Modified Airfix 1:144 Scale Classic Series WASA c.1628

[Broadsides]

Professionally I build by way of scratch. But from time to time I obtain a plastic kit and work it as if it were wood -replacing as much of the plastic as possible and reinforcing the remainder using pine, birch and/or bass woods. On occasion, where warranted I will upgrade certain areas with cherry or walnut.

I feature this Airfix product to show that a kit can have the beauty of appearance as it's wood forerunners. In constructing I used the late Bjorn Landstrom book 'The Royal Warship VASA" to assist with much of the detail and colorscheme. The rigging and sails were created with references I obtained during the 1980s and 1990s when global ship modeling was at its zenith. Those references has been priceless for the type work requested.

So now, I present these images of a vintage kit that took seven months to modify. This is also to encourage those with the Airfix models to take a 'second look' at the possibilities of what the kit can become...from plastic to wood.

 

[Uwek]

A beautiful example of a bashed plastic kit - very good work
It would be also definitely interesting to see your scratch work (I guess in wood) -> would be highly interesting and I hops to see much more of your work
and btw:
I want to send you a warm welcome here on board of our forum - although already longer time member, but posting the first time

 

[Snowy]

Top job from what she was
Cheers snowy

 

[Broadsides]

Top job from what she was
Cheers snowy

Thanks Snowy...much appreciated.

 

[Broadsides]

A beautiful example of a bashed plastic kit - very good work
It would be also definitely interesting to see your scratch work (I guess in wood) -> would be highly interesting and I hops to see much more of your work
and btw:
I want to send you a warm welcome here on board of our forum - although already longer time member, but posting the first time

Thanks...And yes, I will occasionally post (as I have time). Scratchbuilding in wood is interesting because detail can be altered without the complication to modify. More liberty and a broader range to be creative as shown in this piece.

 

[Pathfinder65]

What ship model is that?

Jan

 

[Broadsides]

What ship model is that?

Jan

Jan, the model that you're inquiring about is the Airfix 1:144 Classic Series WASA c.1628

 

[Broadsides]

Professionally I build by way of scratch. But from time to time I obtain a plastic kit and work it as if it were wood -replacing as much of the plastic as possible and reinforcing the remainder using pine, birch and/or bass woods. On occasion, where warranted I will upgrade certain areas with cherry or walnut.

I feature this Airfix product to show that a kit can have the beauty of appearance as it's wood forerunners. In constructing I used the late Bjorn Landstrom book 'The Royal Warship VASA" to assist with much of the detail and colorscheme. The rigging and sails were created with references I obtained during the 1980s and 1990s when global ship modeling was at its zenith. Those references has been priceless for the type work requested.

So now, I present these images of a vintage kit that took seven months to modify. This is also to encourage those with the Airfix models to take a 'second look' at the possibilities of what the kit can become...from plastic to wood.View attachment 165010View attachment 165011View attachment 165012View attachment 165013View attachment 165014View attachment 165015View attachment 165016View attachment 165017

 

[Broadsides]

I appreciate the likes, gentlemen...Thank you! Hopefully I will be successful with converting another Airfix kit of ROYAL SOVEREIGN into the PRINCE ROYAL c.1610. I raise my glass to you ALL.

 

[Bill97]

Broadside I just opened this exact kit and doing a lot of pre assembly research. Someone on the Model Ship World site recommended I check your build. Excellent job. Beautiful work. Would love your advice and recommendations. Hope you do not mind me asking questions. Understand from reading your build log that you incorporated some wood pieces along with the plastic. Any specific parts you changed that you would not mind sharing your ideas? I also see in your pictures you went with blue as the primary color on the stern. That is the color the instructions say to use. I understand from my reading that some have also gone with red. I am still trying to decide which way to go. What was your decision process? I have only applied the primary so far.

 

[Bluebeard]

Professionally I build by way of scratch. But from time to time I obtain a plastic kit and work it as if it were wood -replacing as much of the plastic as possible and reinforcing the remainder using pine, birch and/or bass woods. On occasion, where warranted I will upgrade certain areas with cherry or walnut.

I feature this Airfix product to show that a kit can have the beauty of appearance as it's wood forerunners. In constructing I used the late Bjorn Landstrom book 'The Royal Warship VASA" to assist with much of the detail and colorscheme. The rigging and sails were created with references I obtained during the 1980s and 1990s when global ship modeling was at its zenith. Those references has been priceless for the type work requested.

So now, I present these images of a vintage kit that took seven months to modify. This is also to encourage those with the Airfix models to take a 'second look' at the possibilities of what the kit can become...from plastic to wood.View attachment 165010View attachment 165011View attachment 165012View attachment 165013View attachment 165014View attachment 165015View attachment 165016View attachment 165017

WOW
She is a beauty.
Vey meticulously built.
I’ll bet you it will be display in some very special place in your house.
Of course, with the wife permission.

 

[Uwek]

Broadside I just opened this exact kit and doing a lot of pre assembly research. Someone on the Model Ship World site recommended I check your build. Excellent job. Beautiful work. Would love your advice and recommendations. Hope you do not mind me asking questions. Understand from reading your build log that you incorporated some wood pieces along with the plastic. Any specific parts you changed that you would not mind sharing your ideas? I also see in your pictures you went with blue as the primary color on the stern. That is the color the instructions say to use. I understand from my reading that some have also gone with red. I am still trying to decide which way to go. What was your decision process? I have only applied the primary so far.

Hallo @Bill97 ,
a warm welcome here on board of our friendly forum.
Would be great and very interesting, if you would start a building log of your Airfix Vasa .....
BTW: In the past it was thought also by the specialists, that the Vasa was blue and in older kits this color schema was shown. Around 10 years ago, it was found out during the research on the real ship, that the basic color was red - so historical correct (based on the actual knowledge) the Vasa should be red

 

[Uwek]

This was the older version of the Airfix kit

 

[Bill97]

Thanks Uwek. I appreciate the information. I was leaning toward the blue with the bit of red at the top of the back section as I found it to be a little more pleasing to the eye. Now I must decide if I want pleasing to the eye or authentic. Still debating if to just guild all the ornamentation or try to paint each character. I have seen both and like both. Keep thinking at 1/144 scale it would be tough but I see that Broadside did it.
I will start a build blog. I am a brand new member here. Have been a long time member of a similar site (Model Ship World) and have 4 build blogs there. The Revell USS Constitution, the Revell Cutty Sark, the Revell English Man O War, and the Trumpeter Mayflower are my accomplishments so far in life. Was not aware of Shipofscale until a member on MSW referred me to Broadside’s Wasa build on this site. Joined immediately and now intend to run a build blog on both.
BTW, just for fun I always like to ask other members I am communicating with where they live. I am in Kentucky, USA.

 

[Uwek]

just for fun I always like to ask other members I am communicating with where they live. I am in Kentucky, USA.

If you want to show your location also in your posts


you can add your location via your account details on the right top (for example you see mine)


With a click on "Account details" you can add your location

 

[Cirdan]

Professionally I build by way of scratch. But from time to time I obtain a plastic kit and work it as if it were wood -replacing as much of the plastic as possible and reinforcing the remainder using pine, birch and/or bass woods. On occasion, where warranted I will upgrade certain areas with cherry or walnut.

I feature this Airfix product to show that a kit can have the beauty of appearance as it's wood forerunners. In constructing I used the late Bjorn Landstrom book 'The Royal Warship VASA" to assist with much of the detail and colorscheme. The rigging and sails were created with references I obtained during the 1980s and 1990s when global ship modeling was at its zenith. Those references has been priceless for the type work requested.

So now, I present these images of a vintage kit that took seven months to modify. This is also to encourage those with the Airfix models to take a 'second look' at the possibilities of what the kit can become...from plastic to wood.View attachment 165010View attachment 165011View attachment 165012View attachment 165013View attachment 165014View attachment 165015View attachment 165016View attachment 165017

Hello Broadsides,

I know your magnificient Vasa model from your Blog (and I think you have built a model of the Royal Sovereign too). It's the most adorable model I know so far made from this kit, even if the blue colour is not correct. I think that I have read in your blog that the sails are made of paper. Whatever, they are the most convincing and naturally looking sails I ever saw on a plastic model in this scale. Almost every attempt to provide such small models with sails made of cloth destroys the entire model im my eyes.
Can you explain in short words what kind of paper you have used and how you treated the paper to get this natural effect? Thank you in advance.

Hartmut

 

[Broadsides]

Hello Broadsides,

I know your magnificient Vasa model from your Blog (and I think you have built a model of the Royal Sovereign too). It's the most adorable model I know so far made from this kit, even if the blue colour is not correct. I think that I have read in your blog that the sails are made of paper. Whatever, they are the most convincing and naturally looking sails I ever saw on a plastic model in this scale. Almost every attempt to provide such small models with sails made of cloth destroys the entire model im my eyes.
Can you explain in short words what kind of paper you have used and how you treated the paper to get this natural effect? Thank you in advance.

Hartmut

Harmut: In my blogs I have always expressed that a builder is unique within themselves...with abilities and techniques that are solely their own. I have spent many years attempting to copy others until I came across a few professionals who stated what I'm stating here which is: "Be fair in giving a person the product, but allow that person to decide what route to take with it."

In short, what these people were saying was that you can only benefit from a thing when you take the time to learn it and experiment with it to make it your own. That then becomes 'your signature'...similar to a Tiffany Lamp or a Rolls Royce.

 

[Broadsides]

WOW
She is a beauty.
Vey meticulously built.
I’ll bet you it will be display in some very special place in your house.
Of course, with the wife permission.

Thanks Bluebeard; but the truth of the matter is these models will eventually be up for sale as part of my Trilogy Series which I started some 41 years ago. The Airfix H.M.S. Prince is the final model that will finish the series -and all three will be sold as a set...I'm currently working on Prince. View blog https://classicshipmodelminiatures.blogspot.com/2021/02/hms-prince-c1670-art-of.html

I only wanted to pursue this because the company made some impressive models and I wanted to honor that entity by researching and building an exclusive line to show the fine detail of what a good model can become with the right research and patience...especially from a plastic kit. I specialize in wood models. But historically my beginnings started with plastic, first (which is why the trilogy series).

Again, I appreciate both your compliments and viewing.

 

[Broadsides]

Broadside I just opened this exact kit and doing a lot of pre assembly research. Someone on the Model Ship World site recommended I check your build. Excellent job. Beautiful work. Would love your advice and recommendations. Hope you do not mind me asking questions. Understand from reading your build log that you incorporated some wood pieces along with the plastic. Any specific parts you changed that you would not mind sharing your ideas? I also see in your pictures you went with blue as the primary color on the stern. That is the color the instructions say to use. I understand from my reading that some have also gone with red. I am still trying to decide which way to go. What was your decision process? I have only applied the primary so far.

View attachment 215583View attachment 215584View attachment 215585View attachment 215586View attachment 215587

Vasa is one of the great models from Airfix. I'm sure you will do right by it.

I chose not to embrace the red topsides because it was at a time when many 'professionals' were giving their input into constantly changing colors of various ships during the 1980s and 1990s. I worked on the Half Moon (assisting with the topside design and color of that ship circa 1986). That ship has seen four alterations during her tenure and many have embraced my research. However politics will be politics.

The same holds true with Vasa. I, along with many builders agree with the blue topsides because NO ONE was there when she was raised. Bjorn Landstrom (author) was disappointed with what followed behind the scenes when his colorscheme was changed -and rightfully so. It was politics...

He worked with that vessel for three consecutive years and I had to agree with his findings of blue paint remnants. I also had to agree with (what I knew all along that the carvings and masts were of pine). He confirmed it in his book, but was challenged even in that. There are many Swedes who agree with my model as being the most accurate to date...but I have humbled myself so to complete my Airfix Trilogy which I began 41 years ago.

I am now facing opposition regarding the lower studding sail boom on the HMS Prince that I'm currently building to finish my Trilogy Series. Some are up in arms stating that British ships didn't carry it during her build; but, sadly they are mistaken and won't accept reality because of 'politics'. So, this is why I don't engage much with the maritime community because of their vanity as opposed to wholesome research.

As for VASA, the Swedish Nation was a poor nation during the time of her build. There ships DID NOT carry those vibrant colors the modern day 'professionals' claimed. In fact, they couldn't even pay the workers at the shipyards during that time. Those colors did not come upon the Dutch ships (or the Baltic Region) until the 1640s. I would like for any curator to show me 'any' painting that depict these ships with red topsides. I guarantee you none will be found; hence, Bjorn Landstrom is more believable as both historian and artist...And I raise my glass to Airfix because their engineers worked to get proper scaling like no other company.

I can't give out any information concerning my materials and/or techniques because this is my professional 'signature'. However, you can get a better perspective of how I came about my work by visiting https://classicshipmodelminiatures.blogspot.com/2019/11/vasa-swedish-warship-in-modification.html.

I wish you all the best with your project.

 

[Bluebeard]

Thanks Bluebeard; but the truth of the matter is these models will eventually be up for sale as part of my Trilogy Series which I started some 41 years ago. The Airfix H.M.S. Prince is the final model that will finish the series -and all three will be sold as a set...I'm currently working on Prince. View blog https://classicshipmodelminiatures.blogspot.com/2021/02/hms-prince-c1670-art-of.html

I only wanted to pursue this because the company made some impressive models and I wanted to honor that entity by researching and building an exclusive line to show the fine detail of what a good model can become with the right research and patience...especially from a plastic kit. I specialize in wood models. But historically my beginnings started with plastic, first (which is why the trilogy series).

Again, appreciate bot your compliments and viewing.

I have to agreed with you when you said: “ to show the fine detail of what a good model can become with the right research and patience...especially from a plastic kit”.

That is my approach whenever I embark with the task of building a plastic model.
I also come from plastic kits and jumped to wooden ones not too long ago. But your link with all of those great pictures of your work are making wanted to do one more plastic kit, just for the heck of it.
I have been thinking on the “Imai Galeas 1/160”.
Finally I have to say that you are a “Great Model Maker”.
Thank You for the link.