I want to express my condolences for the loss.
I think Mary Ann registered as a new member, so it would be (depends on her) also possible via a PM to
@Maryannh .....
Dear Bob,
due to the fact, that not every member knows your kits in detail, maybe you can introduce them a little bit more?
Hi Uwek,
From 2004 to 2008, I produced several true plank on frame kits. The first was the Fair American kit based on the plans drawn by Clayton Feldman with his permission
This kit sold for $400.00. It had cherry framework, aspen and walnut planking, a Harold Hahn style building jig and some swiss pear parts. It included photo etched parts also and brass cannons (not shown in this photo).
The next kit I developed was the Halifax based on the plans drawn by Harold Hahn with his permission. I paid Harold a 5% royalty for each kit I sold.
This kit was also true plank on frame. It included resin castings for the figurehead, stern transom and side gallery windows. It had cherry framework, cherry, walnut and aspen planking and included the mouting base and pedestals. It also had brass cannons (not shown in this photo). It sold for $600.00.
The third kit I developed and produced was the HMS Kingfisher based on the plans drawn by David Antsherl and his Swan Class books with his permission. I paid David a 5% royalty for each kit I sold. This kit sold for $1750.00 and for good reason. The kit was all boxwood except for aspen deck planking and some accent parts. It also had some swiss pear for accent parts. It had over 2000 CNC milled parts and took 5 days running 2 CNC mills to produce just 2 of these kits. I stayed 6 months behind in production because the kit was so popular. It also had an upright building jig.
The Kingfisher was historically correct. All wooden parts were milled to actual dimensions. David Antscherl's books on the Swan class ships gave the dimensions of every part in the ship. It had a styrene ship's oven that you built, resin cast cannons and swivel cannons using boxwood turned cannons that David made for me. It had resin cast stern transom parts and resin cast side gallery parts. The painted freeze was printed in color as shown in this photo on paper and then glued to the side of the hull. It had a double capstan and a very detailed ship's wheel. This kit was the creme de la creme in model ship kits. It had photo etched gunport hinges, rudder straps, the horseshoe at the lower stem, a resin cast figurehead. Detailed deck framework. Everything was historically correct and to scale.
Even the chain pumps were historically correct and included photo etched parts that you assembled. The chains were developed by David Antscherl. Even the bottom of the pumps had the correct parts in photo etched form.
There are so many features in this kit that made it so popular that it sold like hotcakes and once I quit producing it in 2008 when the housing market crashed, it never got produced again. It had 43 billets of CNC milled parts in it.
The last kit I developed and produced was the HMS Fubbs based on the drawings by Portia Takajian. It sold for $1000.00.
It was true plank on frame, Navy Board style. It included colored prints on sticker paper for the painted frieze, a mounting base and crowns with jewels to mount the model. The planking was boxwood, walnut, swiss pear and aspen and all of the framework was boxwood. The figurehead and stern transom carvings were resin cast. It had turned brass posts that held the caprail at the stern quarterdeck area.
All of these kits were high quality, CNC milled kits, very popular, and produced in limited quantities. For 4 years I produced kits, and in the latter years, I would produce a different kit each week, 52 weeks per year, non stop because they were so popular and frankly, the best kits on the market.
If anyone has any more questions about these kits, please let me know. I'll be happy to answer them.
The lady selling the Kingfisher kit and Fubbs kit lost her husband to cancer. She has asked me to also inform the group that she has other brand new, unopened kits available such as HMS Vanguard by Amati, HMS Fly by Amati, the Syrene by Model Shipways, the Constitution by Model Shipways, the Lady Nelson by Amati. If anyone is interested in buying one of these kits, they should contact Mary Ann at
maryannh@bellsouth.net .
Take care,
Bob