iModeler Ships

Naval modeling - ships, submarines and boats.

Royal Caroline, 1749 (Lifeboat)

Back in January, I posted details of an on-going build of the wooden ship, Royal Caroline. (link) By rights, it's a work-in-progress, but the actual build takes so long, and as I only return to it from time to time (eight months in this [...]

Revell 1/72 PT-109

Since watching "McHale's Navy" and the movie "PT-109" when I was a kid, I've been fascinated with PT boats. I decided I needed a change of pace and this was what came of it. The kit is the oldest in Revell's inventory, [...]

700th scale Ashigara heavy cruiser.

I built this about four years ago. I bought the Fujimi kit with etch as a change of pace from aircraft modelling intending it to be a quick build OOB. Err no, I got totally immersed in the subject and scratch built and bought additional [...]

Revell 1/72 "S" Boot (D-Day Group Build)

As previously stated, two different sources report: On the morning of 6 June 1944, D-Day, 31 battle ready S-boats were sent to attack the Allied fleet. Although several vessels were sunk, against such a mass of ships (4126 landing craft [...]

You call-We haul! USCG 41' Utility Boat 1976

In retirement I've been catching up with building models of units I served on while on active duty. My latest build is a 1:16th scale model of a typical USCG 41' utility boat. Found at every Coast Guard station, the 41' UTB was state of [...]

The Mother of All Plastic Ship Models-Revell’s USS MISSOURI

As you work on your current plastic kit consider this; there was a time when these prototypical miniatures didn't exist. At least not in plastic form. How interested would you be in a hobby that offered little in the way of boxed kits, a [...]

From ‘The Dark Side’ – Wood – USS Constitution 1:93rd Scale Mamoli Cross-Section

I purchased and built this kit about 7 years ago but thought I’d offer it up as a sample of the type of modeling that I do. I’m a ‘wood’ guy doing work in plank on frame and plank on bulkhead models with a couple of resin [...]

USS Texas BB-35

For all you naval freaks out there - the battleship USS Texas (BB-35) celebrated her 100th anniversary yesterday. She's a grand old ship, and well worth the visit if you happen to be in the Houston area: (link)

The Battle of the River Plate

For anyone interested: The 1952 movie "Battle of the River Plate" - the story of the December 1939 battle between the Graf Spee and the British cruisers HMS Exeter, Ajax and Achilles, is on You Tube uncut. The movie actually [...]

USS Harder from Revell 1/180 kit of USS Lionfish…

The USS Harder SS-257 was a Gato Class Fleet Submarine. She was built by the Electric Boat Company at Groton, Connecticut, and launched on 19 August, 1942. One of the most famous submarines of WW2, her skipper was Cmdr Samuel D. Dealey, [...]