Ship model

Ship models are small copies of real ships. They show what big ships look like. These models can be very tiny, like little toy ships, or big enough for people to sit inside.

People make ship models as a fun craft. This hobby is almost as old as building real ships. Long ago, when people first started traveling on water, they also began making models of their ships.

You can learn more about similar activities like model yachting and radio-controlled boat. Ship models help us see famous ships from history and imagine what it was like to travel by sea.

History

Ship models are small copies of real ships. People have made these models for a very long time, even in ancient days when boats were first used for travel and trade.

In places like ancient Greece, Egypt, and Phoenicia, people made ship models from materials like wood, bronze, and clay. These models help us learn about old ships and how important sailing was to people back then. Some models were used in special ceremonies, while others were made as toys or art. Today, many people still enjoy making and studying ship models to learn more about history.

Types of construction

Ship models are often made from different materials. The most common ones are wood, plastic, metal, and paper.

Wooden ship models can be built in a few ways. The simplest way is to carve a solid wood hull from one block. Another way builds up thin pieces of wood with glue. Hollow hulls can also be made by adding shaped pieces inside before covering them with planks.

Plastic ship models became popular after World War Two. These models have preformed plastic parts that are easy to assemble. They come in many sizes and styles. Some newer plastic kits are made from cold cure resin.

Scale conversion factors

Many people who build model ships use the real plans of the actual ships. You can take these plans to a copy shop and ask them to make the plans bigger or smaller to fit your model's size. There is a table that helps you figure out how much to change the size.

There is a simple way to figure out how big your model ship will be by using the real size of the ship. For example, if a real ship is 137 feet long, you can use a special number to find out how long your model will be. This helps you decide if you want your model to be about two feet, three feet, or four feet long.

Wargaming

Main article: Naval wargaming

People have used model ships for war games for a long time. They became more popular in the early 1900s when new rules were added. Small ships, often in 1:1200 scale and 1:1250 scale, were moved around to show old battles or help plan new ones. These models were simple but had enough detail to be recognized as different ships. A company in England called Bassett-Lowke sold these models to people who liked to collect them.

Before World War II, a German company named Wiking made these models. But the war changed things. When the United States joined World War II, a man named Charles King Van Riper was asked to make models for training. He made 1:1200 scale models of cargo ships for the United States Navy to help with training at Groton, Connecticut.

Large scale

Big ship models are often shown in museums to help people learn about important ships from history. Companies also use them for decoration and to share information. These large models are usually made by special companies or, in the past, by groups in big shipyards. One well-known company that made models for the United States Navy was Gibbs & Cox. A model of the USS Missouri on display at the Washington Navy Yard museum took a lot of time to build.

Some people enjoy making and operating ship models that can move using remote control. These models can be small enough for aquariums or big enough to travel on large bodies of water. There is even a fun activity where these models can pretend to have battles by "firing" at each other.

Main article: Radio-controlled boat

Engineering models

Model ships are important in engineering. They help test new ship designs before building the real ships. Engineers use special rules to learn from small models and apply that knowledge to big ships. These models are often tested in special places called model basins.

Manned

Manned models are special model ships that can hold and be steered by a person on water. They act like real ships, letting the person feel the same things as if they were on an actual ship. Things like wind, currents, and waves are made to look real.

These models are used for learning, research, and training. They help people practice steering ships in different water conditions. The Port Revel Shiphandling Training Centre in France uses these models to train pilots, captains, and officers. It was the first place in the world to do this, starting in 1967 near Grenoble.

Yachts

Main article: model yachting

Model yachts are boats that can move. They are often powered by sails, steam, engines, or electric motors. They usually look like fun boats people use for leisure, but this hobby also includes making and operating models of working ships like tugboats.

Model shipwright guilds

Model shipwright guilds make very accurate models of different kinds of watercraft. They bring together people who enjoy making these models. Experienced members share their skills with newcomers. This helps everyone learn new ideas and techniques.

Some of these guilds work with government and naval facilities. They share information about naval history and ship design. For example, the USS Constitution Museum runs a guild from the Charlestown Navy Yard, and the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park supports the Hyde Street Pier Model Shipwrights. They use space on the ferryboat Eureka at the Hyde Street Pier for their work and meetings, acting as volunteers for the museum.

Collections

The biggest group of ship models is at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich. There are almost 5,000 models. Most are kept in a special building called the Model Store at the Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent.

Some people have large private collections too. Philip Warren from England has 432 ship models, all made by him. Erick Navas from Peru has a collection of 1,005 warships. People can make models from many materials, like rolled-up tubes of paper, Express Mail labels, and duct tape. Kids also enjoy making models. A 4-year-old painted a Revell plastic model of a ship called the South Goodwin Lightship. One of the earliest plastic ship model kits was the Revell USCGC Taney (WHEC-37), first sold in 1956.