Found a 1/96 Constitution!

Farmboy

Farmboy

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I was all set to begin my 1/196 Revell Constitution (after I finish a George Barris showrod -- near completion), the plan being (and still is) to rig it as far as I can following the Revell 1/96 standing/running rigging instructions. Yesterday, my brother in law texted me a screen shot of an in-box 1/96 one for sale in the local area. I followed up on it and brought it home this morning. This will be my third 1/96 connie in the past 45 years, this time hopefully be cased to survive kids and moving trucks. I find it a steady satisfying build to get lost in for a good number of months, and that with some care and attention becomes a gorgeous piece o' gear when she's finished, this time with 1812ish ochre stripe and lower masts. I won't be building the Constitution as much as a Constitution type ship.
 
Farmboy said:
I won't be building the Constitution as much as a Constitution type ship.
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You have a shortlist of at least three vessels. The first six frigates built for the fledgling U.S. Navy included three 44-gun frigates:
  • United States, launched May 10, 1797
  • Constitution, launched October 21, 1797
  • President, launched April 10, 1800
The other three early vessels carried 38 guns.

I'm having a flashback: I got a Revell Constitution for Christmas when I was around 12 years old.
Fair winds on your project!
 
Farmboy said:
I was all set to begin my 1/196 Revell Constitution (after I finish a George Barris showrod -- near completion), the plan being (and still is) to rig it as far as I can following the Revell 1/96 standing/running rigging instructions. Yesterday, my brother in law texted me a screen shot of an in-box 1/96 one for sale in the local area. I followed up on it and brought it home this morning. This will be my third 1/96 connie in the past 45 years, this time hopefully be cased to survive kids and moving trucks. I find it a steady satisfying build to get lost in for a good number of months, and that with some care and attention becomes a gorgeous piece o' gear when she's finished, this time with 1812ish ochre stripe and lower masts. I won't be building the Constitution as much as a Constitution type ship.
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Hallo @Farmboy
we wish you all the BEST and a HAPPY BIRTHDAY
Birthday-Cake
 
I built this ship twice - once in my teens in the 60s - I got all of the masts stepped and yards slung and had a good start on the standing rigging, but it didn't survive my years in the Navy. When I returned home it was a dusty frazzled mess. So I built it again in my early twenties - this time to completion, but it didn't survive two moves.

Now I don't have room for something of this scale, but I'd love to build it again. It is a great classic kit.
 
Hotspur said:
I built this ship twice - once in my teens in the 60s - I got all of the masts stepped and yards slung and had a good start on the standing rigging, but it didn't survive my years in the Navy. When I returned home it was a dusty frazzled mess. So I built it again in my early twenties - this time to completion, but it didn't survive two moves.

Now I don't have room for something of this scale, but I'd love to build it again. It is a great classic kit.
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Strange, Hotspur, sounds EXACTLY like my story!
 
Jerry...tell me that's a Polaroid in your hands. What a great shot!
Uwek, thank you for the best wishes!
Hotspur, my first connie was a present from my girlfriend (my wife) in my late teens in the early 70's. It met it's fate by children playing 'cars' at a friend's house where it was left for safe keeping during a move. Them's the breaks (sorry). The 2nd one was again a gift from my wife a couple of decades ago. Completed, but didn't survive an interprovincial move. My current one was found on line less than a week ago. I don't really have the room either, but as you say, it's a great classic kit, and I just couldn't pass it up.
 
Farmboy said:
I was all set to begin my 1/196 Revell Constitution (after I finish a George Barris showrod -- near completion), the plan being (and still is) to rig it as far as I can following the Revell 1/96 standing/running rigging instructions. Yesterday, my brother in law texted me a screen shot of an in-box 1/96 one for sale in the local area. I followed up on it and brought it home this morning. This will be my third 1/96 connie in the past 45 years, this time hopefully be cased to survive kids and moving trucks. I find it a steady satisfying build to get lost in for a good number of months, and that with some care and attention becomes a gorgeous piece o' gear when she's finished, this time with 1812ish ochre stripe and lower masts. I won't be building the Constitution as much as a Constitution type ship.
Click to expand...
Built this back in'66, 40 years later, I found I had the instructions stored away. The rigging instructions were so much better than the mamoli version I was rigging, I used them instead. They were so clear I changed my mind, from simple rigging to following every step, glad I did. The Mamoli version, a lot of rigging doesn't show up in the photo. Haven't yet corrected the flag, ( I had to make them all) which turned aft in the case.

HHHTGGG.jpg
 
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Wow! I hope to finish this one and give it (cased) to my son. hope it's around and looking good for a good long time like yours.
 
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Farmboy said:
Jerry...tell me that's a Polaroid in your hands. What a great shot!
Click to expand...
I think it was a Polaroid Automatic 100 Land Camera. My step father brought home a box of 6 or 8 of them with a pile of "expired" B&W film and I went nuts taking weird pictures of my models. I apparently got some color film at some point, but I can't find any color shots of Constitution, just one of a Pyro Constellation and the Constitution's box lid.
They're nostalgic, but otherwise useless as photos go ;)
1970a.png 1970b.png 1970c.png
models1970c.jpg
 
She looks great in that case.

Nice find, I bought a 1:96 Connie last year and hope to get started (other than planning and bits and bobs) semi-soon. Enjoy!
 
Sort of. I had the idea to do a sister ship, too, to be different (but I'm from Cape Cawd so I thought I'd better make it Constitution). Trouble is, though there are some very knowledgeable people here and about, there is a fair amount of info on Connie and almost nothing on the sisters. So you could. Some people can point to details about the others, but it would I think be a job an a half to pull it off.
 
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