Historical Naval Architecture & Future Work

As you may be able to tell from some of my project choices, I have a significant interest in naval history. Specifically, developments in the field of naval architecture from the mid-18th century through to the Second World War.

My King George V class project, initially started way back in 2004, is an interesting subject at the most recent end of that scale. I imagine that I will continue working on it periodically for several more years yet. HMS Agamemnon represents the earlier end, and was one of my first forays into 3D modelling. But it is unsatisfying as a study of naval architecture or shipbuilding practices of the time.

A lot of research goes into these types of projects, which contributes to the apparent slowness of my work. I intend to publish some of that research here from now on, in case others find it useful.

Future Projects

There remains extensive work to do on the King George V class project. But looking beyond that, I have plans (literally and figuratively!) to work on three more ships. One sits in the same period as Agamemnon. This will allow for a more thorough examination of 18th century design and shipbuilding practice. Another sits at the pinnacle of the development of the wooden ship, in the middle of the 19th century. This was a fascinating period of rapid change, with the introduction of steam propulsion and iron hulls. Due to the lack of any significant naval conflicts after the Napoleonic Wars, this period attracts little interest. I consider this unfortunate, as the more you dig into it, the more interesting it becomes. The final ship sits somewhere between these two, and will represent a period where naval architecture was sent down the wrong path.

Several visits to the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, as well as the likes of HMS Warrior and the Historic Dockyard in Portsmouth were, and will continue to be required for these projects. These are fantastic places and resources.

I am currently finishing up another old project right now, the Constellation class. Once this is complete, I will return to finish off the Walrus. After that, I can get back to the renovation of King George V.

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