I have been building 'tall' wood ship models for about forty years, sometimes from scratch, sometimes modifying kits and often building from kits. I am just starting the Victory, SM23 from Corel and have found, once again, that Corel can only be built by an experienced hobbyist. Any attempt by a beginner/medium level builder will almost certainly result in a poor quality final product. I've known for years that Corel has not yet progrssed into the latest technology for kits, that is, laser cutting their parts, particularly the keel/headstock/transom and bulkheads. They are clearly cut by hand, or perhaps by a poorly controlled NC machine. I start out by putting all the bulkheads snuggly clamped together, aligning keel slots, deck bearing surfaces, etc. The errors are manifold, and it takes upward of days to finally get all the bulkheads correctly trimmed to make a hull of the Victory. However, that's what I'm in this hobby for, so I can still turn out a museum quality ship from a Corel kit. I do hope that Corel will join us in the 21st century and invest in a laser cutting NC machine? Well, back to the Victory and here's wishing you that invest in this kit the best of luck and make sure you correct ALL errors prior to gluing the first joint!
