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, Clair. I am glad you liked it! In contrast, I always have interested in small vessels. Those don't require to much time to build, and on a good scale, you can show a lot of details.
Part 2 Leudo Vianio (vinacciere) POB in Scale 1:48 by Falkonet (Russia)
Rigging, fittings photoetched parts, sailcloth, and manual.
All fitting fits in a small round plastic box. Let's take a look at what inside...
4 different sizes of polyester thread. All four are of different colors and thicknesses.
Just to get an idea, a macro shot
Block and shaves are Pearwood, I think we already familiar with Falkonets fitting quality - the one supplied in the kit, no exception!
Windlass and anchor, are cast resin and will require painting. If someone doesn't like painting, you can buy anchor in brass as an option. It doesn't included in the kit.
Photoetched parts are presented in three frets: one large and two small. The largest fret is 0.2mm thick and consists mostly of barrels bands. Recall it is a total of 8 barrels included in the kit.
For the sail, Falkonet provided cloth, you have to make your own. Kit provided a paper template 1:1. As with a brass anchor, alternatively, you can buy sewed ready to use sails.
The last part of the kit review is a manual, and parts list identification. It is worth to mention that timber parts are not labeled, only plates. Before using any parts don't forget to mark it. Parts are easy to identify from the parts list both Russian and English languages. It is standard for Falkonet to provide an instruction manual in the photo - step-by-step.
Conclusion Another well-made kit from Falkonet. It has a great balance of quality timber (Pearwood), photoetched parts, and good design. it should be a good model out of the box, without bashing. Here are the specifications:
Scale 1:48
Length: 440 mm
Beam: 120 mm
Height: 400 mm
Article: F0504
The last photo is how the model should look once you build. I think it is gorgeous (foto provided by Falkonet)!! What do you think???
I hope this will be informative for you and help to make a decision. Happy Modeling mates!!
Very good review of a very good kit - especially the macro-photos and details are showing well the quality.
A nice boat, a good quality kit for a very reasonable price - well done Falconet
@Jimsky So when do we start the build process. I have booked a front row seat for this one. The boat has so much more character than the plethora of mainstream models. I cant wait to see what the quality of the kit is like once construction starts.
Hello, @Heinrich I would love to start Leudo build and show in the build log. However, with the upcoming Alert kit, and canoe building...also building a couple of Avos' cutters for my grand twins, I am afraid, I have to push back till the better time, my friend. But it may be changed down the road...who knows?