A comprehensive guide to the building and sailing of working scale model merchant ships, this new paperback edition covers the spectrum of ship types--from tankers to trawlers to paddle-steamers. Every stage of construction is covered in full detail, beginning with the building of the hull and concluding with propulsion, ballasting, and sailing the completed model. All building methods and materials are described, including plank on frame construction, GRP molding of hulls, and casting of deck fittings. Chapters are devoted to the installation of electric motors and steam engines, and the fitting and operation of radio control equipment. This book is indispensable reading for ship modelers of all skill levels.

Written by experts in the ship design field, this book provides a comprehensive approach to evaluating ship resistance and propulsion.

Tells how to select a kit and set up a model making workplace, demonstrates the techniques for building the hull, masts, and rigging, and shows how to add the finishing touches.

This richly illustrated manual is a comprehensive yet practical guide to the installation, operation, and maintenance of propulsion systems for scale model ships. Beginning with model and propulsion system options, the author goes on to describe both electric and steam systems, including the fitting and care of battery packs, radio controls and the operation of steam boilers, with an emphasis on safety when dealing with pressurized containers. Paddle-wheels and screw propellers are covered as well as such specialized propulsion units as variable-pitch propellers, azimuth thrusters, and Voith Schneider units Lavishly illustrated with photographs and the author's own technical line drawings and complemented by the inclusion of data tables and appendixes with addresses of suppliers of materials and equipment this eminently practical and useful handbook is indispensable reading for all working ship modelers.

This book is the first comprehensive history of how the 1:1200 scale and its 1:1250 continental equivalent became accepted as the modern standard for miniature ship models. The origins can be traced back to the first years of the twentieth century and their use as identification aids by the military during the First World War, but when peace came the manufacturers aimed their increasingly sophisticated products at collectors, and acquiring, modifying or scratch-building miniature ship models has been an avidly pursued hobby ever since. This book charts the commercial rise and fall of the manufacturers, and the advancing technology that produces ever more detailed and accurate replicas. The author - himself a lifetime collector and builder of models - looks at the products of each manufacturer, past and present, rating their quality and suggesting why some are regarded as more collectible than others. But the book deals with more than off-the-shelf models, covering subsidiary issues like painting, modifying and diorama settings, and is illustrated throughout with many of the finest examples of the genre. The combination of fascinating background information with stunning visual presentation will make this book irresistible to any collector or enthusiast.

This practical guide to waterline ship modelling in 1/1200 scale contains 30 sets of plans for the reader to construct their own models.