Metal Earth 3D Model Kits has released a photoetched stainless steel rendition of the RMS Titanic.

The largest ship afloat left Southampton, England, April 10, 1912 on her maiden voyage to New York City. Just five days later at 2:20 am on the morning of April 15th she sank after hitting an iceberg 400 miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. Of the 2,223 people on board, only 710 survived.

According to Metal Earth:

"Metal Earth is a collection of intricately designed model building kits. Each kit consists of remarkably detailed laser etching cut onto one or more four-inch square sheets of thin metal. Simply snap out the eight to twelve pieces, bend the tabs to attach them together and create highly-detailed replicas of vehicles and architecture that fit in the palm of your hand. Striking to look at, especially when placed to catch the light, most Metal Earth models measure about three inches long when completed. All can be assembled without any glue, although tweezers or needle nose pliers to bend the tabs will save sore fingers. Because of the tiny size of the components and the complexity of the models, Metal Earth models make ideal gifts for children ten years and older, teens, and even dads and moms!"

RMS Titanic
Item#: MMS030
Number of sheets: 2 Sheets
Difficulty: Moderate
Assembled Size:
5.27" x 1.56" x 0.90" (13.5 x 4 x 2.3 cm)

This is one of the earlier Metal Earth ship kit releases, and it is just a bit toylike in outline. On the plus side, it is also appears to be easier to assemble than the later, more realistic releases such as the battleships Arizona and Missouri, or Type XXI U-Boat.

Since they make good gifts, these unusual little kits can be found in a surprising number of retail outlets as well as in hobby shops; I have seen them in Bed Bath & Beyond, Wal Mart, Barnes & Noble, and Target. They are inexpensive too with most priced around US$10-12.