Building a 1/250 scale ‘Titanic’ (Amati kit)
By Denzil Monis
I have an affectation for ‘Titanic’ and a chap in Northumberland had the Billings ‘Smit Rotterdam’ and the Amati ‘Titanic’ both as new untouched kits. I couldn’t decide which I really wanted so fortune favoured the brave and I got them both for £450 plus £10 postage. I built the ‘Rotterdam’ as an RC model with twin props and 12v SLA battery.
I started the Titanic about 10 months ago. I had seen it in Model Boats magazine about three years ago (2017). I found this to be a nice kit with good quality materials and excellent plans and instructions. It has RC conversion included but it would be a nightmare so I have left it as a static model, it is fairly big at 42ins long by 5ins beam.
The hull is double planked with 10 letter box size sheets of PE parts for the railing, the decks are all individually planked, funnels are built up, crane jibs, davits etc. are all PE parts bent up. The only plastic parts are the benches and the lifeboats. The kit is all excellent quality with good laser cut wood and clean fittings, the plans and instructions are very comprehensive but the build sequence could be better and a bit more detailed in places. The plans, nine A0 size sheets are all in Italian, but the build sequence is well translated into English.
I thought it would look good with internal lighting but the buildings on the deck are all sheet wood with stick on paper overlays for walls, windows, doors etc. so lighting the superstructure would not be possible and it would look a bit naff with just the hull lit.
She is nearly finished (April 2020) with just a few bits and some touching up to do.
It certainly has been a challenge! I’m sure a good modeller would make a real show piece of it.
Denz.