Ahoy, mates!

Prompted by a very recent suggestion from one of our crew-mates (thanks Rodge!) in a current forum thread, our new MSW survey asks quite simply, "Which Ship Hull Style Do You Prefer To Build Most?"

Please feel free (and encouraged!) to explain why your choice is as stated in this thread...

Link to Item

If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Gunny,

The only answer that makes sense is a full hull, we want to build the whole ship not just half of her.....

I voted "Both". It all depends on what I'm trying to accomplish. Most of the time I'll build 1/700 waterline. It's the perfect size for me and it's great scale to show the ship at sea. If I want a "display" model, like I'm going to do with all three USS Kidds, I'll build full hull. This way you get a good idea of how big each ship is in relation to the other.

Did my civic duty and voted

I have to concur with Kenny!
For my 1/72 and 1/35 scale midget subs and manned torpedoes I prefer full hull, even if in the display cabinet there are two of them in waterline situations (two old Verlinden productions: X-Craft and Chariot).
But for my recent builts, 1/700 and 1/400 I prefer to place them in a water dio! This can be a fairly easy situation (like I-58, 1944 fit) with the scene in a river, where the water is flat and the waterline model is perfect for that, or a much troubled water, like ORP KAzsub wz.25 in which I used the full hull model to make it more dramatic!

Thanks for asking and good question Rodger!
Skipper

I prefer full hull.
Just think it looks better that way.

Cast my vote.

I have to say both, as it depends on the subject. Nearly all my builds are in 1/700 which is great for waterline but the modern ships I think look better as display full hull.
I like what Trumpeter has done and the Dragon 'premium' range in including the option for either so the kit maker is able to choise which that want to build.
The bigger scales personnaly would have to be full hull as this would take up less room.

Ciao
Luciano

I copped out and voted both, with an explanation. For small craft, PT Boats, Gunboats, and Submarines, full hull for sure. I think it just looks more impressive, and the various hull shapes make for interesting contrast. If the kit only comes waterline, like all the 1/700 Japanese kits, the a water dio looks very impressive to many people. Now that some kits from Japan are coming full hull, I think I'd do a full hull even in this scale. For larger ships full hull all the way. It just looks more like a museum ship to me. So the short answer is I guess about 2/3, or more, of all kits I'd make full hull, with just a few waterline.

Being more of a wooden hull modeler I am used to full hulls. The alternative option with wood hulls is the half model. I have yet to try one, but the ability to hang a half model on the wall like a picture makes for a convenient display and I have seen an interesting one mounted on a mirror.
I have recently been day dreaming about a wood hull waterline model, one showing a ship next to a sheer hulk having one of its masts extracted. This situation would do away with the sails and much of the rigging, replacing it with the interesting and obscure working rigging of the sheer hulk.
Both (all) types of hull seem to me to have their use. I certainly like to see the whole ship in the box though, it is a lot easier to leave off what is under the water (or the other side) than to scratch it up.

When I built 700 scale, I loved the waterline. I think if the first 350 scale ships I built had had the option, I probably would have gone water line as well. But as they didn't, every 350 scale is 350 full hull, option or not, so I went with both

I went both also, as I think it would depend on the subject of the kit, and what's available. It a model I wanted was only available as waterline, I wouldn't let that stop me from buying it.

I voted full hull. I only build the 1/350 because building in 1/700 seems like micro-surgery to my eyes.

In that scale for some reason I just want to show the ship herself, probably because trying to make a diorama with water really takes up even more space.

Tom