as a matter of intrest, it took 100lbs of lead in 15lb bars to bring the royal william to the waterline....i think it took over 200lbs for the victory...so it wasn't something i just slipped in the water and sailed i'll occasionly post more photos of the royal william as i move along....probably, many won't be here by the time i finish.....gee, i probably won't be here by the time i finish.....very kind, thanks, cheers, vic

There are incredible modeling skills evident here. Not only do they look fantastic, they actually sail. Amazing!
Thank you very much for sharing with us.
Bill

You are a master craftsman by any standard. These old sailing ships are some of the tuffest models one can create, and then to have a sailing model to boot. My hat is off to you, you are a master craftsman.

Hello Victor;
I'd like to add my two cents worth here if I may. I have built two clipper ships from plastic Revell kits that I am very proud to display. There's one Cutty Sark and one Thermopylea ( I think I spelled that wrong --again) with another Thermopylea in the wings. Also have one of each in wood to build one of these days.
I'v always wondered what it would take to make one of these go r/c sailing and now I can see it's very possible. Your models are stunning and they raise the bar for the rest of us to make our models even better.
I'm particularly pleased to see your beautiful Victory as my grandfather sailed on that ship many years ago. I understand that ship is still around somewhere and wouldn't it be great to actually set foot on her decks?
Anyway I sincerly hope that you will continue to slake our thirst for more pictures of your exciting work. I would love to see how you construct your masts and sails to allow actual R/C sailing. Pete

Victor;
Here is a picture of the Victory that I came across. I think it was on Google. It's an actual photo from her sailing days I believe. Found a few more pictures of the Vic so I included them
There is a book by William L Crothers that would be very helpful to anyone building one of these old ships. It's called "The American Built Clipper Ship" and covers every clipper built from 1850 to 1856 It actually shows detailed construction pictures of every part of the ship as well as every rigging line and a complete description of what each line does.
I know the Victory was a battle ship and not a clipper ship but all those ships had to be built pretty much alike basically.
Would you tell me what scale you built the Victory in? Thanks. Pete

hi....stopped working on ship for a couple of years...now i'm back, and thought i'd show where i'm at to date.....trying to cast the canon now....after that, all the main cutting stuff should be done, and i can work in my 7'x11' space this winter, without making alot of mess...or dust.....

Somebody please pick my jaw up off of the floor.


Outstanding.

I would Greenboat, but Im using mine to find mine!! A true craftsman, they are fewer and fewer these days. Look at the ornamentation. Sir, I enjoy looking at your work very much.

gee thanks....me, all i see is all the work i have to do, and i'm so self critical.....maybe later i can sit back and enjoy it

Beautiful stuff. I keep coming back here to look at these photos. These ships belong in museums.

Listen Yank you have to quit taking two years off with no explanation. Man I figured you went to see Davy Jones and took your boats with you. Hope all is ok and I for one am very happy to see you back aboard the forum.
As for your boats,there is no doubt in my mind that they will eventually end up in some lucky museum but not until you are finished playing with them.
Sailing a model like yours must be a huge thrill for you as it would be for any of us. Maybe now you would show us how you make that happen.
Welcome back Yancovitch. Pete

Wow, stunningly beautiful work, and in such a large scale engulfed in detail.
Do you have any pictures more from the start, I'd love to see some of the hull being built up.
Is it built true to ships of the era?

you're too kind.....i definitely will keep in touch now...i spent the two years building r/c electric ww-1 planes although i'm not good enough to fly them yet, and i've now got it out of my system.... but now i'm retiring from my apt. managing job at the end of this year, so, aside from playing the piano at a local hotel once in awhile, and helping my wife at a free dental clinic she manages, i'm fully committed to finishing this project..will start molding canons now..after i turn a few more out of hardwood on the lathe, and try to do a better job than the last ones i made..i always ending up taking off too much.....all the masts have been roughly made...and half the blocks have been roughed out.....i better turn the deadeyes too before the cold weather starts.....get rid of the messy stuff so i won't have to make too much mess in my tiny heated work space during the cold months.......maybe a year and a half to go....but if i put in alot of time...who knows.....have to find some good sail material which will billow nicely in the wind, but not be too difficult to sew.....in other words..too slippery.....just spent $100 on new mold and casting material as the last ones went bad after a few years.....anyways, i'll post some shots as the work goes on....no no...definitely not work.....as the fun goes on.....cheers, vic
oh ...by the way....i build these out of passion, not with lots of research and meticulous measuring and cutting......it is not a masterpiece of craftmanship....it is a sculpture.....and i built it as a sculpture....put on a little bit here...take off a little bit there etc. etc.

oh by the way....the only thing i'm somewhat happy about myself is, that this is the first time in my life i've ever tried to sculpt figures etc..and although, i have more work to do on them, to smooth out and give more detail, they don't look too bad......i added a couple of extra photos above, and include here a shot of the euro model kit i built, which i copied to make the 8' version....although the sculptures on the bow and stern are copied from photos of a different version from the kit. a fellow at the us. naval academy was kind enough to send me photos of the royal william in the rogers collection...so...back to work...will post again in a few months god willing.....

Wow. Beautiful.
Please share as much info as you can. I'm sure I (we all) could learn a lot.
Located anywhere near Minnesota?

Interested in making live firing cannons????
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showa...mentid=2144527