Model Update: Saturday 3/31

My progress on my curent model, the US South Dakota BB-57 1/700 scale by Trumpeter, has been a little slow of late as I haven't had as much time to work on it while I've been working on equipment for the upcoming planting season, as well as lining up fertilizer and such. But I won't delve into that, as that isn't why you're reading the blog.

Anyway, I have been able to build upwards on the superstructure. I've placed the small guns where needed as the structure has taken shape. I'll try to post some pics in my next model update. For the most part the parts seem to fit together really well. There have only been two places I've had to fill in with caulk and paint over. The turret guns were a little frail as one snapped apart while I was cutting it out of the parts tree. I'm just glad there was one extra.

I'll more details and comments with the pictures.

As always, thanks for reading.

Documentary Review: Titanic The Legeng Lives On

Few in the world could believe the news. Wireless stations in Cape Race and New York were picking up signals that the Titanic had struck an iceberg and was in some sort of trouble. White Star Line Vice President Phillip Franklin maintains that the Titanic is unsinkable and that "only an inconvenience would be suffered by her passengers."

Meanwhile, the Carpathia races north across the Atlantic toward the sinking liner. The bow is now sinking, and the stern begins rising out of the water. The individuals still onboard realize the ship will founder. The weight of the unsupported stern causes the hull to fail and the ship rips in two just aft of the third funnel. Many think the stern will become its own lifeboat, but it too eventually floods and sinks beneath the surface.
The Carpathia reaches the scene over an hour later to find only 705 survivors.

In New York, garbled messages lead to confusion about what happened. Any good news was taken as gospel. It wasn't until late in the evening on April 15 that White Star Admitted the truth. The Cunard Line's Carpathia arrived in New York on April 18 with the survivors, many of the surviving officers as well as the managing director were to appear at an inquiry.

Many questions arose about that night including: the ship's speed, the conduct of her officers and crew, and the mystery ship about ten miles away from the Titanic when she sank. Eventually no legal blame is put on either White Star or Harland &Wolff.

Titanic laid undisturbed at the bottom of the North Atlantic for over seventy years until Dr. Robert Ballard found her in 1985. Ever since, the wreck site has become somewhat of a controversy via the salvage operations that raise relics from the wreck.

All this and more is discussed in great detail in the second part of History Channel's Titanic: The Complete Story. The presentation is the same style as the first part, providing pictures with interviews from survivors and historians as well as mixing in statements by the survivors who were already gone by the time the documentary was made.

This documentary successfully completes the story that Death of a Dream began, ending with Jack Thayer's quote:

"There was peace and the world had an even tenor to it's way. Nothing was revealed in the morning the trend of which was not known the night before. It seems to me that the disaster about to occur was the event that not only made the world rub it's eyes and awake but woke it with a start keeping it moving at a rapidly accelerating pace ever since with less and less peace, satisfaction and happiness. To my mind the world of today awoke April 15th, 1912."
Final Rating: 9.5/10

Documentary Review: Titanic Death of a Dream

I remember watching The History Channel's two-part complete Story of Titanic back when it was televised on A&E quite a bit. I have to admit that I enjoy the almost three hour documentary more today than I did those ten to fifteen years ago when I watched it on television.

Even though it was made in 1994, I still consider this to be one of the best documentaries ever made about the ship. Interviews with survivors such as Eva Hart, Edith Brown Haisman, Ruth Becker Blanchard, along with historians Walter Lord, Ken Marschall, and Don Lynch provide a great amount of insight into the story of Titanic. The haunting music, as well as the narration by David McCallum also help to set this apart from the sea of other documentaries.

The first part of the documentary, Death of a Dream, covers the Titanic Story up to almost two o'clock on the morning of April 15, 1912, when the ship had less than a half hour left. Different aspects from the luxury of the ship, her construction, to her near collision with the New York at Southampton are discussed in great detail.

Mention of either of her two sister ships is scarce, especially that of the last ship in the Olympic Class. The Olympic itself, of course, is mentioned in the construction segment, as well as receiving Titanic's distress messages during the sinking.

Statements and testimony for those that are no longer living has been provided via performances from various voice actors. These narratives are edited together against a backdrop of drawn pictures and actual images, sort of the same style as Ken Burns' documentaries.

Perhaps the greatest strength this documentary has, is that it was made while there were still several survivors still alive. Of course, Ruth Becker Blanchard had already passed on, but this documentary was made before Edith Brown, Eva Hart, or even Stanley Lord's son had died. Especially after the last survivor died, this is an asset that any future documentary won't be able to claim.

No, this documentary is not exhaustive, but this is the closest thing there is to it. The story of the Titanic has never been presented in as much detail as it has here.

Rating: 9.5/10
Note: I'll post a review of the second part, The Legend Lives On, sometime in the next couple of days.

Titanic Revell 1/400 Pics: Part 2

Here are a few more pictures of the 100th anniversary Titanic Model I built.

The battery on my laptop is dying and I can't plug it in. I'll add more later.

Model Update: I have glued the boat deck down to the hull as well as added the lowest walls of the superstructure. I gave other walls another coat of paint, and I am painting currently painting the turret guns.

As always, thanks for reading.

Book Review: Farewell Titanic by Charles Pellegrino

The author states there are three eras to the exploration of the Titanic wreck: The Ballard Era, The Tulloch Era, and the Cameron Era. As a member of the Ghosts of the Abyss Expedition in 2001, Pellegrino focuses primarily on the the last era.

Anyone who has seen Disney's GotA documentary knows that one of the dives took place on September 11, 2001. Pellegrino had family members who were killed during the attacks, so the attacks naturally hit close to home. The natural comparisons that arose between the two disasters, and how they both shocked the world in their respective times, fits within the narrative.

Interweaving current dives to the wreck with a period story derived from studied accounts from the sinking of the great ship, the narrative flows nicely for the most part. The author, on occasion interjects his religious views (or lack thereof) into the text. In my opinion, this does not have a place in the book. If he were actually trying to illustrate his journey from one end of the spectrum to the other, and how his visit to the stern as well as the 9/11 aftermath affected said journey, that would be one thing. However, Pellegrino states at the end of the book that his views have not changed, making me ask, "then why was there a need to include this?"

The book also describes finds that I didn't know about. One of which was in 2001, when video footage from inside the wreck off of one of the Grand Staircase landings reveals what appears to be a piece of a human skull. Another incident was in the mid-nineties during one Tulloch's salvage operations, a piece of bone that had a gold band around it accidentally was brought up from the depths. I had no idea until I read this book that any human remains had ever been found at the wreck sight.

Overall, the book is engaging and a relatively short read. It contains plenty of information that I wasn't aware of, from the human remains to the belligerent Harland and Wolff employee at the wreck site. The only real problem I had with the book was the inclusion of the author's religious views, thus I marked it down a couple of points.

Rating: 6.5/10

As always, thanks for reading.

Model Update: 3/23

I haven't had a lot of time to work on the South Dakota this week, but that's to be expected this time of year. I have painted some of the superstructure walls, the machine guns, and the various components of the turrets. Some of those pieces will indeed need an additional coat of paint.

I know I keep promising some more reviews, I just haven't had a lot of time to write them. For that, I apologize.

As always, thanks for reading. I promise I'll have a more detailed post soon.

Revell Titanic 100th Anniversary Revell 1/400 scale pictures: Part 1

Here are a few of the pictures of my recently assembled Revell 1/400 scale Titanic.

I used Testor's Flat Red for the lower hull, Testor's Wood for the decking. I mixed Model Masters' Chrome Yellow with Brown until I reached the color for the funnels. I used Tamiya's flat black for everything that's black. (Except for the main hull. I left that unpainted.) The propellers were painted brass as per instructions. The one major complaint I had with this completed model is how the thread stretched when I pulled it tight for the rigging and then sagged afterwords. Otherwise I'm happy with how it turned out.

While this model is more accurate overall than the Academy 1/600 one, there are a few points that were more accurate on the smaller model. For instance, some of the ventilation conduits behind the third funnel aren't there.

I'll post more pics of this model, plus a review of the kit itself soon.

As always, thanks for reading.

Trumpeteer 1/700 South Dakota unboxing pics.

Here are some pictures of the current model kit I am working on from when I opened it. The kit had the option of a full hull model or a waterline model, and I chose to go with the full full option. Thus far, I've painted the main hull, Tamiya's Navy Blue, Lower Hull, Tamiya's Hull Red, and the Deck, Tamiya's Flat Blue. If you can't tell, I prefer using Tamiya's paints whenever I can.

Anyway, I'm rather crunched for time this morning. I'll have more model pics up, as well as a book review, quite soon.

As always, thanks for reading.

Model Review: Academy 1/800 USS Eisenhower

The USS Eishenower (CVN-69) was commissioned in 1977. It is the second ship in the Nimitz-class. It's dimensions are: length 1115 feet, width 252 feet, and a draught of 37 feet.

Academy's model comes as follows: a hull, the flight deck, one parts tree for the carrier, two parts trees for the aircraft/helicopters, and one parts tree that consists of the stand. The instructions are clear and simple, the one thing that is lacking is a detailed color/painting guide. I matched mine as close as I could with the pictures on the box. The colors I used are disclosed in my earlier post with the model's pictures.

For the most part, the kit fits together nicely. There are of course, two exceptions. First, is the open area of the stern. The vertical interior wall is too tall and needs to be sanded to fit. The exterior bulkhead doesn't quite fill the hole, but it is fairly close. It doesn't take much work to make the seems small enough not to be noticed.

The superstructure and radar antana fit together nice and easily. The hardest time I had was with the mast. The small plastic pieces were flimsy and wanted to bow under the strain even when I GENTLY added the next piece. Even after it was completely assembled as a seperate structure (per directions) the flimsy mast didn't want to hold together as I glued it in place on top of the superstructure.

The planes, for the most part, weren't any big deal. I do recommend EXTREME CAUTION when using the sprue cutters to cut out the individual aerial vehicles, especially the helicopter. I had one snap. Some of the planes do require an extra part or two to be glued onto them, but if you have a steady hand with tweezers, it isn't a problem. I decided to only put one parts tree worth of planes onto the carrier. I thought if I used both, it would simply look too cluttered. Looking back, I'm glad I made that decision.

NOTE: I just realized I didn't disclose the colors I used for the aircraft on board. They are as follows: Testors olive drab, Tamya's sky grey, and Tamiya's flat blue.

The waterslide decals provided with this kit are easier to slide on than most. The one thing I did notice is that if you follow the markings on the deck for the runway decals, then in the end they will appear to be slightly crooked, but you only notice it from one angle. The smaller decals on the sides of the planes were a little tricky, I admit. If one takes their time, then even a novice can slide them on.

In closing: This is nice, inexpensive model if your looking for a weekend project. There are a few small parts, but for the most part the pieces are large and easy to work with. The one exception being the mast.

Final rating: 7/10.

I had some time yesterday afternoon to take a few pictures of some of my completed model kits. Up first is Academy's 1/800 scale USS Eisenhower, the model I just completed.

I used Tamiya's Hull Red and Medium Blue. I also used ModelMasters' Chrome Yellow and Guards Red. Testor's Flat White served for the run way markings.

My review for this model kit is coming soon. As are pictures of some of the other models I have completed. If anyone has any questions about the kit, feel free to ask in the comments.

As always, thanks for reading.

Model Update

I apologize for not updating my progress on my scale model. I've been busy working on stuff for the farm. The USS Eisenhower itself is finished. I have applied the water slide decals to the planes and all that's left is to glue them on. I decided to only paint and use one of the two sprues of planes provided with the model kit. In this instance, I thought less is more because there would almost be too many planes if I used both sprues and I thought the flight deck would look way too busy.

The kit did not come with any antennae for attachment along the sides of the flight deck. To solve this problem, I went out and bought some 20 gauge (or .81mm) wire and cut it to 17mm in length. I dipped the tip in the cement and held the various wires in place before the cement was strong enough to hold them.

My camera is now working again, so as soon as I have to photograph the models, I will post pictures. Also, I'll review the models that I have assembled so far. I'll post my first review as well as thoughts about the completed Eisenhower and my next model project, Trumpeter's 1/700 South Dakota, as I open the box for the first time.

As always, thanks for reading.

Review: Curiosity - What Sank the Titanic

Testimony from survivors at the American and British inquiries has been used to piece together the events of that night. Actors reenact the testimony to create a docudrama with Bill Paxton narrating. The main survivors whose story is told is: Jack Thayer, Fred Barrett, Bertha Mayne, Elizabeth Doddell, along with several others.

A few errors immediately stand out. One such is the narrator stating that the ship went under at 2:02 am. Of course, we all know the ship went under at 2:20.

These few factual errors aside, this docudrama is interesting for the fact that it was recreated using only the courtroom testimony. The action is even accompanied by the actors portraying their character's historical testimony.

This being the only episode of the television show curiosity that I've ever seen, can't compare it to other episodes for analysis of the programs quality. With that being said, I'm intrigued by this episode as to what the rest of the series is like.

In closing, I would recommend anyone interested in the ship to watch the documentary, and other than the misstatement of a few facts, it provides the general audience with the stories that have come from survivors testimony that was fresh at the time.

Rating: 8.5/10

Note: This could easily have received a 9 or even a 9.5 if it weren't for the few factual errors. It should have been run through quality control, but then again a lot of Titanic programs have at least one or two errors in them.

Documentary Review: Titanic - Birth of a Legend

The construction of the Titanic was far from an uneventful affair. To even build hull numbers 400 and 401, the shipyard had to tear down three smaller gantries to build the two larger ones. The designers and the builders often had disagreements on the safety accommodations. There were deaths while building the two ships. Nineteen in fact, including a young boy who was still in his teens.

Of course many of us who study the history of the ship already know this. There are books that focus solely on the construction of the ship, and even the broader ones which only touch on this period in general provide some of these details. What makes this documentary is that, instead of merely regurgitating facts, actors play out the scene so that the audience can see these events play out.

The story of the men who would make up the guarantee group, a select few of the workers who would be chosen to accompany Thomas Andrews on the ship's maiden voyage, is also told. The documentary even tells the story of Titanic's construction through their eyes.

Without giving away any of the other details provided within the short running time of this program, I can report that this documentary is well worth watching. It is enjoyable, and the hour (with commercials) passes by before one realizes it. This documentary comes recommended.

Rating: 7.5/10

Documentary Review: Deep Inside Titanic

Combining actual accounts by survivors, even in their own voices, with footage from the wreck site, this hour long documentary explores the bow of the great ship.

The submersible Nautile and ROV Robin explore not only the more recognizable areas, but other areas such as the Post Office, third class rooms, cargo holds, etc. They manage to penetrate so deep into the wreck via holes in the hull caused the ship's impact with the sea floor. There is footage looking out of a porthole from beneath the mud line.  The porthole's cover still has the White Star emblem fully visible. One of the decaying post office tables wavers in the wake of Robin's propulsion system.

The personal accounts provided include those of Edith Russell, Second Officer Lightoller, Fourth Officer Boxhall, and a few others. They describe their experiences of the ship going down. Lightoller discusses how he'll always remember the color of the sea water as it climber higher and higher on the decks. Edith Russell talks about how she wasn't worried about her life. After all, she was on an unsinkable ship.

The combination of footage and the actual voices of those who were there creates a haunting look at the ship, not achieved by any of the documentaries that use actors to read the accounts. The footage of the great ship is always interesting, especially the parts you don't normally see.

There are a few nitpicks I have of the show. For instance, the narrator claims that the lookout's bell was found in the debris field. In fact, footage exists of the bell being wrestled from the crow's nest, which is in fact what caused it to collapse. Overall, though, the positives in this documentary far outweigh such minor details.

I recommend this documentary to anyone. It is well worth the investment of the short running time, nor does it require any previous or extensive knowledge of the ship's history.

Rating: 8/10

Note: I'll have my reviews of the other two documentaries from the Planet Green marathon posted in the next couple of days. Also, I'll keep updates posted on my current model, the USS Eisenhower. I haven't had as much time to work on it as I've been working farm equipment getting it ready to go.

As always, thanks for reading.

Book Review: Life Titanic: The Tragedy that Shook the World - One Century Later

Editors at Life Magazine have put together a compilation of photographs that have appeared in the magazine's pages about the Titanic disaster. These pictures include construction of the great ship, her departure from Southampton, the Father Browne photos, pictures from the wreck itself, and many, many others.

People who want a Titanic book primarily to look at the pictures would really like this book. There is very little text in relation to other books: about a page, sometimes a little more, at the beginning of each section, and each page layout of photographs is also accompanied with information providing insight into the individuals in the photo or small tidbits about the ship itself. Information wise, there is plenty here. Instead of being presented as a narrative, it is shown through a series of photographs and drawings that have appeared within Life's printed pages.

Anyone interested in Titanic would enjoy this book. It would be a perfect coffee table book, providing information about the Titanic's story that even the casual reader can enjoy.

I know this review doesn't have as much detail as my first one, but there really isn't that much more to say. If you are interested in the disaster, or just want a book with pictures and only a small proportion of text, then this book is definitely worth the purchase price.

Rating: 8.5/10

As always, thanks for reading.

Model Update: I decided to go ahead and place the flight deck decals on before I attach the hull to the flight deck. I've also painted the propeller assembly, rudders, and appropriate components of the superstructure. This evening, while I'm watching television, I'll work on assembling these components.

Speaking of television, the channel Planet Green will be airing three Titanic documentaries: Deep Inside Titanic, Titanic: Birth of a Legend, and What Sank Titanic, many times tonight. I've seen all three. Each one is one is worth watching. I'll post a review of each over the course of the next few days in case you can't watch them or don't get the channel.

I'm also working on another Book Review. This one is of the Life Titanic: The Tragedy that Shook the World - One Century Later. I'll try to have it online sometime today.

As always, thanks for reading.

Review: The Olympic Class Ships by Mark Chirnside

The Olympic Class Ships by Mark Chirnside is full of all kinds of information on all three ships. The material is both interesting and presented in an engaging fashion. In the following review, I'll briefly touch base on what exactly is covered in the book's various sections. The Titanic portions will be skimmed because the real draw is the information on her two sister ships. My thoughts will follow in conclusion along with a rating.

The author starts out by discussing the origins of the Olympic class. In other words, the birth of the White Star Line and the competition in the form of Cunard's greyhounds. The short introductory phase of the book sets the stage perfectly as to the circumstances upon which the three White Star giants were constructed. The book also hits on the construction of the first two sisters. This whole scene setting is accomplished before page fifty.

The section on the Olympic is both long and informative. Famous incidents, such as the Hawke collision, the u-boat sinking, and the dud torpedo are discussed, as well as many other details of the liner's illustrious life. These include:

• The liner's chain of commanders is laid out after E.J. Smith.
• The ship's location and actions during the night of April 14/15, 1912.
• The troop transported during WWI.
• Her numerous refits: post-titanic, post WWI, etc.
• Cracking hull plates
• Collision with the lightship in the fog during the later years of her life.

This is but a small sampler. Other aspects of the ship are also covered in great detail.

The section on the Titanic picks up with the delays caused by Olympic's accidents. It proceeds to unfold the story of the legendary maiden voyage, her survivors rescue, and the subsequent official business of insurance claims and inquiries.

The Britannic's brief life is covered beginning with her alterations in design post Titanic. Her six voyages as a hospital ship during WWI are covered in great detail, particularly the disastrous ending to the last. Comparisons are drawn to other British ships serving as hospital transports, i.e. Aquitania and Mauretania.

The last two chapters cover the wrecks of the two lost ships, starting with Britannic as it was discovered first. These chapters list out the various diving operations to each wreck site. The Titanic chapter describes the salvage operations, while the Britannic's discusses the transference of ownership. This is also one of the few books that I've read that presents all three main theories of Titanic's break up: Traditionalist, Shallow-angle, and bottom-up.

The Appendices provide a wealth of additional information, from raw data to notes taken on board the Lusitania by White Star officials, to the Californian incident. This information is also valuable, and interesting.

This book reads like a narrative, where the three great ships are characters in an unfolding tragedy. There are plenty of pictures that supplement the information as well. At 318 pages, without the Appendices, the book isn't too long and engages the reader more than enough to work toward the finish.

Overall, this is a book that I would recommend to anyone interested in either ships in general or all three of these in particular. If the potential reader is only interested in Titanic, then there are other books that are better suited for those individuals. Titanic is only discussed in about a third of this book, and people who don't have the faintest interest in all three ships would find more for their money elsewhere. (Yes, I'm looking forwards to reviewing some of those other books eventually.)

In closing, Mark Chirnside has written a wonderful book about one of the most famous classes of ocean liners in history. Odds are, if you're reading this blog, then this book is something you'll enjoy. If you do decide to purchase it, then I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

Rating: 9/10.

Note: A perfect rating is one that I won't give out that often. A nine is outstanding.

As always, thanks for reading.

Titanic Exhibit

Today I toured the Titanic Exhibit in Kansas City, as I did almost a decade ago when it made its rounds in the same venue. I enjoyed it much more this time around. There were more artifacts and, and since I went during a weekday, the exhibit was less busy and I had more time to look around. Among my favorite pieces were the porthole and the window from the officer's quarters.

I think the hardest part for me to get through my head when I stand in the exhibit is that these artifacts were actually there. These things were on the great ship as she took her plunge into the Atlantic. These things sat in darkness, undisturbed for almost a century. That, for me, is the hardest part to wrap my mind around.

While I do flock to see such artifacts, and will probably do so again before the exhibit leaves town, along with attending museums such as the one in Branson, I have mixed feelings about raising such artifacts. Especially ones that belong to individuals, rather than the ship itself. After all, the wreck site is a grave marker, and should be treated with the utmost reverence.

I would recommend the exhibit to anyone with at least the slightest passing interest in either the great ship itself, or history in general.

In the gift shop, I bought a nice throw that I plan on hanging from the wall of my home office. It was a tough choice between the advertisement throw and the one that resembled the blankets that were used in third class. But, I eventually went with the advertisement, showing the ship in all her strength and beauty.

I made the mistake of stopping by the bookstore. There I found several books that I didn't own. I bought no fewer than five Titanic books. I could have purchased more that I didn't have, but I had to draw the line somewhere. At least I got a member's discount.

I finished the Olympic Class Ships book. I'll have my post with thoughts and opinions on that sometime in the next couple of days.

Model Update: As for the Eisenhower, the flight deck is painted (except for the caution tape around the hangar elevators. I've also painted the hull below the waterline. After the paint dried on the hull, it looks like it could use one more coat. I'll probably apply it at the same time I paint the rudders and propeller shaft supports.

Since I couldn't find a paint chart, I decided to use Tamiya's Hull Red and Medium Blue. The colors work well on the model, and look close to those used in the pictures of other assembled models I've found online.

As always, thanks for reading.

Titanic Finished

I finished applying all of the water slide decals last night. The model is officially finished. Overall I'm happy with the way it looks. I've noticed a few historical inaccuracies in it (i.e. the lack the center anchor on the bow, etc.), but most of the people that are going to be looking at the model aren't going to realize it. After all, this one at least has the correct number of lifeboats, where the other one I assembled, the Academy 1/600, only has the sixteen plus just two collapsible. Like I say, I'm happy with it.

For the most part, the model fit together perfectly. There were, however, a few exceptions. Part of the time it almost seemed like something heavy had been set on top of the box at the hobby shop as a few of the pieces acted a little sprung. With the work of several rubber bands, clothespins, and some caulk I was able to hide most of the deficiencies. The first funnel also doesn't quite fit on its base, but I think I've fixed it to where most people aren't even going to see it, especially when I display it high on my shelf.

Anyone with just a passing interest in the ship would enjoy putting this model together. The one thing I would recommend to them is that if they were using the stern railing supplied with the model, be extremely careful. Mine snapped when I was cutting it out with the sprue cutters and I was being careful.

In other news, I read an article last night about second officer Charles Lightoller's granddaughter is disclosing details that her grandfather revealed on his deathbed about lying under oath at the two inquiries. If true these details would be just yet another chapter in the ever growing mystique of Titanic. Either way, her disclosure of the details in a Fictional Thriller is a little odd to say the least.

Anyway, after I clean my workstation I'll give the Eisenhower a coat of paint. I have yet to find a color diagram so I am going to try and match it according to pictures. Speaking of pictures, one of these days I'll get my camera working again and I'll post pics of my models.

As always, thanks for reading.

Tuesday Morning update.

I finished up to my rigging yesterday. I made the mistake of using the nylon thread that Revell supplied with the model. Every time I'd try to pull it tight, it would stretch, and after I'd glue it in place it would sag. It doesn't look that bad, I've seen much worse. It's just one of those things that will bug me everytime I look at it. I did some research online and I read where other people recommend using black wire so to always have the rigging at the desired tension. I glanced through my new issue of Fine Scale Modeler that came in the mail this morning and an expert modeler in there recommended using fishing line. I may look at the model and see if there is some way I can replace the nylon thread with either of the above options. Does anyone else have any other suggestions?

One thing is for sure. This is not the last Titanic model that I will assemble. It's not because I'm unhappy with this one, it's just that I know there are others out there and with my endless fascination with the ship, I think it would be fun to put one of each together. Of course, the next one in my sights is the Minicraft 1/350 scale model. A lot of the reviews over on Amazon are very favorable (except for one where the reviewer complains about the model not coming with paint or cement...) Everyone does say that particular model is a very much involved one, and takes a lot of patience. I'll be getting around to it one of these days.

I do think it would be cool to be able to acquire the Olympic and Britannic conversion kits. To have the three white star giants side by side of that scale would make an incredible display. If I can't ever locate any, then someday I may try to make the modifications myself. After, of course, I've had years of practice and I greatly improve my modeling skills.

Also, the next model on my list is the Academy 1/800 scale Eisenhower. It did not come with a paint guide. Does anyone have any suggestions or know where I can find a paint guide online?

That's it for now, I've got to get to work.

As always, thanks for reading.

Update: Sunday 3/4

Yesterday afternoon, I completed the boat deck level of the 1/400 Titanic. This included the structures, the funnels and their rigging, etc. before I glued and fastened the deck onto the superstructure. All that remains is the lifeboats, masts, rigging, and of course those always fun decals. I don't have that much more to do. I'll post pics of this one, and the other completed models, eventually.

I finished reading the Britannic chapter of the Olympic Class Ships book. Two more chapters and the appendices remain, and then I'll give a review of the book.

I've got to go run some errands, so that's all for now. I'll have more later.

Thanks for reading.

Introduction

Ships have always fascinated me. Whether it be warships, ships of the line, or commercial ocean liners, there's something about each type that manages hold my interest. With that being said, I'll always be partial to the famous liners of the North Atlantic passenger trade from a century ago. One ship specifically, and I believe everyone in the world knows its name.

I've read many books on the subject, watched many documentaries, and spent hours looking at Ken Marschall's wonderful paintings. The stories, whether it be a common legend or from a survivor's account, something about it has always managed to capture my imagination since a very young age.

Not too long ago, I began assembling model kits of some of the famous liners and warships. Thus far, I have completely assembled: a 1/600 scale RMS Titanic by Academy, a 1/1200 scale German Battleship Bismarck by Revell, and a 1/350 scale USS Missouri BB-63 by Tamiya. Currently, I am in the process of assembling the centennial edition of the 1/400 scale RMS Titanic by Revell.

In this blog, I plan on not only commenting on the various books and documentaries about ships, but also to discuss my progress on the various models. I am by no means a professional modeler, nor am I making any claims to be. I've seen many pictures of completed models by the experts online. Maybe someday, if I'm still putting these things together in twenty-five or thirty years, some of the models will begin to look like that. I'm also not claiming to be an expert, or to know more about it than the authors of the countless books I've read.

All I hope to accomplish here, is to share my thoughts on the material I read and the models I assemble. If anyone out there happens to have the same interests as me, and they read my blog, I hope they enjoy it.