Model Forum / General / Models / July 2006

According to The List of Ship Kits
http://www.quuxuum.org/rajens_list/rajen.html

Advent
Flying Cloud (Clipper) [1/232?] (sail)
Editor's Note: Same as Revell Flying Cloud. (DRW)

Life Like
Flying Cloud (Clipper) {09370} (iron) FH
Editor's Note: Reissue of the old Pyro Flying Cloud. (DRW)

Lindberg
Flying Cloud (American Clipper) {7136/70894} [1/355] (sail) FH
Editor's Note: I don't know if this is a re-issue of the old Pyro Flying
Cloud kit. Lindberg may have issued it as far back as 1966, and Pyro was
still around at that point. Kit 70894 was issued around 1991. (DRW)

Pyro
Flying Cloud (Clipper) {B370} (iron) FH

Revell
Flying Cloud (American Clipper) {H-415/H-344} [1/231] (steam)
FAIR/GOOD. This kit dates back to 1957. Considering the age of the kit, it
is fairly accurate, compared to the drawings in William Crothers' American
Clipper Ships book. (An excellent reference on US Clipper Ships.)
The 1957 box does not mention a scale. Using the dimensions in Crothers'
book, the model scales out to 1/231 scale.
Hull has slightly over-done plank and copper plating detail, perhaps, but
not too bad. The hull has the pinrails molded on the inside of the hull,
they can't be used to secure lines to.
Deck planking is similarly a little overdone, worst part is that it has
coils of rope molded in on the deck-no clipper captain worth his salt would
have allowed such a lubberly mess. Masts and yards are appropriately sized,
but mine were out of round because of mold mis-alignment.
My 1957 edition of the kit had the plastic coated thread style of ratlines-
the same as those used in the big 1/96 scale kits. Sometime in the early
1970s, I think, Revell went with molded plastic parts for the ratlines in
the smaller sailing ship kits. These molded ratlines have a much heavier,
clunkier look.
Kit includes the standard vac-formed sails. My kit included two spools of
thread- one tan and one black. The rigging diagram was reasonably detailed
for the scale- both a simple version and a more accurate option for rigging
are available.(WLM)
Editor's Note: An 1849 clipper. The kit is said to be about 12 inches long
when complete. I've seen some others suggest that the kit may date back as
far as 1954, when it was released as H-415. I'm reluctant to dispute Bill,
though, as he almost certainly knows the subject better than I do......
In addition to the various Revell releases, was also issued under the Advent
label once. (DRW)

I see 2. A Revell/Advent at 1/231 and a Pyro/LifeLine/Lindberg at 1/355.
No 1/96.

Frank