Admiralty-style model ships were built by shipbuilders from the 15th to the 19th century. They served as a design aid for engineers, a simulator for those responsible for operating the vessel, and as a “show and tell” display for those raising funds from investors.
An Admiralty model will have some parts without planks that will expose the frame and internal and deck furniture. Masts, spars and some rigging are usually in place. The keel, sternpost and bow are erected and the ribs are attached to the keel. This will then represent the general shape of the hull. Then some of the planks are applied to the ribbed frame. On some Admiralty ship models, the entire hull will be planked, while only part of the deck will be planked. On other models, one side of the hull will be left unplanked while the deck is planked. Another version will have the entire hull unplanked while the deck is planked. An Admiralty style model could also be a cross section of the hull. This is where all the planks are placed; however, the model would only represent a portion of the ship, such as the bow, midsection, or stern.
The advantage of building an Admiralty ship model for the model ship builder is that you can add details to better represent the ship’s purpose and era. Using the Bounty as an example, a rendering can be made for the galley, armament room, carpentry shop, hold, captains quarters, etc. The Bounty’s botanical mission was to collect breadfruit plants so that she could add some plants, as well as an area that would have been used for the study of plants and animals discovered along her journey. Before starting with the ship model, the builder must not only study the ship being represented, but also the era in which the ship was built. Shipbuilding changed from century to century. More realism could be added as ballast placed in the hold before cargo is added.
As an alternative to the standard plank-over-bulkhead used by most model ship kits, the builder can convert the kit to a plank-over-frame or purchase one of the few plank-over-frame kits available. The exposed ribs can be shaped using the bulkhead pieces as templates. Add reinforcement to the ribs between the decks by building beams. Some of the plank-on-frame kits that are available are US Fragate Confederacy, Bounty, US Essex, America, Victory, USS Constitution, and Santisimo Trinidad.
It is also possible to build a plank into a frame ship model from scratch. Make sure you have good quality drawings and are familiar with ship hull design.
If you build a plank on top of a frame model, you’ll probably get more satisfaction. The beauty of any ship model is the intricate detail. A model ship with planks in the frame allows you to provide detail not only on the upper deck but also on the lower decks.