Airfix Swedish Warship VASA -The Completion/ Rex Stewart

[@canofanger]

This is a masterpiece. I've never seen such a level of detail in an airfix kit, let alone many others. Thanks for sharing this.

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Your comment is much appreciated. Again, Airfix had the right idea when introducing these -and I knew they had potential to go even further in build. It took forty years of experimenting and now I'm content that I found the formula to making them at this level. I'm now working the Airfix SAINT LOUIS.

[@canofanger]

@@RexStewartoriginals I'm glad I found your channel and can't wait to see how the Saint Louis eventually turns out. I love making sailing ships as well - they are so magically fascinating. But yours are truly an inspiration for the day I eventually have the time to fully concentrate on them.

[@normg2242]

Extremely well done! I built this kit as a kid and tried to squeeze as much realism into it as I could, and I was very proud of it. But yours outshines everything!

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Thanks! So glad to know you built it in your youth. I believe many of us had a try at it in our younger years -in the hopes that we would do better as adults. Airfix was a great company back then with its sailing ship version...which is why I grabbed those kits to have at it as a professional. However, the main focus was (and is) to encourage those who have them to do them (if only for the experience of completion). I was fortunate to acquire buyers for those which I've done. Yet to finish the sails and rigging on SAINT LOUIS. Again, thanks for viewing!

[@feisarplinsky5496]

Standing ovation , great work !👋👋👍👍

[@2000dragon1]

A masterpiece!

[@Ari_selles]

Ngl but you are the reason I’m into kit building thanks for introducing me into this fun hobby

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Delighted to know this. That has always been my intent -to encourage those to "have at it!" No one knows what type of skill(s) one has until the motivation sets in to do a thing. I raise my glass to you @strider.3846 for your indulgence to the art/hobby.

[@tomlindsay4629]

Phenomenal work, the rigging looks convincingly operational. The lift and ripple you gave the standard flying at the stern is like the breath of life for the entire work. Every inch a true masterpiece!

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Tom, the real credit I extend to you builders (past and present). By observing your builds, it better serves the purpose for models such as this. I learned in my early years to erase the competitive spirit and embrace what the builder was attempting to convey in their work(s). Doing so, I honed in on details that were either avoided or added in ways and areas that needed investigating which prompted research. My association with you all is more of an adventure...lol. Even with collectors, I get to pick and chose who I will build for. If they are serious, the attention is 'front and center'. If they are 'boasters',..then they've lost me. Again, it's an adventure. By the way, you're the 'first' in recent times to ever compliment my flag, the standard. Now I'm established by a second witness! The first was New York's Governor Mario Cuomo when he attended an event where I was featured. He, too, complimented my way with flags...to later endorse me in 1995 Silver edition of Who's Who In The East. From that day on I made it a point to balance the flags with the flow of the sails. Your compliment is much appreciated, sir!

[@Юрий-т2л9ш]

SUPER, SUPER, AMAZING....!!!!🎉🎉🎉😮😮😊😊

[@wadehoney9922]

As always Rex, absolutely beautiful - the ship, the skill, the eye for detail and the patience. Stunning!!!

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Thanks, Wade...Currently working on the Airfix SAINT LOUIS which should be quite interesting since she carried overhead grating. I haven't, to date, seen any good models of it when balancing the rigging with that feature. Hopefully it will give other builders an idea of where the rigging actually fell with that feature...Again, thanks!

[@slabo8417]

Fantastic !!! Such a great model kit. Look totaly like real one. Thanks for share dear friend. Your skills help many modellers and give much hope for be every step better and better 🤩😃⚓

[@RexStewartoriginals]

All words perfectly said! Thanks!!!

[@christopherdawber8817]

Exceptional!

[@brianfoley4328]

Of course you realize you have set a standard that no one is going to be able to match...but you've motivated me to purchase this kit and build it, not that mine is going to look remotely like yours, but it looks like a good build...your work is amazing.

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Brian, I'm humbled...but it's not about 'standards'. I tackled these kits while attending college and found them to be awesome the time. However, as I developed my own style of model making I thought about the possibility of modifying plastic kits to make them appear realistic and wood-like. After 40 years of figuring out the various properties that would adhere to plastic, I realized I birthed something different. My current project of the Airfix SAINT LOUIS will be something for the record books. A startup video will be posted in a few weeks. I hope you get much enjoyment from your kit. It's a nice build.

[@WF_Craft_Miniatur]

Amazing... 👍👍

[@marknelson5929]

Looks terrific, especially the rigging, but why the wrong colours to the upper rear hull on each side and the stern galleries? There is plenty of reference to the colours via the Wasa museum.

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Thanks for the observation; but, not the wrong colors. Also, having my works in museums I can also assess that my colors are correct -given the research by notable historian-artist Bjorn Landstrom. The only validation to the Wasa Museum is the ship and artifacts surrounding it. But for color, I conclude his three year research being at the site.

[@marknelson5929]

So how did the Museum come to make such a major monumental stuff up with their conclusion to the ships colours?

[@puttyanimal3909]

That looks fantastic. Congratulations! It's like the Landstrom illustrations brought to life. It's amazing too to think that you were able to build this from the 50 year old Airfix kit. I wonder if the original toolmaker is still out there somewhere. It would be a wonderful thing if they were able to see it.

[@RexStewartoriginals]

I raise my glass to your comment. It's very humble and notable to give honor to the early engineers of this model. I've always held people in high-esteem when their talents and gifts served "the better good". I remember walking into a 'mom and pop' hobby shop in the 1960s -and was fascinated with all the varieties of models, especially the ships. Airfix was the first draw, followed by Revell, Monogram, etc. However, reading Landstrom's books during that period is what brought me to the Airfix series. He was a one of a kind author that I wanted to honor, but there was a British engineer that garnished my respect as well. So by using their research, and the unique way the Airfix team put together those kits, it was a no-brainer combining the three to arrive at this level. of course I further advanced it, but I had to have a forerunner(s)...and these individuals were that. I'm now working on my video of the Airfix Royal Sovereign...which is really Sovereign of the seas. Again, your comment is much appreciated. Thanks!

[@jan-eriklarsson]

non plus ultra !!!😯

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Thank you!

[@johnEdwinhuggins]

Great!¡!

[@rkresken]

Phantastic! Can you please explain how you did the sails? I assume these are not the vacform ones airfix supplied in those days

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Most kits of those times featured the plastic sails; but that was the criteria to entice youth (and adults) to build and become familiar with the 'sailing' ship process. Some. like myself during those times, experimented with materials to that that process to another level. As a result, I discovered my sail methods worked for whatever materials were compatible. In this case, plastic, wood and treated paper. Unfortunately, I can't share my methods to the general public for legal reasons. However, my images are posted so that the viewer can observe what the possibilities can be when tasking to another level.

[@nissafors]

Great work. Pity you painted it blue though, as modern analysis of the wreck has shown she was actually red... Greetings from sweden

[@RexStewartoriginals]

Don't agree...When the new curator left America to run the museum there, it took three years to come up with that conclusion. I have to remain true 'blue' with Bjorn Landstrom's research...especially the fact that more blue pigments were ordered than red. Also, many documents disappeared during the inquest that left a large void in the mystery of Vasa's sinking...The SAINT LOUIS was the forerunner to VASA and her topsides were blue (with only a two year difference from launching). I tend to believe that the dimensions of both ships were similar in design, so the myth about VASA carrying too much weight on her topsides is mute. No one in modern times will ever know why she sank. Again, key documents were removed from the court records.