Modellers Without Borders – creating small versions of bigger things. MWB is there for all scale modelers in what ever discipline. Read about this awesome build by Robert Frysztak.

I originally built one of the Revell Constitutions back in the early 80s “out of the box.”  Unfortunately, it was badly damaged years later in a move, and had to be scuttled.  But I kept the fantail piece as a reminder.  Years later, my brother found one in a garage sale and purchased it as a birthday present, where it sat in the box for years.  In 2018, being an empty nester, I decided to take the hobby up again and pulled this kit out of mothballs.  Looking at all the warped masts and cheap-looking plastic sails and ratlines, I decided I would build this one right.  Spent a year researching, getting plans, and joined a club dedicated to ship model building (Midwest Model Shipwright’s, which I am now VP).  The only thing that is actually from the original kit is the hull.  Everything else has been scratch built, primarily out of wood or stock styrene.  All decks are real wood, as are all the masts & yardarms.  Real sails, including bolt ropes, robands, cringles, etc.  Real wood blocks and over 25 various sizes of rope (not string).  There will also be about 100 crew on board as well, painted to look like a crew from 1812.  Needless to say, I have gone overboard.  And if that wasn’t enough, there is an electronics board (my own design) with 27 separate lighting circuits controlling flickering lamps below decks, and a random cannon barrage on the port side (when you push the hidden button in the bow).

The entire build has been documented over the years on FineScale Modeler. The link is here.

Be forewarned:  It is a L O N G  scroll through 7+ years of building, with almost 44K views and lots of comments.  Enjoy!

And don’t be afraid to ask me any questions.  I love helping out folks who would like to do the same.