"Flying Cloud " by Mamoli - kit bash

WilliamM said:
Have you checked out the Model Expo website? Their Flying Fish is on sale at $399.99!

Bill
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Bill,
If you spring for the Model Expo Flying Fish model, let me know in advance. While builds into a quite impressive model, just like Flying Cloud I know specific details about Flying Fish which can help avoid numerous mistakes and allow you produce a more accurate replica. Just like Flying Cloud the Flying Fish also had Naval hoods and cutwaters with a beautifully realized Flying Fish figurehead in sea bronze highlighted with gold trim.

(1) actual tracing of Flying Fish sheer, body and half-profile, held at a museum in Norway.
(2) stern view of Glory of the Seas in Alaska proving that McKay's rear coach houses narrowed from fore to aft to keep crew walkways even. courtesy of Michael Mjelde
(3) my sketch of Glory of the Seas poop deck as originally launched. Note rear companionway is offset on the port side and her rear coach house conforms to the ship's narrowing bulkheads to accomodate sufficient working space for crew. Model Expo shows the house as a rectangle, which isn't accurate.

Other details I can share have to do with a more ornate coach house front fascia with double arched windows, confirmed by JE Buttersworth's gorgeous painting. Larger lubberholes in all solid tops for which there's also photographic proof. As well as proper naval hoods, cutwater and a realistic flying fish figurehead traced over original plans. If anyone's interested, just let me know.



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rwiederrich said:
Yes I designed it as well. The large shade retracts back too and under the eave of the portico if not wanted out. I also built her a 10ft cedar topped table for the dinning area off to the left...where the chairs can be seen. I also have a complete professional sound system with mics for outdoor events. But I digress from the subject.

Rob
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Rob, just beautiful. Well thought out and well executed.
 
It would be cool if we could convince BluJacket to re-introduce their "Flying Cloud" kit with plans and details updated according to these current revelations. They're now owned by Ages of Sail out of CA, not Nic. So, who knows, but I think it would be quite a coup to have the first well researched and most accurately detailed model of the ship ever! Thumbsup :D
Pete
 
Peter Gutterman said:
It would be cool if we could convince BluJacket to re-introduce their "Flying Cloud" kit with plans and details updated according to these current revelations. They're now owned by Ages of Sail out of CA, not Nic. So, who knows, but I think it would be quite a coup to have the first well researched and most accurately detailed model of the ship ever! Thumbsup :D
Pete
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Peter,
That's a great idea! I hadn't even thought of it myself, go figure. It really wouldn't have to be major modifications either, as it's just a matter of revising the stem into a cutwater, then add 2 naval hoods and a tiny winged trumpet bearing angel. It all boils down to their willingness to revise the kit based upon financial feasibility.
I'm going to finish a second Nautical Research Journal article on the completion of Rob and Vladimir's two Glory of the Seas replicas this October. This will include the bombshell revelation about the unique McKay multilevel bow structure, which has been lost for centuries. I also sent an email to Scott Bradner including documentary proof.
 
They'd have to revise plan drawings and instructions to include the hoods and change the facade of the coach house. They do have a fairly nice herald angel figurehead available to scale in metal already.
 
ClipperFan said:
Peter,
That's a great idea! I hadn't even thought of it myself, go figure. It really wouldn't have to be major modifications either, as it's just a matter of revising the stem into a cutwater, then add 2 naval hoods and a tiny winged trumpet bearing angel. It all boils down to their willingness to revise the kit based upon financial feasibility.
I'm going to finish a second Nautical Research Journal article on the completion of Rob and Vladimir's two Glory of the Seas replicas this October. This will include the bombshell revelation about the unique McKay multilevel bow structure, which has been lost for centuries. I also sent an email to Scott Bradner including documentary proof.
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I have tried repeatedly to convince them to do just that. I also have the long out of production kits Cabot, solid hull Mayflower, and Half Moon that I have also advocated for. Nic said that BJ will not produce them. Maybe if others tried . . .

Bill
 
Don't hold your breath. I asked the folks at A.J. Fisher, but they are focused on re-introducing their Great Lakes craft. Although they did just re-introduce the solid hull Gertrude L. Thebaud Gloucester Grand Banks fisherman and perennial challenger to the Bluenose, @3/16"=1' scale, for under $300! Good Quality! I got the plans. Thumbsup
I have their F.C. plans. which are pretty nice, but still speculative in a lot of respects. Fisher has a lot of good quality fittings for clippers as well.
BlueJacket has their Redjacket clipper model, so I doubt they'd be interested in introducing another clipper. At $$400 plus, I doubt they are exactly swamped with orders. Pity, because they still produce pretty much everything they need to put together a kit, except the hulls and they do have the capacity to produce those. Maybe if they had enough interest from Flying Cloud fans. As I've said, I wish I had started with the B.J. hull I gave to Bill, and scratch-built form there.
 
A.J. Fisher once produced great models; I even remember a clipper at one time. But. they do seem to focus more on Great Lakes craft. However, they do produce nice GLAKES craft. I do remember once that they produced a three-mast Lumber Schooner that graced the cover of a ship modeling magazine.

Bill
 
All of their kits were solid hull and still are. The Fisher Flying Cloud plans date from the 1940s. The plans are well drawn detailed works of art, from which can be extrapolated fine scratch-built models with the hulls laid up in lifts, old style, or translated into frames or bulkheads. They do have a lot to choose from.
 
ClipperFan said:
Peter,
Rob and I determined that the splash or sprayrail is just 18" high, including top molding (3/16ths" at 1:96th scale, which is what I believe Mamoli is scaled at) on Glory of the Seas it runs from just before the foremast to the bow. Three fairlead cut-outs were provided, two before the catheads and one just before the end of the forecastle deck. From the Bow picture, it looks like a 6" (1/16th") shelf runs completely around the interior of the splash shield wall, ending in a graceful curve at the bow, about 3-4' before it. How much you want to modify your ship to represent these facts is entirely up to your tastes. I applaud your decision to repaint Flying Cloud hull all black. She's looking more authentic already. One other item of note. It appears that both her Bowsprit and inner Jibboom were painted black, beyond the cap, the outer Jibboom was left natural wood.

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Close examination of the mooring line fairleads in the spray rail reveals (in another closeup of the "Glory's" bow in particular) that the iron chocks were fitted snugly into the fairlead apertures, oval in shape, open at the top. So that is what I have simulated (or suggested) in my model.20240718_183744.jpg20240718_183819.jpg20240718_183723.jpg
 
ClipperFan said:
Peter,
Rob found these two examples of other large clipper ships. On left is the Bark Amy Turner which has an elegantly carved prow with a lovely figurehead but nothing like the interlocking devices of a McKay bow. The other large clipper ship has some decorative elements reminiscent of old sailing ships but again nothing at all like the solid structural elements of a McKay bow. If I can locate it again, I have another remarkable picture of the famous American clipper Great Admiral which has a bow exactly the same as the bark shown here.

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Case in point: note the hawse fairleads in the Spray rail of the "Amy Turner", attachment 457670 (Expand Rich's post)
 
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Progress of late: Repainted white areas black. All black hull, McKay style.
Replaced Jibboom, black to cap, wood finish forward.
I decided to make the pin rail shelf into a breasthook and not extend it fully. This satisfies the appearance of a pin rail shelf as per McKay's taste, but allowed me to circumvent major surgery. A compromise that is believable with no hard evidence to the contrary.
The template for the breasthook
bending iron and shaped upper spray rail elements
prep for bowsprit (aka knighthead) bitts
breast hook
Inletting holes in deck for knightheads
Forecastle deck with spray rail, hawse fairleads, breasthook and knightheads
profile with all black hull
re-configured forecastle deck20240717_120359.jpg20240717_120316.jpg20240717_130623.jpg20240717_130459.jpg20240718_153106.jpg20240718_154424.jpg20240718_160743.jpg20240718_154434.jpg20240718_161906 (1).jpg20240718_162200.jpg20240718_162222.jpg20240718_162515.jpg
 
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