Ahoy Shipmates!!!

MSW Crew member Tim Parker [Pzkw] shares his thoughts with us on Heller''s HMS Victory with this in box review.

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If you have comments or questions please post them here.

Thanks!

Interesting review by Tim that touches on a couple of the issues surrounding Heller's HMS VIctory. I have had this model sitting in my stash for about 5 years now and it is so intimidating. The molding is good considering the age of the molds but the rather garish plastic colours Heller chose to use hurt your eyes.
The instruction book is not the most handy thing to use, in fact Tim is very kind in his comments on it.
I have no doubt this can be made into an excellent replica of the Victory, there are several builds on line that prove that point.
For me it is still a little bit too involving at the moment. I do still have plans to build it though, even bought Longridge's book for when I get around to the rigging,
Julian

Didn't Airfix or someone else make a Victory? Or were they just rebox of the Heller. y one experience with Heller was doing a 35th AMX 30. The instructions were abysmal

Correct, Heller and Airfix 1/100 HMS Victory are the same model.
Julian

Greetings:

Actually Airfix made/makes a smaller version of the victory, larger than the Revell version, I think it is in 1/200 scale. The transom detail is not very crisp and would require some very patient painting. I built the Heller 1/100 Victory about 18 years ago. I went at it very methodically and spent about a year on it. I did take some short cuts with rigging, but it still build into an impressive model. The main thing is to study the instructions, make notes, and know where you are in the sequence and what the next steps are and how they impact on what you are doing.
I don't think I have the patience to try it again especially with other kits in the stash. I never understood why the Heller Victory doesn't have the entry door amidships.
Best

Mark

http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/t/138775.aspx

http://cs.finescale.com/FSMCS/forums/p/45561/479195.aspx

http://www.2dehands.be/verzamelen/modelbouw-schaalmodellen/modelboot/airfix-hms-victory-1-100-91905912.html



Cheers,
Julian

I got this kit about 12 years ago originally, then sold it back to the person I bought it from. SIlly me! Then I got very lucky and found one on evil-bay which I ended up buying from the person outside evil-bay (SHHH!!!) for well under $!00 (very well under). In fact the postage cost more than the kit. The box is trashed but everything appears to be in there and the plastic bags are still sealed.
My question is directed to those with the kit and wondered if anyone else had a warped stern of the hull? It is not really bad but I want to fix it befor I start the kit. And the question, how do I fix the warped hull?
I have never fixed anything this big before...
Thanks in advance.
Warren

Hello Julian,

With regard to the instruction book, yes, I could have just come right out and said it's a piece of crap! But instead I chose to make the analogy to the AMT kits instruction sheets: those were a big piece of crap, too.

One of the major complaints I have, that I didn't mention in the review, is that for certain parts of the rigging (such as pendants), there is no indication as to what length to make the pendant - obviously, you want to keep them in scale, but you don't want them so short as to be in the way of other rigging or so long that they would appear not to have useful purpose. Way back when in my younger days, I built a large-size model of the Thermopylae, from Revell, and its rigging plan was a lot easier to read.

Hello Master Gunnery Sergeant!

Just out of curiosity, do you still have your model of the Victory around? If so, do you have any pictures you want to share?

Tim

Warren,

Is it the stern area of the hull half warped, or the sternpiece itself? And how much warpage are you talking about? I've practiced putting my hull halves together, and while there is a bit of a gap up in the stem, and the overall fit is "not exactly" the best, I don't find any serious problems to overcome.

Tim

It is one half of the ship and the keel is a bit warped. Don't want to force it together as it may put other areas out of allignment.

Seems I was mistaken re my hull. It is one of the earliest boxings and it appears to be not very warped at all. I think it was the large locating pins (blocks actually) that were confusing me.
And yes, the instructions for the rigging are just a little confusing.

Hi Tim:

Sorry for the late reply, been an interesting summer. I do have the ship, it has suffered some bow sprit damage, but; I am going to fix it when the basement is back in order. I will see if I can post some pics of it as it is now.

Best

Mark

Ahoy mates
If you are going to build this ship,...
The instruction book is crap and the rigging instructions leave a lot to be desired.
Have a look here,the ultimate Airfix/Heller victory site.I think you have to register but is well worth it

http://www.pete-coleman.com/forum/

HTH
Andy

This is my first attempt on the HMS Victory by Heller. Having a very hard time understanding the instruction's on Page 8, operation 11, Bowsprit rigging, symbols "E56 and (rectangle box next to it) 11C. Can anyone help me ?

The HMS Victory!!! This one is one of the culprits from my revenue to the world of the model. Never encourage to begin it!!! Jejeje Some day ... some day ....... Recommend the book " Anatomy of the Ship " John Mckay. ..... gave to me desire of extracting it of the box!!! .... uy this where?? Jajajjajaj

Regards Daniel

Er, ...............I have the Heller HMS Victory in my stash. I am too scared to build it though

I got one in the mid-80's and worked on it for seven years. It was the Imai re-box of the Heller kit, and along with the original Heller instructions it came with a much better and comprehensive set of step-by-step ones that were done by Imai.

Regardless, I found three books to be invaluable:

Longbridge's "Anatomy of Nelson's Ships"

The "Anatomy of the Ship" series on HMS Victory

And the USNI's book "The Masting and Rigging of English Ships of War"

In the end, I had replaced so many parts on the Heller kit with cast metal and wood that it would have been cheaper to have purchased one of the wooden POB offerings on the market...

I am on page 8, operation 11 and I see all these little pulley's marked with tiny letters & number's like p1, p2 and a1, then, in a little "box" 18a, etc. I am spending a lot of time trying to decipher what it all mean's. Anyone out there who can help me ?

I am at page 8, operation 11 on my Heller kit and having a heck of a time trying to decipher the meaning of some of the bowsprit rigging prep. For exampler, i see pulley's numbered p1, p2, etc. Then, I see an arrow which is numbered a1 and followed by a small "block" with the number "19a" inside. Can anyone out there help me ?

I trying to build the Heller HMS Victory. Am currently on page 8, operation 11. On the bowsprit rigging block's I see tiny letters and number's like p1, p2 with a curved line and arrow that say's a1. Followed by a small rectangular box with 19a inside. (I think-letters so small can barely read) Can anyone out there help me. Thank's,....Waltzer

Marshall,

It looks like no one has answered any of your questions on this forum, and that's really a shame. Do you still need some assistance on your questions - they were posted a year ago, so I figure maybe you've moved forward with your model.

Myself, I just finally glued the hull halves together about 2 weeks ago! I've been spending so much time on trying to get the paint job correct - the mouldings on the inner part of the hull have been difficult to paint black, especially since the surrounding areas of the moulindgs is painted yellow!

I've read the instructions a couple of times through (partly out of boredom, partly out of excitement). Just to let you know, Heller describes the rigging blocks with designations like p1, p2 - these indicate to use the small rigging blocks (as opposed designations like P1 and P2).

Usually, when there is a box with a number like "18A" in it, it means to refer to assembly step 18A. But usually, going to the referred assembly step doesn't shine a lot of light on the process.

If you look on the page of the instructions that has the detailed rigging list, things like "E56" refer to a cable of a certain diameter. I think the anchor cables are supposed to be a certain diameter (according to the rigging sheet, and I think their designations are something like "E305" and such), but that diameter thread didn't come with the kit, so I'll have to figure out how to fabricate them, or just find some rigging thread of the appropriate size and buy it separately.

I hope this helps, if you still needed the help. Let me know how you're getting on with everything...in the future, I'll try to post some pix of projects past & present.

Cheers,

Tim

Thanks for trying to lend a hand here Timothy. It appears Marshall has not logged in since a few days after making his post more than a year ago. I have to assume he might have given up on the less than stellar instructions given with this kit and moved on.

I am, however, looking forward to seeing you post some of those old and hopefully newer builds you have going on!!

Well Todd, that's a shame Marshall hasn't been back to check on his requests for help, especially considering he put 3 requests in. I would have answered sooner, but between all the other stuff I have going on, checking the forums on this website is really "low on the totem pole"!

If I think about it, this weekend might be a good time to upload some photos of current & past projects.

Cheerios,

Tim

Sometimes it's just how it goes! Guessing he fell to the wayside of the hobby!

Looking forward to the postings! Always great to see new stuff!! I hear you on the Busy end of things....never stops!!