1:65 HMS Endeavour

A perfectly crafted wooden kit of the HMS Endeavour model in 1:65 scale from 1768 from the renowned Spanish manufacturer Artesania Latina.

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HMS Endeavour was launched in 1764 and served as a coal cargo ship under the name Earl of Pembroke. It was then purchased by the Royal Navy and modified for the purpose of sailing around the world, which, in addition to discovery, had as its main objective the observation of the passage (transit) of Venus across the Sun in the area of Tahiti. This was an event of paramount importance, recurring twice in eight years, but then only after more than a century. Thanks to the method previously invented by astronomer Edmund Halley, it made it possible to determine very accurately the distance between the Earth and the Sun and, consequently, the dimensions of the entire Solar System. For the transit of 1769, expeditions of scientists to various places around the world were being prepared, so that as many measurements as possible could be made regardless of the weather.

Under the command of Captain James Cook, the Endeavour set sail from Plymouth in August 1768, rounded Cape Horn and, while sailing across the Pacific, discovered a number of previously unknown islands. The expedition arrived at Tahiti on time and in early June carried out planned astronomical observations and measurements during the transit of Venus. In September 1769, the Endeavour anchored off the coast of New Zealand, which it completely circumnavigated and thoroughly mapped. In the process, it discovered the strait between the North and South Islands, which now bears Cook's name. In April 1770, the Endeavour reached the coast of Australia in the area of present-day Sydney; Captain Cook went ashore in a bay that he named Botany Bay because of the amazing wealth of plants. The ship then sailed north along the eastern Australian coast. It narrowly escaped a fatal shipwreck on the Great Barrier Reef; After seven weeks of temporary repairs on the beach, she limped to Dutch Batavia (now Jakarta) on the island of Java. After extensive repairs in the local docks, Endeavour continued her voyage westward; in March 1771, she rounded the Cape of Good Hope and finally anchored in Dover, England, on 12 July 1771 after a voyage of almost three years. While Captain Cook became one of the most famous explorers of all time, Endeavour returned to cargo transport; for years she sailed between England and the Falkland Islands, and was finally deliberately sunk by the British as a blockade ship in Narragansett Bay in 1778 during the American Revolutionary War.

Kit characteristics

The model is constructed using a false keel and ribs, similar to real ships. The hull is built using the classic shell-planing technology, in this case partly in two layers. The kit includes precise laser-cut parts made of wood and plywood, veneer strips for hull planking, brass accessories (e.g. gun barrels, fittings, etc.), some cast metal parts, sewn sails with authentic texture, threads, nails and all other building materials.

Package contents

The kit does not include glue, clear varnish, paints, putty or any tools necessary for construction. The assembly of the model is significantly facilitated by the enclosed 1:1 scale drawing and clear picture instructions that guide you through the construction of the ship step by step. This kit is suitable primarily for experienced ship modelers who already have experience in building similar models.