XVth C. Ships

[Kingscarbine]

Hi,

Anyone have an idea how I should go about building XVth C. ships (for 28mm figures) that don't look like they were made by a 5 year-old ? I want to try some boarding action rules and need several ships. I love the Zvezda/Revell models but they kill my budget. What are the best materials? Balsa, paper, plastic...

[Paul]

You could try these;
http://www.fatdragongames.com/fdgfiles/fantasy/3d-paper-terrain/miscellanous-fantasy/medieval-sailing-ship-fdg0091
or self build..like this guy;(scroll down, there´s an how to vid etc)
http://nhmgs.blogspot.de/search/label/cogs

[Lowtardog]

Hi,

Anyone have an idea how I should go about building XVth C. ships (for 28mm figures) that don't look like they were made by a 5 year-old ? I want to try some boarding action rules and need several ships. I love the Zvezda/Revell models but they kill my budget. What are the best materials? Balsa, paper, plastic...

What sort of ship are you after?

[Kingscarbine]

I'm looking for Flemish, Hanseatic, French, Italian and Iberian ships for the late XVth century. Don't know if Cogs were still in use but early Caravels are a must.

[Arlequín]

Cogs had apparently reached the limits of their development, so perhaps were confined to small load coastal trade. The Holk, or Hulk, replaced them, especially on the big rivers, like the Scheldt and Rhine. The Carrack (or Nau) was the latest thing in the 15th Century and the Portuguese had developed the Caravel from earlier vessels (barca and barinel - or balinger). Despite the rougher seas of the Atlantic and North Sea, Galleys from Genoa and Venice etc would put in at the various ports too.

Some ships were fitted with a couple of guns, although as far as I know gun-ports hadn't emerged and the weapons were fired from the ship's waist, or lighter ones were mounted on swivels. I don't believe wheeled carriages were in use either, but I'm not definite on that.

It would be interesting to do. Lots of different sizes of vessels, so plenty of scope. France regularly raided the South Coast of England, from Mousehole (p. 'Mozzul') to Eastbourne. Warwick and others turned pirate from time to time, operating in the English Channel area. The Zeelanders and Frisians were also active. Of course the Portuguese were all over the place finding stuff.

Good luck with finding plans etc!    

[Paul]

So far only one plan found
http://www.howardshirleywriter.com/caravel/Blank_Caravel.pdf
and I don´t know wether these will help
http://softarchive.net/blogs/mufasa/paper_models_caravel_nina_columbus_fleet.136498.html
http://www.maquetasenpapel.com/Caravel-of-Columbus-scale-150-bbfaaaaja.asp

[Kingscarbine]

Thanks for the tips guys. I found some useful paper models but I'll have to print them "to scale". They are complex little buggers and will be a pain to assemble. 

Arlequín,

By the 1470s the Portuguese had cut portholes on caravels and fired heavy bombards. This enable them to defeat the numerically superior Spanish during the War of the Castilian Succession.

[Paul]

Thanks for the tips guys. I found some useful paper models but I'll have to print them "to scale".

Can you show the link please 

[Mr.J]

It's funny this has come up as I found this last night.
http://www.scheltrum.co.uk/loti282.html

[Kingscarbine]

Can you show the link please  

  I actually found this by Googleing that Polish paper model from the link you posted.  

[michi_k]

Sure! XXXXX I actually found this by Googleing that Polish paper model from the link you posted.  

I don't want to be a spoilsport, but pretty much everything on that site is an illegal scan of a commercial cardboard kit. The affected companies typically range from small buisiness to garage companies, no Rockefellers at all, and such piracy noticeably reduces their income (which would be needed to pay the disigners, and print new kits, and, and, and...).

In short: I'd rather not see pirate site promoted here at LAF!

Thaks
Michi

[Kingscarbine]

In short: I'd rather not see pirate site promoted here at LAF!

Thaks
Michi

Sorry Michi. That's heavy on my conscience now.

[michi_k]

Sorry Michi. That's heavy on my conscience now.

No need to get depressed, that's just one of those nasty, little traps the internet provides - thanks again for removing the link!


Back to the ships:
I've had a quick look and found a holk, two caravelles, and a carrack in an online shop on the peninsula (which, hopefully, would keep postage to lisbon bearable).

However, you'd still have to scale them (the carack is in 1/200, so it almost certainly drops out from the very beginning) and, trying to be build them as a waterline models might become a nasty pain in the posterior (the caravelles in particular). There are a few construction reports on Polish card modelling forums where you can have a look at what you'd have to expect: Holk, holk again, caravelle Nina, and carrack. Have a look and decide whether these might help!

Michi

[Kingscarbine]

  Thanks Michi! The PIOTR Z GDANSKA carrack (Peter von Danzig) is perfect for my project.

She was built in France and was originally named Pierre de la Rochelle or Peter van Rosseel and arrived in Danzig in 1462. The ship was eventually seized and changed over to a warship when the Hanseatic League declared war on England.

Between 1471 and 1473 she operated in the North Sea hunting English merchantmen with a letter of marque and securing Hanse convoys and was decommissioned in the late 1470s.

I'll have to workout a "simple" way to build them as waterline models.

Nuno

[Arlequín]

Thanks guys, this thread is becoming a valuable resource!