I'm looking for a site with pictures of the Victory before the stern galleries were inclosed. I have 2 of the heller kits and want to build one as she was before the 1798-1800 rebuild. Any help would be appreciated.
There were several changes to her layout. She was involved in several major actions requiring rebuild/ refit, the enclosure of the gallerys only coming after she ceased to be used as a prison ship. If you wanted to model her as laid down you would also need to move her masts forward. Its best to pick a time frame and search from there. The official Victory site has pages especially for the modeller and clears up a lot of misconceptions about her, also very useful when and if you ever get round to painting the model!
Sorry I said prison ship, she was a hospital ship. The link for the Victory pages is
I am wondering if anyone can help me find a book on HMS-Victory. The Aurther is. Alan McGowan Book tittle is. HMS Victory: Her Construction, Career and Restoration. If anyone could help it would be great,
Its available from Amazon.com. But be warned the latest research notes can be found at
Thank you David. These are two of the better sites but they unfortunately dwell on the 1805 or trafalgar version of the victory. I did see one print that may have been of the Victoy's stern but it was too small for me to gleen any useful information.
Hi, I had a similar idea as you and enquired about plans from the Maritime museum at Greenwich but they wanted over £200. I checked the books in my local library but couldnt find any pictures. I did however find that to make her as laid down I would need at least to:
On balance I thought 'f...k that' !!!!!!
Some literature says Victory had 11 sister ships and yet others say she was the only one of her class. I couldnt find any named sister ships, just other
Couple of views here:
Overall it looks like someone put a lot of work into that one. Too bad the stern seems to be just a representation of the Victory's. Cut out holes for the windows dosen't do the rest of the model justice. Sigh. Unfortunatly it's of the 1800 rebuild. Thanks for contining to help David. I do appreceiate it. Left messages at several sites but no responses yet.
The 'cut out holes' arn't. There is a walkway behind and the great cabin proper beyond. The refit simply put windows in those openings and removed the bulkhead with the windows in to make a larger room.
Hows the 1805 going, hope you didnt follow Hellers painting guide! FWIW many companies over here closed Christmas Eve and don't open again til Monday (5th)
Personally I think I'd be tempted to use the second kit to build HMS Brittania also at Trafalgar or even the HMS Temaraire. In either case it would be a 'representation of' not an accurrate model of either ship, allows a little licence that way, ship builders also have 'rivit counters'.
To illustrate the point heres a view of the great cabin. Note the door centre right (also on the kit). There are no side windows in the cabin but there are in the bulges on either side of the stern. This would tend to give the width of the covered in walkway. I would suggest the deck beam with the hanging lamp is the rear of the original cabin line. HTH
I need to go back and look at it again. NO I did not follow Hellers paint instruction. Sorry for yelling. THey are way off. Down loaded pics from the Victory site. Yes raf trainer yellow is real close to the yellow ocher in the pics. AFTER I applied dull coat. Doing the reasearch I did notice that the mizzen mast has the binding rings painted black under the poop deck. Right behind the binacle and wheel .I did notice the beam in the admirals great cabin you refer to. So if I remove the windows, build a bulkhead with windows, stern only, I might be close? And yes the doors in the sides are there. Tried to highlite them before I added the sides. Didn't work can't see them. BUT they are there. Interesting that the official Victory site mentions that they were used as senior officers heads (toilets if you will) while lesser mortals(sailors)had to crap in the bows. Sigh. Must be the navy equivalant of the army axim shit rolls down hill responsibility rolls up hill. Which brings up the question, "where did the marines shit?" :) guess I need to ask a sailor that one. Sorry guys couldn't resist.
The black mast bands were over painted ochre just before the battle to aid recognition. Stands tp reason only the areas actually visible from another ship would be over painted.
Yes I would agree with you about the alterations needed to the stern, but you need to model her as she appeared just before the major refit. ie. copper bottomed and masts restepped. The views of the early model also show other cosmetic changes like the boat davits etc. I'll try and get a pic of her old figure head, there is a copy in existance. It was more ornate and gilded.
As to the Marines and toilets, arnt they tooo retentive to need heads?
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