I've been monkeying around with this Time and Scale plot twist since December past, but this is as good an excuse as any to push it over the finish line.
1) Historical Context.
Ross Winan made a 'cigar ship' that inspired Jules Verne.
Do you see? https://www.vernianera.com/CigarBoats.htmlhttps://isleofdogslife.wordpress.com/2015/08/20/the-strange-story-of-the-cigar-ship-on-the-isle-of-dogs-1866/https://www.modelshipmaster.com/products/civil_war/ross_winans_cigar_ship.htm2) [Fabricated Narrative] Winan built a predecessor patrol boat for the City of Baltimore (state of Maryland) in the summer of 1859, finishing sea trials in the Chesapeake Bay during the summer of 1860. Even a year before the war, it was obvious that the city had pro-southern sympathies and under the guise of 'harbor security and customs duties' the City's financial fathers quietly funded Winan's work.
By late March 1861, southern sympathizers in Baltimore realized their position was untenable and during the first week of April (the exact date is contended) five or six men (accounts vary) made steam, slipped her cables and headed for Virginia waters.
At some point during the nighttime journey, the patrol boat was intercepted by an unnamed United States Navy frigate and holed at least once by a carronade on the frigate's foredeck (interview with unnamed USN sailor 'witness', 12 January 1884, 'Baltimore Sun').
Winan's ship disappeared with all hands and the wreck has never been pinpointed.
The United States Navy files on the incident have remained sealed ever since.[/Fabricated Narrative]
Do you see?https://www.baltimoremagazine.com/section/historypolitics/where-the-civil-war-began-2/https://www.baltimoresun.com/opinion/readers-respond/bs-ed-lincoln-letter-20150420-story.html3) Model Context
Genesis for this build was a 3D print of one of the 63' steam launches for the USS Maine, done in 1/72nd.
Regret - I believe this 3D print was sourced from THINGVERSE but I can not find the file location there anymore.
Do you see?https://modelshipworld.com/topic/18130-uss-maine-by-haze-gray-172-scale-radio-plastic-3d-printed/http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/52/t/185947.aspx4) Since my other ship builds for this period are in 1:124th scale (mostly based on Lindberg's BLOCKADE RUNNER), I decided to stick with that. Using all of my fingers and toes, I think that means the model works out to 109' or thereabouts.
Anyone care to check my math?