1:450 Model Set HMS Victory

HMS Victory 1:450 from Revell, Model Set

An injection-molded plastic kit of the British sailing ship of the line HMS Victory in the small 1:450 scale. Sales listings give 45 parts and a difficulty around the middle level, and the manufacturer recommends the set from ten years up. The Model Set version brings, besides the kit, paints, a brush, glue and decals. It is a deliberately simplified sailing ship, not a many-part model with full rigging, so it can be built in a reasonable time.

The real subject

HMS Victory is a British first-rate ship of the line, launched in 1765. She carried a hundred guns and more on three covered decks and became famous as the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, where the British fleet crushed the combined French and Spanish forces and Nelson himself fell. The ship has survived and stands to this day in a dry dock in Portsmouth as the oldest warship still carried on the active list.

Building and painting tips

Glue the hull and sand it smooth, as a long seam shows most on ships. The yellow and black bands along the sides make the whole appearance, so spray them with masking tape rather than brushing them, and start with the lighter color. Bring out the gun ports with a darker shade so that they stand out in the small scale. Fit the masts only after the hull is painted. Anyone wanting to add the rigging will use thin thread tensioned with cyanoacrylate.

Who the model is for

• For modelers of historical sailing ships and naval history.
• For beginning builders, as paints, a brush and glue are in the package.
• As a gift, because the set is from ten years up and nothing has to be bought in addition.

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted, but the Model Set according to the manufacturer also contains basic paints, a brush and glue. Further tools and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.