Over the last couple of years, Premier Ship Models has had to adapt and readjust its business strategy to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic. We were able to do this thanks to the digitalisation of the company, and our terrific global outreach.
We have delivered to over 80 countries, and in recognition of this, Premier Ship Models won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Category of International Trade 2021!
The Queen’s Award for Enterprise is for outstanding achievement by UK business in terms of innovation, sustainability and development, and international trade, and it is certainly safe to say that Premier Ship models has excelled in each and every one of these categories, and so the award was well-deserved.
It was a fantastic way to celebrate the company’s success, as it truly recognised Premier Ship Models’ contribution to UK and International Enterprise.
We’ll remain ever grateful to have been granted such a prestigious award. It has also served as an excellent platform for us to demonstrate our ability to deliver, both to new and existing clientele.
2022 has been a highly successful year for Premier Ship Models, and here you can find our ten best-selling kits of the year, in descending order.
African Queen – Billing Boats:
Regardless of its modest size and stature, the African Queen is one of the vessels which has become most vividly engraved on the minds of many people throughout the world.
The African Queen achieved its frame thanks to featuring in a movie of the same name, released in 1951 and based off of a novel from 1935, written by C. S. Forester. The movie featured Katharine Hepburn, winner of four academy awards, and Humphrey Bogart, who in the filmed version of C.S. Forrester’s work, play a British missionary and an alcoholic engineer respectively. Their characters are living in Tanzania during World War 1.
The ship itself is a small river boat complete with a steam chimney, and the model serves as a brilliant replication of the iconic ship. It’s perfect for novices looking to branch out into more difficult territory, thanks to its pre-built plastic hull and other miscellaneous details.
Oseberg Viking Ship – Billing Boats:
Vikings will forever be notorious after a period of great conquest across Europe. Their ships were very fast as they had a lengthened and narrow hull, together with a huge mainsail. The hull also allowed for the capability to sail in shallow waters such as rivers meaning they could travel upstream, consequently granting them the ability to effectively offload their warriors anywhere.
The Oseberg Viking ship was thought to have been built in the 9th Century, and was only discovered in 1904. Ships similar to the Oseberg were typically used in funeral services to send loved and lost ones to Valhalla. The Oseberg itself is now preserved in a museum in Oslo.
This brilliant model by Billing Boats makes for a wonderful reproduction of the real thing, complete with intricate planking and sails, as well as complex rigging and a pre-cut layout so as to provide the builder with more ease.
Rainbow Yacht Scale 1:80 – Amati:
Class yacht was built in 1930, and its sole purpose was to compete in the America’s Cup. She managed to retain the title in 1934, and has remained so iconic in the world of yacht racing that she was actually remade in 2012, albeit as a replica.
The kit is perfect for beginners as it isn’t overly complicated, yet the building process is extremely rewarding. It serves as a wonderful stepping stone for novice model builders.
The Rainbow Yacht is a best-seller thanks to its intricate details and stunning visuals, combined with a simplistic building process.
HMS Bounty was built in 1784 in Yorkshire, England and was intended to fulfil an experiment devised by wealthy botanist Sir Joseph Banks. His plan was to transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to the West Indies, where they could be grown and used to feed slaves.
The voyage began well, with the HMS Bounty arriving in Tahiti. They acquired the breadfruit plants and began learning to grow them from the natives. During this time, many of the crewmembers became accustomed to the local cultural practices and formed close bonds with the people living there.
After five months in Tahiti, William Bligh continued with the intended mission, but there was a mutiny onboard, led by Fletcher Christian. Twenty-two crewmembers mutinied with Christian. Two remained impartial and eighteen loyal to Bligh. The mutiny was a success, with the end result being Bligh and several other crewmembers forced on to the ship’s boat.
Bligh successfully managed to navigate his small boat to the Dutch settlement of Coupang, after encountering hostile natives on the island of Tofua. This conflict left one of Bligh’s crewmembers dead; astoundingly the only loss of life out of the remaining loyalists.
After leaving Tahiti, the HMS Bounty and its crew settled on Pitcairn Island, where they burnt the HMS Bounty to avoid being found by the Royal Navy and being brought back to England to face charges.
This terrific rendition of HMS Bounty is a wonderful testament to the ship and its legacy. It’s ideal for beginners, and is complete with a rich wooden structure, crisp white sails and brown and white detailing. The rigging is highly intricate, and it makes for a fantastic piece of décor for any maritime enthusiast!
With deep roots in Scandinavian History, the Viking Longboat can be traced back as far as the fourth century BC. Between the 9th and 13th centuries, the longboat we recognise today took its form.
Constructed using wood, cloth sails and featuring intricate carvings, these majestic ships hold a special place in historical stories – both factual and fictional. This kit is the perfect choice for you if you have an affinity for this particular historical era.
This kit is excellent for intermediate model ship builders looking to climb the ladder in terms of difficulty, without pushing themselves too far. It’s packed with brilliant little details and intricacies, and makes for a wonderful piece of décor.
USS Constitution – Mini Mamoli:
The USS Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned navy vessel still afloat today. She was launched in 1797, and this particular wooden hull, three-masted heavy frigate was among the most heavily armed U.S Navy ships.
Proving her worth in the War of 1812, the USS Constitution’s mission today is to educate on the role of the Navy in war and peace. This model kit offers you the chance to recreate a fascinating piece of history as your very own.
The kit is ideal for beginners, thanks to its pre-built wooden hull and laser cut pieces allowing for easier construction. It measures in at a scale of 1 to 330, and serves as a terrific replica of the real-life equivalent. The model encapsulates the ship’s rich history, as well as its longevity.
The HMS Terror is another well-performing model every year. This is largely in part thanks to the incredible level of detail that has been poured into it. It’s complete with a plank-on-frame hull type, and is excellent for intermediate to experienced model makers.
The ship itself was a specialised warship built to serve in the Royal Navy in 1813. She took part in a number of key battles, including the Battle of Baltimore, and she swiftly lived up to her name.
Once HMS Terror had served her purpose in warfare, she was converted into a polar expedition ship, where she’d eventually be lost in 1845 during Sir John Franklin’s attempt to force the Northwest Passage in 1845.
Her wreckage was discovered in 2016, and in the years since then her legacy has lived on stronger than ever.
Endeavour Yacht Scale 1:80 – Amati:
The Endeavour J-Class Yacht was especially reserved for the elite and wealthy. It was said to be one of the best performing vessels in the 1930s. These yachts were famous for competing with the best players for the America’s Cup and the Endeavour J-Class Yacht certainly lived up to that reputation.
Amati’s kit is perfect for beginners, with a simple plank-on-frame hull construction type, and precise laser-cut pieces allowing for easy fits.
This continues to be a best-seller for us thanks to its excellent level of detail, and the rich racing heritage the ship carries.
The Albatross kit is so popular because it’s the perfect starting point for novice model ship builders. It’s simple enough to allow the builder to follow the instructions easily and clearly, but still results in a fantastic item for display.
She is a prime example of a schooner ship, used for duty along the coast as well as overseeing imports and exports. Typically, schooners were fast and small, and so the Albatross was no different. She was extremely fast and agile, and remains famous for her elegant lines, spacious deck and complex rigging system.
Much like her name, the story behind the Endurance is one of sheer perseverance. The ship was originally built in Norway for the purpose of tourist cruises to the Arctic. The Endurance was the famous 3-masted barquentine which was chosen by Sir Ernest Shackleton for the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition in 1914. She was picked for her strength and ability to withstand the polar conditions, and the ship’s name was changed from The Polaris to The Endurance to honour Shackleton’s family motto; “By Endurance we conquer”.
The Endurance was mostly constructed from oak and Norwegian fir, and encased in layer of greenheart for additional support. Joints and fittings were cross-braced, to maximise durability, and they were also made of oak. The bow was over a metre thick, and was designed to break through the ice, rather than rise above it. Unfortunately, this strength became her downfall.
The Expedition came to an end in January of 1915, when unprecedented temperatures and heavy winds led to the accumulation of ice, which trapped the ship.
The Endurance continued to battle against the packed ice for several months, until she caved in and sank below the icy waters. Facing no choice but to abandon her, the crew departed upon a dangerous and brave journey across the Antarctic, until they were rescued 522 days later.
This particular model is always a strong seller for us, but it saw a surge this year thanks to the discovery of its wreckage back in November 2021. It’s a fantastic kit for intermediate builders, and serves as a wonderful piece of décor for maritime enthusiasts.
Overall, 2022 has been a hugely successful year for Premier Ship Models. These ten kits are just a drop in the bucket of what we have to offer!
Make sure you place your Christmas orders soon, especially now since our Black Friday deal is on!
- Jack Ratledge
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