By Andrew Liszewski
The Titanic falls into the same category as Mickey Mouse in that it’s probably harder to find someone who hasn’t heard of it, than someone who has. But if you’re not familiar with the Titanic, as I recall it was a wildly popular movie from a decade ago that was later turned into a great sea disaster. And believe it or not, as famous as the ship has become, this 1:48 scale model of the Titanic is the first one ever built. (Or so the website selling it claims.) Belfast, Ireland based Harland & Wolff, who built the real Titanic, never released the plans outside of their company. But in 1995 another company called Fine Art Models convinced them to work together to produce this ‘definitive’ model.
Apparently this version of the Titanic took 7 years to build, which is actually longer than it took the shipyard to build the real one. Since its completion the model has toured the world via museums and other private exhibits, but it’s now available to one lucky buyer with deep, deep pockets. So what does $2.5 million get you? Here’s a breakdown of the ship’s finer features:
• The model is over 18 feet long
• The hull is a fiberglass form plated and riveted with brass plating, per the original plans, using more than 3,376,000 rivets, composed of three (3) different styles.
• Every bulkhead is in its proper location
• The entire superstructure is constructed of brass.
• The model weighs 1,500 pounds
• The decking is real wood, as is the deck furniture, which is crafted to exact proportions.
• All exterior windowed rooms are to scale, including the furniture and décor inside each room
• The telegraph in the Bridge is internally lit
• Its lighting is so complex that it required the installation of more than 8 miles of fiber optic cable.
I can’t deny that this is easily the most impressive and detailed model I’ve ever seen that’s not made from LEGO. But unless you’re sticking it in a museum and charging people 2 bits a gander, I can’t see why anyone would spend this much money. Unless of course you’ve grown tired of rubber ducks and plan to bust it out of the glass display case and enjoy it in the bathtub.
[ Fine Art Models – RMS Titanic Scale Model ] VIA [ Born Rich ]
