USNA Rogers ship collection photos

[BradNSW]

Rode our bikes to the US Naval Academy Museum this morning and took some photos. I'll group them by ship and post them separately over the next few days.

Biking over the Severn River. It's a beautiful place to go to school!! However, after four years, this IMHO was the best view (out the rear-view mirror)!!!


A unique model of the Bonhomme Richard (one side "as built" and the other "as modified" by/for John Paul Jones). Very interesting, as I recently completed a cross section of BHR.


More pictures to follow as we edit and sort them.

 

[BradNSW]

Cruiser Class Brig of 18 guns, circa 1800.

Superb "models, within a model" with is ships boats! Sorry for the glare on the aft boat.




Finally, a cannon secured for sea. I used a similar method to display a cannon on my latest model, the BHR (second picture)

 

[BradNSW]

Years ago, the museum had over a dozen "bone or Prisoner of War" models made mostly of beef bones by prisoners of the war during the Napoleonic Wars. I was mesmerized by them as a Midshipman. I figured if POWs could do this with bones, how hard could building with wood and modern tools be. Several years later I embarked on a 30-year scratch build of the HMS Serapis, from Greenwich plans, I obtained while stationed in Scotland. I was only able to find two of the "bone" models on display during this short visit. This one of the Victory is the most impressive!!!





Below is a model clearly showing the "blunt or bluff" bow of Dutch East Indiamen, evidently to hold more valuable cargo (at the expense of speed). This one also had a nicely carved and painted figurehead, as well as the detailed "cathead".

I will argue that the stove funnel is facing the wrong direction. The wind comes from the aft, smoke would blow forward??? To my knowledge, this is why the heads (seats of ease) were at the head of the ship. So the smell would be swept forward, away from the ship, while at sea.

 

[BradNSW]

Figureheads and carving. The pictures speak for themselves! The talent and details these 18th century craftsmen we able to accomplish without high tech rotary carving tools (or maybe more importantly, electric lighting)!!




Dutch East Indiaman: 1805


British East Indiaman: 1789



Princess Royal, 90-gun British 2nd rate,1773



British 2nd rate: 1720


Stern and quarter-gallery



Didn't take notes

 

[BradNSW]

This model would make Uwe's mouth water. Hope to see him back on the forum, with updates on his split hull build.

All of the bulkheads, ladders and details are fully executed on the decks above and below the cut!!

 

[MisterCA]

Thanks for sharing. I love visiting Maritime Museums at home and around the world.

 

[Gardubya]

Thanks for sharing. I love visiting Maritime Museums at home and around the world.

The photos of these models are great. The models are awesome. I'm with you on visiting the various museums as I travel. I retired about 15 years ago and moved from Northern Kentucky to Savannah Ga. If you have never been to Savannah you must do so, if you have been then I'm sure you'll be back. A must see in Savannah is the Ships Of The Sea museum. It's in the historic district downtown and located in one of the many historic buildings. The main entrance is around the back and you have to walk through this beautiful garden to enter. There are three floors of exhibits and the models are breath taking. I joke with people that the first time I visited the museum I went home and burned all my modeling equipment. I believe there is a website for this museum so you can check it out. I guess I need to organize my photos and post them here.

 

[AllanKP69]

I believe there is a website for this museum so you can check it out. I guess I need to organize my photos and post them here.

Thank you for the tip and as this looks to be your first post:

Allan

 

[GGibson]

Biking over the Severn River. It's a beautiful place to go to school!! However, after four years, this IMHO was the best view (out the rear-view mirror)!!!

Yeah, my son always says it is a nice place to be "from" and not be "at"... My favorite view of the Severn was watching the Blues fly up and down it. Without question, a beautiful school.

Thanks for sharing the museum pics, Brad!

 

[BradNSW]

The photos of these models are great. The models are awesome. I'm with you on visiting the various museums as I travel. I retired about 15 years ago and moved from Northern Kentucky to Savannah Ga. If you have never been to Savannah you must do so, if you have been then I'm sure you'll be back. A must see in Savannah is the Ships Of The Sea museum. It's in the historic district downtown and located in one of the many historic buildings. The main entrance is around the back and you have to walk through this beautiful garden to enter. There are three floors of exhibits and the models are breath taking. I joke with people that the first time I visited the museum I went home and burned all my modeling equipment. I believe there is a website for this museum so you can check it out. I guess I need to organize my photos and post them here.

Same here on visiting and viewing nautical displays! After this post, I'll visit the Savannah museums website!

The traveling shipyard went through GA a month ago but missed Savannah. We did spend a few days on the Chattahoochee River in NW GA.

Tomorrow, we move the RV/mobile dry-dock to a working shipyard in New London, CT for a 4-day visit.

Bike/car excursions will include:
1. Navy Sub Museum
2. Coast Guard Academy Museum
3. Custom House Museum in New London
4. Mystic Seaport.

 

[Roger Pellett]

Of course Mystic Seaport needs to be on every SOS member’s Bucket list but the Submarine Force museum is a real hidden gem. Much of it brings back memories for guys like me who were involved in what might have been the heyday of nuclear submarine construction. In my case, 1966-1970. We had 11 shipyards building boats. Now it’s only two.

Roger

 

[BradNSW]

Of course Mystic Seaport needs to be on every SOS member’s Bucket list but the Submarine Force museum is a real hidden gem. Much of it brings back memories for guys like me who were involved in what might have been the heyday of nuclear submarine construction. In my case, 1966-1970. We had 11 shipyards building boats. Now it’s only two.

Roger

US is slowly losing a strategic capability...building ships (both carriers but more importantly nuclear submarines)! The few we do manage to complete have incredible capabilities, once the budget and timeline overruns are overcome. USAF seems to have figured out how to integrate development and production! My time on SSNs was limited to 3 years launching our mini subs off modified 637s in the 90s.

 

[Retribution]

I lived about a mile from The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich. I used to spend hour wandering round there as a child. They have some amazing shipbuilders models and a few years ago work took me to Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg. I was given a tour of the private museum they have in the basement with models of everything they’ve ever built including a 4mtr long model of Bizmark.

 

[AllanKP69]

building ships (both carriers but more importantly nuclear submarines)

I would agree that we have a very small lead in the number of submarines with Russia and China close behind and this could be changing, but carriers? From what I can find, as of 2025 there are 22 aircraft carriers worldwide, not including helicopter carriers. The USA has half of them with 11, and the next closest is China with 3, followed by the UK, India, and Italy with 2 each and two with 1 each. This of course could change.
Allan

 

[Roger Pellett]

One of the two shipyards qualified to build submarines is Newport They are alsothe only yard that builds full sized nuclear powered carriers. Maybe stretch out the lifetime of the current active duty Nimitz class carriers to put more Newport resources to work on submarines.

Roger