Ship Modelers Database

Model Shipways

Since 1948WoodPlank-on-BulkheadMaking kits

Model Shipways is America's oldest maker of wooden ship model kits, founded in 1948 and part of Model Expo of Miami, Florida, since 1987. Its kits use plank-on-bulkhead and plank-on-frame construction with wood and cast-metal parts, covering subjects such as the USS Constitution, schooners, lobster smacks and longboats, including the beginner Shipwright Series.

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About Model Shipways

Model Shipways is America's oldest wooden ship model kit manufacturer, founded in 1948. In 1987 it was acquired by Model Expo, a Miami, Florida-based company that had been importing historic European ship model kits since 1976; today the combined company designs and manufactures its kits in Miami, Florida under the Model Shipways, Model Airways, Model Trailways, and Guns of History brand names. Model Shipways is known for historically accurate wood and metal ship model kits built using plank-on-bulkhead and plank-on-frame construction methods, and the company states it was the first in the industry to introduce laser-cutting technology, converting many older solid-hull kit designs to the more advanced plank-on-bulkhead/plank-on-frame style. Notable subjects include iconic American vessels such as the USS Constitution, along with schooners, lobster smacks, longboats, and other historic sailing ships, offered across a range of skill levels including the beginner-friendly "Shipwright Series." Kits typically include finely crafted wood and cast-metal components, rigging line, sailcloth, and detailed multilingual plans and instruction manuals, with the company promoting features like machined brass fittings, extensive laser-cut parts, and free replacement parts for lost or broken pieces.

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