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[Peewee]

Hi All,

I am making a Victorian warship as a future build, currently i make WW2 and modern versions.  I have noticed that Deans make 2 variants of the Majestic Class.  Also a very nice looking Kent.  do any of you know the difference between these 2?  I am also going to email Ron but thought i would ask for independent views.

regards

[RickF]

The main differences between the ships of the Majestic class are: Hannibal and Caesar had the charthouse before the mast directly over the conning tower, while the remainder had the charthouse built around the mast; Prince George, Illustrious and Caesar had higher masts, and Hannibal had a higher afterbridge.

Rick

[victorian]

Edited to say that the question is actually about the the difference in the Dean's kits and I think that is in the supply of extra detail in the Hannibal kit, much of which applies to the other ships as well. I used the Hannibal kit in my model of 'Mars'. Both kits represent the superstructure with the bridge over the conning tower which is correct only for the later ships. Also, in my opinion, the superstructure in the kit is somewhat oversize.

Another difference between the ships are that in later ships the torpedo nets were at main deck level and the kit represents this, correct for Hannibal, but not for Majestic which had the nets along the upper deck. Easy enough to alter. There are also variations in the way the mast is stepped or not - the kit represents an unstepped mast.

Please don't take these remarks as a critisicm of the kit - without it, my 'Mars' and perhaps a few other 'Majestics' would never have been built and we are lucky to have Ron supporting this hobby.

The usual reference for these ships is RA Burt "British Battleships, 1889-1904" (currently on Amazon and very expensive when it comes up) and a series of articles by him in Conway's "Warship" of which no.28 published in 1983 gives a useful summary and can sometimes be found on the Internet.
 

[RickF]

I refrained from passing any comments on the differences (or lack of them) between the two Dean's kits, as the last time I did so I was taken to task. I endorse Victorian's comments about Ron's support of our hobby and the efforts he makes with his kits - but it's a shame he used the ship names he did.

Rick

[Peewee]

Thank you both for the information, my plan is to use the kit as a base to make one of the class but i have not as yet decided which one. hopefully one of the lesser modeled ships.

I popped in to see Ron last week, to look at his made up kits and to have a look in the Hannibal box as he had one ready.  A question for Victorian or anyone who knows, on the lower superstructure molding i noticed there was an area of molded in planking, i intend to actually plank my model, what did you do here for your Mars?.  BTW fantastic looking model you have there.

kind regards

[victorian]

Hello Ian P.

Regarding the planking (I presume you mean the boat deck) I initially planked this over the moulded in detail, but later changed my mind and plated it over instead. Evidence for this is pretty scarce, but this photo seems to show the surface of the boat deck as either steel plating or some kind of covering. Note the grating walkway - suggests the surface wasn't suitable for the crew to walk on.

Subsequent to this, there's been some discussion on here about planking and the suggestion that cortizene might have been used. I don't know if that's correct for Victorian ships.



Edited to say that this picture of Mikasa (the only surviving pre-Dreadnought) shows the boat deck plated over.

http://photoguide.jp/pix/displayimage.php?album=713&pos=30

[Wasyl]

This "Mars" that has been mentioned here,..at thr turn of the 19th century,early 20th there was a "Mars"..training ship achored in the River Tay just off Dundee,i,am too young to remember it,but from the pictures that i,ve seen it looked like an old warship of the Napoleonic era,..as another note of interest,In Dundee we have the oldest Frigate afloat,HMS Unicorn,which is now a maritime museum,

Wullie  

[Wasyl]

Here,s HMS Mars



http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/7716431.stm

Wullie

[Peewee]

As they say a picture says a thousand words, or something like that.  I am at theearly stages of my reasearch as all pointers help.  i aquired a copy of Brian Kings modeling late victorian battleships which seem a very good pointer.

The Mars i mentoion is here http://www.viewing.com/Mars/HMS%20Mars.html which i believe (i hope i have this correct) is victorians

ian

[Wasyl]

thats a really nice looking model,..a couple of years ago,there was one like it on ebay,and at the same time on German ebay,there was a 1/96 scale Sevastapol,full rc,it was something else,


Wullie