[mdesaxe]

I really appreciate your support for this project. Thank you.

Today I began work on the model’s spars. This brig’s fore and main masts were identical, which was quite common during this period of sailing warships. Prinz Adalbert’s spars were an interesting combination of new and old technologies. The lower masts were iron tubes, the topmasts and yards were wooden. I used Heinkel Models’ parts for the masts, but I wrapped the paper pieces around brass rod cores for strength. The tops and mast caps were Heinkel's laminated card which I hardened with CA glue and then painted (something I was going to have to do because of the raw edges).

I really hate the way my phone’s lens makes it seem that the masts diverge – their rakes are in reality identical and parallel to that of the funnel!

I tried to use the parts supplied to make the two gaffs but, after several attempts, I failed to make satisfactory tapered spars using them. Instead I made new gaffs from brass rod.

I had already decided that my model would have furled sails. I am using the Heinkel Models sails printed out on tracing paper. I first coated them with an approximately 50-50 mixture of white glue and water. After they were dry, I cut them out. For these gaff sails I cut off half of the sail measuring from the luff (the edge against the mast) so that the finished result would not be too bulky. After coating the sails with water (which makes them malleable) I furled them parallel with the mast using tweezers to do the work. After letting them dry again I glued them to the masts and the gaffs.

Maurice