Ships In Scale - Jan/Feb 2026

Ships in Scale — January/February 2026 (Vol. 29, No. 1)

The relaunch issue. Ships in Scale is back.

After years away, Ships in Scale returns with a packed inaugural issue that sets the tone for the relaunched magazine: serious content, accessible writing, and a genuine love of the craft. Whether you're a lifelong builder or just getting started, there's something here for you.

In this issue:

• Building a Norwegian Sailing Pram — A traditional wooden small-craft build that teaches foundational skills from the keel up. (Robert F. LaPorta)
• The Anteo: A Tugboat Model with Personality — An honest look at Panart's plank-on-bulkhead tugboat kit, with modifications and lessons learned. (Ken Bidwell)
• 3D Printing: A New Age for Ship Modelers — How additive manufacturing has matured into a practical, everyday tool for the workbench. (Ron Neilson)
• Don't Forget Us, We Also Served! Minor Warships (Part 1) — The small ships that fought big wars, finally getting their due. (Ian McLaughlan)
• How Important Is Scale? — A thought-provoking look at accuracy, artistic interpretation, and what we're really trying to say with a model. (T.R. Mayer)
• The Monster in the Box: Building HMS Hood (Part 1) — Scott Himowitz begins an ambitious 1:200 build of the legendary British battlecruiser. (Scott Himowitz)
• Building Open Boats — with an Open Mind — Master builder David Antscherl challenges conventional carvel-planking methods. (David Antscherl)
• Building HMS Ontario (Part 1) — A detailed plank-on-frame build log starting with keel and early structure. (Roger Marshall)

Plus departments:

• The Myth of Red Gun Ports — Kroum Batchvarov debunks one of ship modeling's most persistent legends
• On the Waterfront: Calypso — The Billing Boats kit and the story behind Cousteau's iconic ship
• Shipwright's Apprentice: Riveting Results — A simple technique for simulating steel hull plating
• Historic Ships: The Lost Steamer Libertador
• Scuttlebutt — Bob Hunt: From the DMZ to the Drafting Table
• In the Workshop: Building a Table Saw Sled
• Around the Horn — The NJ Ship Model Society's HMS Speedwell collaborative build

80 pages | Print + Digital | Published by SeaWatch Books