1:200 French Frigate "Acheron"

French Frigate Acheron, 1:200 — Zvezda

An injection-molded plastic kit of a nineteenth-century French frigate in 1:200 scale from the Russian firm Zvezda. The manufacturer named the vessel Acheron. For a sailing ship, 1:200 scale gives a sensibly sized model that will fit even a smaller display case, but the rigging and fittings parts are finer.

The real subject

In the age of sailing fleets the frigate was a medium warship: faster and handier than a ship of the line, but with weaker firepower. A single gun deck gave her armament enough for independent cruises, scouting, convoy escort and attacks on merchant shipping. That is exactly why frigates turn up most often in naval stories; readers also know the name Acheron from a literary treatment of the Napoleonic naval wars. The model does not follow any documented French vessel of that name from the period; it represents a typical frigate.

Building and painting tips

You can suggest a wooden hull by laying a darker wash over a light base and then picking out the individual planks with a fine brush. Mask the black-and-yellow striped pattern of the sides, typical of vessels of the period, with tape; a brush will not give a straight boundary on a curved hull. The rigging is the most laborious part of a sailing ship: work from the bottom up according to the instructions and use a thin waxed thread. In 1:200 scale the parts are small, so have tweezers and good lighting ready.

Who the model is for

• Collectors of historical sailing ships
• Modelers who have little room in a display case
• Patient builders, as the rigging and small parts are laborious
• Enthusiasts of the Napoleonic naval wars

The model is supplied unassembled and unpainted. Glue, paints, thread and accessories are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.