Created by Ingo Israel
-Click Here- to visit Ingo's website.
 | The ship itself [Billings Oseberg Viking Longboat Kit B518] is a model kit sold by "Billing Boats" since 1988.
The Danish company calls their product "Oseberg-ship", according to the historical location where the original was found. The "Oseberg-Kit" is available for about 120Euros in Germany. The modelkit contains pieces of wood, planks, latches and ropes. At first you have to build the structure of the hulk piece by piece. Step two is to put on the planks on the hulk. This is done plank by plank up to another. The Instructions are well explained and contain more than one working plan. But don`t understimate it-it`s definetely a kit for experienced modelbuilders. You have to be patient with the material and with the development to build this glued boat. For my demands to the diorama, I lowered the level of the deck for about 1,5cm and changed the shape of the helm. This I did to get closer to the original ships. The Dragon`s head was not part of the modelkit, so I took a piece of wood and shaped it like you see on the pics. It wasn`t so easy at all. Then I was concerning about the rigging and the sail. It took a while but after it was done I was finally able to care about the crew. My favourite part of the job. I guess a ship without a crew is a ship without a soul. The ship was glued with wood glue Ponal express. |
 |
After a long time I found a captain and a steersman, offered by a small company.
I was lucky but two guys are not really a dreadful bunch of bloodthirsty vikings on raid I thought.
Both miniatures were the only the company produced, so I decided to convert some old Elastolin-figurines and fit them into the boat.
It looked nice so I started creating the other part of the crew.
The other members were made 4x each as a prototype.
I made silicon molds and poured them out with resin.
After cleaning the blanks, each was primed and painted, every single one different.
Every sculler is enbedded in his individual position to generate a realistic effect. The figures were glued with plastic adhesive and super glue. In order to create a impression of tension and realism, I produced a lot of equipment and sea chests and distributed them on the deck.
The clothing I formed with miliput and plastic sheets material.
The weapons from the vikings are from elastolin and the sea chests I formed from plastic sheets material
and plastic plates. Next step was to put the ship in a bed of plaster. All eyes were on timing . As I mentioned, the realistic impression was the most important point and the waves a key thing. The waves should crash against the ship and express the energy of the scene...I tried my best to modulate them. The best way to get some colour on the plaster was Airbrush. I used a lotta blue shades and eight coats plus one clear coat to get a satisfying result.
This model is 1:25th scale and will measures (33.86 inches.) 86.5 cm long, 44.5 cm tall, 20.5 wide when completed. With the best wishes Ingo Israel |
"Osebergskibet" is one of the oldest well-preserved Viking ships discovered to date. It was found in Norway near Oseberg in the county of Westfold in 1903, resting on a "bed" of blue clay and covered with peat and many stones.
The ship was built in the latter half of the 9th Century and was buried approximately 50 years later. It is 21.58 meters long and was obviously a luxury and pleasure vessel. The timber holding the lower part of the mast - the mast partners - is not nearly as solid as in other ships. Whether this was because the ship was designed for sailing in peaceful coastal waters only or because Scandinavian shipbuilders has come no further than this stage, can not be ascertained with certainty.
The Oseberg ship is approximately 50-100 years older than other Viking ships found. It lay low in the water and was no doubt a rather perilous ship when travelling under sail. (By Billing Boats)
This model is 1:25th scale and will measure (33.86 inches.) 86.5 cm long, 44.5 cm tall, 20.5 wide when completed. This model includes cloth sail material and a spool of rigging material.
