Ship model

Ship models are small copies of real ships made to 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, and 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, made to show what big ships looked like. People have been making these models for a very long time, even back in ancient times when boats and ships were first used for travel and trade.

In places like ancient Greece, Egypt, and Phoenicia, people made models of ships from materials like wood, bronze, and clay. These models helped scientists 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. Even today, people all around the world enjoy making and studying these ship models to understand history better.

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 several ways. The simplest way is to carve a solid wood hull from one block. Another method builds up thin pieces of wood with glue, making it easier but still needing skill. 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, from small kits to larger, more detailed ones. Some newer plastic kits are made from cold cure resin and focus on less common ships.

Scale conversion factors

Many people who build model ships use the real plans of the actual ships. You can take these plans to a place that makes copies 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

Model ships have been used for war games for a very long time, but they became more popular in the early 1900s when detailed rules were added. Small ships, often in 1:1200 scale and 1:1250 scale, were moved around on large surfaces to re-enact old battles or help plan future ones. These models were simple but had enough detail to be recognized as different types of ships. A company in England called Bassett-Lowke sold these models to people who enjoyed collecting them.

Before World War II, a German company named Wiking became well-known for making these models, but the war changed that. When the United States joined World War II, a man named Charles King Van Riper was asked to make identification models. He created 1:1200 scale models of cargo ships for the United States Navy to help with training at Groton, Connecticut.

Large scale

Large ship models have been used in museums to show important historical ships. Companies also use them for decoration and to share information with the public. These big models are often 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 that is shown 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 play a big role in engineering. They help check new ship designs before building the real thing. Engineers use rules called similitude to take information from small models and apply it to full-sized ships. These models are often tested in special places known as 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 actually move and 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 focus on creating very accurate models of different kinds of watercraft. They bring together people who enjoy making these models, allowing experienced members to share their skills with newcomers. This helps everyone learn new ideas and techniques.

Some of these guilds work with government and naval facilities, giving them an official role. 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 believed to be at the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, with almost 5,000 models. Most of these are stored in a special building called the Model Store at the Historic Dockyard Chatham in Kent.

Some people have very large private collections too. Philip Warren from England has 432 ship models, all made by him, on a scale of 1:300. Erick Navas from Peru has a collection of 1,005 warships, some of which he made himself. People can make models from many different 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.