AIRFIX Royal Sovereign build

Joined
Jan 4, 2023
Messages
27
Points
48

Hi Guys!
Just started building a 39year old Airfix kit of the Royal Sovereign... very brittle kit due to the age, lots broken off from the figurehead, to railings, but repairing as I go along.

I have tried 2mm blocks to match the kit scale but they are far too big for the gun rigging. Thankfully I got some etched brass 0.3 mm eyelets for the tiny gun carriages, but the blocks need to be scratch built... causing interesting issues.

I know the awesome Rex Stewart has built her (Sovereign) and done such an astounding job mine will be somewhere in the shadows, but using wood decking and hull sides, I wonder if you experts have any advise of the shrouds (and ratlines) - jig verses the rubbery mess in the kit?

Hope to post some photos soon of the chaos i am making.
 
When I built mine, I used a plastic jig that comes with Heller kits, & used miniature rope acquired from Syren Ship Modeling, & thread. It takes some figuring as to proper spacing, but when done, looks much better than those "rubbery messes" in the kit. It's a fiddly job, but worth it! Rick 1011
 
Hi everyone... airfix sovereign of the seas (Royal Sovereign) is going ok... still testing a lot of things, but I have a photo... dry fit to try and fix warped deck

20230215_200357.jpg
 
Thanks everyone! I have a shroud jig en-route, today I'm trying to get the tiny gun rigging sorted. I built blocks from spray tube, but then found 2mm plastic printed ones on ebay... very fiddly, but better scale and effect.

The drake has to be cleaned of flush and carriage is a bit rough, but just a demo...

20230223_172152.jpg

20230223_170036.jpg
 
Good day,
Hull is very nicely painted!
gun blocks too out of scale... it looks like there need 1.0 or 1.5 mm blocks ... or if not possible to find smaller ones, there is sence to ommit them ( gun tackles) , at all, only breach rope could be shown, lot of contemporary full rigged models demonstrated without gun riggings ?
I know that 1- 1.5 mm blocks could be printed by demands..or made by self.
All the best
 
Good day,
Hull is very nicely painted!
gun blocks too out of scale... it looks like there need 1.0 or 1.5 mm blocks ... or if not possible to find smaller ones, there is sence to ommit them ( gun tackles) , at all, only breach rope could be shown, lot of contemporary full rigged models demonstrated without gun riggings ?
I know that 1- 1.5 mm blocks could be printed by demands..or made by self.
All the best
Awesome info, thank you!! Is it possible to print 1.5mm blocks? 2mm did look too big but minute holes for thread... I have 24 deck guns. If you can print them I will gladly pay for them and postage to UK
 
Good day,
Wade,
Printing such small blocks 1.0-1.5 mm and any other fittings things, as I understood, is not a problem... they are designed and ready for printing...problem could be postage from Russia to UK... at least nowadays it is not possible anymore to order books on abebooks from UK to Russian Federation....
:((( means postage doesnt work anymore...?
but I send to You in PM the link to that russian man who made this blocks and not only blocks ... You Could contact to him and discuss ordering and shipment details...may be it still works, I don't know...
But I think there could be easy way to get such small blocks You need - to place request ,here, on this site ,to Mr. Shckutnic - if I m not mistaken in writing his name, He making fantastic things in 3Dprinting!!! And pastage Poland>UK still works...
 
I wish airfix would re edit this kit, it's so rare and high priced now
Very true... It is a beautiful kit and with a bit of extra things, like deadeyes, blocks, etc... well, see Rex's incredible build to see the full potential of this kit - amazing!
 
When I built mine, I used a plastic jig that comes with Heller kits, & used miniature rope acquired from Syren Ship Modeling, & thread. It takes some figuring as to proper spacing, but when done, looks much better than those "rubbery messes" in the kit. It's a fiddly job, but worth it! Rick 1011
I have a wonderful shroud jig now, and some 3mm deadeyes from Ebay... with 2mm deadeyes for the fighting tops and crows nests. There is so much I want to do on the kit, I don't know how to do it, as the scale is so... restricting.
 
I wish airfix would re edit this kit, it's so rare and high priced now
I once tried to lobby Airfix to make necessary revisions to some of their sailing ship kits or to produce others. To put bluntly, they were very uninterested.

Bill
 
Back
Top