"Flying Cloud " by Mamoli - kit bash

Artistic license. A reflection of the sea.
Happy Fourth to you as well. " Yes, Madam, it is a republic-if you can keep it." Benjamin Franklin
I went back to look at the old original print. The irises of Mckay's eyes are definitely fair. Much lighter than the pupils, or his hair. So, I didn't entirely succumb to my purely romanticized notion of how they might have appeared. The actual color? Yes, purely a flight of fancy. ;)
 
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Peter Gutterman said:
Agreed concerning the tight confines for decoration. However, I much prefer what i see in the artist's renderings. I'll see what I can do. I agree as well concerning design and practice off the model. It would be nice to come up with something special, well executed and aesthetically pleasing!:D
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Pete,

She looks good but I have several observations. First, if we state that the figurehead is Athena, that Greek Goddess never had wings. Second, I wonder about the trumpet. She was never said to use one. Most of her images show her carrying a sword, a bow, or a spear. She is depicted as also carrying a shield. Just observations . . . These and a dollar will buy a cup of coffee!

Bill
 
WilliamM said:
Pete,

She looks good but I have several observations. First, if we state that the figurehead is Athena, that Greek Goddess never had wings. Second, I wonder about the trumpet. She was never said to use one. Most of her images show her carrying a sword, a bow, or a spear. She is depicted as also carrying a shield. Just observations . . . These and a dollar will buy a cup of coffee!

Bill
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The figurehead referred to as "Athena" resided under the bowsprit of the "Glory of the Seas" seen in the old photos of that ship. The figurehead I call "The Clarion Angel" because of her clarion trumpet, was that of the "Flying Cloud" as evidenced by the prints and paintings, all posted by @ ClipperFan.
 
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I like my coffee cream, no sugar.:rolleyes:
Happy Fourth o to all. My wife and I just spent 3 hrs. watching "1776" on TCM. Time well spent on a surprisingly honest and cleareyed representation of the making and ratification of the Declaration of Independence. A process that has aptly been compared to the making of sausage.
 
WilliamM said:
Pete,

She looks good but I have several observations. First, if we state that the figurehead is Athena, that Greek Goddess never had wings. Second, I wonder about the trumpet. She was never said to use one. Most of her images show her carrying a sword, a bow, or a spear. She is depicted as also carrying a shield. Just observations . . . These and a dollar will buy a cup of coffee!

Bill
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Peter Gutterman said:
The figurehead referred to as "Athena" resided under the bowsprit of the "Glory of the Seas" seen in the old photos of that ship. The figurehead I call "The Clarion Angel" because of her clarion trumpet, was that of the "Flying Cloud" as evidenced by the prints and paintings, all posted by @ ClipperFan.
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I apologize for the misunderstanding!

Bill
 
WilliamM said:
I apologize for the misunderstanding!

Bill
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No worries. I just looked up "clarion" v. " herald" trumpets. I think she might be more accurately called "Herald Angel" The herald trumpet is longer, with a loud, clear tone for annunciation. The figurehead was probably chosen with the idea in mind of a new advanced high speed ocean carrier that would "get there first" ushering in a new age of advanced travel. (Which, in fact proved to be true. "Flying Cloud" being, like Muhammad Ali, as good as her boast) A visual expression of "Clear the way. Here she comes!" :D
 
Bill,
Now that you have the initial requisite stuff to start building a Flying Cloud model,
I hope you won't deterred by such a daunting task. Remember, you needn't build the whole thing. "Dockyard" or "builder's style" models of the hull and deck furnishings, sans masting and rigging is a good way to go, perhaps with "stub" masts, and will give you a model that is very attractive and satisfying without having to make a years long commitment. Given the pitfalls I've documented plus @ClipperFan's input you could have the makings of a really fine and satisfying project and come up with something a lot nicer than mine. For an iconic ship such as Flying Cloud it's really all about the hull. If you can do justice to that you will have something really special with all the fun stuff to create in a "dockyard" model, without the headache of all the masting and rigging, unless that is what you are into. BlueJacket has a pretty nice figurehead for sale at the 1:96 scale that was originally supplied with their kit from which you have the hull. One of our Washington Ship Model Society members has already built the Bluejacket solid hull model hull with deck furniture, and it is a really nice example in its' current partially completed state. Perhaps I can prevail on him to get in touch with you and send pictures and tips. He's a very skilled craftsman, from New England, of Norwegian stock.
Anyway, if you are so motivated you will have my unwavering support! Thumbsup :D

Pete
 
Peter & Bill,
My apologies for unintentional figurehead confusion. My reason for sharing the pics of Glory of the Seas wasn't about her figurehead. The presence of her naval hoods and cutwater was. To my knowledge, nobody before has seen these unique McKay devices and recognized exactly what they were before. Not until Rob and I realized that these are precisely the same nautical constructs that originated on McKay's inaugural extreme clipper Stag Hound. Since she too was the largest merchant ship in the world at the time of her launch, she received more scrutiny than most. Here's just a few excerpts from the article, transcribed by Lars Bruzelius on his excellent website:

"This magnificent ship has been the wonder of all who have seen her. Not only is she the largest of her class afloat, but her model may be said to be the original of a new idea in naval architecture."

Further on her unique bow construction is described by Duncan McLean, publicist for The Boston Daily Atlas. His listing of the prow items is so brief, it's literally blink and you'll miss it!

"An idea of its sharpness may be formed from the fact that, at the load displacement line (as the  cutwater is tapered to an angle), a flat surface applied to the bow from its extreme, would show no angle at the  hood ends. Her bow commences at the  cutwater, and swells at that point in unbroken curvature. Sharp as she is, her lines are all rounded, and so skillfully too, that they almost seem parallel to one another." (italics added by me for emphasis)

This detailed description of Donald McKays premiere clipper was written way back on December 21st, 1850! We have unveiled a secret that has lain dormant for 173+ years!
 
Pete & ClipperFan,

Believe me, I have built these ships before. I do know what I am doing. And, I have been gathering those materials necessary to build the Flying Cloud so generously given to me by Pete! I normally built sailing warships, but I really wanted this ship. I have built other clipper ships though and am looking forward to adding the Flying Cloud to my collection.

Bill
 
WilliamM said:
Pete & ClipperFan,

Believe me, I have built these ships before. I do know what I am doing. And, I have been gathering those materials necessary to build the Flying Cloud so generously given to me by Pete! I normally built sailing warships, but I really wanted this ship. I have built other clipper ships though and am looking forward to adding the Flying Cloud to my collection.

Bill
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I look forward to following your build! Thumbsup
Believe me. I can't take two steps forward without taking one step back. And it is my experience in building these models that new material keeps appearing as I progress, so that I am constantly behind the curve!:rolleyes:
But I appreciate that my efforts at least seem to capture the attention of people who care about this arcana. I will endeavor to keep up!:D
Pete
ClipperFan said:
Peter & Bill,
My apologies for unintentional figurehead confusion. My reason for sharing the pics of Glory of the Seas wasn't about her figurehead. The presence of her naval hoods and cutwater was. To my knowledge, nobody before has seen these unique McKay devices and recognized exactly what they were before. Not until Rob and I realized that these are precisely the same nautical constructs that originated on McKay's inaugural extreme clipper Stag Hound. Since she too was the largest merchant ship in the world at the time of her launch, she received more scrutiny than most. Here's just a few excerpts from the article, transcribed by Lars Bruzelius on his excellent website:

"This magnificent ship has been the wonder of all who have seen her. Not only is she the largest of her class afloat, but her model may be said to be the original of a new idea in naval architecture."

Further on her unique bow construction is described by Duncan McLean, publicist for The Boston Daily Atlas. His listing of the prow items is so brief, it's literally blink and you'll miss it!

"An idea of its sharpness may be formed from the fact that, at the load displacement line (as the  cutwater is tapered to an angle), a flat surface applied to the bow from its extreme, would show no angle at the  hood ends. Her bow commences at the  cutwater, and swells at that point in unbroken curvature. Sharp as she is, her lines are all rounded, and so skillfully too, that they almost seem parallel to one another." (italics added by me for emphasis)

This detailed description of Donald McKays premiere clipper was written way back on December 21st, 1850! We have unveiled a secret that has lain dormant for 173+ years!
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No apologies required. These things kind of unfold together. As you suggest we have to look sharp and pay attention or stuff just slips right past. At least it does in my case!
I hope Bill and I will have better Flying Cloud models as a benefit.
 
Peter & Bill,
Here are some of my favorite pieces of art regarding both McKay clippers Stag Hound and Flying Cloud. Obviously, they're not great subjects for modeling details but they're very beautiful and inspirational.
(1) James E Buttersworth " Stag Hound Shortening Sail Before a Gale" courtesy South Street Seaport, NYC
(2) Frank Vining Smith " Stag Hound in the Tea Trades, postcard bought on line.
(3) Artist Unknown 'Ship Flying Cloud of New York, Alex Wagner, Commander, Going into Hong Kong."
(4) Jack Spurling "1851 Extreme Clipper Flying Cloud. Sail: The Romance of the Clipper Ships, Vols I-III

James E Buttersworth 'Staghound Shortening Sail Before a Gale'.jpg

Clipper-'Stag-Hound'-in-the-Tea-Trade-01b.jpg

Ship'Flying Cloud' Alex Wagner, Cmdr, going into Hong Kong enhanced.jpg

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WilliamM said:
Thank you for posting these! I love them!

Bill
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Bill,
You're welcome! Rob Wiederrich and I are both now convinced that McKay's unique nautical devices are quite possibly one of his most jealously guarded secrets. These gorgeous pieces of art are just a small sampling of the rare, lovely works depicting clipper ships I've found over the years. Besides having incredibly lofty rigs, I think McKays lithe hulls are some of the most beautiful ever designed.
 
Agreed. It's all about the romance!
ClipperFan said:
Bill,
You're welcome! Rob Wiederrich and I are both now convinced that McKay's unique nautical devices are quite possibly one of his most jealously guarded secrets. These gorgeous pieces of art are just a small sampling of the rare, lovely works depicting clipper ships I've found over the years. Besides having incredibly lofty rigs, I think McKays lithe hulls are some of the most beautiful ever designed.
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Agreed. The edifices of gilt and sculpted grandeur of the17th and 18th centuries are pretty compelling. But nothing embodies (IMHO) the romance of sail like that painting of Flying Cloud booming along under a full spread of canvas.
Clippers are, well,..sexy :cool:
 
Peter Gutterman said:
Agreed. It's all about the romance!

Agreed. The edifices of gilt and sculpted grandeur of the17th and 18th centuries are pretty compelling. But nothing embodies (IMHO) the romance of sail like that painting of Flying Cloud booming along under a full spread of canvas.
Clippers are, well,..sexy :cool:
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Peter,
I agree wholeheartedly. I've loved clipper ships ever since I built Revell models in the 50s as a kid. You can clearly see that Jack Spurling was an actual sailor himself. A tragic fall from a topsail ended his sailing career. Fortunately for the rest of us, he discovered a love of art. For years, he painted incredible covers for the Blue Peter Magazine. His amazing works proved so popular that ultimately Blue Peter published three large folio volumes of his artwork. The originals were published as separate volumes beginning in 1929. Later in 1972 all three books were reprinted in an impressive decorated presentation case. Sadly, during the WW II London blitz all Spurling originals were destroyed. The later books lack the vibrant hues of the originals but they're still quite beautiful to look at.
 
Wonders of the internet. I'll look him up. This is another one of those things that i never new of before and now don't know how I can live without!
 
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