Ships In Scale - May/Jun 2026

Ships in Scale — May/June 2026 (Vol. 29, No. 3)

From 1/700 Napoleonic warships to a 1:200 HMS Hood in the water — this issue goes deep.

A teenage scratch builder. A frank $1,600 kit review. Ultra-fine wire rigging at 1/700 scale. Issue 3 has range.

In this issue:

• At the Limit of the Hands: Building Napoleonic Warships in 1/700 Scale, Part 1 — A thorough introduction to Age of Sail warships in resin at extreme small scale: brass masting, ultra-fine wire rigging, and the research behind historically accurate miniatures. (Linus Spjutsberg)
• Darwin's Beagle: Building Mamoli's Kit, Part 1 — A beginner-friendly plank-on-bulkhead build of HMS Beagle, from keel assembly through copper plating, with practical tips on fairing and glue selection. (George Athanasiou)
• 3D Printing, Part 3: Make or Buy? — When does it make sense to invest in your own printer versus sourcing from specialist manufacturers? (Ron Neilson)
• Building a 1/35th Harbor Defense Motor Launch, Part 2: The Deckhouse — The WWII motor launch continues above decks, with wheelhouse, bridge, machine gun tubs, and deck hardware. (Thomas Koehl)
• Feeding the Crew and Passengers in the 1800s — Primary-source research into the livestock carried aboard clipper ships like the Flying Cloud, with practical guidance on building chicken coops and livestock pens for your model. (Scott Bradner)
• The Monster in the Box: Building HMS Hood, Part 2 — Paint matching, degaussing line installation, accuracy modifications, and the first (frustrating) water trials of the 1:200 RC build. (Scott Himowitz)
• Don't Forget Us, We Also Served! Minor Warships, Part 3: Sail Plans, Sweeps, and Guns — Rig development, rowing arrangements, and gun placement in minor warships of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. (Ian McLaughlan)
• Review of the Artesania Latina Anatomy HMS Victory — A frank assessment of a $1,600 plank-on-frame kit: what works, what doesn't, and what to watch for through the first 22 instructional videos. (Bob Hunt)

Plus departments:

• On the Water — A scratch-built 1:12 USCG 40-foot utility boat with repurposed inhaler gas cans and custom engine sound modules
• Scuttlebutt — Fourteen-year-old scratch builder Caelan McCormick on museum mentors and getting kids into the hobby
• Soundings — New kits from BlueJacket, Ages of Sail, and Amati; Olha Batchvarov's new guided group build series
• Shipwright's Apprentice — Coppering a hull with adhesive tape at 1:72 scale, including belt pattern layout and artificial patina
• Around the Horn — The 43rd Annual Northeast Ship Model Conference: the Ronnberg Trove giveaway, a Vasa keynote, and the People's Choice Awards

80 pages | Print + Digital | Published by SeaWatch Books