Actual Kit Review:
Leudo Vianio (vinacciere) POB in Scale 1:48 by
Falkonet (Russia)
The Leudo represented for about 200 years of the second half of the XVIII century until 1950 1960 the fulcrum and the medium on which the development of the economy of Sestri Lavante and Riva Trigoso hinged, where the Little wood vessels of tonnage ranging from 10 to 50 tons which were used for small cabotage traffic. From these two villages to the ports of Corsica, Sardinia, Elba, and Ischia to the ports of Gallipoli in Puglia Marseille and Lpaga.
The Leudo is a typical Mediterranean vessel, whose origins are still uncertain: one of the most plausible hypotheses traces its birth to the Middle Ages.
Originally the boat had a rig with two masts inclined towards the bow with Latin sails; later he would lose the foresail, replaced by a bowsprit with bows, which made the Leudo more agile to maneuver. Characteristic was the egg shape of the hull, with the very arched bolzone (Italian for camber) of the beams.
A very solid marine boat, it could face prohibitive climatic conditions even for more robust and larger hulls. It was mainly used for transportation and had a displacement ranging from 15 to 20 tons, a length of 15 ÷ 16 meters, and a width of about 5 meters. It was mainly used by small businesses for their traffic in hardware, artifacts, tools of various kinds, fabrics, foodstuffs (typically cheese, flour, legumes, and wine, but other types of food are not excluded).
With the help of many people, the Leudo could be winged (read also "towed") on the beach, thus offering the advantage of being able to trade with all the coastal towns without a port or pier. In the years following 1900, in Liguria, the Leudis were widespread, especially in the Riviera di Levante and especially in Riva Trigoso, so much so that they were also called "Rivani".
The Leudo Vianio used for the transport of wine (from which "vinacciere"): the hold could contain twenty large barrels while on the deck there was space for a dozen smaller barrels. On the deck, there were also two large hatches to stow the load, a winch in the bow for the most tiring maneuvers. A tughino aft, which gave access to a small cabin with two berths (for the captain and the boatswain). In the bow, there was also a small hatch that led to another small cabin, always with two berths, intended for the crew. At the bow, near the deckhouse was a large cast-iron stove. If weather permitting, served as a kitchen and which had the name of "gnafra"
Today, I have a long-awaited kit to review: the Italian Leudo Vianio in scale 1:48 designed\made by Russian kit maker Falconet. I received this kit a few weeks back and without further ado... let's begin
Hello! I woukd like to tell you about company "Falkonet" based in Russia. We produce model kits for assembling ship models made of wood. To see and purchase our production visit https://falconet-mfg.com/ My name is Maria, I can answer all your questions. Latest relise LEUDO VINAINO BOAT IN 1:48...
shipsofscale.com
Boxing
The kit comes well packed in a rigid box and carefully packed with paper and taped to avoid any moisture coming in.
The kit box was wrapped with plastic wrap couple of layers, again to avoid any moisture coming during the transportation
Overview of the kit content
After opening the box, surprisingly, I didn't find any packing material to secure the contents of the kit, however, all kits parts are wrapped with 'plastic wrap' to avoid exposure to moisture.
Outside the box
fittings container
Contents of the package
The kit mainly represents two types of wood: Anegly and Swish Pear. The construction boards and bulkheads come in MDF. Very interesting design and 2 baseboards: one when you plank the hull below the waterline, and another for above.
Bulkheads or the hull, barrels jigs, and other structural parts are MDF and represented on three sheets and laser cut.
Detail view of the MDF sheets
Timber sheets and other wood in the kit are Swiss Pear and come with different color\tone and thickness. All are laser cut without the burn.
First layer planking supplied as Anegri wood 1.00mm (laser cut)
Final hull planking material made of Pear (beautiful color) IMHO
Here you will find a false deck (Anegri) and actual deck. Falsdeck comes with the laser engraving to make easy plank the deck. While the actual desk comes on the sheet, those are single planks separated by small jumpers.
other timber sheets represent Stem\Stern, barrels assembly main blocks assembly, ruder and other parts
Keel, spars, and mast are Pearwood blanks. There are laser-cut holes for the shaves.
Some macro details of various sheets. * Note the laser engraved treenails (nice touch) IMHO
To be continued.... part 2: rigging, fittings photoetched parts, sailcloth, and manual.
Thank you for the interest!