Calling all Chinese Chih Yuen-class (致遠) (Zhiyuan-class) protected cruiser (1886) fans

[Timmy C]

With Bronco having released their rather nice-looking 1/350 kits of these two Elswick cruisers, I imagine there will be some requests for information.

The best source for Imperial Chinese ships is, I think, http://www.beiyang.org/index1.htm - you'll have to run it through Google Translate if you don't read Chinese.

The page for the Chih Yuen and Ching Yuen is http://www.beiyang.org/bybq/zhiyu.htm
At the bottom are a bunch of photographs. Picture 18 shows what the gatling guns on the mast tops look like. Said gun's own page is http://www.beiyang.org/bybq/gelin.htm

[Peter Rathgeb]

I just started to build the Chih Yuen.

What a great, great, great kit! The fit, the details, the photoetch - a dream!

I suppose the only difference of their Ching Yuen kit is the box art and the name in the instructions? I think I will buy it anyway.

Hopefully they will sell well, so that we see more Beiyang fleet ships, like the Stettin cruisers (King Yuen, Lai Yuen) or the Jiyuan (later the IJN Saien).

Cheers,
Peter

[Jedrek]

What a great, great, great kit!

Yes, Yes, Yes! That's true
Some pictures -> Chih Yuen inbox

[aleccap]

Just wondering when this will appear in the proper scale of 1-700 ?
I can't grumble enough about not ''enough'' of these wonderful old types of dread's, the only unanswered question I had was about the rattails. The line running from the deck to the underside of the crows nest, with my little effort, I brought from WEM and joined 2 together, yes could have made my own, but obviously didn't take that road.
With the etch set coming with this new 1-350 kit, again asking - does this come with rat lines ?

[Timmy C]

Alec, it appears the kit PE for this one does include the ratlines - see the bottom right pieces on the PE fret.

[Gone Asiatic]

Just wondering when this will appear in the proper scale of 1-700 ?

I second the motion!

[vincentcflau]

Indeed a new model maker in Maninland China has just released a 1/700 injection version!

The kit come with brass guns and PE (with ratline, railing, wheel etc...)





Here is the link:

http://www.jzhobby.com/item.htm?id=10870295353

[Timmy C]

Thanks for that link, Vincent! I noted the release in the Upcoming Releases thread in the main section, but haven't found pics of the kit contents until your posting. Looks great!

Would it be possible for you to copy the post over to the Ting Yuen thread? viewtopic.php?f=47&t=55260

[aleccap]

Hubber hubber can't wait after Hendon and searching for the last 2 years, finally there's actually going to be a ----- hold on a moment, this is great news and wonder what else they'll produce ? Looking forward to this one.
Oh by the way, for those still having problems buying the protected cruiser in 1-350, just shy of �21.00 inc shipping now on ebay, this was just one seller though.

This is tough going even for my translator, does anyone know for certain if there's an order form for this 1-700 ? In English.

[vincentcflau]

Thanks for that link, Vincent! I noted the release in the Upcoming Releases thread in the main section, but haven't found pics of the kit contents until your posting. Looks great!

Would it be possible for you to copy the post over to the Ting Yuen thread? viewtopic.php?f=47&t=55260

No problem. I've posted a new link there that gives more photos of the kit.

[aleccap]

On the price of this in big red letters is 85, does anyone actually know what this is in U.K money ?

[Rob]

about 8 quid, if currency is CNY.

Rob

[aleccap]

Just got that info via a sales in China with shipping $29.00 US, obviously would love to have paid a mere �8.00 which I would have brought 2 straight away. But thank you for your time.

forward information via this address, person called Lin, not sure if that's the first or second name but contact detail -
jzhobby@hotmail.com

[maxim]

Unfortunately the 1/700 kit is the battleship Dingyuan (Ting Yuan)/ Zhenyuan (Chen Yuan) - not the protected cruisers Zhiyuan (Chih Yuan)/Jingyuan (Ching Yuan). A 1/700 kit of the protected cruisers is still missing.

[AllianceModelWorks]

They're called Sextant Model, and last I heard they were tooling other ships of the beiyang fleet in 1:700.
And so is Bronco, in the 350 scale of course.

Hopefully they'll go to dreadnaught and pre-dreads after these.

[Bondoman]

Well, Alliance, wouldn't it be wonderful to have plastic models 1890-1910 based on the output from the major yards. Vulcan, Vickers, Armstrong, Kure, St. Petersburg etc. ?

[maxim]

They're called Sextant Model, and last I heard they were tooling other ships of the beiyang fleet in 1:700.

Do they have a website?

[Lesforan]

I've built both the Zhiyuan and the Jingyuan. Picts of my Jingyuan are in the Gallery. Both were heavily-modified Zhendefu kits in 1/240 scale.

These ships were pretty much off-the-shelf Armstrong Ellswick Cruisers, protected cruisers of the 1890's.

In doing background research for my USS Oregon and USS Olympia builds, I noticed the Spanish Navy had two of these ships, the Isla de Luzon, and the Isla de Cuba. I think the Zhendefu kits would be a good basis for models of these ships, the main difference from the Chinese sisters being the placement of the bridge in relation to the foremast.

Both these Spanish cruisers were sunk by Dewey's cruiser squadron at Cavite. They were then raised, and put into service with the USN under their Spanish Navy names! What a collection these would make alongside Oregon and Olympia!

The ships of the 1890's are my favorite period. My most recent build is the Russian Imperial protected cruiser Varyag in 1/350 (Zvezda). This ship was constructed by Wm. Cramp and Sons of Philidelphia, 1899.

Les

[maxim]

I noticed the Spanish Navy had two of these ships, the Isla de Luzon, and the Isla de Cuba. I think the Zhendefu kits would be a good basis for models of these ships, the main difference from the Chinese sisters being the placement of the bridge in relation to the foremast.

Chih Yuan and Ching Yuan were a much bigger ship and much more heavily armed than Isla de Luzon and Isla de Cuba.

Lenght difference 61 mm in 1/350
Chih Yuan: 267 ft
Isla de Luzon: 197 ft

Width difference 3 mm in 1/350
Chih Yuan: 38 ft
Isla de Luzon: 30 ft

Displacement
Chih Yuan: 2310 ts
Isla de Luzon: 1038 ts

Armament:
Chih Yuan: 3 x 8.2 in, 2 x 6 in, 8 x 6 Pdr, 2 x 3 Pdr, 6 x 1 Pdr, 6 Gatling MG, 4 x 14 in torpedo tubes
Isla de Luzon: 6 x 4.7 in, 4 x 6 Pdr, 2 x 1in MG, 2 MG, 3 x 14 in torpedo tubes

I do not think that it is possible to convert her.

[Lesforan]

Maxim,

You are correct, but I think you misread my post. The ships I would convert would be Zhiyuan and Jingyuan, not Chi Yuan and Ching Yuan. The latter were much larger ships, similar to USN battleships USS Maine and USS Texas of the 1890's.