HM Gun Brig Adder, 1797

The Adder is another recent wooden model ship kit release to come out of Christopher Watton’s company Vanguard Models. They are in stock now at Ages of Sail and ready to ship!

The Adder was an Acute-class gun brig of 160 tons, designed by Sir John Henslow, Co-Surveyor of the Navy. The ship carried 14 guns and measured 75ft 2in on deck. She had a crew of 50 men and boys and was designed for coastal operations.

Like HM Cutter Trial, which was the previous kit released by Vanguard Models, the Adder is equipped with Schank sliding keels, increasing the stability of the shallow hull under sail.

As with other kits by Vanguard Models, the Adder is in 1/64 scale, giving the completed kit an overall length of about 24″ and a heigh of just about 19-1/2″. The kit is designed for ease of construction, with lots of closely spaced bulkheads, and laser-etched deck and bulwarks planking. And, while it makes a nice challenging kit for experienced ship modelers, it is rated as an Amateur-level kit (Level 2). Vanguard Models defines this as a kit made for one who has successfully completed one or more previous projects.

As usual, the kit includes a large detailed instruction book and plan sheets. The instruction book, which is 78-pages and fully illustrated, are included in the kit, but a digital version can also be downloaded here. Below are some sample pages from the instructions.