Khufu's Solar Barge - 1/72 scale - card - test build?

[jsk]

I've started writing a 3d modeling tutorial over in the 3d modeling section of SOS. In the course of writing that up I've pretty much completed the parts design of a 1/72nd scale card model of Khufu's Solar Barge. However, much of what I'm doing is experimental and I'm not even sure that It will end up as a build-able card model. To add to the challenges, I recently retired and downsized which necessitated losing a lot of hobby space. Consequently, I don't have an area right now where I can attempt a test build of my own.

So would anyone be interested in identifying and pointing out my errors by conducting a test build? (Normally my wife does that but she's not a model builder!) I've attached the prototype design as a PDF so interested builders can see what they're getting into. I'm fairly certain the flat parts are correct but I'm not so sure about the hull strakes. They may or may not actually fit correctly due to the method I used to 'unroll' them from the virtual 3d model. This is, essentially, an unfinished design. Whether I continue on with developing the model will be determined by how well the parts fit and whether I can find solutions to any problems uncovered.

Nor have I really decided what to do with the design if it is good. Most probably I'll make it available as a free download somewhere or see about uploading it to eCardmodels for sale for a couple of dollars at most.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. All I ask is for honest feedback.

Thanks!

 

[Jonathan]

DearSir - very interested in whatever comes of your exploration - I thought to offer something that may or may not be of some interest / relevance - please take a look at the link to: Zootoyz, based in Japan - https://www.zootoyz.jp/contents/en-us/d2045761107_Khufu-ship-Model-woody-joe.html
I thought the above may offer some ideas or inspiration, I'd certainly be interested in anything that scales this up and perhaps even models the ship's individual planks rather than this model wich offer a lazer cut approximation - there are several larger models of the ship in Egypt in the museum for the Boat Beneath the Pyramid

The Boat Beneath The Pyramid. King Cheops Royal Ship - Jenkins Nancy a book that may be worth a look for you​

 

[jsk]

Hi Jonathan,

Thanks for your comments!

I was aware of the Woody Joe model though I had not thought to look at it and compare its design with mine. I've mostly relied on the Paul Lipke drawings from 1985. My understanding is that a second ship from Giza is now being excavated and preserved so it will be interesting to see if that brings any new understanding to the construction of the ship. I was not aware of Nancy Jenkins' book so I searched it out and I'm now awaiting its arrival. Thanks for that!

I doubt that I'll go so far as to model the individual planks of the hull. Right now my goal is a fairly simple card model which would represent the planks graphically. If I was working in wood I think I'd be more interested in representing the internal structure of the ship. I don't think card is particularly suited for doing that so I'm aiming for a typical plank-on-bulkhead-with-keel design. However, if my software methods prove to be more reliable than I think they are I may certainly try to incorporate more accurate details. One never knows where this will lead!

 

[Boatman]

I would say it is very interesting and I completely understand your intention and purpose to have someone making a test build of your CAD-prepared cardboard model - at least just to make sure the parts align properly. But what is fine for a museum artifact. excavated and cleaned, is lacking for a model, which is supposed to inspire the imagination and feeling of reality.

Few questions, as the examples: was the Pharaoh Khufu expected to be in that chamber onboard? Was it decorated? How the crew was operating the oars? How many of the crew was there? It seems that water will flow into the hold at any occasion - maybe something is missing: either the deck or the pump? It may be good for a funeral boat, but it's not good for sailing the Nile.

I understand these questions are not for you or your work (which looks great to me), but anyone who decides to build it, will have to make it alive.

 

[jsk]

Hi Boatman!

Good questions. From the little bit of research I've done I think answers for most of your questions are simply unknown. I did find this lecture by Dr. Bob Brier (

) informative.

Apparently, there is evidence that the boat was used on water. But when an accurate model was tested in a test tank it was found that as little as 10 degrees of heel would swamp the boat--so it was pretty unstable. There's no indication of any type of a mast or sails so clearly wind power was not used to propel it. There's no physical evidence as to how the oars found with this boat were used. Its current configuration with the oars is purely hypothetical. Though they look like oars, perhaps the boat was actually poled though shallow water.

There appear to have been four boats buried at the base of the Great Pyramid. It looks like two of them were pilfered in ancient times (wood being a scarce commodity in ancient Egypt). One was excavated and reassembled in 1954 and the other is currently being excavated after it was assessed that its burial chamber was no longer air and water tight and the boat was deteriorating. I haven't come across any evidence that this particular boat was decorated.

However, there are many paintings and some ancient models of similar vessels, some highly decorated. Many apparently being rowed and towed by other boats. Clearly, many of the paintings are symbolic, showing Ra and other deities crossing the sky in a 'Solar Boat'. Boat travel seems to have been a large part of ancient Egyptian religious thinking and mythology. But many of the paintings seem to show scenes from daily life along the Nile river, too. It seems to me that this boat was probably built and used to transport the king's body across the Nile as part of a funeral procession to the tomb. I think it was probably towed in actual use and the oars were entombed with the boat for the pharaoh's use in the afterlife.

I do think I'll decorate the model based on tomb paintings if it gets that far in development. Mostly just to give it more visual appeal as a model. But I also like Ab Hoving's concept of building a model of a generic type of boat rather than a model of a specific vessel. My design skills aren't advanced enough to do justice to a truly detailed model of this actual vessel.

 

[fourseas]

Although far from my interest in marine architecture I found this to be a fascinating story. Thank you for posting this article.

Jim