September 23 Author Posted September 23 (edited) However, nostalgia jumped out and gripped me and I remember my Dad showing me his build of this kit in the 1960's and it sat on the 'escritoire' in our front room for many of my early years. I was hoping that I would come across it again when eventually clearing out the family home but no such luck. What always struck me about my Dad's build was the sea green base with frothy waves upon which the tiny tubby ship was sailing! I also remember the 'dirty sailcloth' effect created on the sails which I tried to reproduce on the Santa Maria build I did in one of the Airfix Classic GB's. I always wanted a 'sea base' version of the kit but could never see one on the well known auction site, until recently. I could not resist..... ....and there is some main rigging included! How many of these bags have I opened (carefully). Too many, according to some.... Scalemates says this bagging is from 1964 so may have been the one picked up by my Dad. There is a small breakage - the horizontal pole that projects from the top of the stern. (The later moldings have this as a seperate part). Also, the Instructions say that the two L-shaped pieces are brackets for wall mounting! Edited October 9 by Ventora3300 8
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted September 23 Posted September 23 Welcome with one of the tiniest ships Ive ever seen. 1
Ventora3300 Posted October 9 Author Posted October 9 (edited) On 23/09/2025 at 14:00, Marklo said: Welcome to the GB love the subject 😃 Thanks @Marklo - I've been reading up on the Golden Hind and Drake - I enjoyed this link: https://www.indrakeswake.co.uk/Artefacts/goldenhind.htm On 24/09/2025 at 00:32, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Welcome with one of the tiniest ships Ive ever seen. Thank you @Corsairfoxfouruncle - it really is small to work with! I've had to change back to Flickr from Imgur to get pictures posted so here goes. The main structural parts have been snipped off sprues where attached and attachment points cleaned up - a sitting down activity so all on my favourite Tin Tin tray. The dry fit of the deck to the hull sides is pretty bad and a fair bit of scraping of hull internals required. Also, the crow's nests will require the side walls thinning (I think this was fixed in later moldings). I feel like that seascape part is what this build is all about! The Instructions say to paint all the parts before assembly and this was certainly an attractive option, to lay the hull sides flat side down while painting the colour details. However, thinking about the amount of abuse the hull and deck will take while persuading to stick together put me off that so after much squeezing and taping together, here is the hull assembled. Was there really that slope on the decks? There is an area at the stern (poop deck?) that will need filler plus some runs at the deck/gunwales joint. Edited October 9 by Ventora3300 5
Ventora3300 Posted October 9 Author Posted October 9 (edited) While sitting down, I had a good read of the Arthur Ward book on Airfix - listing the Golden Hind kit as the first of the many, starting at 1952! There's a good build shown with seascape! Also showing the entire 'small ships' range. ..and finally, the Roy Cross artwork in all its glory. Edited October 12 by Ventora3300 6
Ventora3300 Posted October 23 Author Posted October 23 (edited) The broken stern staff has been stuck back on and getting some paint on the Golden Hind now (literally!) The sea is Humbrol 25 (as I thought that would have been the available bottle/tin at the time) and the Instuctions say to overpaint with thinned green. The wooden hull etc. is Humbrol 10 lightened slightly with some 63. I was so pleased with the shade that I painted as much as I could - the masts are only dry fitted at the moment. Some touching in will be required. Some grinding out work required on the Crow's Nests - two before and one after. Edited October 26 by Ventora3300 5
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