New to Boat/Ship Modeling

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

I'm looking to build the Heller 1:60 scale William the Conqueror, Viking Ship, #80886.

There are no figures supplied with this kit and I'd like to add them to the model.

Would 1:72 Scale figures be too big, or is N Scale more of the size I might need?

If needed, here is the kit dimensions:

Length: 22m

Width:5m

Height: 17M (from the top of the mast to the keel)

 

 

Edited By Wallace Rudolph on 02/08/2017 22:33:17

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Viking Ship Crew Figures Scale?

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Wallace,

If anything, 1:72 figures would be slightly too small — a figure of a six foot tall person would be 1 inch high at 1:72 but 1.2 inches high at 1:60.

N scale would be way too small — it is, depending on country, between 1:148 and 1:160, which would make the abovementioned six-footer only around half an inch.

If you have a look at this list of railway scales, you'll see that there is one scale, Z0, that is exactly 1:60, although it seems doubtful if it is much used, and one, more common, called S, at 1:64: **LINK**.

However, while figures for model railways tend to be abundant, I rather doubt that many of them look or could easily be converted to look like 11th century Normands, so your best bet might be to go with 1:72 figures; there used at least to be many such not least from Airfix …

Mattias

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Posted by Banjoman on 03/08/2017 07:44:34:

Wallace,

If anything, 1:72 figures would be slightly too small — a figure of a six foot tall person would be 1 inch high at 1:72 but 1.2 inches high at 1:60.

N scale would be way too small — it is, depending on country, between 1:148 and 1:160, which would make the abovementioned six-footer only around half an inch.

If you have a look at this list of railway scales, you'll see that there is one scale, Z0, that is exactly 1:60, although it seems doubtful if it is much used, and one, more common, called S, at 1:64: **LINK**.

However, while figures for model railways tend to be abundant, I rather doubt that many of them look or could easily be converted to look like 11th century Normands, so your best bet might be to go with 1:72 figures; there used at least to be many such not least from Airfix …

Mattias

————————————————————————————————-

Thanks for the reply.

There is a 1:72 scale Viking Oarsmen set made by EMHAR available.

I may just go with this.

I did actually contemplate scratch building them, but when I considered the amount of work involved.

I started searching for other alternatives.

Thanks

Wallace

 

 

Edited By Wallace Rudolph on 03/08/2017 08:13:08

Edited By Wallace Rudolph on 03/08/2017 08:13:28

Edited By Wallace Rudolph on 03/08/2017 08:13:43

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Why not approach the problem from the opposite end?

Viking ships came in different sizes to the same general design with spars and many fittings in proportion. What is there in the kit to stop you treating it as a larger ship at 1:72 scale? One item that comes to mind is the height of the seats but you could probably raise these unobtrusively by making them a bit thicker and maybe less wide. Shields could be on the large side but they would be in proportion to the ship or maybe you could turn them down a bit with a file/sandpaper.

If the ship is bursting with burly brutal barbarians it is unlikely that most people would notice any discrepancies.

Worth considering anyway.

Colin

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

While 1:72 figures will be a bit small, I seriously doubt that anybody would notice. Consider that figures that are a bit small are generally easier to fit on a model than figures that are too large, the main effect here might be that the shields look a bit bigger than they should, but who is to know?

I do recall, a lot of years ago, having the task of painting a set of Dungeons and Dragons figures that were probably about the right size (about 25mm). Such things might still be available as game pieces. A look on the web for things like "25mm viking figures" might turn up something useful in the way of burly barbarians brutally brandishing burnished battleaxes. (Paint the cutting edge of any blades silver and the blade in steel, it looks sharper.)

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Regarding the shields, paint the rims black, that will make them appear smaller.

Colin

[Francis MacnaughtonParticipant @francismacnaughton39461]

There are reviews of the Emhar figures here plus links to the other manufacturers of 1/72nd figures in plastic

**LINK**

Like Malcolm, I wouldn't worry too much about the nominal scale of the boat kit as the real ones weren't exactly built to a fixed proportion anyway!

[Dodgy Geezer 1Participant @dodgygeezer1]

If I recall correctly, humans were a little shorter in the 1000s, so that might help. If the height of a 1:72 figure is 1", which it usually is, that would be the equivalent of a 5'8" man (average height for the time) at 1:68. At 1:60, your Vikings would all be 5-footers – and I suspect that there were many of about that height…

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I do still have many 25mm figures from back in my D&D days.

However, I don't believe I have any which resemble sitting oarsmen.

The main sail is a vacuformed part, very think plastic with good detail.

 

Maybe it's just me, but It doesn't make sense to display a working ship model, with full sails and no crew.

I was also thinking of not using the kit provided sail and modeling the ship with sail down and no crew.

Even so, It would look much nicer displayed with full sail.

Edited By Wallace Rudolph on 03/08/2017 19:08:25

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

I know it's been a while, but this is where I'm at thus far.

Sorry for the poor quailty photos.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Wallace. D&D figures even though they are or may be 1/72 scale will be too chunky, likely, and will look too big.

As a display ship, only a few figures would be required. Rowers if used would need oars of course.

Could make a cloth sail and furl it up as static ship with a billowing sail may Look odd?

Just a few thoughts.Ashley

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Posted by ashley needham on 06/12/2019 21:35:51:

Wallace. D&D figures even though they are or may be 1/72 scale will be too chunky, likely, and will look too big.

As a display ship, only a few figures would be required. Rowers if used would need oars of course.

Could make a cloth sail and furl it up as static ship with a billowing sail may Look odd?

Just a few thoughts.Ashley

Thanks for your reply.

I agree with your thoughts on the use of D&D figures and have decided to not add crew to the model.

Also ditched the kit provided sail and made my own from cloth.

I'm not very enthusiastic about the prospect of modeling a furled sail.

Billowing or not, the sail is going to be unfurled. Not sure yet, if I'll be modeling it in a billowing position or not.

[Antony Wright 1Participant @antonywright1]

There is on the DnD side a lot of 28mm figures appearing. not sure if any are suitable. You could also (funds permitting) go down the route of 3D printed figures.

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Posted by Antony Wright 1 on 07/12/2019 08:24:34:

There is on the DnD side a lot of 28mm figures appearing. not sure if any are suitable. You could also (funds permitting) go down the route of 3D printed figures.

Thanks for your excellent suggestions.

Unfortunately, I'm not going to be modeling any of the crew.

[Malcolm FraryParticipant @malcolmfrary95515]

Looking at **LINK** I have to wonder if the kit makers knew about Norman shields. The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons were fond of circular shields, but the Normans tended to go for inverted teardrop shaped ones, or "kite shields".

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Posted by Malcolm Frary on 08/12/2019 10:01:38:

Looking at **LINK** I have to wonder if the kit makers knew about Norman shields. The Vikings and Anglo-Saxons were fond of circular shields, but the Normans tended to go for inverted teardrop shaped ones, or "kite shields".

That's a good point.

I'm not sure of the historical accuracy of this, but I didn't use the kit provided shields.

Which were sort of oval shaped.

I'm by no means, attempting to build a historically accurate ship.

So I went with round shields of my own design.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Wallace. Don’t give upon the crew, they will bring the boat alive, and provide significant interest to it, even as a static model.

Ashley

[Wallace RudolphParticipant @wallacerudolph]

Posted by ashley needham on 09/12/2019 09:41:56:

Wallace. Don’t give upon the crew, they will bring the boat alive, and provide significant interest to it, even as a static model.

Ashley

I agree and I haven't given up completely on adding crew.

This can always be added after the build is finished.

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