Dear friends and customers,
on December 16, we delivered the completed models of all versions of the "Australis" or "America" 1978.
A few deliveries are still lagging behind because I did not have enough castings available for the unexpectedly large orders. These are to be delivered in the next few months.
All models are delivered in strict order of the orders received.
All orders received so far will be delivered at the prices approximated in the last circular.
The prices for future orders of this model will be about 20% higher because I roughly miscalculated before the production.
If you have not ordered the model so far, but would like to have it now, I recommend that you ask one of our dealers as soon as possible about models that have not been pre-ordered.
We are now hoping for a number of less exhausting days over Christmas - however, work on models will continue roughly as announced when the last time our page was updated in September - see below.
Furthermore, I am currently working on various models of small ships, which I wanted to work for a very long time. Newly added is the "Holland" (2) of 1940, whose plan I got through the mediation of Nico Guns from the Netherlands. The tug fits perfectly in our series in many respects. In 1943 it went - lost in the meantime seized by Germany - and is thus another of the design innovative "Wartime Looser". Because - this noble tugboat had its small superstructure mass in complete drop form and is thus another streamlined vessel in our series. It is said, that she towed the "Tirpitz" in her short live. I thank Sjouke Veenstra with all my heart for making me a copy of this otherwise unavailable plan.
Other small ships, which are currently being produced by us, but - unlike the "Holland" have long been on our list:
There are four British pilot displacement boats to call sea position: First, the "Bembrigde" - still present and properly restored by knowledgeable Polish hands, this fantastic little ship is historically at the moment one of the most interesting ships ever - because - it was the first prototype for the Corvettes of the "Flower Class". We also have "Sir Thomas Brooklebank" and the "Pathfinder". I have a special relationship with both of them. I dreamed of a large model of the "Sir Thomas" since it saw the ship model in a very early edition. In my opinion, this ship is designed especially balanced. This year I have managed to get a large scale model from the northernmost corner of mainland Scotland and it has given me a lot of pleasure. Among other things, it is the only ship model running straight astern. I saw the "Pathfinder" in 1984 from the early morning mist of the Thames estuary during my internship at the coaster "Pinnau". Certainly one of the most beautiful ship encounters of my life. Already many years ago, Michael Dollenbacher brought me a large model from GB.
In addition, we build the sisters "Brook" and "Gurnard", which were, so to speak, prototyps of the large pilot boats on maritime patrol.
Since we are going on a trip on the Göta Canal next year on the occasion of our "silver getting to know each other" and then continue with the "Storskär" to Waxholm, I have finally started the prototype of this perhaps most elegant and definitely the fastest old steamship in the archipelago of Stockholm. It has already grown far. This was made possible by my friend Christian Rex, who had very good plans (and himself a very nice 1:50 scale kit of this beautiful ship offers) and send me a copy.
Also a long-time favorite of the "long to do" is the 19m rescue boat of the DGzRS of type "H. J. Kratschke". This model is already well advanced.
In the frenzy of reconditioning and because I now have a customer in Norway, whose father sailed on this miserably documented ship, I have now started the "Ottar Jarl" of the Hurtigrute. So to speak, in order to compensate for the fact that I can not build the complex "Roald Amundsen" without proper plans, I build now based only on the - besides: false - elevation drawing of the "Ottar Jarl".
The ship was built in the United States in 1929 as a "W.B. Foshay" for use between Seattle and Alaska, so actually built for a not unlike operational area as the Norwegian west coast and arrived in Norway in 1946 in times of absolute tonnage poverty the NFDS started as "Ottar Jarl". Not only the completely atypical look, but also the generally unique from the American continent construction - the beautiful structures that remind of gazebos - I like all that very well and I'm really looking forward to finish the model.
The Hamburg harbor ferry type 2 is to become the last little thing of this series. I find these ships with their many windows in many curves difficult to build and will tackle that in a quiet moment.
Meanwhile, as 3-D printing, we have the following models - they just need to be finished by hand in some little things before I make forms for them:
"Bore I" 1973
"Conte di Savoia"
"Dragon" and "Leopard"
"Svea Corona" and 2 other Dubigon sisters
"Kronprinsessan Victoria" and "Prinsessan Birgitta" 1981
Spitsbergen (Hurtigruten)
"Stefan Batory"
"Maasdam"
"Stena Germanica" 1967
"Tresfjord" or "Rømø Express"
"Visby" and "Gotland" 1972 and 1973 respectively
"Visby" and "Gotland" 1980 and 1981 respectively
The "Prinsessan Birgitta" from 1974 needs a few additional parts for delivery.
Most recently, Ri-0250, the Polish Atlantic liner "Pilsudski" delivered to our dealers. The ship was built in 1935 on the Italian Cantieri Riuniti dell 'Adriatico in Monfalcone. We are currently producing the second edition of this, but then it will end. We also made reproductions of the models of the "Victoria" from 1931 (recently published by us under the number Ri-0077) as well as the Ri-0400 "Sassnitz" and the American Delta-Liner.
We sincerely wish you a Merry Christmas and almost more importantly a happy and successful New Year.
Burkhard Schütt