16-gun sloop-of-war HMS Fly

[Jim Nunn]

Chris,

Yeoman work as usual

If you ever get the chance to come down and show it at the SMA (Ship Modelers Association) let me know I would love to see her in person.

Jim

[ccoyle]

Hi, guys!

As I stated in one my recent posts, I have set paper aside for a time and have taken up wood again. I started HMS Fly back in 2006 (the kit was a brand-new issue at the time -- I received one of the very first ones produced) and have been working on it off-and-on since then. After finishing my Polikarpov I-16, and being persistently badgered by my 13-year-old to get back to my ship, I returned to Fly after a nearly two-year hiatus, during which time I started and/or finished five card models. So, here are some shots of progress as of 6/19/12. The hull is about 90% complete at this point, and I should be able to start rigging in the not-too-distant future -- unless I hear card calling my name before then!


The frieze work is 0.1mm photo-etched brass.


Fly had quarter badges rather than true stern galleries; aside from their decorative function, quarter badges may have given the impression she was a more powerful ship than she actually was.


After the Swan-class sloops, the Admiralty cut way back on the amount of ornamentation carried by 6th-rates. All that brightwork was expensive to keep up!


No steering gear yet. I made modifications to the binnacle and skylight to improve their realism.


Looking aft at the break of the quarterdeck. There is actually a screen bulkhead way, way back there!


Looking forward toward the waist and forecastle from the quarterdeck. The guns still need their tackles, but first I have to strop 36 tiny blocks, and you know how I feel about repetitive tasks! Actually, working on earlier gun tackles is what steered me towards a two-year break for card models!

Happy modeling to all, in whatever medium!

[jimkrauzlis]

What a superb job, Chris!

As a lover of ship models, and a wooden ship model builder from decades ago, I very much appreciate all the time and effort that you have put into the model to get her to look as spectacular as she presently looks!

I do pray you will keep us updated as you continue with this build, she is truly a thing of beauty!

Cheers!
Jim

[eatcrow2]

Sure is a pleasure seeing quality work such as this!! Will be following..

[Leif Ohlsson]

What a thing of beauty... - L.

[birder]

Looks good Chris I'm sure the guntackles will be fine...over with sooner than you think. My stall is the yard/running rigging/belaying points it seems..those are cast cannon? Gunports are a bit of a challenge, too..lots of little things to do! Are you purchasing blocks? Any tips on getting them in 1/96?

[silveroxide]

Save the plans and the instructions on how you build the wooden ship. Those plans and schematics can help in building this ship out of cardstock. I have gad good success in building a few Swift boats from Artesania, out of paper using the schematics and drawings, and given them away as presents. Good build, and hope to see more. See you around the forums.

[ccoyle]

Thanks, everyone! Glen, the cannon are Amati off-the-shelf metal castings; they are fairly detailed, but not totally period correct, most notably having an incorrect royal emblem on the barrel. Amati makes a photo-etch detail set that includes the proper royal coat-of-arms and flintlocks. Rather than completely replace the guns, I simply inverted them and applied the proper coat-of-arms to the ventral (now dorsal) surface. The detail set also includes wooden carriages to replace the cast metal ones in the kit. I can't help you with the 1/96 scale blocks -- 1/64 is the smallest wooden ship scale I have worked in, and at that scale the gun tackles require 2mm blocks. Adding strops and beckets at that scale is challenging enough for me!

Cheers!

[Jim Nunn]

Chris,


She's a real beauty. She also proves size doesn't matter skill and craftsmanship does.


Jim Nunn