Structural Model Works 2 of 4

A 36-gun frigate built in Connecticut in 1778, she is a smart and beautiful sailing ship with a 23ft longer gun deck than the British 36-gunships of the time. However, in 1780, she was wrecked by a hurricane, and in 1781, while escorting a fleet of merchant ships, she encountered two British war ships off the coast of Philadelphia and was captured. Thus, she is also called "a beautiful but tragic ship."

To preserve the flavor of the wood and avoid painting as much as possible, the exterior panels were made of pair wood (brown), ebony (black), and paddock (red). If I have the energy and strength to continue, I would like to finish the ship in full rigging. I am thinking so…

74-gun third rate battlecruiser of the Arrogant class of the Royal Navy. Built at Parsons Dockyard (Bertholdon) and launched in 1786, she was the flagship of Admiral Nelson at the Battle of Copenhagen in 1801, which was a great victory for the Admiralty because of her suitability for shallow waters.

This is the first time a structural model has been produced. Mr. Kiyoo Iizawa gave me basic knowledge of structural models, and Mr. Hiroshi Tomii taught me how to build one over a period of two years, and I am now building it. 

Mr. Iizawa made this drawing from a kit drawing of "Vanguard" modifying for the structural model. 

I am not able to make satisfactory progress because I must make the same parts two or three times before I get it right.

In 2015, we asked Mr. Iizawa to give us 10 workshops on how to read drawings, etc. In 2016, we also asked Mr. Tomii to give us 10 lectures on actual building methods, etc. I purchased a Vanguard kit and asked Mr. Iizawa to make drawings for me to make a structural model, as I can selectively make elephants from this kit. I have made it my lifelong goal to complete the kit and structural model.

The first ship of James Cook's Pacific expedition circumnavigation. Three years and nine months after construction, the Royal Navy purchased a secondhand coal carrier owned by a local lord and converted it for exploration. I had my doubts about the height of the middle deck being so low, but when I had the opportunity to measure the inside of the recently built replica Endeavour ship in Darlington Harbor, Australia, I was convinced of the circumstances. I marveled at the fact that the ship completed the great voyage of 3 years and 16 days (1768-1771) with fortitude, despite the many deaths of 88 people at the start of the voyage, many of them due to accidents and illness. 

This was the first attempt at a 1/72 scale structural model. I tried to make the model as faithfully as possible, even the invisible internal structure, but I was far from being able to achieve my goal.

I had been waiting for an opportunity to make a structural model of the nine ships I had built so far, many of which were appearance-oriented kits, and I was glad that Mr. Iizawa introduced me to this project. It was incredibly fun.

Brick privateer built in 1778 during the American Revolution.

I took on the challenge when a frame model kit became available. The kit was wonderfully helpful in understanding the structure of a wooden sailing ship, and I enjoyed building it. The lower mast and bowsprit were installed although there are no detailed drawings.

A Brick privateer that was active during the American Revolutionary War, and several ships of the same name existed.

I bought this kit when I heard that a structural model kit existed. The kit does not require advanced knowledge, drawings, or expensive power tools to produce a structural model, but is a faithful design by CAD and accurate parts precision by CNC machine. The accurate parts precision of the CNC machine allows even beginners to assemble the model while acquiring knowledge of the structure. Because of the accuracy of the design, cumulative errors in the combination of parts and shaping directly affect the finished product, so I thoroughly enjoyed machining and fabrication while predicting and overcoming these errors.

A frigate of the Kingdom of Brandenburg, built in 1661.

The hull of this model was finished in the so-called admiralty-style model using cinnabar wood and exhibited at the 32nd exhibition the year before last. It was later completed with armament and full rigging. This frigate was active in the period when J.S. Bach, one of my favorite composers, was born. I sometimes look at this model while listening to "Brandenburg Concerto."