writes:Are you looking for something a little different in your 1:600 Age of Sail naval gaming?
Here's the new Xebec model from Minairons. Xebecs were Mediterranean ships with both oars and sails, used from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The box measures 10cm x 15cm.
As the box says – twice! – this is a fast-assembly model. There's a sticker on the box back showing how the model is assembled. The box is taped shut.
Inside the box, there's a ziploc bag containing a flagsheet, and an interesting stapled-together pouch…
I removed one of the staples, and out slid the resin hull and a ziploc bag of metal parts.
The hull is almost 6cm long, and just over 1cm wide. Our sample was molded in light gray resin. The only imperfection visible here is a tiny chip at the end of the bow.
Here's a side view. That triangular 'fin' hanging below the stern is just a wisp of resin, easily removed.
Here's a bottom view. Again, there's a wisp of resin near the bow, easily removed with a hobby knife or your fingers. You'll need to file the bottom if you need a flat bottom for basing, but that won't take long. Two minutes to prep the hull, tops.
These are the parts from the ziploc bag: three masts (25mm, 30mm, and 35mm long), three sails, and a bowsprit (17mm long). Very minor clean-up to remove extra bits of metal.
Based on the assembly diagram, it looks like the smaller mast and sail go toward the bow (but the box art seems to show the smaller sail at the stern, but the sails in the box art are slightly different from the model sails). I'm not clear where the larger sail goes (the box art suggests in the center). The sails have a bracket to attach to the mast, but it's not clear exactly where – I would assume you put the sail as low to the deck as you like. There's a bracket where the end of the bowsprit goes, and a support that holds it at a high angle (it does not lie against the resin hull).
No painting or rigging directions are provided, other than to refer to the box art.
Carefully remove the flagsheet from the ziploc bag to avoid wrinkling the paper. The sheet is labeled BARBARY CORSAIR: 1580-1780 Ensign & flags. No instructions are provided, but the box art shows where a banner could be placed. It's not clear where the flag would be placed, or if a flagstaff would need to be added with a bit of wire at the stern.
This looks like a wonderful kit. Now, how many xebecs does it take to make a scenario? 