Description
The sinking of the Titanic on April 15, 1912 is known to the world
as the one of the greatest maritime tragedies of all time. The loss of
over 1.500 people who perished in the icy waters of the North Atlantic
was profound, resulting in regulations mandating sufficient lifeboats
for everyone on board, establishment of the International Ice Patrol and
manning a ship‘s wireless station around the clock. “Safety first”
became a way of life. Until the discovery of the wreck on September 1,
1985, The Titanic Historical Society was primarily responsible for the
keeping the Titanic story alive along with a few books, an occasional
magazine article, television and a few notable motion pictures. When Dr.
Robert Ballard and his team of French and American scientists located
the RMS Titanic gravesite, interest in the vessel and her history
soared. For decades now after the discovery of the wreck of the Titanic,
countless books, newspapers, video specials, and a major motion picture
have chronicled the ill-fated liner in both fact and fiction to the
point that the ship has become an icon in modern popular culture.
Many people, including members of The Titanic Historical Society,
recognized the value of offering a quality large-scale model
representing the Titanic. Work on the project began in the early 1970s
using reference information provided by the Titanic Historical Society
and blueprints supplied by Harland & Wolff, the builders of the
Titanic and her sister ships Olympic and Britannic. The model kit that
evolved into the current Minicraft 1/350 scale Titanic was first offered
for sale in 1976 and remained virtually unchanged until 1997. In 1997
the movie “TITANIC” by James Cameron was released. Interest in the ship
reached new heights and fascination in the Titanic and events
surrounding her loss continued. Further research gleaned from underwater
photography of the wreck, engineering studies of the ship and the
causes of the disaster created a new body of knowledge that had not been
available prior to the discovery of the Titanic on the bottom of the
North Atlantic. It was recognized that the kit designed in 1974
contained errors that could not have been anticipated until new
information was brought to light. With new information available and
with the contribution of many, the Minicraft Models 1/350 scale replica
of the Titanic was revised to reflect new information that corrected the
original design. An expression of thanks is especially well deserved to
the following individuals: Art Braunschweiger, Ken Marschall, Loren
Perry, Sean Winterberg, Jacob B. Groby III Roy Mengot, Bruce Beveridge,
Bob Read and Mike and Steve Pell for making their research available to
update Minicraft Model Kits’ RMS Titanic. To date over 50 changes were
made including a new Forecastle Deck, skylights, the center anchor,
porthole corrections near the bow, modification of the well decks and
corrected decals and flag sheet. Reference information can also be found
at the Titanic Research & Modeling Association website:
http://www.titanic-model.com Using the latest information contemporary
research has made available, the Minicraft Model Kits’ 1/350 scale RMS
Titanic is the only kit available that accurately represents the famous
ocean liner as the ship appeared on the fateful night of April 14, 1912.
